Responsive Web Design and the Acceptability Threshold: What You Should Know

2012 will be remembered as the year the mobile web emerged. In support of this bold proclamation, a recent survey found that the share of smartphones has surpassed the 50% mark in the US& other developed countries . If you own or manage a website for your business or organization it is imperative that you invest in the mobile user experience. Enter Responsive Web Design, a new approach to building websites that optimizes the user experience across all platforms and devices. RWD truly is an elegant solution to a complex problem in that it addresses the need for accessibility using a single-source of data. The concept and drudgery of having to create multiple versions of a website is now as dated as the VHS.

But before making the decision to go all out RWD be forewarned – although indeed an elegant solution it does not imply that it is a perfect one. In order to embrace RWD you must accept the concept of Acceptability Threshold.

Acceptability Threshold

This concept acknowledges the reality that RWD comes with certain inherent headaches.  Although RWD enhances the user experience across multiple mobile devices, thereby greatly increasing usability and visitor satisfaction, it can also lead to imperfections, particularly in regards to what we call the ‘in-between’ views. The concept of ‘pixel-perfect’ must be thrown out the window – the days of Flash-based control of display are gone forever. Instead, site owners must first understand and then embrace the acceptability threshold.

OK, so what exactly is the acceptability threshold? Let’s define it:

Acceptability Threshold: The minimum level of acceptance of imperfection a website owner will tolerate in order to market the site with maximum confidence.

Not making sense? Think about acceptability threshold as a percentage. We all desire the things we buy to be 100% perfection at the time of the purchase. After all, it is common sense that we will not drive off the car lot with the doors missing (unless you are into that kind of thing) or move into a new home while the roof is still under construction. But would you accept that car if the satellite radio was not yet activated? Would you go ahead and move your family into that house if the landscaping crew was still laying sod in the backyard? The question is, what will you accept? What is your acceptability threshold for making such decisions?

A Website by perception is no different. Yet it is completely different. Often times, we see the unfounded belief that a website cannot launch until everything is 100% completed. Again, this makes sense in regards to obvious concerns. Does it function? Do the pages load? Do the images display? Are there obvious errors or typos. From a traditional desktop-only viewpoint, the acceptability threshold was fairly straightforward – a website is either done or it is not. A solid QA process was the solution. Do a little cross-browser compatibility testing, content review, load testing, W3C and 508 compliance testing and you’re good to go. But with RWD, things are not so black and white.

For starters, the fact that RWD sites are built using a grid ensures that that the website will display differently on different devices. Although this is the greatest benefit of RWD it can also be its biggest weakness. The layouts of responsive web designs are mostly fluid which is why designers do not have much control on how the ‘in-between’ design will look like. Also, it is quite time consuming for the designers to display all the replicas in advance.  Designers do their best to show both wireframes and mock-ups for multiple layouts i.e., smartphone, tablet and desktop. If the layouts are approved, only then is the responsive web designing strategy is implemented.

Secondly, the constant updates to browsers, API’s and operating systems, pose a particular challenge for designers and developers working with RWD. Your new RWD site might look awesome on most browsers when it launches, but ignore version updates and before you know it you will be hearing from Sally in sales that the site is not looking too hot on her Blackberry.

Third, factor in the staggering proliferation of mobile devices entering the marketplace created by several manufacturers using competing operating systems and you can begin to see how quality assurance can become an ongoing challenge. Here at DeepBlue, we have multiple devices that we use to test RWD – everything from an 80″ HDTV, Mac desktops & laptops, a few pc’s, iPads (iPad 1 & 3), Nook, Kindle Fire, and of course, iPhones (4, 4s and 5) and other Android based phones. RWD is every bit an art as it is a science. We literally test all of the afore-mentioned devices to ensure that the experience is optimal for each device. Sometimes we miss things (yes, we are human). I got a call recently from a client irate about discovering that their new RWD site was not displaying properly on the iPhone 5 in landscape mode using Chrome mobile browser v2.0. Although the fix was simple it required somebody to actually visit the site using an iPhone 5 under those specific conditions to discover the issue in the first place (reminds me of the tree falling in the forrest and making a sound story). The fact is, no one thought about it until somebody stumbled upon it. This occurrence made me ponder projections into the future. What will happen when somebody visits the website using the new iPad mini and there are some display issues? Despite the fact that the site was launched well ahead of the iPad mini’s announcement, it is not inconceivable – nay, it is almost predictable – that I will get that call in the weeks to come. After all, the promise of RWD is that it creates the ideal user experience for ALL devices. Right? Yes. No. Maybe.

