Our Goose Is Loose!

The city of Rochester recently launched a public art project to support the Rochester Arts Council, coinciding with the beginning of Rochesterfest. Eighteen five-foot statues representing our area's ubiquitous Canada geese have been placed around town, sponsored by local businesses and designed by local artists.

The CWS goose is themed around the Rochester Honkers, our local baseball team. We developed new logos and identity graphics for the Honkers a few years ago.

We're excited to participate in this community project and invite you to stop by and check out our design, which is displayed outside the CWS offices at 3014 Allegro Park Lane.

See photos of the work in progress here.

Launch: Digital Business Cards

Last week the Rochester Convention & Visitors Bureau unveiled a new sales tool produced by CWS. Each of the five RCVB sales managers has been given a "digital business card" in the form of a packaged USB drive that can be given to potential clients. The drive contains a video introducing the sales manager in a personal and unique way. At the end of the sequence, the viewer is invited to click through to additional information available on the RCVB website.

These tools will help the RCVB sales team to be memorable and to build the personal relationships that are crucial to success in business. The drives also contain some features to help measure how they're being used.

The videos are also available for viewing online (though for performance, the image and sound quality are not as high as the USB versions):

• Jay Gunnarson
• John Larsen
• Lori Odegard
• Mitch Stevenson
• Donna Zweibahmer

CWS shot and edited all the video footage and also designed the USB drive packaging. We wish the RCVB great success as they continue to drive growth in our community.

Lyle Wins Rochesterfest Design Competition

Every year, Rochesterfest (our community's annual celebration) holds a competition for the design of a new button representing that year's festival theme. As you may recall, Lyle's button was previously chosen in 2005 as the winning entry. This year Lyle submitted another design which was selected from a field of 92 competing entries. He won a $500 cash prize for his effort. This year's theme, chosen annually by the Rochesterfest chair, is "Capture the Spirit" and the festival will be held June 20-28.

Congratulations to Lyle for being selected as this year's winner!

Resolutions Aren't Just for the New Year

Resolution is a term that gets a lot of print coverage, but it's often misunderstood, creating confusion in the marketplace. HDTVs, digital cameras, computer monitors and printers all tout high resolution as a selling point. But what does it really describe?

To be meaningful, resolution should involve two units of measure. For digital images, this typically means pixels and inches. The more pixels fit into a given space, the higher the resolution of the image. A digital photo comes from the camera at a fixed size -- 3,000 x 2,000 pixels for example. That image would contain six million pixels in total, which is usually abbreviated as six "megapixels." The figure is often labeled as resolution because it governs how much detail the photo can hold. But true image resolution actually depends on how the photo is displayed.

For example, commercial printing processes generally require an image resolution of at least 300 pixels per linear inch. At that resolution, the six-megapixel photo would print 10 inches wide. To reduce the printed size, the image can either be reduced itself (eliminating pixels) or given a higher resolution -- for example, setting a resolution of 480 pixels per inch would create a printed image 6.25 inches wide.

Similarly, a high-definition television signal has a fixed image size -- 1920 × 1080 pixels in the case of 1080p. A small 20-inch television displaying the same signal as a 40-inch model is actually operating at a higher resolution (and thus may appear to have a sharper picture) because it packs the same pixels into a smaller space. On the other hand, the 40-inch HD display operates at a higher resolution than a 40-inch standard-definition device because it packs more pixels into roughly the same space.

Resolution impacts Web development in several ways. First, that six-megapixel image (which is on the low end of today's cameras) contains far more data than will typically fit on a computer screen, which might offer 1280 x 1024 pixels (on a standard LCD display). A website running inside a browser window within that screen is even smaller. To be useful on the Web, digital images usually need to be resized dramatically. It's often said that images for the Web should be saved at 72 pixels per inch (also called dots per inch or dpi), but this is only partially true. 72dpi can be a reasonable rule of thumb if the print size is kept constant (comparing a 10-inch image at 72dpi to a 10-inch image at 300dpi), but an image can print at 72dpi and still contain six million pixels -- it would just be 42 inches wide and look a bit fuzzy.

