Author Archives: Stephen

About Stephen

Marketing and Digital Media Services, Website Design, Social Media Marketing, Graphic and Logo Design, Product Packaging, and Video Production Services.

This futuristic entertainment venue in Las Vegas is the world’s largest spherical structure

This futuristic entertainment venue in Las Vegas is the world’s largest spherical structure

(CNN) — It squats on the Las Vegas skyline like an enormous spaceship, black and mysterious – until night falls, when it will glow like the Earth from space.

The MSG Sphere won’t open to the public for almost three more months, when U2 christens the entertainment venue with a series of concerts. But anticipation is growing.

Cue the superlatives. At 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide, it’s being billed as the world’s largest spherical structure. Its bowl-shaped theater reportedly contains the world’s highest-resolution wraparound LED screen. And its exterior is fitted with 1.2 million hockey puck-sized LEDs that can be programmed to flash dynamic imagery on a massive scale – again, reportedly the world’s largest. It was fully illuminated for the first time Tuesday night to celebrate the Fourth of July.

It’s not easy to move the needle in a city that boasts the Bellagio’s dancing fountains, a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower, the second-tallest observation tower in the Western Hemisphere and a beam of light that can be seen for hundreds of miles.

But Sphere is inspiring rapturous reactions from those who have seen it.

“There’s nothing like it. It’s light years ahead of everything that’s out there,” says U2’s The Edge while touring the venue in a recent Apple Music video.

“It’s absolutely stunning to look up and see what’s in front of you,” says Rich Claffey, Sphere’s chief operations officer. “I’ve been in the entertainment business for almost 40 years. I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’m not exaggerating. It is off the charts.”

The Sphere’s exterior will be illuminated every day and night with animations and other imagery, sometimes tied to the season. For example, it could transform into a giant pumpkin at Halloween and a snow globe at Christmas.

Some people are already joking on Twitter that its enormous, swirling visuals will cause traffic accidents.

The venue will host music, film events and some sports

Sphere was designed by Populous, the global architecture firm behind many of the world’s top sports arenas. Construction costs, inflated by the pandemic, have climbed to $2.3 billion – more than Sphere’s glitziest Vegas neighbors, including the Bellagio and Allegiant Stadium.

The globe seats almost 18,000 people, sits one long block east of the fabled Las Vegas Strip and will be connected by a pedestrian walkway to the Venetian resort complex.

It’s scheduled to open September 29 with “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere,” a series of 25 concerts built around the Irish band’s landmark 1991 album “Achtung Baby” and running through mid-December. Ticket prices start at $140.

The venue also will host exclusive screenings of “Postcard From Earth,” a film by Darren Aronofsky that promises to take full advantage of Sphere’s vast screen by offering viewers an eye-popping tour of the planet.

“Most music venues are sports venues. They’re built for sports – they’re not built for music. They’re not built for art,” says U2’s Bono in the Apple Music interview.

“This building was built for immersive experiences in cinema and performance … you can’t come here and see an ice hockey game.”

In November the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix’s street circuit will pass through the Sphere property, and the arena eventually hopes to host boxing, mixed martial arts and other events as well.

But Sphere’s main draw may be as a venue for live music – especially the marquee residencies for which Vegas is known.

The acts onstage will be dwarfed by the towering 16K LED screen, which wraps over and around much of the audience and can augment the concert experience with trippy animations or close-ups of the performers.

“The screen goes from ground (level) to 250 feet high, all the way around…” says Claffey, the Sphere operations officer. “It keeps you fully immersed when you’re sitting in that bowl. I used to love IMAX in New York City, but this will blow that away.”

Sphere’s producers promise next-level audio as well. Claffey says that more than 160,000 speakers spread around the bowl will deliver the same pristine sound to every seat, whether someone is in the top row or down on the floor.

The venue also is equipped with haptic seats that can vibrate to match whatever is happening onscreen – an earthquake, for example – and 4D machines that can create wind, temperature and even scent effects.

“The way I describe it to my friends and family is, it’s the entertainment venue of the future,” Claffey says.

If it all sounds a little over the top, well – this is Vegas.

It remains to be seen whether Sphere can deliver on its extravagant promises. But if it works, the live-music experience may never be quite the same.

Three Important Services We Provide

by Kelsey Media Productions

These days, media is an enormous concern in advertising and marketing.

Companies know they have to innovate to reach new audiences. They are aware of the need for multichannel marketing that really puts their business in the right light, and gets them the visibility that they need.

But how do you go about doing that?

