The 2012 Converge South Conference last Friday left me feeling energized and excited about the field I chose, and grateful for the people I’m going to school with (such driven and enthusiastic individuals). The professionals in attendance became excellent resources during the day, and vice versa. We were able to share ideas like using gamification to better society, or how to utilize social networks to the fullest.
Below are resources and advice I took away from the event.
Tracy Meyers – on website design
- Your website needs to position you as the expert and a trusted advisor.
- Use visual cues to convey that (i.e., ribbon images, quotes)
- Make it easy to contact you.
- Include video testimonials.
- Give something free away to get a foot in the door (not necessarily for a portfolio, but useful nonetheless).
- Sizzle reels are cool (this is exactly what I wrote in my notes. At first, I thought it was cheesy, but then I realized the ironic beauty of it and I’ve been inspired)
Sue Polinsky – online fundraising for nonprofits
When asking for money:
- Ask for special projects or items, not vaguely.
- Set a deadline
- Ask lots of different people and ask them everywhere (social media, email, postal)
- Content is king (don’t we know it, iMedia?)
- Build your list and update it frequently
- Keep them engaged. Follow up afterwards and share how their money was used.
- Send your email on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday at either 10am or 1:30pm to avoid being shuffled into trash.
- Stories sell
- Use humor, calls to action, videos, targeted links, special links, quality websites
Jessica Jameson – How to break out of the ordinary
- Approach social media with a plan.
- Growth may be small and incremental, but as long as it’s consistent, you should continue.
Erik Fadiman – Responsive Web Design
“We need to stop thinking of it as web pages, and start thinking of them as a web experiences.”
- The future of web design is to adopt our content for context-based situations (both the way the information is accessed and when the info is accessed).
- Design for devices and party like it’s 1996, meaning use small and simple graphics, try not to get too fancy.
- Build from mobile up (this is the second time I’ve heard this advice)
- 70% of people have iPhones, but only 5% use your site on mobile.
- Create a solid strategy for content because people don’t come to your website to look at how pretty it is.
- When coding, the general logic is if (x), then load phone.css; if (y), then load tablet.css, etc.
Resources:
- Jotform.com : Used to develop custom entry field forms for donating money.
- Tout : a 15-second video message. Think of it like a video tweet.
- Unstoppablerobotninja.com : This is the founder of responsive design, and his responsive portfolio is beautiful.
- Bradfrostweb.com : A huge player in the responsive design game. Another beautiful portfolio page.
- Lukew.com : likewise.
- Mediaqueri.es : Hundreds of examples of responsive design
- Styletil.es : Create the atmosphere of a design layout during a pitch
- Lessframework.com : tool to create responsive design
- Cssgrid.net : tool to create responsive design
- Getskeleton.com : tool to create responsive design
- Mattkersley.com/responsive : tool to test your layouts Edgefonts.toekneestuck.com : To use web fonts (and see them!)