dechiaro_scuro

What the heck is Twitter and why should I care?

2009-02-15T09:54:00.000-08:00

Well if you are in the marketing industry or any industry where networking and PR is essential, you really should be on twitter or at least know about it. Twitter is a free service that allows users to post anything they are doing or thinking about with one catch...you have to do it in 140 characters or less. Of course, there is no limit to how many times you can tweet a day, and this can become a problem for the overzealous.

The twitter phenomenon has developed into two very unique forums, which I will refer to as Twitter.1.1 and Twitter.1.2. Both of these versions coexist together, but really have very different purposes.

The first, Twitter.1.1, is the version that most people have trouble wrapping their head around. This is where twitter has become an outlet for everyone to tell the world about everything they are doing, regardless of how ridiculous. For instance, one tweeter said "Fact of the day: I just ate 11 servings if apple sauce. :-D I'm happy now. I feel accomplished..." Yes, I probably could have lived my live without knowing that, even if I am your friend. This video sums up Twitter1.1 pretty well.

The second, Twitter1.2, has developed into a new medium for businesses to get special offers, tips, events and messages out to customers (followers in the twittosphere). This format becomes a valuable asset and great tool when used correctly. For example, I follow the companies I am interested in and want to hear from, and as long as they keep the posts (tweets) relevant and don't overwhelm me, I'm probably a follower for life. In this capacity, the twitter home page has become a quick easy way for me to catch up on all the things I'm interested in, without having to check through every email newsletter. The best past of twitter is that the long-winded are forced to be clear and concise. Get the special out and let people click a link if they want more information!

In conclusion, as an individual experimenting in Twitter1.1, have fun with it, but maybe stop and think, 'Would I want to know this about those I am following on twitter?' If the answer is no, skip the tweet for now. As a business, delving into Twitter1.2, keep your posts relevant to your target market and keep your company top of mind. Start a following by following others and putting a lonk to your profile in all online communications. Perhaps even consider an exclusive promotion to only Twitter users. "First 5 tweets back to this message get 25% off!"

Oh, and of course, follow me on twitter!

Dunkin' Runs on Neon

2009-02-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

Dunkin' Donuts has done a great job with rolling out their latest campaign 'America Runs on Dunkin'. I thoroughly enjoy their commercials. But, what has struck me most recently, was that they have somehow accomplished gaining a sort of brand ownership of their instantly reconizable neon pink & orange colors. I first noticed this when I was sent an invitation from a magazine that had used the same colors in their layout. My first thought was "Why did they use Dunkin' Donuts' colors?" Maybe soon we'll call these hues, 'Dunkin' Pink' and 'Donut Orange', just like we all lovingly refer to 'Tiffany Blue'.

Indesign Tip #1: Indent hanging lines of a bulleted list

2008-12-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

If you are like I once was and still using tabs to align bulleted lists, suffer no more. You can now use one of my favorite Indesign tools – the 'Indent to Here' function (shortcut key Command+/). This function indents the hanging lines that follow the first bulleted line. The most important quality it has is that is keeps this formatting even when you need to change the text, which saves alot of time and wasted re-formatting efforts.

Here's what it will look like after:

Hilarious Font Personification Video

2008-12-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

What the Font?

2008-12-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

This is by far one of the most important font tools I have come across. It solves the problem of spending countless hours trying to match a font you only have a .jpeg file for. Just upload the image file and voila! The site provides a list of the closest matches free of charge! If you need a more in depth analysis you can have it sent to a font expert to determine what the font! But don't always trust the #1 answer given, just go with the best match. The real font used in the example was Nueva, which was listed as #4.

Chiaroscuro

2008-04-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Chiaroscuro —
Clear and dark, all at the same time. Separate they are just adjectives, used together they add dimension and life to an otherwise dull and flat world.