Monday, May 21, 2012
Home is Where the Art is
Had a busy few weekends recently and amongst the family visits, illness, gardening, DIY, demolition, social gatherings, bake-offs and walks, we've also seen some great exhibitions - appealing to both our geeky and creative side. And they've been right on our doorstep!
A trip to Much Wenlock to stock up on meat and delicious goodies from our favourite butchers A Ryan and Son, led to an impromptu stop at Twenty Twenty Gallery.
Much to my delight we had managed to catch the final day of the exhibition Works on Paper, by Adrian Henri. Inspired as a student by Adrian Henri and the 'Liverpool poets' and their style of written word it was great observe his experiences and perceptions of life expressed in a different format. It really made my day to be honest and I'll definitely be keeping more of an eye on the listings for future visits : ) http://www.twenty-twenty.co.uk/ .
Meccano Mania at Enginuity (Ironbridge Gorge Museums) was next. Geeky? It certainly was but boring? Definitely NOT! Appealing to all ages, this was an exhibition of imagination, engineering, vision, passion and more in the biggest display of Meccano I've ever seen. It was brilliant and our 2 kiddiwinks (Ruby 8 and Fred 4) thought is was great too ... even asking for meccano for their birthdays.
"Every great engineer this century has started off with Meccano"
Meccano Mania Exhibitor
Nipping across the Enginiuty courtyard we visited Ironbridge CORE. This digital installation forms part of the London 2012 Festival - the UK's biggest ever nationwide festival.
Strangely hypnotic, it is hard to imagine just from reading the literature - just how appealing watching the androgynous figures tumbling, twisting and turning across the five gigantic screens is. We were all enthralled including the children.
It was refreshing to see such an ambitious and large scale piece of installation art tucked away in Coalbrookdale rather than centre stage in a city gallery. Now we're looking forward to catching more of the 2012 events!
Be back soon with more news of what we've been up to,
Esther (Mrs GC)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
It might be wet and miserable outside, but...
Another rainy day! Great. Well, it's good for the garden and our veggie
patch and the seedlings will benefit a from it we suppose.
Here at GeekyCreative HQ we're keeping an eye on development and growth of a different kind. We've been working on websites for a local florist, a Worcestershire village, an e-commerce site for a leading party retailer and Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Support Project have had a site revamp. They're coming along nicely and we are looking forward to revealing them soon.
As GeekyCreative is another year older and a bit more established we are considering our own growth too. We've got a few ideas for branching out so will be nurturing these over the coming months.
A few more enquiries today too ... hope they bear fruit : )
Here at GeekyCreative HQ we're keeping an eye on development and growth of a different kind. We've been working on websites for a local florist, a Worcestershire village, an e-commerce site for a leading party retailer and Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Support Project have had a site revamp. They're coming along nicely and we are looking forward to revealing them soon.
As GeekyCreative is another year older and a bit more established we are considering our own growth too. We've got a few ideas for branching out so will be nurturing these over the coming months.
A few more enquiries today too ... hope they bear fruit : )
Thursday, March 15, 2012
HTML5 openDatabase()
Today we hit a bit of a snag during device testing a new Blackberry App using a HTML5 SQLLite database.
Code that was working fine in Chrome (which we use to test prior to device testing) - failed the moment that we bundled it and loaded it onto a brand new Blackberry 9860.
For the life of us we could not figure out why we were getting the error: SECURITY_ERR: DOM Exception 18
Every forum post we could find suggested the same two things.
1. Make sure that you are not opening your database with a size any bigger than 5Mb. SQLLite has a maximum size of 5Mb and will fail to open if you try and set the size any bigger.
2. Ensure that you have an SD card in the device - this is also needed for the window.openDatabase() command to work.
Both of these points were not a problem, taking the back off the device it was obvious that there was an SD card inside - we even checked to make sure that there was space on it and saved a picture to it ensuring that it worked properly.
A quick code check also showed we were opening the database with an expected size of just 1Mb, well inside the limit.