To a large extent, you need the right consulting firms and the right services to develop these new types of campaigns. Text, in many ways, isn’t enough anymore. You need visuals and multimedia components that you can stream in the right channels, put on the web, and generally use for engagement and branding power.

With that in mind, we offer these types of services to help clients to market themselves in this brave new world of digital media possibilities.

Video Production Services

Video is a large part of what we do. Our customized project management in this realm allows our clients to put together professional-looking footage that is useful in so many different ways. Some of this ends up getting streamed on places like YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu and other smart TV channels. Some of it ends up linked to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter posts. In other cases, people are tying it into their own websites.

No matter where it goes, companies need the help of third-party services with excellent production capabilities and more to deliver the results that are going to provide needed returns.

Music Soundtrack Production 

Here’s another part of what we offer to media clients.

Sometimes, what you need is a jingle or an audio piece that will help represent your business well.

Not all video companies do this kind of audio, but we do; we’re active in helping companies to come up with auditory taglines and rhythms that will attract the right attention.  We are also one of the few production houses locally who can provide you with a 5.1 surround production.

3D Animated Logo/Products

Another type of visual service that we do goes all of the way back to those ancient types of graphic projects that we saw with things like Flash 5 animation years ago. 

Fast-forward to the present, and companies are using much different tools for 3D and animated visuals.

One of the things we do is take the company’s existing logo or product and make it three-dimensional object we can then animate it, in order to show off the brand directly in a more compelling way.

Think about all of these services and what they bring to your business model. Then get connected to a firm like Kelsey Media Productions that knows how to get your brand and message in front of the right people, with competitive video and more. Have more questions or looking to be more noticed give us a call at 781-365-4800!

Kelsey Media Productions Receives 2022 Best of Burlington “Media Services” Award.

Burlington Award Program Honors the Achievement BURLINGTON February 10, 2022 — Kelsey Media Productions has been selected for the 2022 Best of Burlington Award in the Media Services category by the Burlington Award Program.

Each year, the Burlington Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Burlington area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2022 Burlington Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Burlington Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Burlington Award ProgramThe Burlington Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Burlington area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Burlington Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Burlington Award Program

CONTACT:Burlington Award ProgramEmail: PublicRelations@selectionstown.com

Visit company website at KELSEY MEDIA PRODUCTIONS

How Long Does It Take To Make An Animated Video?

February 10, 2022 /by Karolina Szot

Each stage of the production process takes a different amount of time. The length of your video and complexity of the illustrations and motion design also factors in.  This outline presents a breakdown of what to expect during the explainer video production process. You’ll also learn how long each stage of the production process takes.

Explainer Video Production Process Timeline:

1). Pre-Production

2). Script

3). Storyboard

4). Voiceover + Auditions

5). Concept Art

6). Illustrations

7). 3D Animation

Pre-Production

Before you start looking for an animation studio or freelancer to make your custom animated video, spend some time getting clear about what kind of animation you want to create. Once you’ve spent some time identifying the important criteria, you’ll be better prepared to pick out an animator that can produce the video you want, within your desired budget and timeline.

While you’re in the pre-production stage, you should also spend some time organizing files like fonts, logos, icons, branding documents and more. 

Not sure which animation style is right for your video?  Read out our pros and cons list to learn what’s involved with producing different styles of animated videos:

Script

Under a normal production timeline, the script writing phase takes about 1 week for an animated video that’s 1 minute long. After the animator learns about your video idea, they will take 1-3 days to create the first draft of the script. Take a day or two to review the script and organize your feedback for the production team. Once the writer receives your feedback, they can typically turn around a revised script in 24 hrs or less. Scripts typically take 1-3 rounds of edits to get to the final draft.

If you are writing the script yourself, allow 1-2 weeks for your team to review it and contribute their feedback. Ensure everyone has approved the script before you share it with your production team.

Storyboard

The next step of the explainer video production process is to turn the script into a storyboard. A storyboard is a document that explains what visuals and what motion design needs to happen during every sentence of your script. It’s essentially a blueprint for the design and animation teams so that they know what to create. 

A storyboard for a 1-2 minute video typically takes 1-4 days to produce. Then, it takes about 2-3 days to review the storyboard with the client and incorporate their edits.

You can save money on your production budget by creating your own storyboard. We also have a free storyboard template and storyboard creation guide which you can download by clicking on the image below:

Voiceover + Auditions

Once your storyboard is approved, the next step of the explainer video production process is to get voiceover auditions for you to review. It takes about 1-3 business days to get voiceover auditions recorded and delivered from multiple artists. You should take a day or two to review the options with your team. Then, notify your animator about which audition is your favorite option. Tell your animation team if you want the voiceover artist to modify their tone when recording the full voiceover.

