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Trendwise with Semiomantics XO2012

In a world of infinite choice, we all have our personal preferences when it comes to creating the Web Design for our personal websites and blogs – and this is exactly what many of our customers will tell us, especially if they have a business with set colors, fonts and logos. Of course, there are also those who haven’t thought about this issue, who may not want to be bothered with it (as this takes ample time and thought) and who expect us to suggest, advise and guide. This is where we should know and focus on current trends, put our personal priorities on the backseat, and design something fresh, modern and appealing where we are absolutely “Trendwise with Semiomantics XO2012″, which is currently going through a testing phase and will soon be released.

Most importantly, we need to think forward to adapt to the incredible developments and momentum on the mobile web: can people see our web design work on their iphones, smart phones and tablets? This is currently the driving power behind many decisions and as we want our customers to get the traffic and results they expect, this is what we need to focus on and ensure that they too see the advantages of certain essentials they might not initially agree with.

It’s all about functionality and thinking customerwise: let them see what your website is all about fast and in an attractive way, make navigation clear, quick and easy like a dynamic show. And let there be balance!

 

Trendwise with Semiomantics XO2012

With the new trends 2012 having been set, how can we at Web Design South Africa be trendwise with Semiomantics XO2012, the best WordPress based script to be released soon, and give our website or blog a New Look 2012?

 

How to give your Author Blog a Trend 2012 Look

Here are a few pointers as to how to give your Author Blog a Trend 2012 Look:

1. Color Trend 2012

I already wrote about the Color Trend 2012 HERE.

To repeat it quickly, the color of the year 2012 is a warm orangy red called “Tangerine Tango”.  It’s not too far off the color I am always using in my personal color scheme that marks “Web Design with Passion”. However, there are other trendy colors like ‘solar power’ and the ‘sodalite blue’ I used in my example above, in connection with ‘tangerine tango’.

Here you want to think of backgrounds, fonts, menu, graphics, links, hover effects etc. – however, don’t overdo it when setting it off against another shade or complementary color. What I learned in Typography many years ago with one of Europe’s two leading authorities in the field and a true friend, Professor Tuenn Konerding (Staatliche Kunstakademie Duesseldorf, Germany), still applies today: experiment massively… but then reduce, keep it simple, don’t use more than 2… maximum 3 colors.

I wish I had a better photo – but I am happy I can call at least this one up – for an extraordinary mind and spirit that left our planet far too early…

Interesting also the trend towards one-page websites and a comeback of the magazine theme (full layout Semiomantics XO). Of course, Apple-style layouts are still en vogue as they are a modern classic and simply good.

 

2.  Typography 2012

The focus is on bold letters and custom fonts that can easily be read on mobile phones. Interesting here the Google Font Library that can be added in form of a plugin and loads fast while making the look of the website more appealing.

Textures, shades and reflections are ‘in’ as well…

 

 3. Large High Quality Images

Less text but large, high quality images – meaning all forms of sophisticated Media Design – be it photos, graphics, videos… – especially for backgrounds but also for graphics, sliders (we will come to these) and whatever you integrate into your Website Design to attract and captivate.The use of light or shadow boxes – where pictures can be enlarged in an overlay-  is very much in the trend.

Actually, we have been ahead of this trend with Semiomantics XO 2011 already, and particularly with our comprehensive work on Evolution, my personal favorite… yet unfortunately on Flash which is currently not seen on mobile phones due to power plays between the ‘big boyz’ … but this too shall change one day once even they get it that ‘competition’ is out and ‘cooperation’ is in to save our planet – and this is NOT a trend but a Truth! Ask Steve on Cloud!

Meanwhile Evolution will… well, evolve!

4. Sliders are en vogue

And yet another feature where Semiomantics has been well ahead of the trend: sliders are en vogue! Besides that, in my view they are brilliant, practical, interactive, attractive, seen on the mobile web and add to the functionality of a website. At tleast the ones we use – they do come at a cost, but it’s well worth it – quality always had its price!

5. Connect to Social Networks

Finally, websites and blogs need to offer easy ways – meant are rather ‘loud’ icons (… I leave this to your personal taste…) – to interlink and connect to Social Networks like Twitter, Facebook, Google + etc. Today, people look out where they can connect, follow, share and register … and so the cybernet expands continuously and I sometimes wonder what all of this really means at the end of the day and for our environment! But that’s a topic for another day!

For now… let’s be aware of current trends and advise customers accordingly… there’s lots to play with!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Effects

This month has been a busy one, not only with the forthcoming celebrations but with learning a brand new skill. Last months seminar provided some groundwork and basics and this month has been dedicated to implementing the new found knowledge. I haven’t progressed as far as I would have liked, however here is a small sample of what After Effects can achieve.