So back to square one, running through everything for a second and third time frustrating was really setting in. Eventually after nearly two hours repetitive testing we found the problem, completely by accident.
In a moment of frustration we unplugged the device from the USB cable connecting it to the work station and took it to a colleague for a spot of ranting. Imagine our surprise when we fired up the App hoping to demonstrate it NOT working only for the device to load the App and create the database faultlessly.
No code changes. The only thing changed was taking the device off the USB - and that it seems is the problem. Going back to the desk and plugging the device back in everything becomes clear...
We we're loading the App onto the device using the Blackberry Desktop Application and it seems then when the device is connected via a USB, which is needed for the Blackberry Desktop Application to work, that the SD card is not recognised by the device. Seriously, once you disconnect the device the card is recognised once more and your code will work.
Code that was working fine in Chrome (which we use to test prior to device testing) - failed the moment that we bundled it and loaded it onto a brand new Blackberry 9860.
For the life of us we could not figure out why we were getting the error: SECURITY_ERR: DOM Exception 18
Every forum post we could find suggested the same two things.
1. Make sure that you are not opening your database with a size any bigger than 5Mb. SQLLite has a maximum size of 5Mb and will fail to open if you try and set the size any bigger.
2. Ensure that you have an SD card in the device - this is also needed for the window.openDatabase() command to work.
Both of these points were not a problem, taking the back off the device it was obvious that there was an SD card inside - we even checked to make sure that there was space on it and saved a picture to it ensuring that it worked properly.
A quick code check also showed we were opening the database with an expected size of just 1Mb, well inside the limit.
So back to square one, running through everything for a second and third time frustrating was really setting in. Eventually after nearly two hours repetitive testing we found the problem, completely by accident.
In a moment of frustration we unplugged the device from the USB cable connecting it to the work station and took it to a colleague for a spot of ranting. Imagine our surprise when we fired up the App hoping to demonstrate it NOT working only for the device to load the App and create the database faultlessly.
No code changes. The only thing changed was taking the device off the USB - and that it seems is the problem. Going back to the desk and plugging the device back in everything becomes clear...
We we're loading the App onto the device using the Blackberry Desktop Application and it seems then when the device is connected via a USB, which is needed for the Blackberry Desktop Application to work, that the SD card is not recognised by the device. Seriously, once you disconnect the device the card is recognised once more and your code will work.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Internet Explorer - still a developers nemesis?
It's no secret our impatience over users unwilling to ditch Internet Explorer 6 and move to more recent versions. Finally, this year, Microsoft withdrew support for IE6 and started actively encouraging users to upgrade. As a developer this was music to our ears. Finally it seemed that there would be no need for separate CSS files and additional testing. Perhaps as developers we could get on with developing and not spend a lot of time "fixing" the differences between IE and other browsers like Firefox, Safari and Chrome.
I would even go as far as to say that we have been impressed with IE9 - the last couple of developments have gone well and there has been a refreshing lack of bug fixing with no additional CSS files and no bloated testing process.
That was until we started looking at some of the recently introduced webkit functionality. All of a sudden everything fell apart.
Before we go any further I should point out that, to our surprise, that it is not only IE that is guilty of inconsistency.
Rounded corners
Rounded corners is one of the much praised elements of the webkit CSS implementation and something very useful to bridge the gap between designers and developers. No more separate image files for each corner and the inflated CSS and HTML mark up that goes with it. Instead we can use a simple CSS declaration to round the corners of a DOM element.
#example1 { border-radius: 15px; }
Simple enough, but, surprisingly this will not work in Firefox. Firefox requires its' own CSS declaration in order to make this work. So, we have to change our CSS to...
#example1 { -moz-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; }
CSS gradients
Being able to set gradients in CSS would in theory be another great design versus development problem solver. Once again this would remove the need for additional image files and help developers achieve the designers vision.
Again there are inconsistencies over implementation and developers need to be aware that they will need multiple CSS declarations to overcome theses differences. Note the Mozilla (-moz), Opera (-o) and Microsolft (-ms) prefixes on some of the styles below.
#example1 {
background-image: linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -o-linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -webkit-gradient(
linear,
left top,
right top,
color-stop(0, #F5F3C6),
color-stop(0.5, #002F4F),
color-stop(1, #F5F3C6)
);
}
This works, great in every browser apart from IE9. This is where we need to go back to the "traditional" way of bug fixing these browser quirks.
We need a conditional statement and a new CSS declaration to start with.
<!--[if ie 9]>
I would even go as far as to say that we have been impressed with IE9 - the last couple of developments have gone well and there has been a refreshing lack of bug fixing with no additional CSS files and no bloated testing process.
That was until we started looking at some of the recently introduced webkit functionality. All of a sudden everything fell apart.
Before we go any further I should point out that, to our surprise, that it is not only IE that is guilty of inconsistency.
Rounded corners
Rounded corners is one of the much praised elements of the webkit CSS implementation and something very useful to bridge the gap between designers and developers. No more separate image files for each corner and the inflated CSS and HTML mark up that goes with it. Instead we can use a simple CSS declaration to round the corners of a DOM element.
#example1 { border-radius: 15px; }
Simple enough, but, surprisingly this will not work in Firefox. Firefox requires its' own CSS declaration in order to make this work. So, we have to change our CSS to...
#example1 { -moz-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; }
CSS gradients
Being able to set gradients in CSS would in theory be another great design versus development problem solver. Once again this would remove the need for additional image files and help developers achieve the designers vision.
Again there are inconsistencies over implementation and developers need to be aware that they will need multiple CSS declarations to overcome theses differences. Note the Mozilla (-moz), Opera (-o) and Microsolft (-ms) prefixes on some of the styles below.
#example1 {
background-image: linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -o-linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(left , #F5F3C6 0%, #002F4F 50%, #F5F3C6 100%);
background-image: -webkit-gradient(
linear,
left top,
right top,
color-stop(0, #F5F3C6),
color-stop(0.5, #002F4F),
color-stop(1, #F5F3C6)
);
}
This works, great in every browser apart from IE9. This is where we need to go back to the "traditional" way of bug fixing these browser quirks.
We need a conditional statement and a new CSS declaration to start with.
<!--[if ie 9]>
<style type="text/css" media="screen">
#example1
{
filter: none;
background-color:#FFFFFF;
background-image: url('Example1.svg');
background-size: 100% 100%;
background-repeat: repeat-y;
background-position:0 0;
}
</style>
<![endif]-->
We are not going to go into detail as to what is happening here and why you need to different mark up for different browsers. We just wanted to highlight the fact that there still are inconsistencies and it appears that developers will need to keep this in mind for some time to come.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Five alive
You may have noticed a little bit of a buzz around HTML 5 but maybe you're not quite sure what it means?
Well, this new implementation of the HTML standards is very interesting and full of potential for developers and their clients alike.
There are new mark up features like <audio>, <video> and <canvas> which can be used to describe bits of web pages that are becoming more and more common. As well as semantic upgrades such as <nav>, <header> and <article>
But HTML 5 has a lot more to offer than mark up extensions - it is the SQL Lite and Local Storage functionality that is really exciting for us. With more and more of our clients asking for websites that are database driven and user focused, HTML 5 offers another option too meet these demands.
We've already implemented a HTML SQL Lite database in a Blackberry WebWorks App which allowed us to limit the amount of connections we needed to make to the clients online MySQL server - with mobile development this is obviously important. Mobile connections to a server can be costly - both in terms of financial implications and the strain on the device memory and processor - so we reduced that significantly by using a local version of the data stored within a HTML 5 SQL Lite database.
This is something that we will be looking at more in the future as we start to work on some exciting new projects for our clients.
Well, this new implementation of the HTML standards is very interesting and full of potential for developers and their clients alike.
