SXSW Report

Presenter: Andrew Palmer, The Barbarian Group

If you want a brand to buy your big idea, here are some things to keep in mind.  Brands want to get in on the next big thing, but…

1. Good Brands Trust Good Brands – They want to deal with professionals who know what they’re doing.  They need to have confidence in you and your brand, so set yourself up to succeed by promoting your brand as well as your idea.

2. Safety in Numbers – If someone else is doing it or involved, brands feel more comfortable.  Take the opportunity to get multiple brands involved in the same idea – utilize partnerships that make sense.

3. Give them Something Unique - Everyone wants something they can say they were first or best at.  The value proposition needs to show how they’ll be able to do that.

4. Know Who to Talk To – Do your homework and know who makes the decisions.  Don’t take a “no” from someone who can’t tell you “yes.”  And although someone can say “yes,” make sure you know all of the players involved so the “yes” doesn’t end up backfiring.

5. Know their Audience – There’s a difference between customers and consumers.  For example, a CPG company’s customer is actually Walmart, but the consumer is the one who buys the product.  Make sure you’re ideas cater as best as possible to both audiences.

DISCLAIMER: Despite my average tech knowledge, this session was WAY over my head.  I’ve tried to capture it as best I can and hopefully you get it.

Daniel Appelquist, Tech Strategist at Vodaphone in UK

It’s the Web, but not as we know it.

Interactivity and graphics

Both Canvas and SVG are integrated into HTML5

W3C Widgets

Widgets and HTML5

• Widgets can use HTML5
• Widgets is a different take on offline apps from HTML5 Appcache
• HTML5 Apps Web Apps written in HTML5 packaged up as Widgets
• Use Phonegap to package these as iPhone apps (for legacy purposes)

APIs

Web Location: the W3C Geo API – Browser using location information

Used by Google maps, local search, Gowalla

Why is location sexy?

• Find what you’re looking for
• Refine search
• Add location to any Web App
• Apps like Gowalla are already on the web – http://m.gowalla.com

W3C Device APIs – working on:

• Contact book, calendar, filesystem, capture audio/video, messaging, device interface, etc.

Panel: Dan Oliver, Jina Bolton, Brendan Dawes, Dan Mall, Shane Mielke

Problem is designing within a pre-set structure – structure and sitemap take priority over content and goals of site.  It is a tool that comes in behind the design to see if it fits.  The panel agrees that it creates bad habits if you start thinking that it is the right process to develop sites. It creates a lot of focus on things that are easily changeable like fun headers and footers.  There also get to be issues when people start seeing sites that all look the same.  Some on the panel felt that CMS tools like WordPress are creating a “standard” web design which can be dangerous.

These are customizable, but there’s a heavy reliance on themes.  A well-trained web designer can become lazy by relying on themes, but if you don’t know much, it’s an easy way to learn, get up to speed, and customize your site for your needs.

Presenter, Paul Boag, Headscape,writer of The Website Owners Manual

Pain free for the clients – not for you, but if your client is happy, then you are happy. What do clients want to be happy:

• To understand the process
• Reassurance about decisions
• To feel in control
• To be confident in the end result
• To personally like the design

It’s about collaboration, not confrontation

6 Principles of Collaboration

1. Ensure the client understands their role in the project – if they understand their role, they understand the process and feel in control.  Make it clear to the client that it’s their job to find problems and it’s the designer’s job to find solutions.  The challenge of most situations is that the clients come back with solutions (make the logo bigger), not the problem.  If they offer solutions, ask them what problem they hope it solves.

2. Have a strong methodology.  Show them your process – how everything on your end works.  It gives them confidence in you and your work.

3. Include the client early and often.  It makes them feel in control and more engaged with the project.  If they feel like they’ve shaped the final result, they’re more invested in it.

4. Educated the client about the decisions being made.  They need to understand how things work – color theory, why things are done the way they are, etc.  You’re giving them ammunition to defend the work.

5.  Ask for specific types of feedback from the client.  Don’t ask them what they “think” – be specific.  Ask them if it meets their business objectives or how they feel their customers/audience will respond.  Asking them what they think puts them into an uncomfortable situation because they’re not design people.  Ask them questions relating to their comfort zone – audience, business goals, etc.

6. Avoid saying no.  Always say yes, but help them think through the process and the consequences of the decision they’re making.  It puts them in control, and helps them weigh the decision they’re making.

Real world practice

1. Kickoff meeting - The client discusses goals and ideas, and you should make them feel passionate about it.  Give them the freedom to feel included.  Ask if there are any other stakeholders – let’s get everyone together and get them excited about the process.  Be sure to get everyone in from the beginning to brainstorm the challenge.  Make it clear how the process will work.  Emphasize that it’s collaborative and what you need from them in terms of involvement and decisions as far as when and how that will happen.  Ask them for words to describe what they hope it will turn out like.

2. Inspiration – Provide look and feel of designs you are aware of that you think they’re looking for.  Explain why you think these example designs have a look and feel that meets their objectives.

3. Moodboards – Quick and easy, spend about an hour per board.  Equivalent to multiple comps.  Show them how the approaches could work – typography, images, style, etc.  Do a few versions until you’re pretty close to what they’re looking for, but make sure you differentiate between their personal likes and what is effective for the audience.

4. Wireframes - Quick drawing of what it would look like – nothing developed too far along.  Work together with them – pencil on paper – and design along with them.  Discuss the organization and content.  Give them time to think it over.

5. Design Mockup – Present only to the key contact at this stage.  Others who haven’t been part of this process won’t have the background.  Give the contact the ammunition they need to defend it when they show others – for his agency that means a video with a full description of what they went through to get there along with explanations so that’s what they can use to present it to others.  When they offer changes, ask why – get to the problem, not what they think the solution is.

6. Design Testing - Test the site for both design and usability to make sure it works.

7. Iterations – Should only be minimal because of the process.