RWD is an exciting evolution in web development in the mobile era, but it is not perfect. The solution for website managers is to ensure that their site is consistently tested ongoing and that their acceptability threshold remains consistent. A rule of thumb I like to use is 95%, meaning that the website displays optimally on at least 95% of all devices and view modes. To insist on 100% is simply not practical, and in a way it defeats the purpose of RWD in the first place. Understand the acceptability threshold.  Live it, love it, earn it.

 Responsive Web Design requires acceptance of imperfection. The acceptability threshold manages the degree of imperfection.

9 nightmare clients and how you can avoid them

Clients come in all shapes and sizes. They’re the lifeblood of any creative agency, bringing with them problems to be solved in return for hard cash. So when someone comes along with an exciting project it’s easy to get excited about the design possibilities without thinking too clearly about for whom you will be working.

Spotting a bad client early on is key to keeping both your sanity and a sustainable business. But how do you know what they will be like as a client before you start working with them?

Firstly, do your research. Find out what other suppliers they have used and contact them to get their feedback. If they are looking to use you as a replacement for an incumbent supplier, it’s a good idea to find out why. This can avoid nasty surprises down the line.

Secondly, trust your instincts. In my experience, a client who is difficult or frustrating to deal with during the initial discussions and pre-contract phase, is not suddenly going to turn into the perfect client once you start working with them.

Sometimes you might only discover a problem client once you have started work with them, in which case you need to either fix the client-supplier relationship or fire them.

Here are some examples of problem clients, if you encounter them (and you will) run for the hills.

1. The Reluctant Client

Some clients don’t want to be clients. They’re looking for a supplier not because they want to, but because they feel they have to. The Reluctant Client is a client in denial.

Be very wary of potential clients who don’t seem to want your guidance, who just want someone to build something. Be doubly suspicious of someone who doesn’t think they need a new website but is getting one because they’ve been told to. Be triply suspicious if the previous website was created in-house and they’re still smitten with it.

Reluctant clients are difficult to communicate with, slow to respond, disengaged, and unresponsive to your ideas.

2. The False Client or ‘Hoopbringer’

Is there actually a job to win? Often clients get ahead of themselves in trying to find suppliers before the job exists.

Tread very carefully when approached by someone — usually in a junior role — at a company who is looking for a huge amount of guidance up front. You will often find that there isn’t actually a job there, and you’re just an unpaid consultant. Often, they are using your time to try and further their own career. They might consider themselves as ‘rainmakers’, able to make big things happen for you, but my experience is that they are ‘hoopbringers’, hoops that they will expect you to keep jumping through.

Identifying timescales and budgets will help you determine if there is an actual project. Suggesting a period of paid initial consultation is a good step to finding out how serious they are. Also, find out who has sign-off on creative and invoices, to see just how genuine this opportunity is.

3. The Hidden Client

A variant of the false client is the Hidden Client. The person whom you regard as the client is actually a puppet, and might have no power within the organization, or is acting as a middleman with the real client hidden behind the scenes.

Make sure you identify the real client. When a client is a middleman between you and the real client, they are likely to do anything to ensure you have no direct contact with the real client. And often you’ll end up with effectively two clients on the same job, getting feedback and revisions from the puppet client before the work is even shown to the real client.

Ensure you meet the real decision makers early. There is nothing worse than working closely with someone, and then finding their boss coming in and overriding all the decisions you’ve made together.

4. The Helicopter Client

A client who wants to hover around and oversee your every move is a helicopter client. They are either so precious about their project, or so doubtful of your abilities, that they feel the need to hover over you all the time.

