Google likes Responsive Design as well

Actually they recommend to use a responsive approach to have the least hassle with Google. Now there are many reasons for choosing a responsive approach or not, but most websites I encounter are well suited to serve the same content to all visitors. I'm sure that Google sees even more websites (most of the ones that exist on the open internet) and their support of the responsive approach might just suggest that it's a winning strategy.

Also optimizing a responsive website to load quickly even over a wireless network helps your website on Google, since Google likes speed, and quick loading websites.

#mobile   #google   #responsivedesign   #tutorial

Embedded Link

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Recommendations for building smartphone-optimized websites Wednesday, June 06, 2012 at 11:04 AM. Webmaster level: All. Every day more and more smartphones get activated and more websites are producing smartphone-optimized content. Since we last talked about h...

Google+: View post on Google+

Image Source

Finally a way to backup your Bitly (bitmarks) links

What I like most about Bitly is the option to use my own custom domain for shortening the urls. In my case I use 0am.co I wanted to use my own domain because I thought that in the case that bitly goes out of business or whatever I can take my short urls and just move them to my own server  - but the problem is that bitly locks me in.

There is no official backup solution. At least now with IFTTT you can automatically create a backup while you are creating new bitmarks.

I've setup a quick recipe that appends new links to a textfile in dropbox - so go ahead and tinker with it to your liking and get a copy of your shortened links.

#bitly   #bitmarks   #ifttt   #recipe

Embedded Link

Use this ifttt Recipe: Backup Bitly to Dropbox Textfile Put the internet to work for you.

Google+: View post on Google+

BC Place and Science World light show

BC Place and Science World are both attractions that show off at night. Vancouver in general is quite beautiful at night as it has the combination of waterways and a dense skyline. To showcase this I'm experimenting with HDR - it's almost annoying trend nowadays and it makes most pictures look surreal. I try to capture the impression that I have and transport that through this tool. #vancouver   #hdrphotography

In album Vancouver Highlights (1 photo)

Google+: View post on Google+

10 Reasons a business should use Google Adwords - explained the right way

10 Reasons a business should use Google Adwords - explained the right wayEven though it seems that every small business is using Google Adwords it's very likely still that your business is not. There might be many reasons why that is so, but this article gives a great run through the reasons why business of all sizes should use Adwords.

It's one of the few articles that gives more than just a quick useless rundown of reasons and it's worth reading.

#business #adwords #howto

Embedded Link

10 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Google AdWords Every gain comes along with a certain payment; it can be hard work, intelligence, power, or investment. The phrase applies completely to Google AdWords, as it is a tool Google offers users to gain tra...

Google+: View post on Google+

New content for the redesigned website

Beyond showing off some of my work I always tried to share insights and my perspective on new developments in the design and web technology space. Not only to empower designers to communicate better with developers, but also for developers and businesses to help them understand the creative process. With the newly redesigned website I go one step further by adding 2 new categories where I will post specific content aimed at businesses and developers. Main goal for businesses is to help them understand where the web is going and what technologies and trends they should pay attention to. For Developers the main topics will revolve around new tools that will help them deliver the crazy ideas designers come up with.

Since these articles are geared towards my clients and not so much towards designers I will share them on the Google+ Page dedicated to Frankie as a business, not my personal one. So circle this page if you haven't yet, or follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

#blog #development #businesses

Google+: Reshared 1 times Google+: View post on Google+

An HDR view of Vancouver from the Lookout

The Vancouver Lookout might not look like it's very tall, but it offers a good overview of downtown Vancouver. On clear days you can see down to the US. I wanted to take some night shots to experiment with HDR and here are the results. Let me know what you think.

#Vancouver #HDR #Photowalk

In album Vancouver Highlights (5 photos)

Canada Place and North Vancouver

Google+: View post on Google+

The slowest snail of the world. #gardening #design - Photo

via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/J6M9MaGw4L/

Retina Images for you website, 3 solutions - 1 Problem

You might consider upgrading your current graphics of your website for retina displays. Here are 3 solutions to do it in a very simple way ... but wait before you re-export all your images at a higher resolution. The new iPad and the iPhone 4S might not display the image at it's full size - if it is too big it will downsize it, making your efforts in creating a high res web experience a fail.

