March 2012
1 post
3 tags
Designing for the mobile web (and why it matters)
The data is clear. People are viewing websites on their phones, iPads and all sorts devices and they are doing it often. Google predicts that buy 2014 over 40% of web browsing will be done on mobile devices. For businesses and organizations this creates a challenge. The time to develop a mobile optimized site is now, but what is the best way to actually do it?
Users have very little patience and...
January 2012
2 posts
2 tags
Momentum vs Trajectory
Big events like landing a great client, hiring a new person, or getting mentioned in the press generate a lot of momentum for a business. They create positive growth and make for a great soundbite.
It’s tempting to focus on these sorts of things. They are tangible and easy and get excited about. But its important to keep them in perspective. The fundamental problem with momentum is that...
3 tags
How to get a job as a new graduate.
I get to interact with a lot of great students while on the ACE board. They all have one question, “How do I get a job at an agency?”
Here is how:
Start today
Google your own name. Delete things that are bad (old social media accounts, pictures, YouTube videos, comments on blogs)
Buy your own name’s domain (http://yourname.com) If your name isnt available, come up with...
November 2011
1 post
3 tags
Brilliant post/rant on "Engagement"
Martin Weigal is a planner at W+K in Amsterdam. He dropped an absolute opus in his latest post on engagement. I highly suggest reading it if you are in the ad space.
Imagine the nonsense of a case study that say, paraded the number of viewers their Super Bowl spot delivered.
Of course understanding how much the reach was driven by consumer pull and dissemination versus paid for media can give...
October 2011
1 post
2 tags
How to enable emoticons in iOS5
Here is a quick tip on how to enable emoticons on your iOS5 devices.
Go to settings > General > Keyboard
Select International Keyboards
Choose Add New Keyboard and select “Emoji”
You can then add them to your iMessages or Text messages using the Globe icon that appears.
It will look like this:
September 2011
1 post
4 tags
How I Got My Stolen Laptop Back Within 24 Hours...
Last weekend, my briefcase was stolen out of our vehicle while it was parked outside of a Bed & Breakfast. In the bag was my Macbook laptop. Apparently while I was moving all of our stuff into the house, someone grabbed the bag and ran before I came back.
Because nothing else was stolen or moved around, we didn’t even notice it was missing until the following morning. After searching...
August 2011
2 posts
3 tags
3 things you should read, and one you shouldn't.
1) Yes Is More a book by Bjarke Ingels Group (2010)
Why you should read it: You get a step-by-step view into the creative process of one of the worlds foremost thinkers.
Yes Is More is an “archicomic” created by the visionary architect, Bjarke Ingels. You may have seen his Ted talk on the same topic. (If you are feeling lazy, and want the Coles Notes version, just watch that.)
The...
2 tags
Now this is how to make a sign.
Sherbrooke Liquor Store is a great business in Edmonton selling an amazing collection of beers from around the world (over 900 in fact, the largest selection in Canada)
This sign hangs over a shelf holding several of the more prestigious bottles the store sells (Malheur)
Its worth a full read-through:
The liquor store had clearly received a few questions regarding the expiration date on the...
July 2011
1 post
2 tags
My thoughts on Google+
Google+ is impressive.
It’s simple, intuitive, and fun to use. It’s always easy to spot a great product because people (read: normal, non-techy people) are talking about it and using it. I don’t think I have seen such a rapid adoption curve from all facets of my social graph before.
For the past year or so, my primary social network by usage is Twitter. For me, it delivers the...
June 2011
1 post
My Review of the Blackberry Playbook
Its not that good. You should probably buy an iPad.
May 2011
1 post
5 tags
Transient vs Stable: How Our Identity Has Changed...
When a man walks into a room, he brings his whole life with him. He has a million reasons for being anywhere, just ask him. If you listen, he’ll tell you how he got there. How he forgot where he was going, and that he woke up. If you listen, he’ll tell you about the time he thought he was an angel or dreamt of being perfect. And then he’ll smile with wisdom, content that he...
March 2011
1 post
“Frequency = Buy rate. (How did our social media activity result in a shift in...”
– The FRY model of Social Media ROI
December 2010
1 post
4 tags
Digital Urban Sprawl
I find driving through cities and towns that have experienced rapid growth somewhat disappointing. The copy-paste laziness of urban planning is frustrating and bland. In the words of Win Butler,
Took a drive into the sprawl To find the places we used to play It was the loneliest day of my life You’re talking at me but I’m still far away
The absence of some constraints (land,) and...