There are new mark up features like <audio>, <video> and <canvas> which can be used to describe bits of web pages that are becoming more and more common. As well as semantic upgrades such as <nav>, <header> and <article>
But HTML 5 has a lot more to offer than mark up extensions - it is the SQL Lite and Local Storage functionality that is really exciting for us. With more and more of our clients asking for websites that are database driven and user focused, HTML 5 offers another option too meet these demands.
We've already implemented a HTML SQL Lite database in a Blackberry WebWorks App which allowed us to limit the amount of connections we needed to make to the clients online MySQL server - with mobile development this is obviously important. Mobile connections to a server can be costly - both in terms of financial implications and the strain on the device memory and processor - so we reduced that significantly by using a local version of the data stored within a HTML 5 SQL Lite database.
This is something that we will be looking at more in the future as we start to work on some exciting new projects for our clients.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Walking on AIr
Internet technologies are constantly changing. Here at GeekyCreative we
do like to stay up-to-date with the latest trends but acknowledge how
confusing it can all appear to our clients.
It's bad enough trying to make choices about your online marketing without all the confusing jargon to go with it. Our studio team pride themselves on their ability to talk to the layman and the fact that they leave the buzz words to others.
However over the last couple of weeks our developers have been dropping something new into conversations and insisting that this particular trend is here to stay and is definitely something worth blogging about.
We know that when the guys get excited its worth humouring them and finding out what all the fuss is about? Adobe® AIR™ is what's got our team talking. But what exactly is it? Well, it's the technology behind BBC iPlayer and eBay Desktop. It's easy to develop for and even easier for clients to install and use, most of all it is powerful and extremely useful. Adobe® AIR™ is the ideal way to get your business message straight onto your users desktops.
Send news, alerts and messages to your users 24-7. Let them interact with you, without the need for them to go to your website. It's instant and persistent - the ideal online marketing tool. What's more you can have it at a very affordable price - because despite the hype and what other may tell you - Adobe® AIR™ is simple and straightforward to implement.
So, to find out more about GeekyCreative developers and Adobe® AIR™ email info@geekycreative.com today.
It's bad enough trying to make choices about your online marketing without all the confusing jargon to go with it. Our studio team pride themselves on their ability to talk to the layman and the fact that they leave the buzz words to others.
However over the last couple of weeks our developers have been dropping something new into conversations and insisting that this particular trend is here to stay and is definitely something worth blogging about.
We know that when the guys get excited its worth humouring them and finding out what all the fuss is about? Adobe® AIR™ is what's got our team talking. But what exactly is it? Well, it's the technology behind BBC iPlayer and eBay Desktop. It's easy to develop for and even easier for clients to install and use, most of all it is powerful and extremely useful. Adobe® AIR™ is the ideal way to get your business message straight onto your users desktops.
Send news, alerts and messages to your users 24-7. Let them interact with you, without the need for them to go to your website. It's instant and persistent - the ideal online marketing tool. What's more you can have it at a very affordable price - because despite the hype and what other may tell you - Adobe® AIR™ is simple and straightforward to implement.
So, to find out more about GeekyCreative developers and Adobe® AIR™ email info@geekycreative.com today.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Who's the best website designer we know? You!
Here are at GeekyCreative we think that the best website designers are our clients! Why?
Well, we can certainly make things look good, our creative department has been producing fantastic site designs for years now. And, our development team certainly can code a good website and are very competent with all the latest technologies. But - our clients know their products and services best and therefore they know what their website users want. Of course our job here at GeekyCreative is to listen, and help guide our clients through the creative and development choices that will make their website a success.
To get the best website design, we encourage our clients to...
Think about your audience. Are they looking for immediate answers and solutions? We bet they are. Most likely these visitors to your website are very much like you. Chances are you use the Internet more than other types of media to search for information. If a web page doesn't "grab your interest" within 8 - 10 seconds after landing on it... you move on!
