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Giving the client what they need, not what they ask for April 10, 2008

Posted by Ryan in : Markteting, Cervo, Reviews, Trends, Books, Design, Restaurants, Web Sites, Teaching, Storytelling, Programming, Freelance , 2 comments

Just now I was buying a new domain name because of a misprint in my AXIS interview - it’s probably a common mistake, so it was worth the $7.

Anyway, there was an ad for some wannabe-posh restaurant on I-Drive - “Bola”. link

OK, seriously, who has a flash website that plays music? With late-90’s slideshows?

I also love that when I link to the “blog” - check out the design they chose for that. All of the posts on said blog have this huge text right below the title and right next to the very stale and infrequent date of the posts - “No Responses”.
No Responses

Way to go on the authenticity, D*****bags! It’s not the designer’s fault, there was a breakdown in communications. Somebody has also dropped the ball on doing a follow-up with the client once the dist settled.

If you really want to create a compelling experience on a website these days, I think the only option is to use video. If your restaurant is so “high-end”, hire a damn video crew to come out once in a while and throw THAT on your site - or maybe even your non-blog.

Check out some of the stuff MindComet is doing, for example. They don’t mess around. I can’t say I always love every site they put out, but they know their strengths. I definitely appreciate the need for experienced marketing folks working along side talented designers and developers. I don’t slight the person who created this project, they just had too many things to think about all at once.

I’ve recently been re-reading a book by one of my role models - Hillman Curtis. It’s called MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer.

I actually had “New Media Developer” printed on my business cards for a while, and people would ask “What does that mean?” I’m sad to say I didn’t have a story for them at the time, but now I think I’d have a thing or two to say about it.

In MTIV (Making the Invisible Visible), Hillman, who is a world-renowned designer with clients like Adobe and bestselling bands on his client list, tells you how he gets his work done. In fact, all of his books are like that - he goes through his creative process. He’s got some steps, he identifies the goals at each step, and he gives lots of anecdotal support. He’s clearly been working at a very high level for a long time.

People who have read this book and really understand it would have never designed that site for BOLA - at least not in the last 18 months or so.

MTIV Here’s lesson 1 (implied) from the book for me: separate the technical requirements of the project from telling the story. As a team of one, when I go into the job, I always know I am going to have to turn around and implement these ideas once I get back to my text editor, so most times when I’m in a meeting with a client, my brain is already downloading Drupal modules and clicking checkboxes. At my new job, this isn’t so much of a problem, because my role during those meetings is to translate what the editorial folks or the PMs are asking of me into technical requirements, identify sticky points, and give them an estimate of how long this new awesome feature will take.

However, even at a job I had for a couple of weeks managing an online store for a print shop, I not only had to put my propeller hat on, but my marketing/customer/business hat on, and normally the propeller hat gets priority. That means I’m donating 40% at best to thinking “is this even a good idea, does this communicate the message, will visitors understand the story?”

Then a few weeks later, I’ve started writing code, laying out the homepage, or what have you, and it hits me - THIS SUCKS! Did I design this? Then I remind myself I’m “not a designer” (which is bollocks because I’m always calling myself a “front end guy”), and I come to terms with the reality of the situation. We’re not communicating effectively here, we’re masturbating and pretending the result was a web page.

How do we fix it? Drive back to Sanford, tell the client “I’m sorry Mike, I had my head up my ass when I designed this… will you pay me to fix my own mistakes?” Nobody is going to go for that! Sure, you can give them a spiel about ROI and conversions, and maybe wrapped in the warm fuzzy blanket of “SEO”, which might as well be voodoo and divination to most clients, you might even be able to convince them to spend 30% of the original budget doing what you really should have done in the first place, in 15% of the time, without your trusty subcontractors, in your spare time, just so you feel good about work that you’d already written off as “finished”.

No, you can’t fix it. Clients don’t go for maintenance contracts any longer. Most of them don’t even want to pay you for hosting, let alone support.

The ONLY solution is to do it right the first time. That means making checklists, getting your freelancer buddy support system to consult and make sure you’re not leaving any huge gaps (oh, you do have some sort of a peer support system, right?), and above all, making sure you understand what the client needs.

