Let’s get digital.

On Tuesday, my colleague Sarah and I attended the second Digital Media Workshop at Ryerson’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education. The first workshop I attended back in January was on user experience design with presentations from Tedde van Gelderen (Akendi), Steve Mast (Delvinia) and Ilona Posner. The workshop on Tuesday focused on usability with presentations from Adam Oliveira (Quizative Inc.) and Tara O’Doherty (w.illi.am).

With absolutely no background in user experience design, or any tech for that matter (one of the few people in the room without a BlackBerry), I found the workshop to be both interesting and exciting. The first presentation titled ‘UX-ability’, encouraged participants to question the whole concept of usability by asking-‘does easier necessarily mean better’? With the advancement of technology and the internet, come users with an advanced need for a richer experience. The presentation was very visual, with a few concepts that gained my interest in particular. Microsoft Photosynth, the Pomegranate Phone, and the Nokia Morph concept that demonstrates some of the possibilities nanotechnologies might enable in future communications devices, all had me returning to watch the clips numerous times throughout the week.

The second presentation titled ‘UX Evolution: The Good, The Bad and The Embarrassing’, went through numerous examples of great website designs and website faux pas’. One useful resource Tara mentioned was http://www.usability.gov/, a website that includes tips for developing usable and useful websites. Tara emphasized that when considering website design, it is crucial to think of it as a holistic user experience from beginning to end.

On the public relations side, I think it is important to continually learn about user experience design and digital media for our clients’ benefit. As this field moves ahead in full force, it is part of our job to demonstrate the gain of investing in this area and make the case for going digital.

How businesses can become THE destination

Posted by Cathy-Anne O'Brien

Here's a great post offering practical advice on how to get customers into your store and visiting your website, and how to be seen as a expert.

Leadership - common sense?

Posted by Cathy-Anne O'Brien

Tips on how to be a good leader always appeal to me. These tips are often simple, common sense advice, yet I've observed so few people actually embracing all these qualities. Why? Many of these qualities require one to be very humble, yet many still believe that a strong leader never shows weakness. Perhaps this is why the letter from the editor about Leadership in Hard Times in the current Harvard Business Review (particularly paragraph 3) caught my attention:

1) Surround yourself with the best (better?) people.
2) Surround yourself with people who will challenge you.
3) Share the credit.
4) Communicate, communicate and communicate again.
5) Relax.

During these tumultuous times, maybe it’s the perfect time to give these a whirl.

The end of the press release?

By: Julie O'Brien

Is the press release dead? More and more journalists feel that way.

Whereas so many people think that public relations (PR) is all about the press release. Many businesses issue a press release, hope it gets attention and then are disappointed when it doesn’t get picked-up. We’ve all heard the adage ‘I tried PR and it didn’t work’. PR is so much more than a press release. In fact, we deliver great results for clients without issuing press releases. Sure releases may have their role, but it’s always important to question the purpose of developing and issuing a release and explore how other tactics, such as tailored story pitches, may be more far more effective.