SD: What are your thoughts on the advancement of typography on the web?

PM: I definitely think it’s exciting because it brings a lot of basic options and beauty to the web. Typography can really enhance or kill a design and so its nice that we have a growing range of options to implement cool type and even better control over how it looks in general…The more control designers have, the better off the end result is.

SD: On the same topic of control, what do you think of the social media APIs and widgets that designers might not have as much design control over?

PM: Yeah, like the standard Facebook box that just looks like total poo…You can add a Facebook “Like” button in any way you want. It can look any way you want. But if you want to put that flow of what people are saying, then you’re a little stuck because it’s just ugly. I think sometimes it’s about tradeoffs. And sometimes it’s about how far you go to program something to make it just look awesome.

SD: What is an issue the web design industry has yet to solve, that you would like to see web designers tackle?

PM: The biggest shift, even as a result of the whole responsive design movement, is just fully accepting that the web is not print. For how many years have we worked our butts off to make a web site render the exact same across all browsers? And responsive design blows this up because all of the sudden you’ve got tablets, you’re thinking about netbooks different, and you’ve got smartphones, and you’re even thinking about people seeing it on their TV. All of the sudden, by the basic definition of it, you’re required to not think that it’s going to look the same everywhere.

In that sense, it’s not print. You print a brochure or a business card—you can print 10,000 copies—it doesn’t matter what you do, where you go, its going to look the same. I think that’s probably the biggest thing I see people moving past in this time in the web, really forcing that issue.

So I’ll be glad if everybody else gets on board and just accepts that things look different in different interfaces or devices. We just have to embrace each of them for the opportunity that they create.

SD: Would you say that’s the web design industry’s biggest success recently?

PM: I think that combined with some of the advancements in typography. They have really been potent. Because when you think about displaying the same site in multiple ways and then you combine that with better techniques for controlling typography and less need for images, or even for sIFR where you’re replacing it with Flash. The more that happens in the browser it just means that you can cater those things to individual devices better…I think we’re seeing pretty powerful results.

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We really enjoyed talking with Patrick McNeil, and are looking forward to the release of the Designer’s Web Handbook. At Sandstorm Design, we work as a team to create powerful brand experiences supported by user research and a strategic marketing approach. We’ll help you stay ahead of the curve with custom web solutions that are one step ahead of your competition.

+1 Button

This little button is yet another factor in search engine optimization, bringing more recommended sites higher in the search results. If someone you are connected to in your Google account recommends a site with the +1 button, you’ll see that they did. This is simply a tool to tally recommendations, and that’s it. The social aspect is just that you can see which of your friends have recommended a site. You should definitely be leveraging the +1 button in your search engine optimization and online marketing strategy.

Google+

In plain English, Google+ is Google’s new social network (although they’re not saying that). It’s in a trial phase right now, and isn’t open to everyone just yet. Here are its key features:

• Circles: Similar to Facebook Groups, Circles let you put different people in different circles, allowing you to interact and share with each circle separately.
• Sparks: This is a feed of content based on specific interests you have selected. From Sparks, it’s easy to share with Circles, and create a thread of conversation around a piece of content.
• Hangouts: Video chat with multiple friends at a time.
• Mobile: There are a couple features that will be available for what Google calls a “pocket computer,” or mobile. Instant uploads let you instantly upload photos from your phone, and Huddles creates a chat-room style text conversation with friends.

What people are saying

They’re saying a lot…Facebook already meets these needs…If Buzz didn’t have great success, why would Google+?…And while it’s nice to have our world tailored to our interests, don’t we need something to balance us? Something to remind us that there are alternative viewpoints we should consider, and our world isn’t the only world that matters? Eli Pariser raised some of these concerns this past February in a talk about The Filter Bubble.

The gates through which we enter the Internet are changing. It will be exciting to see what happens in the not so far off future. And of course, we’ll keep you up-to-date on how it will effect your search engine optimization and social media strategy.

So, what is the Twitter mindset? What do you DO on Twitter? It’s very simple:

1. Share – Facebook is about sharing who you are, Twitter is about sharing what you’ve found. Use bit.ly, tinyurl or any of the other little link web sites to share the articles, blogs and web sites you like, and add a little comment about why.
2. Reply – While it might not be a social network, Twitter is a social place. Engage in conversation. It’s fun and easy!
3. Retweet – If you simply want to pass along a tweet you found interesting without adding a comment, click the retweet option. You can also retweet the traditional way, by copying and pasting it, and adding “RT @(insert author’s username)” in front. In the few characters that are left, add your own commentary.

The best advice is to just dive in. Once you see how others are tweeting, you’ll get it. And don’t forget to follow our Chicago marketing firm @SandstormDesign!

Twitter will become increasing vital for networking and maintaining relationships with your overseas contacts, just as well those in the States. On top of that, it offers another valuable (and free) avenue for marketing your brand online (in seven languages, perhaps?). As you know, we kind of have a thing for marketing and branding.

If your company doesn’t already have an account, get one. And if you have one but you’re not using it, start now. If there were ever a time to jump on a bandwagon, this is it.

Sandstorm Design is thrilled to announce the e-PRO^® logo and web site launch! e-PRO^® is a certification from the National Association of REALTORS^® that helps REALTORS^® build their businesses online. We loved working on this web site to encourage interaction and conversation (our specialty). A social media API integration on the homepage, including their blog, Facebook and Twitter pages, continues the conversation beyond the web site. And certificate holders can create and update an e-PRO^® profile to stay connected with clients and other e-PRO^®’s.

At Sandstorm, we’re all about staying connected with those you really enjoy working with (like e-PRO^® and the National Association of REALTORS^®), and that makes this launch even more exciting!

Welcome Jon. We can’t wait to work with you.

So how did we find Jon? He found us… from a blog post which turned into a phone call which turned into a few interviews. The untold success stories of our blog – recruiting.

I think the bigger question is why? And do you have the capacity in house to either drive the strategy or execute on it? And what is the strategy or purpose for including social media into your integrated marketing campaign – because at the end of the day social media is yet one more marketing tactic you can add to your marketing mix. And it could be fun, and it’s exciting, and more and more companies are playing around with it. But who is successful? And why are they successful?

My social media marketing tip for the day is to do your research and study your competitors and companies in the marketplace that you believe are successfully utilizing social media. It’s one of the first steps in planning a strategy, and social media should be no different. So start your competitive analysis and start gleaning some insights from those that are further along.

Thanks to a combination of twitter and facebook, social media was THE tool that uncovered our latest and greatest staff member! But we didn’t use social media alone. We used recruiters, craig’s list, and other job posting sites for this particular position. In the past, we’ve had success with recruiters and craig’s list – so like integrated marketing, we will continue to recruit in multiple ways, but I have to say for our web design firm, it’s really most fulfilling using social media.

For all the job seekers out there, I would recommend following the companies you most want to work for… and post your success stories here!