Coffee and Great Illustrations
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The world of coffee can be a wonderful, yet complicated place. That is why I thought these illustrations would help you all. They are from an excellent blog from Lokesh Dhakar. His blog design is refreshingly clean, easy to read and really draws you in, and his post on these coffee illustrations has over 300 comments!
I mix and match with coffee - tend only to have espressos when in Italy, and normally drink Americano. The only constant I have is using decent coffee, and if you would like to know a whole lot more about this wonderful drink, how to brew it, store, where it came from, then head on over here and sign up for a 10 day course. Highly receommended!
Disclosure - Steve from hasbean is a good friend and also a client, but I would not recommend rubbish, even if paid!
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Get the simple stuff right and you will be a success
I bet you all know companies, people, products that seem to get the simple stuff right. Take a second and try and think of an example….
Perhaps it is an online store that provides great service and communication time and time again (Amazon is my vote here - they really cannot be beaten in my mind at the moment).
Perhaps it is someone you know who never forgets your birthday and always remembers to send a card (I really try hard with this, and in fact, some people have complimented me on this - set an alarm on your online calendar a few days before and set to annual repeat - not that hard really).
Maybe it’s a brand of clothes you can always rely on - good quality and fit, no quibble returns and also some good technical features (Howies every time for me here).
Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter.
What matters most is getting the simple stuff right.
Doing something consistently and brilliantly. Many people, me included, have exactly the opposite effect 8 times out of 10. So if you can be those other 2 times, you are going to stand out.
I really, really try and do 2 things well with my marketing clients,
1. Great ideas and enthusiasm for their business - I take it personally that what we do does well
2. Communication and availability - I’ve recently received some feedback from a client who commented on this and said it was a huge selling point.
Could be fantastic but you are often let down
Food is a good example to look at. You can pay stupid prices for over complicated meals, whereas in fact, a superb pie n’ mash, or fish n’ chips, is much nicer and cheaper.
Pizza is one of my favourite foods - done well, you cannot beat it. However, the trick is to find a restaurant that makes authentic pizza - proper dough, fresh ingredients, and cooked correctly. (If anyone knows of a decent place like this in Yorkshire, then let me know).
The 37signals guys have a good post highlighting an amazing pizza place in NY, and when I get back there, this is going to be on my list of places to visit.
Again, simple stuff, done brilliantly works.
You can also apply this to every day items. I have a strong opinion that if you are going to be using an item every day, day in, day out, then you want that item to work. Simple. Needs to work well, with no irritation, preferably looking good too, and also it must ‘feel good’.
Feeling good is hard to pin down, but a couple of examples are:
OSX - everything feels great and the UI is stunning.
Vipp and Simple Human bins - yes, you read right, bins. Something you use day in and day out, so these ones are well designed, look cool and work perfectly.
Telephones - our B&O phones have an interface not dissimilar to an iPod’s scroll wheel - makes looking for a contact / name so much easier.
So, back to your business, my business…. Concentrate on delighting your customers by getting the simple stuff right. You will stand out, and it can make a BIG difference.
If you fancy a good read, then check this book out >>> Simply Better
Ssshhhhh!!! Secret stuff from Moo….
Sssshhhh, don’t tell anyone!!! (Click).
I LOVE Moo Mini cards and Moo have just announced they will be doing ‘normal’ sized cards soon. I will be getting some of these, that’s for sure, both for theappleofmyi and jon moss photography. They are fun, good value and people love them! Remember, business cards should be designed with a number of things in mind:
- They have ways for people to contact you
- They are something people want to keep
- They so something unique about you or your business
- They are so cool that people show others!
Make sure you have a business card that rocks!
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Stylish DAB Radio entices
Vita Audio know what they are doing in terms of their marketing. Cracking product, a very nice, intuitive website and an amazing list of reviews and testimonials.
This is their new product which is coming soon - they’ve set up a nice page enticing people to sign up to know when it’s available, and when it’s ready for pre-order. It has certainly caught my eye!