I’m only feeling the slightest bit hippocritical right now, and if you’ve worked with me in the past, and you’re quietly thinking I’m full of shit as you read this, consider this my formal apology for underdelivering. In most situations during my “freelance” (”slacker”) career, I didn’t put 110% to anything work-related, and it wasn’t until my “Tabula Rasa” day (Jan 17th, 2006), that I had even decided to push myself to improve, and it looks like it’s taken about 2 years and 3 months.

So, FullSail grads, budding New Media Designers and Developers, and folks that have been doing this “since the early days”, and are planning on making a concerted effort to create stunning work, every single time, even if it’s for half of your rent money, here are a couple of tips:

Watch A Local Folkus, Learn About Central Florida’s Local Food Movement December 20, 2007

Posted by Ryan in : Podcasts, Orlando, Links, Video, TV, Trends, Earth, Travel, Restaurants, Web Sites, floridacreatives, OrlandoScene, Storytelling, Friends, Viddler , add a comment

I finally got to watch John Rife’s awesome locavore video, and I now feel very educated and inspired to explore and sample some of the places and foods he intoduces us to in his first installment of A Local Folkus.

It’s also nice seeing this project happen, because John is renting space on our server, and I helped him set up the Wordpress (a bit).

I’d like to post a lot of relevant links to go with this video, but that will take a little while. Check back soon for some more info.

2 Weeks Away from Blogging October 19, 2007

Posted by Ryan in : Site News, Blogging, Video, Reviews, Trends, Restaurants, Contributors, OrlandoScene, Storytelling, Friends , 2 comments

I haven’t announced this yet, but in an effort to get Petentials launched that much sooner, I decided I was going to take a month off of blogging - it’s more like 2 weeks off, 2 weeks in England, 2 more weeks off.

Still, I find that in the past several weeks, between moving downtown, ELLA Fest and Drupal Drupal Drupal Drupal Drupal, I’ve missed hearing about what’s going on with my friends and the people I follow but haven’t yet befriended.

Just now I’m having a thought about people I’ve inspired in some way to publish a blog: Katharine, Kait, Becky (coming soon), Kate (with an E), Aleshia, Kyle, and Charlie. I’m not saying I’m the reason they’re blogging, but I had something to do with them installing wordpress or registering their own domain (there are lots more of those people around) or setting up a wordpress.com/Blogger account. These people all have something to say, or wanted to have something to say, and for my part, I helped them find the method of delivery, and if nothing else, I read all the posts they write.

Here’s my attempt to give one of those folks a shove today. My friend Kate (who lives in New York, not London) from Absent-Minded Improv, and SO many other things in Orlando, was having trouble with restaurant reviews last week:

I suppose I have no future as a restaurant critic. Maybe that Guide to Coffee won’t be as likely as I’d hoped.

The ironic thing about this situation, though, is that Kate is a writer - it’s her job, her passion, her chosen profession. I don’t see it as a problem, I see it as a failure to connect with your goals, or perhaps a lack of structure, but cerainly not a lack of something to say or a talent with which to say it. I reply:

I think the reason why you have trouble expressing this in writing is the medium - break out your still camera and switch it to “video” mode. You’re an improviser, you can make this work.

AND/OR

Describe the scene to us, don’t just tell us how it was. Give us a story - if you read any restaurant reviews, you’ll find the best ones are very linear. They really only cover one person’s (at most a small group’s) interaction with the store on a single occasion, with possible recaps of previous or return visits. Reviews are stories. You’re a storyteller. You are powerful. You have it inside you to make me love or hate a coffee shop in New York.

Think about it. Then do it.

The major medium (other than my OrlandoScene.TV videos) where I have made any attempt at storytelling is through the subtle art of screencasting. Search for the word “Flock” on this blog, and you’ll see what I mean… I hope. Instead of just pointing at the buttons, you have to have a real example. That’s why I only screencast when I have a real example to show off. Teaching “in theory” always lacks a bit of that spark (or it does for me). A good teacher can make you care about the project just by making it feel real. This wasn’t always something we achieved in my Digital Media classes at UCF, but when we did, I didn’t mind doing large portions of the work for the project, nor did the other group members.