As a "first step" we suggest that you start by reviewing the questions listed below. We are convinced that once you get to the last question... you will have a list of action items identified that will greatly improve the productivity of your current website. The success or failure of the site and/or business may very well depend upon the decisions you make after reading these questions.
What Do You Know About Your Clients and Prospects State of Mind?
When visitors land on your website, they have very little time to read what you say. They have a need for information or a product and don't want to listen or read long winded descriptions and comments. You have just a few seconds to get their attention. Do most visitors land on your website wanting:
It is imperative to know the answers to these and many other questions BEFORE you design the pages within your website.
Do You Make Website Visitors Feel You Can Satisfy Their Wants and Needs?
Landing on any page within your website must make the visitor know that you understand their needs, business, wants, and desires. The more you put yourself into the "mindset" of the website user, the better chance you have of converting their visit into something you want to happen i.e. buy, complete a contact us form, bookmark the page or pick up the phone and call you.
What Approach Do You Take When Developing Pages Within Your Website?
What do you think you would want from your website if you were the prospective user? Assume you don't know as much information as you want in order to make an informed decision. Talk to these visitors in a language they will understand. If visitors want more insight or information, tell them to click on the more info link or give you a call. They will follow your direction ONLY if you have built some level of trust or understanding. For this, content is King, make sure that sure text is clear and concise.
What are You "Selling" to the Website Visitor?
Are you focused on telling them about your product or service or are you making them understand that choosing your product or service will deliver that special feeling they are seeking by making the purchase? Are you sure that you made the visitor know that you understand their needs, wants, problems, etc.? What techniques did you implement to get your points across?
How are You Going to Get the Visitor to Stop and Think About Your Service or Product?
Remember... they are ready to pass by your website in a blink of an eye and move onto the next one. What are you going to do to stop them? The answer you come up with will be critical to the success you have in gaining their confidence enough to buy or call you. Make sure what you say is NOT the same old thing they are used to seeing or reading on other websites. Be boring and you lose! Address the issues that appeal to the visitor and they WILL STOP! This is hard work... but worth the effort.
What Kind of "Call to Action" Statements are You Placing on Your Website?
Turning a visitor into a prospect or client is one of the most critical actions of your website. How will you engage them? Once they know that you understand their needs and wants, they are more inclined to follow your prompts. 'Call To Action' statements are critical to the success of any website's conversion. Guide them in a manner that is more telling, rather than selling. Don't be afraid to be assertive.
How Does Your Website Address the "Who Are We" Issue?
Again, it is about making the website visitor feel confident that they are choosing a reputable firm or organization with which to do business. They need to read about your success. This can be done by exhibiting your affiliation with associations, awards won, satisfied client statements, client success stories, examples of your work, etc. Careful placement of logos and links can show that you are recognised and approved and build up a sense of trust.
Are You Prepared to Answer: "What Makes You Different"?
What have clients and prospects said about you and your company? Have they applauded you for your approach to doing business? Did they say you made them feel like you understood their needs and wants? Think back to the reasons clients buy from you. How did you meet their needs and wants? Give your prospective clients reasons to do business with your firm.
A final thought...
Make it your primary goal to understand the potential client. Look at your website through that client's perspective. Who are they? What makes them different? What do they individually want and need? Be informative... do more telling than selling. They will "get it" and appreciate that you have made them an educated buyer, putting the power in their hands. Finally, tell them what you want them to do next. Get them to take the first step and be ready to deliver on the expectations you have set throughout your website!
Finally, if you are interested in how GeekyCreative can help build your website so that you get the best out of your online marketing then please contact sales@geekycreative.com.
Well, we can certainly make things look good, our creative department has been producing fantastic site designs for years now. And, our development team certainly can code a good website and are very competent with all the latest technologies. But - our clients know their products and services best and therefore they know what their website users want. Of course our job here at GeekyCreative is to listen, and help guide our clients through the creative and development choices that will make their website a success.
To get the best website design, we encourage our clients to...
