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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Web banners, web -animation, flash video as the most important product in information design.


Why an article about the possibilities of web banners, informational animation and flash videos for the Internet pages instead of (UI), (UX) web design as promised?

     It will be, but from a slightly different position, and the reasons are two:

First of all – mentioned types of visual content at the moment is the most important part of information design (and consequently (UI), (UX) of web design), for any serious online site today. We will add either outstanding and the most effective part. 
After all this is not just an image of someone or something, it is not a picture with it`s already huge information possibilities. That`s a lot of pictures, it is dynamic as well as speech and musical accompaniment. These are sound and visual effects, interactivity if necessary. 
That`s where the scope for the info designer! Moreover, proper selection and placement of static pictures and text, web banners, informational animations, flash video and interactive elements are the cornerstone of (UI), (UX) web design. 
      That is - we cannot have an idea about the process or a profession as a whole, if we do not understand the most important details either building this process or features of the profession in particular. 
Moreover even in academic materials about informational (UI), (UX) web design there is some confusion and scope overlap and impact. Actually the reason is quite objective – in practice this overlap have to be there in the place. Even much and often. Let`s do not compare with the situation where, for example, as web designers are called (or how they call themselves) web programmers, specialists in CMS and web imposers, webmasters and people who can make websites. 
There are people – orchestra – honor and glory for them, but mostly everything is quite simple – web designer probably sounds more impressive and fashionable, creative and mysterious. 
     Why this is an example? 
Because largely to demand web designer with the obligatory knowledge of (UI), (UX) is about the same thing as to write: “Need a car-driver with the required skills of driving cars”. 
Our opinion – the design can either be or not on the site. If there were worked professionals and it (the design) is present, there will be taken in to account principles of information architecture, will be respected User interface and User experience. 
In a nutshell – the maximum adaptability to the needs, capabilities and features of the target audience, i.e., consumer – user. And it is already an ease of use, simplicity and intuitiveness in perception, comfort, visibility and knowledge level, qualifications and skills of the intended consumer (user), as well as consideration of its inquiries, the possibility of effective feedback, beauty and aesthetic of the work done. 
Without going in to the theoretical research and not to turn our blog in to a kind of Wikipedia for information design, bringing even more confusion in this matter, it is probably all that was necessary to know for ordinary (but not the most stupid) reader. 

What is the secondly?
    Well, the customer does not want to throw away his old website and make a new one, even if the return is zero. Give him the repair or the reconstruction, but such that it would have been better than that newly created. 
Do not want to contradict myself, it was a lot written about this event is pretty useless, but one effective way of improvement still exists. 
Yes it is just about web banners, informational animation and flash videos for the internet pages. It should be accented that it is placed on the page, because it`s not really what put up for information and advertising purposes un You Tube, Ru Tube, Vimeo, etc. (although it can be done. How better – we will find out at the end). 
Still for clarifying – this time under the web banner will not understand all these colorful “Buy”, "Click", “Order”, etc., but only those that carry additional information overload and/or stand out among their own kind in the banner networks that you cannot see others. This means that designer has specifically studied the environment and created a web-catching banner, sometimes it is even more difficult than making a great informational. 

But let`s go back to the website which is supposed to optimize by placing the appropriate dynamic content. 
Where such a “make-up and setting” should be applied?
Mostly, it`s just a case where the principles of information architecture and (UI),(UX) web design were not meet, or the site is “expanded” to such an extent that it is no longer working. 
A consequence of this – site has name, the ratings, but it is not “readable”. 

Examples. 
- This can be a web site with an interesting and unique written content that “likes” search engines, but reader who is lazy, not so smart or all together. Much to our regret, the reality is that even a couple of pages of text often become an insurmountable problem for the modern internet user. 
- This and site – covering a very specific topic, cannot do without visual explanations. 
- Multi profile and with information overloaded site also is a potential customer. 
- Site dealing with all sorts of answer to the question “How……..?” 

In particular it could be any online store that sells, for example, lawn mowers. Well, how else to explain intelligibly how to clean it, than with a short video. In addition, it is an additional opportunity to show how it is advanced, convenient, etc., how to successfully cope with such a difficult technique will show cute blonde girl on the lawn of her house, etc. 


It should be mentioned that in contrast to the static visual content – info-graphics, informational pictures, posters, etc., dynamic content ratings in search engines by itself does not raise. (Except for GIF-animation, where the “frozen” image may appear in the image search). Under normal circumstances, only the links are working.

What`s in the third?

