Landing on Solid Ground

The days of (Flash) splash pages are officially dead. They were once great wonders to enhance our web experiences, yet they were usually cumbersome to load, they provided virtually no search engine capabilities, and well, after one viewing, it challenged our intuitive online habits. But are they really dead?

Splash pages have evolved into Landing pages and they can act as an introduction to your website, providing new (even daily) dynamic and meaningful content to those audiences you want to connect with. They are now capable of delivering relevant search engine features. They can be specifically linked from Google AdWords, so that your Landing page is the very first thing your potential customers see, based on what they’ve searched for.

Landing pages can be bold, powerful statements about who you are and what your current proposition is. Unlike your complete and extensive website, they’re relatively easy to create, they can provide specific information about your (brand) message, they can immediately capture data for lead generation, and/or provide timely product or service announcements. In today’s digital world, one should never start a marketing campaign without a Landing page.

Be wise. Be dynamic. Consider the benefits of a Landing page today.

 

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3 Innovative Web Design Trends

Since the introduction of template based websites, web design on the whole has become largely homogenous. Often the function of the template influences–or perhaps overrides is the better term–the design, restricting the opportunity for innovation and more personal business expressions. The following sites are examples that honor both functionality and unique design experiences within our Internet realm.

1. Split Screen Design

Vertical split screen design can bring a more dynamic look and feel to the landing page of a site and is an interesting and engaging alternative to the traditional horizontal layout.

Bose

bose-split

 

Cycle by Cycle
Split Screen Design

 

2. HTML ANIMATION

The final standard of HTML5 animation wasn’t created until late 2014, but it has already been replacing earlier industry standards that were created in Adobe Flash. It has fast download features, is viewable across all browsers without a plug-in and enables an easy multimedia integration, all with SEO support that can drive more traffic/customers to your website. HTML5 websites are responsive and adapt easily to any screen.

lighthouse brewing

illustrative

 

On the Grid 

web design innovations

 

3. Interactivity

The use of animation and video has opened the door to endless possibilities in creating an experience out of a website. Add this dynamic interactivity to the mix and you have an exciting recipe for engagement with the user.

Beatbox Academy

web design with depth

 

Type Terms

Untitled-2

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How Many Miles Left on Your Brand?

The importance of diagnosing and servicing its performance.

How is your brand currently performing? Is it humming along in 5th or 6th gear, or is it stuck in neutral, not really knowing its intended power, capacity and the direction it should take? Are the characteristics of your brand aligned to your latest business objectives? And have you accurately determined the best way to “accelerate” them?

Like any vehicle, high performance or pragmatic and reliable, brands need to be diagnosed and serviced from time-to-time. When was the last time you lifted up the hood on yours? Is your brand fresh, expressive, and resonating with those audiences you most strategically want to connect with? Are your current brand assets contemporary in both meaning and aesthetic, or do they look worn out, even posing a liability when you communicate with your customers? Many times, Principals and Marketing Directors are so busy just trying to keep their brand running, that they rarely assess the performance and style (design aesthetic) it conveys to their audiences.

Our brands are vehicles in which we deliver trust to our customers. A brand’s assets provide any organization a clear road map of knowing where to go with all future marketing and new business initiatives. They build strength and assuredness, externally as well as creating greater employee morale internally. Even more than the type of vehicles we drive, brands are an extension of our personalities, of who we are – to ourselves and to our customers.

Are your brand assets currently performing effectively? Are they in need of a tune-up, or is it time to trade in the old model and upgrade to an entirely new one with more horsepower, greater reliability, or more accurately, one that your customer wants to get behind and drive? At Blik, we believe brands should garner attention, that their message should outperform the competition, and that they generate memorable experiences in the eyes of your customers.

When was the last time you had your brand serviced? For free (brand audit) diagnostics, call Blik today.

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Design for Public Good

Why does Socialism have such a bad rap, that it’s some sort of dangerous foreign import? We are all social by nature, tribal even, collectively espousing to a business, a church, a union, an environmental cause, a sports team, you name it. As we grow and mature as designers, as marketers, as humans, the most fulfilling reward is bringing people together and providing solutions for the greater good.

At a time when there is the largest disparity of wealth in America since the “roaring twenties” (hint), at a time when there are more and more families without shelter, at a time when many citizens lack basic healthcare needs, there comes the realization that we need to be more public than private, as  we yearn to come together to explore the issues through dialogue and ideas. There is power in the “social” structure, where we share our concerns, as individuals and as a society. When we enact cohesive thoughts and ideas, when we help others, our awareness grows, ideas are fostered, and change occurs.

Our institutions, our public sector are in need of design skills if we are to stand a reasonable chance of reshaping who we are as a society. Design for the public good. Our challenge today, both politically and socially, lies in our ability to explore new ideas and uncharted paths, instead of trying to improve existing ones. New frameworks, new designs have associated risks, but doing nothing is arguably far riskier. It’s time we collectively, even socialistically come together. Design not for the one-tenth of one percent, but for all of us. It’s time to honor our compassion for all things, as neighbors, as a community, as a society, for the public good.

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