Think about your audience. Are they looking for immediate answers and solutions? We bet they are. Most likely these visitors to your website are very much like you. Chances are you use the Internet more than other types of media to search for information. If a web page doesn't "grab your interest" within 8 - 10 seconds after landing on it... you move on!
As a "first step" we suggest that you start by reviewing the questions listed below. We are convinced that once you get to the last question... you will have a list of action items identified that will greatly improve the productivity of your current website. The success or failure of the site and/or business may very well depend upon the decisions you make after reading these questions.
What Do You Know About Your Clients and Prospects State of Mind?
When visitors land on your website, they have very little time to read what you say. They have a need for information or a product and don't want to listen or read long winded descriptions and comments. You have just a few seconds to get their attention. Do most visitors land on your website wanting:
- information,
- a "quick fix",
- a bargain,
- a large selection,
- something no-one else has,
- or a telephone call, etc.?
It is imperative to know the answers to these and many other questions BEFORE you design the pages within your website.
Do You Make Website Visitors Feel You Can Satisfy Their Wants and Needs?
Landing on any page within your website must make the visitor know that you understand their needs, business, wants, and desires. The more you put yourself into the "mindset" of the website user, the better chance you have of converting their visit into something you want to happen i.e. buy, complete a contact us form, bookmark the page or pick up the phone and call you.
What Approach Do You Take When Developing Pages Within Your Website?
What do you think you would want from your website if you were the prospective user? Assume you don't know as much information as you want in order to make an informed decision. Talk to these visitors in a language they will understand. If visitors want more insight or information, tell them to click on the more info link or give you a call. They will follow your direction ONLY if you have built some level of trust or understanding. For this, content is King, make sure that sure text is clear and concise.
What are You "Selling" to the Website Visitor?
Are you focused on telling them about your product or service or are you making them understand that choosing your product or service will deliver that special feeling they are seeking by making the purchase? Are you sure that you made the visitor know that you understand their needs, wants, problems, etc.? What techniques did you implement to get your points across?
How are You Going to Get the Visitor to Stop and Think About Your Service or Product?
Remember... they are ready to pass by your website in a blink of an eye and move onto the next one. What are you going to do to stop them? The answer you come up with will be critical to the success you have in gaining their confidence enough to buy or call you. Make sure what you say is NOT the same old thing they are used to seeing or reading on other websites. Be boring and you lose! Address the issues that appeal to the visitor and they WILL STOP! This is hard work... but worth the effort.
What Kind of "Call to Action" Statements are You Placing on Your Website?
Turning a visitor into a prospect or client is one of the most critical actions of your website. How will you engage them? Once they know that you understand their needs and wants, they are more inclined to follow your prompts. 'Call To Action' statements are critical to the success of any website's conversion. Guide them in a manner that is more telling, rather than selling. Don't be afraid to be assertive.
How Does Your Website Address the "Who Are We" Issue?
Again, it is about making the website visitor feel confident that they are choosing a reputable firm or organization with which to do business. They need to read about your success. This can be done by exhibiting your affiliation with associations, awards won, satisfied client statements, client success stories, examples of your work, etc. Careful placement of logos and links can show that you are recognised and approved and build up a sense of trust.
Are You Prepared to Answer: "What Makes You Different"?
What have clients and prospects said about you and your company? Have they applauded you for your approach to doing business? Did they say you made them feel like you understood their needs and wants? Think back to the reasons clients buy from you. How did you meet their needs and wants? Give your prospective clients reasons to do business with your firm.
A final thought...
Make it your primary goal to understand the potential client. Look at your website through that client's perspective. Who are they? What makes them different? What do they individually want and need? Be informative... do more telling than selling. They will "get it" and appreciate that you have made them an educated buyer, putting the power in their hands. Finally, tell them what you want them to do next. Get them to take the first step and be ready to deliver on the expectations you have set throughout your website!
Finally, if you are interested in how GeekyCreative can help build your website so that you get the best out of your online marketing then please contact sales@geekycreative.com.
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