Of course, this is a topic of advertising, specifically its value. Let`s think about what you can “create” on your pages in the site, put in You Tube, Ru Tube, Vimeo and others for money which is worth one minute in the TV or an article with pictures in the newspaper/magazine? 

Who knows the price – write it down or we will be blamed in unfair competition, even such huge sharks. Yes it`s millions and billions audience, but is the Internet less, if we have a professional approach to promotion? 
We paid for other. We paid for the TRUST in the credibility of these media. 
It seems clear why in the past tense, but now we pay for what? 


And finally, it is a cause and effect.

      It is that realizing the importance and relevance of dynamic content (for brevity – web banners, informational animation and flash video, mini presentations and interactive elements that are placed directly on the pages of sites as well as audio), it was decided to create a separate site only for this subject http://banner-market.tk. There is no “Theory”, just examples and ideas. 



In conclusion… We promised to explain what is the difference of dynamic content – informational animation and flash videos for websites and videos that are exposed for informational and advertising purposes on You Tube, Ru Tube, Vimeo and in other video portals.


In general, there is no difference, so they can be exposed, but there are nuances, though mostly from the point of the view of information design than technical. What are they? 


You are visiting You Tube, Ru Tube to find and view videos with a specific topic. And you are watching – minute, two minutes, three, five and more minutes. On the page for direct video display, i.e., for the loaded video on page there is usually restriction on volume. And is it appropriate to load something long and weighty if you can display on the video portal. This is technique. 


Regarding to the information design: why you are loading on your website, for example, flash video or informational banner? For the reason that a visitor can see it once, maybe even continuously. Information should be concise, but understandable (movie length – the best is 2-3-5 frames up to the minute). Catchy enough, but do not take away from the entire page. No wonder that flash is called as a blaze. Sometimes the blaze is needed to “light up” just a single paragraph. 


Hence, with the right approach we must have the same material, but different in size (weight), the length, the sped of information rate. Experts know that there are differences in the methods, techniques and special effects. Even the legal aspects may be different, for example, the 25th frame in some cases can be used, but somewhere it is banned. 


According to this, if you want to place in different places, it is advisable to do the following. To make an order to professionals for the You Tube, and then provide the material (not edited) for the info designer to product the flash. 


It is very well when You Tube has a video material. Info designer can find out what from the submitted appeal to the visitor, what have competitors, what is especially characteristic of the industry and company profile. The “squeeze” the main thing, something remove, mount photos and add effects, text, etc., and create a very bright flash movie for webpage, also from a pure photographic material. Normally it is done by remote collaboration. 


Of course, montage and video editing is only for social networking – wallpapers, titles, overlay of animation and effects, and much more too can be competently performed by “Orius” digital production professionals. 


Unlike other studios and visual and information design art workshops – strictly adhering to their own high standards, and completing a full cycle of a preliminary study of the market (the Internet) and the business needs of customer. 

More (approaches to the production of both static and dynamic content are different enough) – in the article “4 steps of the quality and efficiency in information design”. 

         At the moment, when loyalty to put forward a year ago, information design concepts proven in practice with truly global and permanent results, just right to declare: “We simply cannot afford to make low-quality goods”.



"Orius" digital production.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

The information design studio ”Orius” all over again has the highest ratings, this time in the general searches! What and how has changed in 2013?



       Latvian version - http://info-dizaina-studija.blogspot.com 
Picture shows the best info design images produced by  info design studio “Orius” digital production

    As you have noticed on our home page there is not just section info-design news and information for publication, but also the unique visual searching and experimental testing area for the promotion of Internet –project. 
It’s some kind of the unique space for the testing, where everyone can see the results online. Probably, because in this open “visual laboratory” for everyone, the working results before that to a greater extent were interested to the producers and design professionals rather than for the potential customers. 
Although that in the serious web-design job offers more and more in demand not just web-designers, but necessarily with an appropriate experience (UI) and (UX) web-solutions testify that the Internet-market make the frontline customers think and to educate yourself. 
The question “why my technically well-developed site is not drawing the customers” is a good incentive.

   We have already mentioned about the informative objects of design and 4 minimum steps for the visual data effectiveness. In the near future, by all means it will be necessary to write about (UX) and (UI) web-design, as well as about the differences between the internal and external SEO and why now in the majority of cases optimal to make a new site than to correct the old one. 


Meanwhile, let’s see how the high-quality visual and information design boost up the rating of all web-pages and some related paradoxes. As an example is again the rank of our site and its changes almost over the year. 