What people really mean when they make this recommendation is that an image printed at 72dpi would have a similar size on screen as it does on paper. That was a much more accurate guide when there was less diversity in computer monitors. But today, display sizes can vary wildly. A 13-inch laptop and a 30-inch desktop monitor will likely display the same photo at very different sizes. Preparing an image for use on the Web means understanding how it will be used and adjusting its actual pixel dimensions accordingly.

Because screen sizes can be so different, it's also challenging to make a website layout that works well on all displays. Designers typically approach the problem in two ways. One method is to create a design that expands to fill all available space in the browser window (or a fixed percentage of that space). But this can be a problem for graphic elements, which can't be scaled, and for running text, which is more difficult to read when the lines are very long or short. The more typical solution is to give the website a fixed width that anticipates the smallest screen size likely to be used. That varies depending on the website's audience, but widths of 800 or 1024 pixels are the norm. The drawback to this "lowest common denominator" approach is that the layout may appear fairly compact on a larger display -- or even a smaller laptop screen with high resolution. But just as doorways must be made wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, a website needs to be accessible to people using a variety of technology.

Finding Your Way

On January 6, the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau held a ribbon cutting at the Shops at University Square (the former Galleria) to officially launch a new visitor information kiosk developed by CWS. The kiosk, pictured here, consists of a large touch-screen display that offers visitors access to live information about things to do in Rochester.

The kiosk is connected directly to a live data feed from the RCVB, so information is always up to date. It offers listings for shopping and dining, area attractions, current events, and wayfinding directions. The software is location-sensitive, so visitors can see each destination on a map relative to the position of the kiosk. Top downtown destinations include specific walking directions guiding people through the subway/skyway system.

These maps and directions, along with any other information provided by the kiosk, can also be printed out for convenience. The kiosk enclosure also contains a telephone connected directly to the RCVB offices just in case a visitor needs some personal assistance.

Developing this kiosk software was a very interesting project for us, and we look forward to refining it over time as we collect feedback from those who use it. Stop by and give it a try when you're visiting the downtown district, and let us know what you think.

Site Launch: FindEquipmentOnline.com

FindEquipmentOnline.com offers a unique online experience for buyers and sellers in the industrial recyling equipment market. From balers, conveyors, and shredders FEO keeps an eye out for your equipment needs. Dealers large and small are provided with a wide range of features to buy and sell equipment. They can choose from an exhaustive list of categories, manufacturers, and models to create listings which can be actively managed online and include visitor tracking data. Additional private notes about the listed equipment can be stored for the dealer's future reference, giving the dealer a one-stop spot for all their equipment needs. Buyers in the need of equipment can browse category or manufacturer listings. A Power Search tool allows searches to be refined by a large set of options. Power Searches can be saved for easy access in the future, and even be set up as email alerts. Any new equipment listings that match saved Power Searches will be emailed to the buyer every day, eliminating the need to keep searching for a particular item. Customers are also provided with the free tool to post their want ads. It was a blast designing FindEquipmentonline.com and the rich set of tools it offers. Without a doubt, the site will help bring buyers and sellers together. CWS looks forward to its growth and the future expansion of available tools and services.

Still using software from 1976

A few weeks ago, I needed to generate an HTML dropdown menu using text from a spreadsheet. It was a pretty sizable spreadsheet, so it seemed like quite a bit of tedious work. And it would have been exactly that if I'd manually copied each line. But thanks to a little software program written in 1976, I was able to create the necessary code in just a couple of minutes. One of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems wrote vi while developing the BSD operating system. It's since been included in just about every Unix-based system in the world, from the servers in our datacenter to the newest MacBook Pro. On the surface, this software seems to do so many things wrong for the modern world. The hardware for which it was designed to be useful doesn't exist anymore. The interface is counterintuitive. There's very little inline help. It doesn't work like most other text editors, clearly violating Jakob's Law (which is technically about Web-based software, but the principle applies elsewhere). But vi is extremely fast and enormously powerful. There's absolutely nothing better for manipulating text. I've used it to turn server logs into SQL statements to restore critical data. I've tried doing similar text manipulation in Dreamweaver, only to have the system bog down after processing a few lines. Modern copies of vi have been updated slightly, but it's still basically the same software that Bill Joy created over 30 years ago. The Web development industry follows a lot of fads and fashions, of which some are truly useful, but many are simply stylish. Finding something that's as useful in 2008 as it was 1976 is remarkable. It just goes to show that newer is not always better. Truly great products are timeless.