What’s this all about? Storytelling. That’s why it’s “vs. the Media”. Their storytelling has been tainted by centuries of corporate interest and tradition. The new guard of Digital Medians doesn’t have those blinders on (or we try not to). If we can stop trying to emulate what we grew up with and really create something(s) on our own (and use lots of parenthesis), we can change the world. Being a New Media Marketer, or a Podcaster, or a Vlogger, or a Teacher, or whatever term we may label ourselves with, is about just that — doing it your own way. That’s why I turn down more of the clients that come across my doorstep. They all want something that’s “just enough”, but that’s never enough. They want a story, and I want to give them a story. If I can’t care about the project, I can’t commit to it. Sometimes I can care and I can commit, but I’m just not motivated. That’s a personal problem.

This is getting rant-y and I’m supposed to be somewhere in 4 hours.

Portland, Maine 4th of July Weekend July 16, 2007

Posted by Ryan in : Blogging, Music, Video, Beer, Reviews, Travel, Restaurants , add a comment

I took a trip to New England seeking Beer, Whales, Lobster, and good times. Portland, Kennebunkport and Saco, as well as Oxford, Mass. Beer by Grtty McDuff’s and Sebago.
Music by Jason Spooner

OrlandoScene.TV and BloggingFringe.com Video on Revver June 20, 2007

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Site News, Podcasts, Orlando, Video, Film, Trends, Fringe, Liberatr, Restaurants, Entrepreneurship, itunes, statistics, Revver, Contributors, OrlandoScene , 1 comment so far

I’m posting this because there should be an 8th video in this widget by the time you see it. I wish this thing would show the videos in reverse order, and perhaps it will - the first video should be OrlandoScene.TV 03 Taste, the second Heart of Coal, etc.

I’ve learned through the very useful and very pretty Revver statistics that about 5% of people who see my video play it to the end, and of those about 8% click on the ad. I think 8.16% ain’t half bad at all - what I wonder is if the “views” includes people who see the player and don’t push play. I don’t think it does.

If you haven’t seen all 8 of these videos yet, they are more than worth watching. If you’re using a feedreader right now, I’m not sure if you can see the player because of JavaScript. You can find my videos on the web at Revver.

OrlandoScene.TV, BloggingFringe.com - that’s where these videos live.

From the Vault: Cervo Guys 01 February 21, 2007

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Podcasts, Cervo, Trends, Liberatr, Restaurants , add a comment

This is a quick podcast Charlie and I recorded at our regular Monday night Panera Bread meeting. We were rolling on the idea that restaurants and cafes should give props to podcasters for the free/cheap advertising.

Cervo Guys 01 - Restaurants

Cafe Tu Tu Tango is my favorite place to eat January 4, 2007

Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Orlando, Links, Beer, Restaurants , add a comment

AOL City Guide (is that anything like CityBeat or CitySearch? Which one of those is affiliated?) is holding a vote for Orlando Best Theme Restaurants, among other things. That link will take you to a place where you submit your vote. I personally recommend Caf Tu Tu Tango, and if you’ve never been there, for SHAME!

Tapas dining, good food, live entertainment, signature drinks, and speedy service. I was there about 2 weeks ago and had a fantastic experience, wuite possibly the best I’ve had in the 8 years I’ve loved the place. Not the best place to take people on a specialized diet, but really good if that is no problem.

Tapas, in the case of Tu Tu Tango, means every dish is an appetizer, and everything is meant to be shared. There is a stack of small plates on your table and a jar of forks, knives and spoons. The salads and pizzas are the most filling dishes, I recommend you grab a few of those. You MUST MUST have a Cajun Chicken Eggrolls, no question. The Baby Lobster Tails are really good if they’re available, but you could get two less expensive dishes for the same price. Potstickers, Pear craker-things and most of the Pork dishes are good. Did I mention the pizzas and salads, and how filling they are? I really enjoy the Sangria, order it by the pitcherful, you’ll be glad you did. All of the desserts are good, but if you like sweet and rich foods after dinner, the Key Lime Pie and Guava Cheesecake will disappoint you.
Expect to spend $20 - $40 per person at this restaurant, depending on drinks and dessert. Since the prices vary, there is no way to lock down an exact price. You might spend $6 per dish, you might spend $9 or as much as $12 (Lobster Tails). Afterwards you might like to head to Pointe Orlando or Universal CityWalk for some entertainment or a film. If you get there before sunset, you might want to stop by the Peabody and see the ducks. Also on that side of town is Howl at the Moon, a local favorite transplanted to tourist town.