Oh praise the day when Google finally sees flash text as index able on their all mighty search engine!

Finally we can say good-bye to lengthy God awful websites saturated with content only to be grasping at the branches of the trees as we hang on the first page of Google flailing and praying that no one will climb to a higher branch.

Sunny days ahead for us designers who value the harmony of perfectly placed content in a wonderfully visually designed website. In a world where the beautiful stay hidden and the unsightly are front and center we can finally let the creative and wonderful websites shine in the light for all to see!

It's about time Adobe and Google harmonized to the synchronization that was so long over due. However we can't bask in the sun just yet! Unfortunately this technology has not been perfected and we have yet a long way to climb when comparing flash text to static HTML placement.

For more information visit Google's post on the topic: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2008/06/improved-flash-indexing.html

The time is almost here, where I can FINALLY tell my clients that yes! we can design a great flash site for you and YES people will actually see it :)

The revelation for flash is coming... It's a new era for animated websites! Stay tuned!

www.u2r1media.com

S.

posted by u2r1media @ 10:11 AM   2 Comments Links to this post

I'm actually getting tired of listening to the media on how the economy is suffering bla bla... Do you know that over the weekend I went to Yorkdale Mall and I swear it was as if it were December 24th that's how busy it was. People are spending money! and if people are spending money that is a good economical sign.

Depression, recession, regression. NEGATIVE! This is not what we want to focus on and those who get caught up in that train of thought will be the ones who receive that experience. Granted numbers don't lie and yes we shouldn't be naive about the fact that the US's economical fall is somewhat effecting the Canadian economy. However lest we forget we are independent! and we are strong! Canada in the last decade has been proving to itself and the rest of the world that we stand alone, apart from the tail end of what the U.S. dictates.

So to all business owners and consumers alike! Focus on fruition and it will come! We can prove that we can be a strong nation in the eyes of an economic dip and that Canada is rich in it's people, resources and Independence.

What a great day it is to be Canadian!

Sari.

posted by u2r1media @ 6:43 AM   0 Comments Links to this post

I would just like to stress upon some key points here when hiring an expert to do any type of work that you as the individual are not capable of doing. We the experts have been learning for years how to perfect our craft and skills. Not only do we know what visually works but we have learned from experience and research what people want when they visit websites.

Sometimes I feel like we are battling endless challenges about who knows what is best when it comes to a visual layout or scheme. I love it when a client comes to us with their vision and allows us to implement our creative expertise to bring it to life. Sometimes however we encounter creative battles that really can weigh on the over all productivity and success of the project.

Even when working abstract or outside the box there are laws involved in art and creation.

1. Focal point. you can't have a myriad of things happening without a significant focal point otherwise you confuse and overwhelm the viewer.

2. Negative space. There is no such thing as empty space unless you have a blank page, as soon as you add any design even a dot to a page this is creates a positive entity so everything around it now is called negative space. What this means is that the "empty white areas" become an integral part of the design. They allow your eyes to follow the right paths and creates a flow that your brain comprehends. Do you ever find that while looking at a collage you are overwhelmed by the images and don't know what to look at first and probably if you were asked to remember all the images in the collage not one would really stand out in your mind. Think about the Yin and Yang symbol a perfect example of positive and negative space, which "ironically" but not so much so it is the symbol of "two mutually correlated opposites" a.k.a. a reflection of positive and negative.

3. Target Audience. As much as you think you are developing your website for you and your business you are not. What you like and your taste is relevant however the most important element is that you design for your audience, THEY are the ones who are buying your services or product not YOU. So please keep that in mind, decorate your house any way you like but keep the websites to the pros we know your audience and know how to cater to every potential viewer who will see your website online.

We know you will or have hired the experts for a reason which is why it is best to let us do the job we love doing. What's worse? we follow your direction against our convictions and your website fails because you insisted on doing things your way? or we follow our convictions and your site succeeds based on our direction. And should the site then fail at least it isn't you to blame and we can take responsibility.

(just so you know this doesn't ever happen ;)

Its time to take the TKO and let us win the battle, in the end it's your company that will shine in the ring.

Till next time!

S.

posted by u2r1media @ 1:36 PM   0 Comments Links to this post

Well alas, the smell of autumn is in the air as the sweaters and scarfs slowly creep out of the winter closet. Soon we'll be seeing a rainbow of foliage covering our streets and the last glimpses of warm sunny days as summer bids her farewell.

For me this time of year is a difficult period as I am sure it is for most of you. I find that I'm torn between the wonderful fashion, beautiful fall days, walking down the streets with the cool breeze on my face and being surrounded by the colourful palette that nature graces us with and the dread of those cold winter nights, knee deep in snow, salt ruining our shoes and the desire to hibernate until the birth of spring beings again.

So, in spite of the cold winter months approaching, I use the wonderful days of fall to dive right into my creative insight and let the city and it's beauty inspire. Following the trends of fashion and nature is important for creative implementation in branding and web design. Utilizing the creative concepts around us allows us to dive deeper into our own creative talent making sure that our clients stay current and desirable.

I haven't as of yet given up on the warm days of summer and I still think we have a few remaining that we can squeeze out before fall breezes in. Use the weather to inspire your emotions, Toronto is booming with creative energy and we are just bursting with success and around the corner are people who are ready to invest in you!

Don't let your company fall to the ground like the leaves of autumn... make sure you are up to date, vibrant and brilliant so that in the dead of winter you still shine like the bright warm days of summer.

posted by u2r1media @ 7:41 PM   0 Comments Links to this post