I once had a client — in the very first days of my own agency — who, having decided that work was not proceeding quickly on their project, sent someone to come and watch over me. Every. Single. Day. Inevitably, every day turned into a review of the work, and progress proceeded at a glacial pace. With more confidence, I would have shown them the door.

A twist on the helicopter client is one that wants to do all the design work themselves.  Not only does this completely marginalize your skills as a designer, but when the results are inevitably terrible, they will regard it as your fault for not being able to translate their design vision properly.

Of course, some clients are very creative in their own fields, but whilst you might speak a similar design language, the creative client is often not good at leaving you to do your thing and trusting your particular skillset. People in creative professions are used to leading design work, and can find it hard to let go.

5. The Broke Client

Making sure you get paid is the most important part of the design process. But even with the best will in the world, often clients will try and change the deal in terms of payment, both in terms of when and how much.

It’s worth checking that the client actually has the ability to pay you. Beware of clients who say “you’ll get paid when I get paid” – it means that you’re taking all the risk on the project. If a client says they will be getting the money soon, then you should reply that you’ll be ready to start work when the funds are in place. Remember, if the budget is not in place, they are a False Client.

My experience is that getting the first payment out of a client is the most difficult, often because you are dealing with the byzantine machinations of their accounts department. Once the first payment has been made, subsequent payments generally follow smoothly.

6. The ‘Weasel’

Sometimes clients can afford to pay you, but won’t. It’s a power trip that some clients cannot leave alone, believing it to be an essential part of ‘doing business’. For some reason, some clients feel the need to teach designers some tough lessons.

If the client starts trying to change the payment terms, a big alarm should go off. This is when you’ll be glad you have a full written agreement of what you will get paid and for what work, or better still, a formal contract. Also make sure you retain all the intellectual property in your work until you have received full payment — in many countries this principle is enshrined in law.

7. The ‘Entrepreneur’

A variant of the Broke Client is the client that can’t afford to pay you now, but will if the project is successful. Another big alarm should go off at this point. In this situation you are effectively an unsecured investor in a venture, and are operating entirely at risk.

Ask yourself how much you believe in this venture, and also how much risk is the Entrepreneur putting in? Sometimes you might find out that everyone else is getting paid, and you are the only one expected to work on spec.

If you do go down this route then choose your projects carefully, and insist that you earn some equity in return for your efforts — big risk should result in big reward. Do not settle this on the back of a napkin, get it in writing and signed. Depending on the amount of work involved you may want to let a lawyer look it over.

8. The ‘Buddy’

Sometimes a potential client might act like your new best friend. They want to take you to the pub, go for coffee, or just drop by your studio because they were passing. They will add you as a friend on Facebook, send you funny links by e-mail, or tickets to the football.

This client is likely to use emotional manipulation to get you to do more work, accept lower payments, and be their support network.

Remember, you are not in business to make friends; strong relationships with clients are built on mutual respect, over a long period of working together. Sure, go out for a drink if you’d like to, but don’t let it get in the way of business.

9. The Client from Hell

There are infinite variations on the Client from Hell. Here are just a few:

• Clients who constantly want to make changes on changes.
• Clients who never respond.
• Clients who go behind your back.
• Clients who impose impossible deadlines.
• Clients who miss deadlines.
• Client who don’t want to pay for any work they don’t use.

The trouble with the Client from Hell, is that they tend to disguise themselves well. The only thing you can do is ensure you’re covered legally, and get out while the gettin’s good.

Don’t be a bad supplier

Finally, it’s worth looking at your own performance as a supplier. Are you doing everything you should keep the working relationship healthy? Try looking at things from the client’s perspective. If you were a client, how would you like your supplier to conduct themselves?

It’s tempting to moan about your clients to friends, colleagues and acquaintances, but the person you moan to today might think twice about being your client tomorrow.

Remember, being a design professional is not about trying to be friends with everybody, but by being clear and upfront with clients you can ensure that in your dealings with them there can be no emotional manipulation.

Clients that are responsive, engaged, and (most important of all) pay on time, are to be treasured. If you have them, hold on to them, cherish them, and don’t forget to tell them once in a while how much you appreciate them.

