April 2009 - Posts - Sans Profit Design

Facebook launches new API - Lets you interact with your stream anywhere

Posted: Apr 28, 2009 by Raheel Gauba | with no comments

If you're a frequent facebook user like myself, you are all to familiar with the event stream on your homepage when you log in. This is the page that informs you about all the activities taking place within your circle of friends in one convenient location - very cool, right? Up until yesterday this event stream was only available on your facebook homepage accessible either via the facebook website on your browser or through apps created by facebook for the iPhone, Windows Mobile, Android and other mobile platforms.

Today, Facebook launched its new API that lets developers access the stream from your profile page - anywhere, on any platform - from mobile phones to websites to desktop apps - while respecting the security and privacy settings for the user. This marks a huge milestone in the way facebook data is shared and opens up a world of possibilities.

You can get a taste for just what this is all about by downloading the Facebook Desktop App for Adobe Air -Now you have a desktop app that shows you your stream in real time without the need to actually go to the facebook website. Facebook has also created a download area where you can experience additional apps that take advantage of the new API.

The next move lies with you - the designers, the developers, the audience, the strategists... to dream up new ways of bringing facebook streams into your online presence and daily activities. For starters, imagine a non-profit organization's facebook stream visible on their homepage to generate interest and invite more audiences to engage!

What would you do with the new access to Facebook's stream? Send us your thoughts on www.blackbaud.com/sansprofitdesign or www.netwitsthinktank.com!

Facebook expected to open up a new world of possibilities

Posted: Apr 27, 2009 by Raheel Gauba | with 2 comment(s)

Filed under: You, Social Networking

Wall Street Journal has learned that facebook is expected to launch brand new web services that let developers access areas of the site and content that was not available before. This news is especially exciting and relevant because of the broad market appeal and adoption of the platform making it one of the world's largest repository of relational data.

If you are a web designer, developer or a website manager, pay close attention to these new developments and start thinking about how to take advantage of the new features - Ofcourse you might want to think about a social networking strategy first, if you haven't done so already!

Good times!

© 2009 Org. Name - All Rights Reserved // The hidden potential of footers

Posted: Apr 13, 2009 by Raheel Gauba | with 5 comment(s)

Filed under: design tips, creative director, Web Design, Creative Direction, You, footers

In my research for this particular post, I noticed that most organizations, including some fairly large ones, are not taking advantage of the hidden potential of footers. The approach is a fairly standard, boring and expected one with the format of (c) Date, Organization Name, All Rights Reserved.

Lets shed some light towards why the footer needs to be considered as part of your overall design strategy.

Every single pixel has a purpose when it comes to web design (a separate post about this coming soon) - Whether the pixel is colored or not, negative space or not, it must be fully utilized and have a purpose. Why not look at the footer in the same light?

When working on redesigns for our clients, there are some common themes of resistance towards enhancing footers. The most popular one is "Why? This type of footer distracts the audience from the main content." At first, this sounds like a very valid concern - Why take emphasis away from the main content of the website?

The reality is that the footer is the last element on the page - If your audience has scrolled down and reached the footer, this usually means that:

they have not found what they were looking for in the main content, or
they are simply in 'browse' mode and are scanning the page top to bottom just to get a feel for the type of content you are offering, or
they are looking for specific quick links or contact information about the organization

The real question is, if your audience has already scrolled past everything, and they are now towards the bottom of the page, why not take advantage of the opportunity and present quick and useful information and/or elements that re-enforce your organizational goals and keep them engaged? The success of a website solely depends on securing the interests and satisfaction of the audience, and going the extra mile will only do good!

Today's audience demand more information in less time that is easy to consume - Helping the audience in yet another way to get to compelling content and interactivity on your website aims to fulfill that demand.

Another advantage towards using a "functional footer" that may be hidden from plain sight is that it enhances search engine visibility depending on what type of information you publish.

From a design point of view, especially for those organizations who are very brand conscious (as should all), a functional footer opens up a world of possibilities to do something a little different and unexpected and provides an easy way to re-enforce the organizations brand in creative ways!

Here are some possible elements that could be used when designing a functional footer: