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An article in the Wall Street Journal, titled Outsource Your Life (June 2, 2007), brings home (quite literally) the concept of outsourcing. Of the seven outsourced examples from the story, only tutoring didn’t involve some sort of design.  

Yes. It’s a tough pill to swallow…or is it? Where there’s a threat, isn’t there opportunity? While I contemplated ways to integrate outsourcing into my own design workflow (who wouldn’t like to be able to take on more work, be priced more competitive and not work nearly as hard), I suddenly realized what this meant for all of us designers out there who, in addition to our day jobs, and side jobs, get these other job requests. Suddenly outsourcing sounded good.

These other job requests typically come from a relative wanting a logo for their business idea (not yet launched), and they only have $50. Or a mechanic your mother knows, also sells car parts, and wants to get a web site up. Oh and they have an idea, just needs someone with skills, and it shouldn’t take but two hours (since they know web design). “Say, does $150 sound good?” (more…)

The Poynter Institute will reveal the results of their EyeTrack findings throughout 2007 (watch video). They will verify the power of headlines, color photos of real people, listed sidebards, and infobits. The report will confirm what avid on-line readers already know - we click scan click.

You can reserve a copy of the report today (price?).

The findings of the EyeTracker Report will not shake the web design world. What the report will do is offer evidence. On-line writers must write effective. Effective writing starts with an effective headline. 80% of the work in creating ad copy is writing the headline. As the video points out, it’s not easy to write engaging headlines.

In screenwriting the term logline describes a short one to two sentence idea pitch. These two sentences capture the concept of a 90 minute film. On-line writers should be able to do even better; we only have to fill a single post.

One way to start - kill the adjectives.

(Note: This is a self-directed post. My writing is weighted with 10 words what could be said in 5. Look for a new style to this site coming during the summer of 2007. The writing should get better - I promise.)

1. Traditional newspapers & television stations will become irrelevant as more and more quality video, audio and text content first appears on-line.

2. Web users will watch more on-line video ads, as long as they are short (like TV), are funny or engaging, and introduce content they really want. Copywriters, Art Directors and Ad Agencies will learn how to use this medium more effectively.

3. Web design skills for small devices will be in strong demand.

4. The Political Action Committee (PAC) of one comes full force. Political campaign ads in the form of podcasts, vodcasts, blogs will lay the groudwork for the 2008 election year, meaning individual voices will have more influence than at any other time in US history.

5. The web will continue to be more about communication than technology.

6. Black text on white background will still be the easiest to read.

7. Craigslist.com will have to make the choice, get a face-lift or loose popularity.

8. Despite improvements in technology, the web will continue to get slower.

9. Marketing departments will realize that Search Engine Optimization is less important than quality content and real buzz about their product by their customers.

10. Adobe will release an new version of Studio 8, except give it a new name. New features will be nominal.