Launch: Olmsted Medical Center

As our local readers may have already seen, Olmsted Medical Center recently unveiled a new visual identity to the public. We are proud to have been a part of this and excited to introduce OMC's new home on the web! Our main focus in the redesign process was making the site patient-oriented. This meant that great care and consideration had to be given to the overall user experience and accessibility of information. The oversized navigation along with brief, well-organized menus addresses this need, along with minimal use of graphics and scalable text to allow those with visual impairments to access the site more easily. The site covers a broad range of information about OMC. Learn how to live a healthier life, find a healthcare provider that can best serve you, learn about OMC's new branding, or read OMC newsletters! We have enjoyed working with Jeremy and the crew from Olmsted Medical Center, and we look forward to expanding the site in the future to make it even more useful.

CWS Welcomes Jenna Collins

Jenna is joining CWS as our second summer intern. She is a graphic design student at The Art Institute in Minneapolis. Jenna will be assisting us with a variety of print and Web design projects throughout the summer.

Site Launch: AlgalBiomass.org

With rising gas prices and the record-breaking cost of oil, research in alternative energy sources is becoming ever more urgent. A number of organizations have formed to advance the cause. The Algal Biomass Organization, is one such group -- a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of algal biomass production technologies through research and education. Tom Byrne (of Byrne & Company Ltd.) looked to CWS for a solution to make these research efforts known worldwide. Throughout the site you will find an array of information dealing with algae production technologies, including events, summit details, and what the Algal Biomass Organization is doing to expand and develop new technology. You will also find documents available for download that have been submitted by independent researchers. We have enjoyed working on this project with Tom Byrne and the Algal Biomass Organization, and we're excited to see important research being done in the field of alternative energy.

Site Launch: OhThoseGuys.com

In 1997, Savage, MN based Total Promotions was created as an ASI company that supplied corporate apparel and promotional items to small, medium, and large businesses. In 2001, they purchased the domain OhThoseGuys.com. In 2005, they officially changed their name to OH Those Guys. Now, in 2008, OH Those Guys still sells the same quality corporate apparel and promotional items; but with the addition of their athletic supplies, team apparel and spirit wear division "OTG Athletics," they were in need of an online facelift. After viewing a Rochester based sporting goods website, OH Those Guys gave us a call. The new site needed to incorporate both divisions of the company. The abstract shapes and sports photography created an edgy feel for the sporting goods division, while the soft blue gradients and inviting corporate photos appealed to the needs of those looking for corporate apparel. However, OH Those Guys and OTG Athletics are not limited to just corporate and team apparel. Throughout the site you will find a variety of content ranging from team order forms, suggested links, and a blog, to a page that offers fundraising services for free to non-profits, charities and benefits. It was a pleasure working with Bill from OH Those Guys and OTG Athletics, and we look forward to our continued relationship as we further increase their visibility online with our search engine optimization services.

4x4parts.com - Less Talk More Walk

Alan recently posted about emailing customers who have abandoned shopping carts in an e-commerce website. One of our clients thought this was a great idea -- Automotive Customizers (4x4parts.com) added this feature to a project already in development. Last week we took their new site live. If customers begin the checkout process and don't complete it, they will receive a helpful email asking if they encountered any problems. This is a great way to focus on user needs. It's obvious when someone walks out of your brick-and-mortar store, but with the anonymity of the Internet, a site owner could be losing sales over a simple issue and never know it. Automotive Customizers is based in Florida and specializes in supplying aftermarket Nissan parts to 4x4 enthusiasts. We have a long-standing relationship with their team, and the site was due for an upgrade. Both the front and back end systems were completely redesigned, and we built a number of custom features specifically tailored to their business. One of these tools allows users to specify what Nissan vehicles they own in a profile. This allows administrators to verify that customers have ordered the right parts for their vehicles, saving headaches for both customers and staff. They can also use this information to identify which customers own a specific vehicle in the event that something special is available for that model. My favorite feature is the lightbox photo gallery where customers can upload photos of their customized trucks. In the previous version of this site, users were restricted to uploading a very small image. The new gallery allows a much bigger image to truly show off all of those customized vehicles. Just one more user-focused feature to illustrate Automotive Customizers' commitment to their customers. Drop by 4x4parts.com to check out the new site. Our thanks to the AC team for a great project.

