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Google Maps: Biking directions

This is exciting news for us bikers here in San Francisco…

A quick check shows they seem to have good data.

Today we’e added biking directions and extensive bike trail data to Google Maps for the U.S. My team has been keeping close tabs on all the public support for biking directions that’s been steadily coming in, but we knew that when we added the feature, we wanted to do it right: we wanted to include as much bike trail data as possible, provide efficient routes, allow riders to customize their trip, make use of bike lanes, calculate rider-friendly routes that avoid big hills and customize the look of the map for cycling to encourage folks to hop on their bikes. So that’s exactly what we’ve done.

via Official Google Blog: Biking directions added to Google Maps.

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Design To Sell: User Experience Optimization

Some recent links for geneal inspiration when staring at a blank Photoshop browser chrome…

Your homepage’s primary real estate (the top left corner, middle section above the fold and the primary navigation) must answer the following questions for your visitors: Who are you?  What do you have to offer me? How do I learn more?

via Focus on UEO–’User Experience Optimization’ – Website User Experience – Entrepreneur.com.

AIDA is a well-known strategy in sales and stands for: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. It is relatively simple and describes the sequence of events you should aim for to get a sale. So, first of all, you must capture the attention of your potential customer. Once you have it, you should win their interest by explaining how your product or service can help them.

via Design To Sell: 8 Useful Tips To Help Your Website Convert – Smashing Magazine.

5 Reasons to Kill the Splash Page
plash screens and intro pages are a remnant left over from the early days of the web. It’s typically a flash animation or an introduction graphic that users need to skip past in order to view the actual content of the site. They’re becoming extinct because of SEO reasons, but I’d say at least 50% of my clients still request one.

via 5 Reasons to Kill the Splash Page | WordPress Theming.

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PIXMAVEN – The Instant Art Critique Phrase Generator

I agree/disagree with some of the things that have just been said, but the optical suggestions of the purity of line visually and conceptually activates the essentially transitional quality.

click “Create,” and enjoy your ready-made Critical Response to the Art Product (or CRAP).

via PIXMAVEN – The Instant Art Critique Phrase Generator.

Posted in San Francisco Art | Leave a comment

Kala Art Institute: Groundswell: a call for entries

Groundswell: a call for entries Exhibition Opportunity at the Kala Gallery

Groundswell: a broad undulation of the open ocean, often as the result of a distant disturbance, a broadly-based shifting of public opinion.

Kala Art Institute announces a call for entries exhibition, Groundswell open to California resident artists. This juried group exhibition seeks works in all media that explores a variety of far-reaching issues impacting the global environment. Topical areas include, but not exclusively limited to:

via Kala Art Institute.

Posted in Photo grants and awards | Leave a comment

News ways to take online payments: Square and iPhone

There is a lotof buzz about the “new money” online. A classic Web 2.0 story of new technology taking on established giants – in this case the credit card and banking industries.

In February 2009, Jim McKelvey wasn’t able to sell a piece of his glass art because he couldn’t accept a credit card as payment.

Even though a majority of payments has moved to plastic cards, accepting payments from cards is still difficult, requiring long applications, expensive hardware, and an overly complex experience.

Square was born a few days later right next to the old San Francisco US Mint.

via About Square

SEE ALSO:

Posted in Inventions, Web Design | Leave a comment

Screen Sharing Without Flash Using Black Tonic

I’ve been happy using GoToMeeting, iChat and Skype but this looks like an interesting new option and I appreciate their use of open web standards.

Using only HTML5 and Javascript, the service syncs your browser window with the browsers of viewers whether they’re using IE6, Chrome, an iPhone or almost anything else. Transitions between images are super-fast and the service is a joy to use. It doesn’t include things like markup or native voice support (you’ll have to get on the phone) but for $15 per month, we think it looks like a great deal.

via Designers: Show Your Work Fast, Cross-Browser & Without Flash Using Black Tonic.

UPDATE: their broadcasting tech doesn’t use html5 (rww got it wrong…), which means Black Tonic works on more browsers now.

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The Dan Golden Museum

From an old friend… a great artist… and a great designer…

NOT ONE, BUT TWO PORTRAITS OF HUEY LEWIS, APPROXIMATELY 1983/1984

via DAN GOLDEN DESIGNS – THE DAN GOLDEN MUSEUM.

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Yelp negative reviews: Take a Deep Breath

people hate us on yelp

I often hear from clients who are unhappy with negative reviews or missing reviews on Yelp. More often I hear small businesses that rave about what a boon Yelp has been to their bottom line. Here’s some advice for small business owners on what to do with those pesky negative reviews:

The site removes reviews in cases where there is a conflict of interest (for instance, if the review has been written by a competitor). Other grounds for removal include hearsay, hate speech, and attacks that are unrelated to the customer experience.

via Take a Deep Breath (inc.com)

And the Times wrote about a new suit against Yelp just this week.

Posted in Product Reviews, Web Design | Leave a comment

Exhibition: Synthetic Environment


I’ll have 3 large panoramas in this groups show next month:

Synthetic Environment

April 10 – 29
Reception: April 10, 6-8 pm

Mina Dresden Gallery
312 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 3-7pm

more info soon…

Posted in Fine Art Photography | Leave a comment

Who Else Wants to Discover The Secrets To Welcome Home?

I suggest avoiding the word “welcome” on any Web site homepage. It’s a cliché and a missed opportunity to convey useful information about your firm. Spend time writing some brief copy — something slightly different to the about page would be appropriate to the home page. Also, “welcome” is an appropriate greeting upon first greeting someone but visitors to your homepage might come back again and again on one visit/day.

The first content anyone sees on your home page is the most critically valuable, for usability as well as SEO. Don’t ever bother welcoming anyone to your web site. That goes without saying. If I wasn’t welcome on your site, you wouldn’t have put it on the world wide web!

via The Top 5 Web Site Home Page Mistakes – Web Designers London.

7. Does your website have a strong headline?
Does your website simply say… “Welcome” in big letters at the top of your websites home page or does it say… “Who Else Wants to Discover The Secrets To ___?”

via http://bigsellingwebsitedesign.com

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