November 2010
1 post
3 tags
A Case for Location Based Technology: 5 Example...
Location based technologies like Foursquare, Facebook Places, Gowalla and SCVNGR are gaining some major traction. Practically speaking it makes sense- we carry our phones everywhere with us, they know where we are, so why not make that functionality available to users.
People may feel that these services are invasive or useless, but that doesn’t really matter. The same people denounced...
October 2010
4 posts
2 tags
My Essential iPhone Apps
I have had a few people ask me recently what my top iPhone App’s are, so here they are. * denotes the top Apps.
Productivity
Instapaper *- once you start using this, you won’t stop
Dropbox *- for file sharing
Mint- best banking software (only for TD customers in Canada though)
Simplenote*- best, by far, for note syncing
Tripit- automatically syncs all flight and hotel info into a...
3 tags
Mobile Apps: Design is the New Killer Feature
Over the past few months I have downloaded (and deleted) a ton of apps. One emerging theme I have seen developing in popular paid apps is the use of design as a defining feature.
The are apps that don’t invent any new service per se, but simply make an existing function more beautiful to use on the device.
Here are a few examples of very profitable apps that essentially do just that.
...
2 tags
Intro to Facebook's New Features
I wrote the following post for Domain7’s blog as an introduction to Facebook’s recent changes.
Facebook announced a few new features this week that will be rolling out to everyone over the next month that are focused on “giving you more control”. Here is a quick run-down: Data Portability Basically this feature allows you to download all of your pictures, wall posts,...
“See, wherever human beings have been around, you see rectangles and straight...”
– Alan Watts
September 2010
2 posts
3 tags
Quality vs Grade
Quality is an interesting concept. People struggle when trying to define what quality is without resorting to using examples of opposite things that are of “high quality” and things that are not. For example, a car from Kia is of lower quality than one from Audi. James, our Director of Operations presented a different way of looking at quality at a recent session at Domain7. He pointed out...
1 tag
Maintenance Mode
I wrote a quick post on going into Maintenance Mode with social media. You can check it out here:
An excerpt:
The first-mover advantage is different for social media. Few companies create a significant competitive barrier through these tools.
Organizations can use this to their benefit by signing up for proven tools, securing their name, and then waiting.
I call this maintenance mode.
By...
August 2010
2 posts
1 tag
The Curious Advantage
I first heard Jesse Schell talk about game design in the car while listening to CBC radio. I found his ideas fascinating, so I looked him up online and found this incredible behemoth of a speech (it clocks in at just under 2 hours). I highly recommend you watch it over a few lunch breaks as it is well worth the investment. I plan on reading his book as well.
I am still digesting much of what he...
1 tag
Creative Customer Loyalty
Although airlines are typically not the first thing I think about when customer service, they do one thing exceptionally well- customer loyalty programs.
They offer some of the most robust programs to reward their “best” customers. Super Elite traveller’s get priority lines, greater flight flexibility and private lounges. Flying over 100,000 miles in a year a lot of business for...
June 2010
1 post
1 tag
The Digital Super Me
“Sites like Facebook, twitter and others have allowed for the creation of what we call a Digital Super Me. A highly-sharable and incredibly robust digital version of our selves that only drinks the best wine, vacations in the finest locales and has the best and brightest children. We have created these alter egos and now we not only refuse to live without them but we have a new expectation...
May 2010
3 posts
joelvb asked: Hey Doug-
I recently downloaded a copy of a presentation you made on social media and the nonprofit sector for KontentCreative. At least I think it was you... I'd like to use some or all of it's content in an upcoming presentation I have to make to a nonprofit board I belong to. Do I have the right guy, and would it be possible to get your blessing?
I recently downloaded a copy of a presentation you made on social media and the nonprofit sector for KontentCreative. At least I think it was you... I'd like to use some or all of it's content in an upcoming presentation I have to make to a nonprofit board I belong to. Do I have the right guy, and would it be possible to get your blessing?
2 tags
11 Essential Feeds to Follow for Web Startups
I love the web, entrepreneurship and everything that goes along with it. I am sure most of you are sick of listening to me ramble on about “lean startups” ad nauseum.