By Martin Gittins

Five useful tips for Design Students

1 Don’t be afraid of the web

The Internets wont bite! Don’t worry if your school does not have a web design class! Search the internet, buy a book and take a crack at it! I can’t stress how important it is to at least understand how to design for the web, even if you cant code a web page. I learned more about web design outside of school that I did when I was in school. So jump right in – and don’t forget that you absolutely NEED a portfolio website! And while you are at it start a blog!

 

2 Don’t be afraid to experiment

Go crazy! Make scribbly type, violate hierarchy rules, break the grid, include hand drawn elements with vector elements. Follow design principals and then break them! Design school is when you have the most freedom. You are your own client (most of the time) so push yourself as far as you can. Experiment with different design styles. This will help you learn and grow as a designer.

3 Always have business cards, and always carry them with you

If you dont have business cards its a MISSED OPPORTUNITY!!! Business cards are so cheap and easy to make. You can get 100-250 cards for dirt cheap! I would also recommend having a few cards in your wallet. You never know when someone will mention that they need a designer.

4 Take your class projects further

So you were assigned a magazine cover and a spread – why not design the rest of the magazine and make it look as complete as possible? Logo Design assignment? Take the identity further and design a website. It’s awesome to see student projects that are taken further than the proposed assignment. It also makes you stand out from your classmates. Don’t be afraid to mention that you went above and beyond and took something further in a job interview either.

5 Make a habit of talking about your work

If you are a graduating senior you need to make a habbit of talking about your portfolio. Participating in portfolio reviews is a great way to pratice for job interviews. It might also help to show your portfolio to non-designers and explain your work. Often times people won’t understand designer lingo – so its best to get practice with non-designers!

What is a Content Management System (CMS)

“Content Management System” is a catchphrase that’s still catching some serious wind out there on the web, but not everybody understands what it is or why someone would want one. This short article will help you wrap your mind around the concept of a content management system.

 

To Understand “Content Management System”, You Should Understand Content

“Content”, in terms of the internet, consists of information of some sort. This information can be visual, audible, or textual. News articles, photographs, movies, and radio shows are all forms of content.

Where Does the “Management System” Come In?

Content on the web can be “managed” by simply constructing web pages by hand or with a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web page editor and uploading it them to web sites. When a web page needs to be altered in some way, you just open up the web page file, add the changes, and upload the new file.

But, when you start trying to manage a lot of content that way, mistakes and inconsistencies between pages will start to creep in. Also, it takes a significant amount of open up your web page editor, find the file you’re looking for, change it, save it and upload it. It may not seem like much effort when you’re working with just a few pages, but imagine working with thousands of pages that way.

The Definition of a Content Management System

A content management system is a software tool used to manage content through an interface layer. In practical terms, this means that instead of going through the process above to manage web page content, instead you would visit your web site, click a link to the content you’re looking for, edit the content via a simple form, and click another button to save the changes.

Following are some of the benefits of using a content management system:

Index creation is automated with a content management system

The meaning of an index here is a list of hyperlinks to pages with related content. For instance, you can have an index of news articles or blog entries. Such indexes are usually used to help visitors navigate or browse through a web site.

If you don’t use a content management system, every time you add content, you also have to alter the index. If the index is created as a static page, then you also can’t give visitors the option of searching the index or ordering it in different ways (like by date added or alphabetical order). With a content management system, an index can be created automatically, erasing the potential for mistakes and saving time.

You can use a content management system to populate templates

Sounds boring, but this is a really useful tool. Imagine you have 100 articles – a reasonable number – and each one is a separate web page file. You can use tools like “includes” to manage the layout of all the pages, but what if you need to make structural changes to the page. For instance, you need to add in a new meta tag to all of the articles for indexing purposes?

Without a content management system, you would have to open, edit and save every file, upload them, and hope you didn’t make any mistakes. If you did use a content management system, you would only have to edit a single web page. Have over a 1000 articles? You’d still only have to alter that one page. Sweet, huh?

Conclusion

we discussed just a couple of good uses for content management systems in this article, but there are many, many more. 3kits use them in nearly every web site, simply because they make content management much easier and cleaner. If you have more than a few of the same type of page on your web site (articles, news, jobs, sub menu, gallery, videos etc.) then consider using a content management system in your site site.