Merry Christmas with After Effects

There will certainly be more training,  learning and practice in the New Year!
I am already looking forward to a busy and rewarding 2012.

After Effects Training calls

In preparation for this weekends Ycademy seminar on ‘Christmas Media Design’  all registered participants have been attending daily calls to become familiar with using the various features provided by After Effects software.

After Effects features

With each training call one becomes more familiar with the various features and how to use them successfully.  As with any new tool that one uses there is always a big learning curve if one is to become proficient. I have never used AE before so this is quite an exciting step  forward to put motion into graphics that you create. At the training call tonite we covered  some good basics, how to create an animation, keying, scaling, positioning, transparency, rendering just to name a few of the functions, enough to create a short 3 second video clip ! Not perfect by any means but a great start to learning Adobe After effects.

Of course there will be more to follow especially after the seminar this weekend. Watch this space…

After Effects Training

It  has been a very busy year at Ycademy, with live daily training calls and topic related monthly Seminars. The December one day seminar on the 17th December covering After Effects is the last one for this year.

Preparations have already begun for the Ycademy Media Design Seminar which focuses entirely on working with Adobe After Effects with registered participants attending preliminary sessions. The advantage of attending the preliminary training is you become familiar with what is required at the actual seminar.

Participating in live trainings gives every participant the opportunity to ask questions, sort out any problems and acquire some background knowledge relating to the subject matter.

Adobe After Effects

Using After Effects is a way to create a motion graphic or animation, from a variety of individual media objects; importing them into the software and creating a composition, adding selective effects to produce a dynamic end product. It’s a way of bringing to life the story you want to tell and visually stimulating  your audience.

Anyone familiar with Photoshop or any other Adobe related products will not find After Effects too dissimilar, just an addition to any existing workflow. Creating a clip for Christmas will be a  very festive way to end the year at Ycademy.

We are all looking forward to a very informative and productive Media Design seminar on After Effects by Adobe.

Experimenting with Photoshop Filters

While there’s nothing better than a good picture or photo to start out with, we should regularly be experimenting with Photoshop Filters and Tools to know what they do and to see the effects we can achieve. It’s just like playing the piano every day… so here’s my original lavender and acacia photo with just a little reflecting frame added as I like to do :)

 

Experimenting with Photoshop Filters

When experimenting with Photoshop Filters and observing sometimes astonishing results, we do this for the following objectives:

1. To understand what these filters can do.

2. To know which effects can be achieved how, meaning to learn Experimenting with Photoshop Filters.

3. To be able to apply the desired effects if and when we need them.

4. To possibly find a style we like and build our visual reputation and recognition value on.

 

We can either change a picture very clearly and openly into something different, abstract and possibly more interesting than what we started off with – or we apply a certain effect in a very reduced and subtle way to enhance our photo, giving it a touch that just makes it different and stand out from the rest.

A number of these effects remind me of some big Masters in Art History… it’s sometimes what they built their whole oeuvre on: a specific effect. What was unique and hard labour at the time, can now be achieved with our brilliant tools in Photoshop and/or other programs, some of them developed for imitating certain masters, think of Pissaro with all those little ‘dots’ or Andy Warhol – to name a more modern one.

Lavender and Acacia Photo

For today’s exercise, I selected a lavender and acacia photo I shot a few weeks ago when both were in full flower in my garden in Noordhoek, South Africa. As I was born in Namibia, I love acacias… and I love to combine them with palms, which always reminds me of ‘home’. The fragrance of lavender and acacia combined is incredible… no wonder all the bees of the area hang out in my garden and have a feast!

And here a very reduced and delicate one… one of my favorites…

 

Original Article at Global Sports US Logo Reviewed.

Global Sports US Logo

For the purpose of creating an animated version of the Global Sports US logo, it was necessary to partially redesign it and to vectorize it. The next step was then to take it to Adobe Premier Pro to animate it. Listen Up Londow, who are doing video clips for Global, requested a simple rotation every 20 seconds.

Incoming search terms:

• globalsportsus
• global sports LOGO
• globalsports us
• cool global company logos
• sports logo redesign
• global logo samples
• global sport us
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• tumblr adobe premiere tutorial

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Copyright © Yorgo Nestoridis - Original Article at Global Sports US Logo Reviewed.

Steve Jobs Quote

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary.

 

Steve Jobs Quote

 

PS: The above photo was tagged as a Ryan J. Zeigler Photo – it’s a magnificent  – if not iconic – design that says it all!

