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On Design for the Web: Re-Visiting Onswipe

By on September 13, 2011 | Category: Article

A while back, I wrote about using Onswipe, a service that automagically enables iPad friendly versions of WordPress websites. In that post I described how I had configured Onswipe to run on all of my sites. A couple days after writing that post, and without much fanfare, I disabled Onswipe.

A couple weeks ago, Carol Hagen mentioned something on Twitter about Onswipe. She enabled the service for her site, Carol’s Construction Technology Blog, which I consider to be an invaluable resource due to her deep insight. Her blog serves as an outlet for promoting her business, Hagen Business Systems, “an industry leader in providing project management, estimating and document imaging software designed specifically for the construction industry.” In other words, Ms. Hagen’s blog isn’t a hobby, but is part of a professional marketing strategy.

To Onswipe Or Not To Onswipe

Using my phone’s camera, I snapped some shots of Carol’s blog to show what the Onswipe display looks like (click on any of the images to view larger):

Carol Hagen's Blog with Onswipe - 1

Carol Hagen's Blog with Onswipe - 1

Here is what you see when viewing an individual post via Onswipe:

Carol Hagen's Blog with Onswipe - 2

Carol Hagen's Blog with Onswipe - 2

There is no denying that viewing the Onswipe-enabled version on the iPad is beautiful (when you’re actually viewing on an iPad, not looking at a mobile phone picture of it). The functionality is awesome, as well – swipe to move between posts, a cool page-turning animation – it is really cool. Even better, you can add the site as an icon to your iPad’s home screen. The result is a cool app icon with Carol’s smiling face, providing a one-touch access to her blog any time.

So, what’s not to like? Here is a screenshot from Ms. Hagen’s non-Onswipe-optimized site:

Carol Hagen's Blog without Onswipe

Carol Hagen's Blog without Onswipe

What’s different? Context. As I have written before, and will likely continue to rant about until I die, context matters. If you look at the regular version of Carol’s Construction Technology Blog, you will see the careful (yet subtle) attention she has given to the design of her site. The header, the top navigation bar, the search box, and the sidebar all add context. When visiting a site for the first time, perhaps from a link shared via social media, I want to know who is offering this insight. What is their perspective, when was this written, why is this relevant, and how will this (article, site, person, company) benefit me?

In the standard version of Carol’s blog, the answers to these questions are immediately visible, by design. In the Onswipe-optimized version of her site, to find out more about the context of an article, I would have to click on the small button in the upper-right corner labeled “Menu,” then click on “Pages” before clicking on “About.”

What’s The Point?

Onswipe is a really neat idea. A lot of websites are so crammed full of stuff, that mobile-optimized and iPad-optimized versions are necessary for usability. However, a properly designed website (designed for maximum usability) such as Carol’s works just fine on the iPad without the Onswipe overlay. Here’s a screenshot (at the bottom of Onswipe-optimized pages is a link to switch to “the desktop version”):

Carol Hagen's Blog without Onswipe 2

Carol Hagen's Blog without Onswipe 2

It looks just fine. And all of the context is there. Notice the little blurb in the about box right above Carol’s picture and contact info:

I have been speaking to and educating the construction industry on the impact computer technology has on accuracy, productivity and workflow since 1986. Moving construction firms and related industries toward the paperless office and identifying and implementing LEAN practices to achieve a competitive advantage is my passion.

Carol Hagen writes about technology for the construction industry, and to be perfectly honest, I value her insight over many of the industry heavyweights like ENR, Constructech, etc. She isn’t writing about this stuff as a staff writer at some big company – she is a business woman writing about her experience. And no matter what format Ms. Hagen publishes her content in, you can bet that I’ll be there reading it. And so should you.

Context matters.


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Why people “just get” the iPad

By on August 18, 2011 | Category: Article

The other day, my sister Melanie (one of four sisters) came down from Hemet to San Diego with her three boys. Right now, she is finishing up coursework for her teaching credentials and is doing a class on technology in education. One of her assignments is to create a proposal for $25,000 worth of technology equipment/services to be used to enhance learning in the classroom. I suggested immediately that she should include iPads. Her response: “That’s what everyone keeps saying – give the kids iPads. Why?”

My response: people of all ages just get it. Amber Mac, author of Power Friending (an excellent resource for leveraging social media in business), has spoken about how her infant son was able to readily interact with an iPad. In fact, Amber said that he was disappointed that the flat-screen TV did not respond to touch the way an iPad or iPhone does. My own kids required much more time to learn how to use a Nintendo DS and the Wii than they did learning how to use my wife’s iPod Touch.

Another sister of mine, Anny, works with special needs children, specifically those that are moderately to severely disabled. The iPad, according to her, has changed the paradigm for working with these children. At conferences she has attended, companies are clamoring to develop apps specifically targeting these children.

Up until very recently, technology has presented a real barrier of entry. Using a computer requires some basic understanding of fundamental concepts that presents obstacles to those that are differently abled, and/or less experienced. The iOS touch interface that Apple has developed is much more intuitive.