Case Study: Mayo Medical Laboratories

Last summer, CWS worked with Mayo Medical Laboratories to redevelop the structure of MayoMedicalLaboratories.com, and we have continued to support the expansion of its offerings. We put a lot of effort into the architecture of this site's codebase, and recent statistics have shown that these efforts are paying off. Overall traffic to the site has doubled, but even more interesting is a six-fold increase in traffic specifically referred by search engines over an eight-month period. More recently, we've worked to develop a system for public access to the catalog of medical tests offered by MML, and this tool is already drawing nearly half of the site's traffic. Here are a few of the strategies employed to achieve these measurable results:

• Good separation of content and style. Most people know that a Web page is driven by some underlying code that's not usually displayed. But what's not always understood is that not all code serves the same function. Of course the actual text you see on a page is included, but a good portion of the code that's loaded into your Web browser is about style -- the way a page looks. When a search engine looks at the page, it doesn't care about style; content is king. In modern Web design, it's possible to almost completely separate style code from written content, but this practice isn't always followed well. When it is, the results can be dramatic. In addition to giving search engines a clearer picture of content, code separation can significantly reduce the time required to load pages and make changes far easier to implement. It also opens the possibility of repurposing content for alternative devices, like mobile or print versions, without duplicating the content.
• Appropriate use of structure. The third type of code that makes up a Web page represents its structure. Many types of structure can end up yielding the same visual result. Looking at a building from the outside, you might not know if its studs were made of wood, steel, or Styrofoam. But that doesn't make all three building materials equally sound. The same is true of Web pages; the underlying structure can have a big impact on accessibility and maintainability. It's also particularly helpful for allowing search engines to assign context to words. For example, human beings rely on visual cues like text size and color to identify headings and other important words on a page. Search engines (not to mention visually impaired human beings) can't do this, so they rely on the document's structure to determine what's important.
• Internationalization. When websites aim to attract a global audience, it's important to correctly encode and structure multilingual content. This improves performance with international search engines and also ensures that pages display consistently across a diverse range of platforms and browsers.

CWS believes in producing Web sites and applications that are focused on meeting business objectives and producing measurable results. Contact us for a risk-free assessment.

The Value of Clear Writing

Many people think of design in purely visual terms. This kind of thinking can influence everything from the kind of car we buy to the food we eat. We're attracted by things that look good, and style is, in fact, an important component of good design. But it's not the whole picture. A great-looking car with critical safety issues would not be well designed. Nor would an innovative packaging system that didn't keep food fresh. Good design not only means that something looks good, but that it performs well, that it's efficient and that it's reliable. I have an ice cream scoop that fits this description perfectly. Designed by Michael Graves, it's heavy and solid, making perfectly round scoops even when the dessert is solidly frozen, and its polished surface never sticks. It's also ergonomic and durable -- a simple product that does its job well. Nothing complicated. When it comes to the Web, one aspect of good design that's often overlooked is writing. And yet the content of your site is what will ultimately make it succeed or fail as a business tool. Visual presentation is important -- to establish credibility, as an expression of your brand, and to give appropriate structure to your content -- but the content itself is fundamental. Unfortunately, many people write website content as an afterthought. It doesn't have to be complicated -- indeed, it shouldn't be, as people read more slowly on screen than on paper -- but it ought to be thoughtfully considered as a core component of design. In general, writing for the Web should be:

• Clear and brief. People who use the Web a lot get in the habit of moving quickly and don't like to read lengthy texts (with a few exceptions). Help them learn what they need to know with minimal effort.
• Correct. English isn't everyone's field of expertise, but we all know someone who's good at it. Have your content proofread, because errors will both undermine your credibility as a professional and lengthen the time required to understand the material.
• Well organized. Judicious use of headings, bold text and lists makes it easier for both humans and search engines to capture the essential points on a page.
• User-centric. Address the questions that your visitors are asking, rather than just telling them what you want them to hear. Use the kind of language they use, not industry jargon (unless your audience is likely to be using such niche terms when searching).