Why Small Businesses Shouldn’t Take Social Media for Granted

It seems like social media is everywhere these days. But the 2010 Business Monitor United States report — commissioned by UPS — shows that when it comes to small- and medium-sized businesses, social media is still a missed opportunity. A mere 24% of respondents said they’ve received sales leads from social media, with just 1% citing it as a factor for business growth.

The data would appear to indicate that in spite of all the positive press that social media gets, and all the use cases we’ve seen emerge over the past few years, small business owners are taking social media for granted. When done right, social media can be a valuable source for customer acquisition, retention and satisfaction. Here a few reasons to help drive the value home.

Information is There for the Taking

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to the web. Ignoring, avoiding or just not looking at what people are sharing online about your small business or your competitors is just plain lazy.

Now more than ever people turn to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, Yelp and a slew of other sites to share information and make it publicly available. As such, there’s a wealth of information that existing customers, future fans and online detractors are putting into the public domain, and there’s a plethora of tools to make it easy for you to follow along.

The customer that tweets about a poor experience, the guy that leaves a tip about a venue on Foursquare, or the woman that tweets about being overwhelmed by an event she’s planning, are all real humans sharing real bits of information that if ignored could translate into missed opportunities.

In the case of the person with the poor experience, if it’s your business being discussed, offer to step in and fix the problem. If it’s a competitor, offer to let the person try a comparable product free of charge. When it comes to Foursquare, acknowledge great Foursquare tips, even if they’re not for your own business. If you can help the woman who’s overwhelmed, do it, even if it is just by responding, “is there any way I can help?”

As a small businesses owner, it’s your responsibility to use these bits of public information to build relationships, improve customer service and enhance your products.

Simple Works

Finding the right way to use social media can be daunting, especially when there are so many examples of big brands pushing the limits of creativity and possibility when it comes to their Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare initiatives. Often times the big guys forget that it’s the simplest of gestures that can have the greatest impact. But simple works.

On the simple side things, just take the time to acknowledge customers that mention you. Did someone tweet about dining at your restaurant? Did they checkin at your venue? Did they share a story about your small business on Facebook? These actions that take place in the public domain are all opportunities to connect with a current or potential customer and make them feel special.

Responding is easy — a simple “thanks for stopping by,” or “how can we make your next visit better?” tweet can go a long way and even make someone’s day. Yet, it’s something most companies take for granted. People like to be recognized, but often times they’re never presented with an opportunity to associate restaurants, stores and other venues with the people behind him. You can create that opportunity by recognizing their patronage, which in turn should help ensure that they return for a future visit.

Another simple thing you can do is post signage — on your website and in your store — to indicate that you’re social media-friendly. The Express retail chain has their chief marketing officer’s Twitter handle printed on all their bags, which works to reinforce that the company cares about person-to-person connections. Take that idea and apply it to your own business. For that extra touch, make stickers, punch cards or window decals that showcase your small business’s online personality and reinforce that you’re interested in conversations with your customers.

Your Size Works in Your Favor

Starbucks is the perfect example of an early adopter brand that gets social media right, and yet their size prohibits them from engaging with every customer that walks in the door.

As a small business, your size is your friend in social media channels. Use your small size as an advantage and respond to each and every person that mentions you. Since you’re working with a smaller customer base, you can also build customer Twitter Lists to separate different categories of customers into groups, which should help you offer more personalized customer service — something the big businesses don’t have the time or resources to support.

Here’s an easy example: Who are your most frequent customers? Make a Twitter List called “Regulars,” and add your regulars on Twitter to it.

In doing so, you’re associating patronage with prestige. Your efforts could even inspire semi-regular customers to frequent your business more often just so they too can get added to the list. This tactic might also serve as a catalyst for one regular to connect with another, though you could also facilitate customer-to-customer connections with introductory tweets. So if a customer tweets for a recommendation, you could respond with something simple as, “@customer1 good question, I like the cheesecake but @customer2 really loves the custard.”

These types of personal exchanges highlight the advantages afforded to small businesses using social media.

Original Source: http://mashable.com/2010/06/13/small-business-advice/

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