To me, this is what technology is supposed to do. Technological developments should make complicated concepts and difficult processes easier to understand and accomplish. So much of technology has been developed to simply increase revenue, with features being added simply for the sake of adding features. But the point of technology is to make life easier, safer and more enjoyable.

When Walt Disney set out to develop his grand amusement park, he wanted create an environment that could be enjoyed by people of all ages (and all abilities). The iPad has accomplished that same goal. While there are some limitations (the user interface probably isn’t very accessible to people with vision problems or with limited motor skills), the cognitive abilities required to use this cutting edge technology are minimal.

Thanks, Apple.


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Passion Is The Fuel For Innovation, Experimentation Is The Vehicle

By on July 11, 2011 | Category: Article

If passion is what fuels innovation, experimentation is the vehicle.

My first “real” job in professional marketing was managing the direct marketing campaigns for a software company. I had zero influence or control over any creative aspect of the campaigns. My job was more like a scientist. I conducted experiments, gathered data, then analyzed and reported that data. In a big marketing department like the one I worked in, most of us were either on the creative side or the analytical/mechanical side. For solo consultants, and small firm marketing professionals, work requires a balance of left-brain and right-brain thinking and action.

My involvement in publishing content online is a combination of passion and experimentation. I am passionate about the subjects I write about, and I am not afraid to take risks. Even if the result is failure.

I recently concluded some experiments I’ve been working on that (in my assessment) ended in failure. I am closing down both SpaceElephants.com and ProSvcMktg.com. My goal with those sites, was to provide curated content that was narrowly focused on specific areas. While I was successful at that, I spent too much time on production and wasn’t able to deliver the quality I hoped. I may reuse those domains later on for other purposes, but for now, those sites can be considered obsolete.

Instead, I am going to put more energy into my primary sites: this one (More From Less), and AECforensics.com. My goal is to post once each weekday on each site. But there is still a lot of additional content that I think is extremely interesting, and I believe that I have (through experimentation) found the ideal way to share that: Posterous.

I have set up two new sites using Posterous. BLHill Linked (blhill.org) will serve as a “companion site” to More From Less. What you’ll find is curated content related to marketing, business development, personal branding, technology and personal productivity. Eventually, I’ll get around to revamping the newsletter to include this content (or at least some of it), but for now there are two ways to stay up to date: follow BLHill on Twitter, or subscribe to the BLHill Linked RSS feed. (Here is a great video from Common Craft explaining what RSS is.)

The other site will serve as a companion to AECforensics.com and is called The A/E/C Brief. You can follow AEC4N6 on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS feed to stay informed.

Ironically, what prompted me to make these changes had more to do with a failure in my workflow, as opposed to the performance of the other sites. Since getting my iPad 2, I have been forced to adapt my workflow. Using Posterous, I can easily post to either BLHill Linked or The A/E/C Brief in a few seconds using just my iPad. This means that I am able to share more relevant content, with less hassle and in less time. Thus, More From Less.

For those of you that are still on the fence about whether or not to start a blog for the benefit of your clients and prospective clients, give Posterous a look. You can literally be up and running with your first post just by sending an email to post at posterous.com. There are lots of great themes, mobile applications for posting on the go, and Posterous can also redistribute you content to multiple channels including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Anything attached to your email will be posted and properly embedded, so you can easily share photos, photo galleries, video, documents, or whatever your heart desires.

No more excuses! Most likely, you are passionate about your work. Take a risk and start a blog to give a vehicle for your passion. If you want some help, I’m only an email away.


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Construction Consultant and Deck/Waterproofing Contractor Uses Technology To Achieve More From Less

By on July 8, 2011 | Category: Article

I just posted an interview with Bill Leys (@Deck_Expert) over at AECforensics.com. Leys is a deck and waterproofing contractor on the central coast of California (hence the name of his company, Central Coast Waterproofing) that also provides expert witness testimony in construction defect cases, and offers consulting services to owners regarding decks, deck coverings and waterproofing.

He is also a prolific blogger, is active on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For those of you that question the value of social media, check this out:

Search for “deck expert”

I interviewed Bill because I found out he was using Square to process credit card payments from clients on the spot.

I think Leys provided a lot of valuable information in the interview, so I encourage you to check it out, even if you aren’t interested in construction, waterproofing, or decks.


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Condé Nast’s iOS app developer profiled by Ars Technica

By on June 28, 2011 | Category: Link

Ars Technica is owned by Condé Nast. Condé Nast recently developed some awesome apps for iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad for some of their magazines. (I love the Wired app!) Jacqui Cheng sat down with the developer behind those apps to get a sense of what goes into repurposing content for today’s leading content platform.

If you’re not a writer or editor for one of Condé Nast’s famed publications, it’s easy to get lost inside the publishing giant. One unsung hero who labors behind the scenes is Robert “Tolar” Haining, an Ars reader and Technical Architect who has been instrumental in bringing Condé’s offerings to the iPhone and iPad. “The first app I ever worked on was Epicurious, but the original was just a rudimentary version that I wrote on my own time back in 2008,” Haining told Ars. “At the time, we were working on Facebook apps, so I wrote the Epicurious iOS prototype in the meantime just to show it could be done, and suddenly the ball got rolling.”


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