Now in stages: 


After the publications in the last year, on the 23rd of July, all the 8 informative images stably got the first place of the world searches. For such result it would be necessary to work carefully. Such result, as the proof of our info-design quality as promised and works actually kept the top half a year until the February 2013. Here again the information for thinking and topic for the article “The visual advertisement on Internet – the advantages and acquisitions”.  

But now we go on. 

In November it was necessary to process the results and they were indeed considerable. We had what to write about and what to visualize. Of course, some of the info-design works in this regard were specially created.

Picture shows Websites and images produced by info design studio on the tops of info design






But we have to use it for many things, just slightly processed the screenshot. 

Screenshots showing results of info design studio


And here is the paradox:

As you know the search program hasn't yet the artistic taste. In our case it has already “known” and “ensured” that “Orius” digital production has published only topics closely related to the unpublished visual works (and all searchers like it very much). And look in front of it appears the whole heap of new material of info-design. 
What does it do? Place completely all the images in top!  Those, who have followed our publications and carefully analyzed it, probably, have noticed that at the end of 2012 and at the beginning of 2013 all the images related to the information and visual design in search of information and visual design studio “Orius” the position screenshots, actually, overflow not only the top positions, but even the first rows. It was too much, in addition the screenshots completely “overshadowed” the most valuable from the point of view of info-designs works. 




Probably, for the program functions the peculiar inertness, perhaps for the other reasons, but the partial (inferior Screenshot) images removal of indexation did not help. We had to forbid to “banning” completely all the images. As the result they are completely “disappeared” from the images of searcher’s pages. 

However, such “modesty” was estimated very generously – many of the info-design in general and with the best info-design images/with the best info – design works related to the general searches now are on the 1st and 5th places! Yes, from the hundreds of millions and billions of Google Searches now are placed completely all the “Orius” digital production materials on the first pages! In addition, the really essential for the info-design studio the subject-specific search.   



Examples? Please! (on the 25th of April, 2013, Google.com): 

The best info design images -   the 1st of  2,890 billion;
The highest rated information design studios –  1st  of  394 000 000;
Winning information design images - accordingly 1st of 408 000 000
The top rated information design studios- the 2nd of 1,2 billion;
The best information design studios - the 2nd of   943 000 000;
The highest rated info design studios – the 3rd of 480 million;   
  
Sometimes it appears, sometimes “disappear” the following:

First placed info design images -  the 2nd—1,380 billion;
The top info design - the 2nd - 1,950 billion;
The top info designers -  the 2nd of 1,710 billion;
Info design images placed as first - the 2nd of 1,680 billion;
info design images placed as first – the 2nd f  1,680 billion;


And finishing the list, another paradox - 
   „The best (in) info design production”- different time periods 2-5 places of “only” 175 million. 

But among whom!!!  

  2013 Oscar Nominees | 85th Academy Awards Nominees - Oscars
oscar.go.com/nominees

Oscar Guide 2013: Best Production Design - HitFix
www.hitfix.com/in.../oscar-guide-2013

The World's 25 Best Design Schools - Business Insider
www.businessinsider.com/the-worlds-25-best-design-schools

BAFTA Award for Best Production Design - Wikipedia, the free ...
en.wikipedia.org/.../BAFTA_Award_for_Best_Production_Design
Best British Production Design

You can see also "The best information design producers"  (07/07/2013)


  And among them “Orius” digital production site!  
Info image showing the first placed websites of Information designers


There is something to analyze.

It turns out that everything is quite simple – the current “production design is the same as the earlier “Art direction” basis and in a more wider meaning it, however, associated with the films and TV industry, rather than with the information design. From this point of view the searcher, you would think has made a mistake. On the other hand, he is right. The 
 information  design includes, for example, the creation of the defined process of photo scenario or video scenario, directing and informative video producing, video installation and effects, even actors or models work. The studio “Orius” for the Internet requirements often has to deal with it. In its turn all the traditional “Production design” processes also include the information design elements. Elementary – the same movie broadsheets and posters, clips, textual and visual information as well as the film advertisement on Internet. It is reasonable that the content and links from these info design studio “Orius” works have made the corresponding results.


For sure, the SEO optimization for the interesting article topic and for the unpublished textual materials is not less important than the visual components, even more important. Ideally, they should work together, complimenting each other thematically.


Meanwhile it is all about the information design studio “Orius” achievements in the first half of 2013 and used results methods of internet-promotion.


The upcoming articles are about (UI) web-design and (UX) web-design solutions for the data visualization, as well as the use of this principle for the Internet advertisement and Internet promotion.



"Orius" digital production.