For more info read the following blog post, 5by5 Hypercritical Podcast and the specification from Apple of the mobile Safari webbrowser.

- http://duncandavidson.com/2012/03/photography_on_retina - http://5by5.tv/hypercritical/61 - http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#DOCUMENTATION/AppleApplications/Reference/SafariWebContent/CreatingContentforSafarioniPhone/CreatingContentforSafarioniPhone.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40006482-SW15

#apple #newipad #retina #fail #images #webdesign

Embedded Link

3 Solutions For Serving High-Res Images To Retina-Display Devices

Free Web Resources Everyday - WebResourcesDepot

Google+: View post on Google+

A handy portable Instagram Filters Cheatsheet

I stumbled across these guide to Instagram Filters and while I liked it very much it lacked 2 things - a couple of filters and it's not handy while you take photos on the road. So I fired up my Indesign and made up a free quick cheatsheet to keep with you all the time. Just print it out at 100%, cut and fold it - it's credit card size. Available both as jpeg and pdf for your convenience.

[one_half]

Instagram Filters Cheatsheet - JPEG VERSION

Click here to download [/one_half][one_half_last]

Instagram Filters Cheatsheet - PDF VERSION

Click here to download [/one_half_last]

Quickly search frankie.bz from the the Chrome URL field

One more feature to integrate to your and your clients websites. Opensearch.xml is a simple file that helps Chrome search directly the content of a website. So it saves you the step of going to that website and enter a search. So just try to enter frankie.bz in the url bar and hit space - and bam you can search directly my website.

Very neat and easy - Thanks to Jeremy Keith for this tip http://adactio.com/journal/5137/

Google+: View post on Google+

Now you can read my ramblings even on your Kindle

I like to try out all publishing channels, in part for my work to advice clients, and in part to spread my thoughts :) I tried out the process offered by Amazon to publish Blogs on a Kindle and I'm proud to announce that I'm present on the Kindle now available in the US Kindle Store.

So if your have an US Kindle Account why not give it a try and let me know what you think.

http://www.amazon.com/Frankie-Design-Development-Blog/dp/B007PG5DXG/

#kindle #blog #publishing #subscription #channel #distribution

Google+: View post on Google+

I cracked the Pinterest code

Why is Pinterest so addictive for so many people? Because it's the first social sharing platform (it's not a full social network) that allows you to follow just specific "boards" of a user. How many times do we unfollow people on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ just because they overshare one aspect of their life, while we are interested in another. Or how many times have you restrained yourself in posting a cool recipe to your followers just because you feared that you alienate dilute your message.

On Pinterest I can select what boards (call them streams on any other social network) to follow and if the user sticks to what he advertised I can be sure to not see postings I don't care about.

It's the first time that I can do this without hacking around and asking my followers in what circle they want to be, etc...

Pinterest might be at the moment filled with "frugal" furniture, fashion and photography, but I will create some more themed boards and will start sharing my findings also on Pinterest - and this time you can select what topics you are interested in.

Let me know in the comments or by contacting me what boards I should setup - this has also the benefit that I can see what topics are most likely interesting to you guys and give you more of those :)

And last but not least, here is my Pinterest Account

http://pinterest.com/derfrankie

Google+: View post on Google+

Google+ launches new design - I like it

I'm curious to see if there will be the same outcry on google+ with the new design as you always hear on Facebook - but I like it. It is still clean but they have added a more App - Feeling. It seems that you can do more with Google+ now. The Toolbar on the lift is customizable and filtering your feed is also more intuitive.

I wonder if the page still consumes all the available memory of you computer if you leave it on in the background - will test that - but cudos in general to Google to improve quickly.

#googleplus #redesign #ux

Google+: View post on Google+