70% of companies going public at present have yet to make a profit. Merrill Lynch
The first tech bubble grew from 1994 bursting in 2000 shattering confidence in the enormous amounts of money being lent to the then new concept of start-ups. Suddenly the large amounts of money that had been washing around was tightened resulting in the collapse of many small tech businesses, big on assets small on income. Which for an industry that really had very little needs - just a computer and good brains - these sudden wacky fit-outs complete with £500 chairs, swimming pools and roller skating receptionists always seemed to the outsider a little risky.
Read MoreAnd why do I need one?
The simple answer is that you already have a brand so the question should be:
What is my brand? And is it saying the right thing about my business?
Read MoreTo deliver effective results, your website must offer an engaging and dynamic user experience.
Read MoreIn Part One went through the different types of AI available to us, so how do we not only prepare but show our clients and customers we are a forward thinking, future embracing business?
Read MoreAnd how it’s not that bad for small businesses.
First of all let’s understand why we are being asked to do this large bit or red tape. To be honest, the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal couldn’t have come at a more opportune time to show why we need to understand the power of data — our own and other people's personal details — and the benefits of setting regulation to keep them safe. Of course no one wants their data to have been used in that scandal, we feel violated… but awakening us all to this new data currency is no bad thing.
Read MoreOr, Artificial Intelligence for Small Businesses
AI or Artificial Intelligence is everywhere; all over the news, the papers, social media, whatever our information gathering platform of choice it is there.Within my industry mainly excitement, outside mainly fear, but there is one thing for certain it is coming. So how do we not only prepare but show our clients and customers we are a forward thinking, future embracing business?
Read MoreWhy UX doesn't work for small businesses, but what to do instead.
I believed that UX (User Experience Research & Design) was a catch all improvement for everything…
Read MoreWhat it is like to have worked in the tech industry over the last 20 years as a woman?
There was never any difference between me and my co-workers, I felt one of the team and as far as I am aware I was paid the going junior salary. Sadly this wasn’t so for those further removed from me, I did get harassment, put downs and plain right ignored but it was always from the older generation...
Read MoreAIDA has been around in advertising since before little web was born. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. And it has lost none of its relevance now, in fact it has been given new life with the hard job of attracting people’s attention in the noisy, busy World Wide Web.
Read MoreI have been a designer now for 22 years, coming up for quarter of a century is quite, well scary, as it basically suggests I am getting old. For 15 of those I have been a Creative Director across 3 different agencies, one of which was my own and now on a consultant basis, each brings different challenges.
Read MoreI wanted to see how easy it was for small businesses to grow followers on Instagram without the input of a marketing resource. Aside from my role as a web designer I am a digital artist, I sell limited edition prints and commissions so for this experiment I featured my Instagram around my small business as an artist.
Read MoreI often attend industry events - as a freelancer it is a good opportunity to chew the cud with other designers, developers and UX specialists and keep abreast of our fast paced world.
Read MoreIt may be a buzz word you have started to hear and a couple of my clients have started to ask about them so I thought I would write a short synopsis to these new trending terms.
Read MoreWhat to look for when hiring a freelance web designer or freelance graphic designer. A freelance web designer or a freelance graphic designer is a design trained and skilled person who works for themselves and can be hired on their own to work directly for you. This means that they work for many different client's instead of for one company or agency who in turn works for many different clients. In that respect they are like a small one man business, or sole trader. Some freelancers may work in a team of freelancers making sure they cover a far reaching set of skills.
Read MoreArticles I have written about topics that have been on my mind - An insight into what makes me tick...(part 1)
Read MoreAs with any web design agency, I thoroughly research and use industry recognised products, platforms and frameworks to give what in my view is the best solution to the requirements of my clients. In the last year I have come to believe that platforms such as Shopify, Squarespace and Wordpress are now sophisticated enough interface and administration systems to allow us to work with the pre-built tools and concentrate on design, user experience and keeping the cost down when designing for small businesses.
Read More10 things I learned along the way each making it a little easier to gain great clients…
My first job was selling flowers on the side of the road with my friend Polly. We were 5. My house was on quite a busy street with, it seemed, quite a few elderly people living on it. Her house in contrast was up a completely quiet lane with the odd horse, virtually no cars and definitely no foot passers by.
Read MoreWe love our amazingly diverse and entrepreneurial food and drink producers in Suffolk and I'm always trying a new product that comes on to the shelves. We are also fortunate to have two supermarkets - Co-Op and Waitrose in the coastal area that make it their duty to promote and stock local brands. Here are a few sites that I thought reflected the product well, or made me smile.
Read MorePre-project preparation can help you hit the ground running and creates a chance to collect and digest some of your thoughts about the project to be undertaken and therefore influence the design briefing.
Any user research such as customer surveying, focus groups or online research looking at your competitors and your analytics data can help form a better understanding also influencing the design stage. Adding depth and perspective to what we ‘think’ we know into what we ‘actually’ know.
Read MoreDesign theory underpins creative work that is carried by exposing the context of what the project is to achieve and understanding the brand and values of the business involved.
Introduction
Finding out what makes a person get out of bed in the morning - the driving force behind any business is an insight into what the web or graphics project hinges on. If my reason is to sell the most products I possibly can this will have a different outlook than if my reason is to sell the best product there is.
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