New Facebook Timeline Profile

With the Social Media Marketing buzz reaching peak levels in the virtual world… and the fierce competition – Google + – having come up with a social media platform I personally really like – Facebook is releasing its new Timeline and I’ve just got my head around setting up the new Facebook Timeline Profile – here’s a screenshot:

New Facebook Timeline Profile

The New Facebook Timeline Profile features a bigger picture at the top with a very smooth and simple upload facility. The little icon to the left sits basically on top of it. As I did not want the face again, I added an icon first… see screenshot below – however, this little icon accompanies each post and, as this face is sort of known already and basically my brand, I gave it a slightly different shape and uploaded it. That it would come up large in 1 : 1 format on the resulting action was quite a surpise, but one will get used to this! In any case, everything is much better integrated as far as I can see.

To the far right, top, you see the timeline… and depending on when your online autobiography starts, that’s as far as it goes down. You can now go back in time and add comments, pictures, documents – whatever. We are writing our life story here – well, if that was my intention I would have to sit here for quite a while – but those who have been active on Facebook for a while will love this feature. It’s much more organized for sure and certainly a brilliant move – for Facebook.

The new Family Tree – let’s face it :)

Web Design with Passion

This Facebook page gives us a nice opportunity on a privileged spot to present who we are, show whatever we wish to be seen as or to simply give people an idea as to what our business is about.

In my case it’s Web Design with Passion – that’s what I stand for with all that’s connected to it: the Discussion and Research with the Customer, the entire Project Management, some Code, the entire Web Design including Media, Editing and SEO efficient Online Publishing… and all this on WP based Semiomantics Scripts of course. This means Google Top 10 positions and exposure on Social Networks.

Tip: make sure you go through your settings on Facebook to control who and what you allow.

 

 

 

 

Cape Town Best Conference Venue

Searches on Google Top 10 is and so far remains the main driving power on the Internet in terms of  being visible and being found as per our Online Marketing efforts. As such, we have to monitor the performance of our websites, blogs and articles on a regular basis.

Here’s the example of a post I did a few days ago with the title:

Best Conferences out of Cape Town

Now, “Best Conferences out of Cape Town” went to Google Top 10 within 0.23 seconds… proof as per screenshot. Position One of over 43 million search returns.

 

Meanwhile, we had our monthly online Seminar by Ycademy with a focus on “Social Media Marketing” – no time to look left, right or center… not the way we zoomed through Social Networks the like of Facebook, Twitter, Empire Avenue, Google+, Flickr and more… all being or becoming an important integral part of our online marketing strategy… and giving us down here in the boonies with absolutely lousy Internet connections a hell of a hard time.

However, this morning I went to have a look and – lo and behold – we even improved the ranks by adding position 2 to it… plus another on Google Top 10 – which is amazing and the dream – and essential focus – of any hotel or institution within the highly competitive Tourism and Travel Industry within South Africa. Have a look yourself!

 

Cape Town Best Conference Venue

While we are still busy working on the brand-new main website, check out Monkey Valley Resort as Cape Town’s Best Conference Venue HERE. Enjoy the virtual journey!

 

 

Original Article at Empire Avenue.

Empire Avenue

2 Days ago I joined Empire Avenue a social network where users compete and socialize. Each user has a portfolio value which increases or decreases in function of the social behavior and wise investment choices. Basically you sell your shares to people who want to invest into your activity and you buy shares from people you trust that they will take well care of your investment.

How to start with Empire Avenue

First, after signing up, fill in your profile, load a Picture, write a short Bio and select a Ticker name. For doing so, you will already collect Achievement Tokens and cash is added to your bank accounts in the programs local currency called “EAVES”.

Second: Link your social network accounts, such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn and so on. Again you will earn by doing so and depending on your popularity and activity there, your share value will immediately increase.

Third: Link your Blog(s). There is a special link to link a free WordPress.com blog and then you can link as well your self-hosted blogs by registering the RSS feed links. Feed links need 5 endorsements from other members before you can request an upgrade to blog status.

How to Verify a Blog on Empire Avenue

Once you have 5 endorsements you request an upgrade. In a popup window you will be prompted to read the terms and at the bottom there is a piece of code which you have to publish on your blog. I just created an admin test post into “Uncategorized” with the code in the loop.

Further manual verification will take place manually by EA admin.

The goal of the verification process is to assure that blog contents are your property and can be redistributed, that you produce original content and that you are not using black hat strategies to fool Google and the World.

How to Make Money on Empire Avenue

Look out for the next post and I will show you how I grew from 0 to 40 in 2 days.

 

 

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Copyright © Yorgo Nestoridis - Original Article at Empire Avenue.