Up until now, a web designer’s primary focus was on the internet and following trends in a fast-paced online environment. With technologically advanced devices such as the iPhone, G1, and the Blackberry, web designers are pushed to keep up-to-date on mobile trends. Since the transition from the web to mobile is so new, web designers (as well as developers) face numerous unique challenges in this growing industry.

According to the Kelsey Group, the number of U.S mobile web users will reach 95 million by 2013.

Below are a number of tips, suggestions, and current mobile trends for 2009 which I have highlighted from Smashing Magazine.

• Simplicity is key. Since mobile screens are small, and the internet connections runs slower on phones compared to computers, keeping it simple with only a few navigation options, a log-in tool, and small headlines, is the solution.
• White space is a necessity, keeping your mobile page clutter-free and user-friendly.
• Overuse of images is a no-no. Again, keep it simple, keep it clean. “The average visitor on a desktop or laptop wants to see a visually engaging website, and, as a result, images are heavily used. However, when it comes to mobile design, excessive use of images often does more harm than good.” (source: smashingmagazine.com)
• Use Sub-domains. “One of the major benefits of using a sub-domain is that it keeps everything on one domain, rather than spreading things out and potentially confusing visitors.” (source: smashingmagazine.com)
• Content is ALWAYS aimed at the user. Unlike web pages which are typically over-crowded with banner ads, mobile pages are ad-free, keeping the page 100% focused on the visitor.

The article also features segments on the challenges and other considerations with mobile web design. To see the full post, you can visit the Smashing Magazine web page here: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/01/13/mobile-web-design-trends-2009/.

As a web designer, what are some of the challenges you face when considering the web on mobile devices? Feel free to leave a comment or two below.

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Blueye | Twitter | Facebook | e-mail us

Within the social networking realm, one of the most important changes which has sparked a lot of criticism this week has been Facebook’s new layout. A recent poll shows that 94% of Facebook users (out of 800,000) dislike the new design, saying it’s “confusing”, “ugly”, and “hard to use”.

But there are a group of people who are benefiting greatly from the changes, and those people are Facebook developers with great, legitimate applications. In the post, “Facebook Redesigns Succeeds: Widgets Are Dead”, Vasanth Sridharan reaffirms Facebooks main goal of getting rid of the useless clutter and keeping the site 100% real and clean.

“From Facebook’s perspective, [the redesign] is great news – they want applications to be robust, not just one-off jokes that sit on your profile long after you’re done with them. For many developers, this means they’ll have to find something else to do. The good news? The developers that actually want to build a business are responding to the changes.” (source: BusinessInsider.com)

Some of the best applications on Facebook – Where I’ve Been, iLike, Twitter, Causes, Pandora are sticking around for the long run admist the rough sea of changes. To see the Applications Directory on Facebook, visit the page here.

How do you feel about the new Facebook layout? If you are an application developer, are you satisfied with the new look? How do you think it will affect your application, and your user numbers, on the site?

Vote and post your thoughts on the layout here. You can also post comments below.

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Blueye | Twitter | Facebook | e-mail us

I recently stumbled across an article on Mashable!, titled “Finding the Right ‘Brand Voice’ on Twitter”. The author, Kal Turner, discusses the important of brand voice and how crucial it is within the Twitter community. As an avid Twitter user myself, I am always looking for creative ways to reach out to Blueye’s community, keeping members up-to-date and interested with what is going on within our company.

One thing I have noticed about Twitter, and many other social networking sites, is that posted content is conveyed in a more open, social, and personal way. So, how do I know if what I am posting is representing my company and reaching out to my target audience? This is where brand voice comes in…

Turner lists 8 key points in finding the right brand voice within Twitter.

- Describing brand personality. What voice do you want to project about your company? “If your brand personality is meant to be “refined and sophisticated”, does it sound refined and sophisticated, or does it sound like a door-to-door salesman?” (source: Mashable!)

- Be honest. Steer away from adopting a false persona. “People don’t want brands to be their friends, or to be overly familiar with them, but they do want a dialogue with brands whose products or services they enjoy using.” (source: Mashable!)

- Brand voice = human voice. You can’t hide on Twitter, so admitting to flaws and mistakes makes a company more human.

- Don’t use Twitter as an RSS Feed. Period.

- Create different voices for different Twitter channels. “Dell has over 20 distinct, and well-defined Twitter channels. Notably, the authors behind each account have been named so that a connection can be made with a real person.” (source: Mashable!)

- Expand your horizons. Don’t stick to one topic. Research a vast number of topics that are relevant to your brand.

- Find someone who represents your brand. If you work for a traveling company, find someone who knows the ins and outs of travel, can give advice, and can project the voice of a traveler that the community can connect with.

- Listen, then talk. One of the biggest problems with Twitter is that people are so ready to jump on the band wagon and starting talking. Sit back and listen to what people are saying about your brand, and then you can formulate great, powerful responses to your followers.

Similar to brand voice, brand identity is also crucial to a company’s overall appearance and reputation. Strong, creative branding helps you deliver a consistent and dependable message to clients. For great visual examples of brand identity, visit our collection of sites we have worked on!

What do you think makes a brand successful? Blueye wants to know! Comments are welcome

Blueye | Twitter | Facebook | e-mail us

So I’m a Twitter newbie, online for only over a month I’d say (@bricefaubel), and I have had my reservations about what Twitter could possibly offer to a casual user, but today I have witnessed the outstretching wings of Twitter first hand.

At 10:07 this morning, one of the individuals I follow, @cameronmoll, posted a link to a series of 4 logo designs he has been working on recently and called upon his Twitter followers to offer his or her opinion. My curiosity peaked, I clicked the link and noticed that I had apparently been pretty quick on the draw because no comments had been made yet about the designs. Within 3 minutes, after refreshing the page, that number had grown to over 15 I would guess. Within the hour, close to 60 comments on the set of logos! At the time of this post (1:50 p.m. CST), Cameron has received 80 comments – all by sending out one simple link to his Twitter followers. I would say that’s a fairly good sampling of opinions, wouldn’t you!?

Now, this particular individual has over 9,000 followers so I would expect a good turn out, especially from those in the design community. Nevertheless, if I wasn’t convinced that people were actually using, and paying attention to, Twitter – I definitely am now.

In the future, you can find Blueye (@blueyecreative) and the author (@bricefaubel) on Twitter, going on about industry practices, things of interest, places we’ve been, and, if you’re lucky, our favorite cheese.