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information strategy Category

Are We Cheating Ourselves?

Posted By Melissa Ballate as Art & Design, communications, information strategy, on the web

Posted 11.12.2009

We downloaded an Apple app on our home computer last night. Walking from the kitchen to the office, I glanced at our newly installed program on the screen and did a double-take. The screen looked like a children’s book!

Children’s books have big shapes, are basic, friendly, and colorful. The ultra-simple usability movement, heralded by the innovating designers of today, follows essentially the same principles: super-simple, easy-to-use, friendly web and communications design. It is true that interfaces should be easy, but are we cheating ourselves by regressing to elementary concepts?

Our brain grows constantly and has for all time. Its neocortex is an exclusive product of that growth, and the only thing that differentiates us from primates and lizards. Our brains have gotten bigger because we think to survive; its our M.O. For all time, its our brain that has served us by solving environmental, emotional, and logical problems that physically we’d be unable to overcome. What happens when we cease to challenge ourselves? Are we stunting our brain’s growth and as such our evolution?

Am I against keeping-it-simple usability and design? No. We work on learning and applying it every day at Blue Daring. My contention is this: let’s not fear challenges. Critical thinking is what defines us as humans, helps us develop intelligent solutions, learn and grow.

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Posted in Art & Design, communications, information strategy, on the web | 2 Comments »

Social Media in the Spotlight

Posted By Vanessa Mentor as information strategy, on the web, outreach

Posted 09.22.2009

2 weeks ago the annual MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs.) aired on TV. For those who missed it there was a whole lot of shenanigans that went down on that stage. Some of the crazier highlights included Kanye West jumping on stage and interrupting Taylor Swift mid acceptance speech, Lady Gaga being Lady Gaga, and of course Lil’ Mama deciding to get on stage and be part of Jay-z and Alicia Keys performance.

Something that was less of a controversy yet I still managed to notice was the presence of social media at the awards show. Youtube sensation Ijustine was at the VMAs working as a correspondent for MTV. Twitter was also a big part of the evening. In fact Ijustine‘s sole duty on the show was to report on the VMA twitter converge. Many make-up artist and stylist where tweeting from the red carpet and giving us a sneak peek into who their clients for the evening were and what look they were going for. Celebrities also got into the Twitter fun. Singers like Pink and Katy Perry for example tweeted live from the show to express how disappointed in Kanye’s behavior they were.

It seems what was a big night in music was also a big night for social networking. There is no denying that social media is rapidly becoming a huge part of our daily lives. Considering a social media strategy for your organization is a great cost effect tool your business could benefit from. This type of marketing will show your potential and existing clients that your firm is current with the times and also gives your organization a sense of accessibility. From businesses to the red carpet social media is definitely the new it star in town.

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Tides of Change | Introducing the New Face of Blue Daring

Posted By Melissa Ballate as Art & Design, information strategy, on the web, outreach, Random Thoughts, Strategy

Posted 07.07.2009

experts in the art of information consumption

 

Change can be good. 
The industrial and technological revolutions respectively improved and transformed societies and industries.

Change can be bad. 
Conversely, such revolutions cause people to lose jobs, markets to fluctuate and economies to deflate.

Change can be frightening.
  Having to do something differently as a result of evolving circumstances can be daunting for anyone. 

But one thing remains.  Change is.  Change is because it is the basic principle behind everything that exists.  From computers, to cellular behavior, to relationships, to life and death, everything we know exists because it constantly changes1.  Change in essence is the balance of life.

That is why after seven (7) years, our logo is no longer just a graphic identifier.  It has not only changed to better represent Blue Daring, but it also represents the inherent balance that we bring to our customers; two apparent opposites coming together perfectly –
practicality + creativity, intelligence + hard work, experience + adaptability…

blue + daring = bd

Like our logo, we have refined our lines of service to reflect this dichotomy…

Through our strategy division we strengthen companies from within.  We help executives launch ideas, capitalize on people and information and improve workflows through strategic recommendations, systems, documentation and process improvement.  

Conversely through our communications division we improve organizations externally.  We help organizations be more relevant, engaging and visible to their target audiences using marketing planning, branding, printed materials, messaging, the web and strategic outreach.  

No other company can provide a leader, a business, or an organization the comprehensive and balanced value that Blue Daring can.

Today our economy is in a state of change; changing industries, changing people, and changing dynamics between the latter…. Re-acting to change forces us to view it as a threat; where as using it to transform your business (and your bottom line) makes it an undeniable asset.

Today we invite you to embrace change as an opportunity to reflect, revive and recharge: your business, your brand, your workflow. We have and want to help you do the same.

Thank you as always for your business and attention. Stay tuned this month as we unveil the new website and share more information about what Blue Daring can do for you. In the interim, please visit our blog and let us know what you think about the new face of Blue.

Melissa M. Ballate
Blue Daring
www.bluedaring.com

1.  In computers it is binary code; the 1s and 0s at the base of all electrical function.  In cellular behavior it is the positive nucleus surrounded by the negative electrons.  Relationships ebb and flow through their lifetime; with one party having more/less position at any given point in time (i.e. listening vs. talking, giving vs. taking).

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Posted in Art & Design, information strategy, on the web, outreach, Random Thoughts, Strategy | 2 Comments »