When you undertake a website project, consider the total package. Don't hire anyone who is just an artist, a programmer, or a businessperson. It takes attention to detail in every area to make a product that's truly well designed, whether the end result is as simple as an ice cream scoop or as complex as a building.

Walking a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes

One of the values we try to live by at CWS is user-centric design. That is, we believe that websites and Web-based applications are most effective when they're designed to make the tasks performed by end users as easy as possible. This may sound obvious, but in reality it's much easier said than done. People tend to assume that others basically think like themselves, and it's very difficult to overcome that feeling. In the same way that a filmmaker might have a hard time watching a movie without analyzing the lighting and camera angles that the rest of us take for granted, the different groups of people using a site will come with different sets of assumptions. This can be a trap both for the people who create websites and those who own the content. Programmers can think of a site in terms of infrastructure, or let technology drive design in place of experience. Business owners or other stakeholders may be more concerned about what they want to say than what the end user wants to know. Thinking about a site solely from our own perspective can handicap a great idea. This principle applies both to design in general, content writing (the most overlooked component of good design) and to search engine optimization. There may be a big difference between the search terms that a business owner thinks are applicable to his website and those that his customers actually use. It doesn't do any good if a site performs well for searches on "mechanical contractor" but consumers are only looking for "heating repair." In the same way, a site that gives a passionate description of product benefits but never answers questions about price may drive away people who are doing research to build a shortlist of potential vendors. There are many formal processes and tools to help you put yourself in a user's shoes (personas and use cases, for example), and we can help you walk through these, but the best way to start is simply talking to the people who will use the site or application being designed. Find out what people love and hate about the tools they use now. Customer loyalty comes from giving people what they want. As Zig Ziglar has famously said, "You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want."

Here's Your Chance... Ask CWS

We receive emails all the time asking about various topics. Should I register a .com domain with a hyphen in it or should I go with a .net one? What is more important for SEO... on-page optimization or my PageRank? How many projects do you work on at a time? The list could go on and on. In fact, we receive so many questions it was one of our reasons for joining the Post Bulletin's Ask An Expert program. We enjoy answering questions and educating users about the Internet and it's one of the ways we "give back" to the local community. So, we've decided to promote this topic as part of our blog. Do you have a burning question about one of our designs? Are you wondering what we think about your website design? Here is your chance to ask... anything goes! We'll do our best to answer your question(s) and post them here on a regular basis. Have a question for us? Got a question about design, business, marketing, etc? We would be honored to provide some insight into how we'd tackle the issue. Send an email to support [at] cws dot net with the subject "Ask CWS".

Site Launch: autodatapubs.com

Autodata Publications has recently launched their new redesigned website and hosted by Corporate Web Services, Inc.

The new site offers an array of products and information for the professional auto technician who is looking for technical data for a large assortment of domestic, and imported vehicles. The site also includes product photos, distributor contact information, and even a newsletter to keep you up to date on new product releases.

It was a pleasure working with Autodata, and we hope they enjoy their redesigned home on the web.

New Branding for Mayo Civic Center

CWS is pleased to announce a new identity system for Mayo Civic Center. In conjunction with an updated website framework (which will be released in the next few weeks), we were asked to develop a new logo and other collateral that, while maintaining a connection with the previous identity, would establish a new look for this first-rate facility. With a bit of artistic flair, the bold colors and dynamic forms of the new trademark express the breadth of activity that takes place at the Civic Center. The facility's 120,000 square feet of space host a steady stream of concerts, sporting events, tradeshows, banquets, and other unique events. Mayo Civic Center is the major hub of activity for southern Minnesota. Because it has the potential to be used in so many different contexts and applications, we developed a logo with several different variations in format and color. The typeface and forms were also designed to work well with the existing signage and architectural elements of the facility. CWS is proud of the Rochester community, and it is always a pleasure to work on projects that support and promote our city. Be sure to check out Mayo Civic Center when you're planning an event or a night out on the town!

Launch: Venture Computer Systems

CWS is pleased to announce the launch of a new website for Venture Computer Systems, southeast Minnesota's premier source for IT solutions and support. Venture has been a trusted partner of CWS and many other regional businesses for a number of years. Venture decided that it was time to make a better online presentation of their business case: all the reasons it makes sense to rely on a highly qualified staff of experts. The website was also given a more contemporary design and a structure that's easy to maintain. Venture Computer Systems has an impressively broad range of products to meet your technology needs, so be sure to see what they have to offer. You may be surprised at the variety of high-quality goods and services that are available right here in Rochester!

Launch: Rochester Public Library

On February 1, the Rochester Public Library unveiled a new website developed in partnership with CWS. This redesign addressed a number of objectives for the Library's complex web offerings. The website was rebuilt from the ground up to better meet accessibility guidelines and Web standards. It greatly simplifies access to common tasks and features, and highlights some useful tools that you may not have previously noticed. Finally, the website is now far easier for Library staff to manage and maintain using Adobe's Contribute Publishing System. Hats off to them for updating and restructuring an enormous body of content during this process. Response so far has been very positive. Here's what the Post-Bulletin's Digital Mike had to say:

I like it. All the stuff you looked for before seems to be there, and now it seems easier to maneuver and find information compared with the old site.

Rochester has a truly impressive library for a city its size, so be sure to check it out (no pun intended)! If you never visited the old site, you can find a copy by stepping into The Wayback Machine.

CVB Wins Award for CD Produced by CWS

One of our clients - the Rochester Convention & Visitors Bureau - recently received a Travel Marketing Award of Merit from Explore Minnesota Tourism at their annual conference. The award was given to the RCVB for a series of multimedia CD presentations which are produced by CWS and customized for conventions, sporting events, and other bids. Each custom disc typically features a personal introduction by Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede, often with a bit of offbeat humor and highlights of all that Rochester has to offer. Travel Marketing Awards are given annually to note creative, successful tourism marketing programs by Minnesota communities. The RCVB entered the multimedia disc as an example of an electronic marketing tool that goes "above and beyond" typical sales presentations. The CD gives meeting planners a sense of connection with the Rochester community, especially with the guided tour from Mayor Brede. Custom discs have been produced for 13 amateur sports organizations and meeting planners, in addition to a general purpose disc that is used for other presentations. In many cases, the CDs are also left with events attendees to boost participation and with travel writers requesting information. These multimedia CDs have generated six confirmed pieces of new business for the city of Rochester, representing 13,450 visitors, 16,850 hotel rooms and an economic impact of more than $3.8 million. Two additional bids are still under consideration. CWS is proud to work with the CVB and other organizations to promote the great city of Rochester!

Snap Previews- Flashy vs. Functional?

You may have noticed a new feature that we've implemented on a very limited basis. The free service is called "Snap Previews" and it allows you to create dynamic links with a pop-up preview of the link. Seting up the feature on your website is a snap (no pun intended), only requiring the addition of a few lines of code. As designers, we're torn whether this feature is a good idea. On one hand, it's kind of flashy and cool. On the other hand, the large preview window can be a distraction, clunky to use and not very functional. If you're a designer, you understand striving for a balance between functional and cool. We first displayed Snap Previews earlier this month and have used it very sparingly ever since. In retrospect, this must mean that we've subconciously concluded that the "coolness" factor didn't outweigh the loss in functionality. Either that... or we've been too lazy to add the extra line of code. :) The flashy vs. functional debate of "Snap Preview" has me torn. To add to my confusion, I continue to see other popular blogs heavily using Snap Preview on nearly all links. So, the question must be asked... is this feature just flashy or is it really functional?