I’m a bit of a fan of radio, Radio 4 every day for me, either on a Tivoli Pal or the Pre Evoke. The latter is DAB, the former, normal analogue but produces a lovely sound. What do you guys and gals listen to your radio on? Any internet radio fans?
Technorati Tags: DAB, design, radio
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Best of web design
One of the things that really impresses me is a website that looks good, and works well. I love the fusion of complimentary colours, great layout and nice visuals, so I thought once a week I will post up a few sites that have caught my eye! So, onto a site I came across via the excellent WebCreme - a site which does nothing but cool websites.
Eden
I LOVE the colours on this site - dark grey and green work brilliantly! Easy to read and nice use of icons and colour divisions. Thumbs up!
Technorati Tags: hull marketing, jonmoss, eden
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Stephen Fry and Apple
Well I never, one of my favourite people / actors, a man blessed with wit, wisdom and cunning. Someone who I have huge respect for, is a Mac fanboy. Bloody good show I say.
Not only is he using an iPhone already, as outlined on his blog (have a look here) but he counts Jonny Ives as a mate! Oh man, what I would give to have dinner with these two chaps….
Anyway, Mr Fry has also started writing a weekly technology column for the Gaurdian and also appears online here. He writes so well, with wonderful prose and humour. The fact that he writes things like this, is the icing on the cake…
So you can guess that I certainly do think design is important. But it doesn’t have to come from Apple. In fact, I wish to goodness it came from everywhere. I hope you’ll believe I’m not an unthinking slave to Cupertino. Apple gets plenty of small things wrong, but one big thing it gets right: when you use a device every day, you cannot help, as a human being, but have an emotional relationship with it.
Technorati Tags: Apple, stephenfry
Need your thoughts on web site design please!
Morning all!
I was really hoping that you guys and gals could help me! As most of you know, my work has radically changed for the better over the past few months. From the Borg to running two small businesses!
I am currently putting the final touches to the Brand identities for the businesses and will be able to show you all very soon, maybe even this week! What is critical is getting the web site design right. I really like this guy’s site. Screenie below. I would love some thoughts about what you think….
Personally, I like the clean simple look, excellent navigation, not too much flash unnecessary stuff and will not date too much. Anyway, please do leave some comments! (To clarify, this would be the sort of design for the Marketing Consultancy site, not for the photography).
You can click on the screengrab below for a nice big version!
Technorati Tags: design, theappleofmyi, theappleofmyi.com, websitedesign
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Is Apple’s design getting tired?
I think not! But, Pete Mortensen over at the cult of mac thinks so, and here is my retort:
Blimey Pete! Whoa boy!
I’m just not with you at all on this one. The new designs are coming, I am sure, just give them a chance. It’s all about doing things brilliantly - even Apple have not got the resources to do everything at the same time (they have plenty on their plate at the moment with European iPhone launches and Leopard globally). So, manage people’s expectations and don’t over promise. They need to do each launch / new product, whether software or hardware brilliantly and not rush it.Also, look at it from a pure £££ $$$ perspective, they are not exactly struggling for success at the mo, so why update designs which are already selling and most people have not bought yet (the general Windows public).
Yes, I want a MacBook Pro thin as much as you, it will be on the way, but I don’t think we will see it until January at MacWorld.
As to the Compaq 2710, may I politely suggest a quick trip to the opticians?
Look at the hinge! The big gap, the Hp sticker…. I don’t think people are going to be lusting after this any time soon!
What do you all think?
Happy Monday BTW! 
Technorati Tags: apple, design
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The future?
Some great videos today, and all hosted on YouTube (they are getting VERY powerful). Look at this one - really is worth watching if you, like me, are a prosumer…
Got a spare $153 Million?!
If you do have some MAJOR spare coin, then check out the new Dreamliner VIP Boeing 787 - oh my word. Luxury baby! Can you imagine the kind of money people have to buy one of these. (Pic from Gizmodo).
Impressive stuff. However, I can see the point. Having recently travelled long haul to and from Oz, via Singapore and also to Boston, it is NO fun at all being in the back. Business class rules (I have managed this a couple of times and it makes a huge difference).
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BBC News- You may like to read this...
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