I learned more from my first startup experience than anything else I have done, and I have found that by learning from those who have done it before is one of the most important things you can do.
This is a list people...
3 tags
Why the Facebook Privacy Bait & Switch Doesn't...
In his post entitled “Privacy and the Treacherous Middle Ground”, Fred Wilson describes how web companies have to choose between to opposites. Complete privacy or complete openness.
I think Fred is right. Facebook isn’t doing anything morally wrong by allowing your photos statuses and wall posts to be public or available to advertisers. The issue arises because users don’t...
April 2010
5 posts
2 tags
Why You Should Be Your Own Editor
Often I find myself with a newspaper on an airplane. I typically read close to 70% of the articles in full. Some I will scan, others I will skip. But since I have a finite time and a limited amount of content, I will finish most of the articles.
Skip to a different scenario. Most days I will read the news on New York Times website. If I have a similar amount of time as the airplane, I will...
2 tags
Why You Should Use LinkedIn
As of writing, I have 228 LinkedIn Connections. Thats not that many people all things considered. But here is the kicker- those 228 people create over 23,000 people within one degree of separation of me. For this network effect alone, I think as a professional in the modern age it is a key competitive advantage to be intentional with LinkedIn, even more so than other social media. A few benefits:
...
2 tags
“We would rather suffer the visible costs of a few bad decisions than incur the...”
– Warren Buffet
2 tags
Simple Metrics & Analytics Using Bit.ly
Often when working with clients I find myself explaining why it is important to use a URL shortener on Twitter or other social media sites. Beyond the simple practicality (shorter) and aesthetics (more concise), Bit.ly offers a much better feature: analytical data.
How? Its simple. Just append any Bit.ly link with the character +. For example, this link: http://bit.ly/9C8lNN ’s data can be...
2 tags
The Earned, Bought, Owned Model & Your Personal...
Daniel Goodall is Nokia’s Marketing Planner. My friend Peter Reek (via Gurval Caer) introduced me to his blog today and I though he had some really interesting things to say about marketing in the digital age, particularly his Earned, Bought, Owned Model.
Basically the model works like this. There are 3 components that make up your brand on the internet.
Owned - These are the web...
March 2010
4 posts
Why Being a Curator Creates Authenticity
J.Crew is a favorite clothing brand of mine, I appreciate both their attention to detail and classic style. As I was flipping through their catalogue the other day I noticed something that struck me as refreshing.
On several of the pages, the models were wearing brands that were not made by J. Crew. Brands like Belstaff and Ray Ban were offered as well as detailed descriptions as to their history...
Jason Calacanis vs. David Heinemeier Hansson →
Interesting debate begins at about the :47 minute mark
2 tags
"Futureproof"
I stumbled upon a web development company’s portfolio today. One of the ways they describe the work is “futureproof”.
It got me thinking- Architects are trained to develop buildings that will last a long time. A Doctor makes decisions based on a patient’s future life. Almost all professions put a tremendous emphasis on what comes next.
But often when people think about...
2 tags
December 2009
8 posts
Akron/Family- “River”
Incredible House in Pozuelo de Alarcón by A-cero... →
This is by far and away, the most impressive home I have seen in the past year. . Library, pool- everything done well, although not to the scale that I would prefer.
Said The Gramophone's Best Songs of 2009 →
Watch
Canadians Embrace Social Technology →
A/B Testing Explained Well →
September 2009
1 post
Social Media & Non-Profits Presentation
Here is a presentation I did a while ago. Let me know what you think.
Social Media For Non Profits
View more presentations from Doug van Spronsen.
August 2009
5 posts
“Someone who drinks an Old Fashioned is about manipulation,” Maloney says....”
– Cocktails of Mad Men
Twitter's Life Cycle & What it Means for Marketers →
I wrote this for TechVibes earlier on this week. It takes a look at Twitter through the eyes of a first year marketing course instructor… Take a look and let me know your thoughts.
Know your type: Gotham →
Great article on the history and usage of Gotham as a typeface. Everything from Obama to Saturday Night Live.
“Limited life experience + overgeneralizations = advice”
– Paul, creator of Gmail & FriendFeed
July 2009
3 posts
Amazon and Zappos: A Savvy Deal →
This is an interesting article on the Zappos deal. I wonder how this will affect the culture of the organization?