Your animation team will then get the full voiceover recorded in 1-3 business days. When the VO is ready to review, give it a detailed listen with your team. If you love the voiceover as is, let your animation team know. Otherwise, send them detailed feedback so that the voiceover artist will know which parts to rerecord. Provide specific instructions about how you want them to change the timing, energy or inflection used. It is also helpful to list what time in the recording the changes need to be made

Concept Art

After your storyboard is approved, the next phase of the explainer video production process is to create the concept art for your video. Depending on the size of your budget, you can expect to receive 1-5 different visual concepts showing how one scene of your animated video can be designed. This typically takes 2-5 days depending on the # of samples being created and the level of detail used in your animation.  

Once you receive your concept art, take a day or two to review the concepts with your team. Let your design team know which style you prefer. If you want to make visual refinements to the styleframe, now’s the time to speak up.  If you like design elements from multiple concepts, tell your design team. They can combine the best design elements into a single visual concept for you to review and approve. This typically takes another day or two for the designers to create and then run by you for approval.

Illustrations

Now that your concept art is approved, the designers will create the rest of the art for your video. It takes about one week to create all of the art for a one minute animated video. Give your illustrations a thorough and detailed review. It’s important you are happy with the art before animation begins. If you love it as-is, let them you know you approve the art. Otherwise, submit your feedback to the design team and wait 1-3 days for the update. It’s not uncommon to do a 2nd round of edits on the illustrations for an additional layer of polish.

Animation

When the art, soundtrack and voiceover are approved, the animation team will start animating your video. One animator can animate about one minute of 2D or 3D animated content in one week. Revisions can typically be turned around in 1-2 days after the animator receives your feedback. When you receive the first draft of their video, circulate the first draft among your stakeholders. It’s a good idea to get different people’s impressions and feedback. This way, when you come back with your list of edits, all the ideas are consolidated and can be addressed at once. Going through multiple rounds of revisions at this stage will likely increase your final production cost and the amount of time it takes to get your animation completed.

Post-Production

The final stage of the explainer video production process is called, “Post-Production.”  Post-Production includes adding little details like sound effects, or rendering out multiple versions of the video with slight variations (perhaps you want to show a different business location’s address at the end of each video). These kinds of edits are typically simple and take 1-2 days to process after the final draft draft is approved.

At Kelsey Media Productions we can make your vision a reality! Visit us now at KelseyMediaPoructions.com or call 781-365-4800!

Web Design Trends 2021: From Dark Mode to Motion

A good article for which web design trends will take the web by storm over the next year? Here are some trends to watch out for in 2021.

Portrait for Kelsie Rimmer  By Kelsie Rimmer
Web Design Trends 2021

Web design has come a long way in the last few years. The practice exists at the intersection of creativity and technology – two of the fastest moving industries in the world – so it’s no surprise that new web design trends and techniques are constantly emerging. So what are the latest trends in web design?

While there will always be certain aspects of web design that are here to stay – such as user-friendly navigation, data security, and fast load times – fads and fashions will continue to come and go. But keeping on top of the latest and greatest web design trends, styles and innovations, will ensure your website stands out in the ever-expanding online ecosystem.

So, from dark mode to interactivity, which popular web design trends will take the web by storm over the next year? We asked our Envato experts what makes a great website in 2020, as well as their hot take on the latest and greatest web design trends to watch out for in 2021….

01. Dark mode

Apple Website
Dark Mode – Apple Homepage

For a long time in web design, a white background was considered the only way to create empty space on a website or app. While some designers began adding darker themes and elements several years ago, the Dark Mode trend really took hold of the industry in 2020, and we expect to see it continue into 2021.

What Is Dark Mode?

Clock Strikes Twelve
Dark Mode – Clock Strikes Twelve Homepage

Used by large brands like Apple, Hublot, and even for individual portfolios like Clock Strikes Twelve, dark mode is a great way to add a modern, elegant touch to any website. As well as allowing designers to play with more creative elements, such as pastels and neon – two of the big graphic design trends of 2020 – studies have also shown that dark mode is better for both our battery life and our vision by it reducing blue light exposure.

“There seems to be a shift towards more products that offer a dark mode setting, or are only dark driven, based on studies that reveal the impacts of glare and blue light exposure, and on our treasured battery life,” says Envato UI designer Sean Feehan.

As well as being sleek, chic and easier on the eyes, dark mode is great for increasing contrast, and making design elements more visible. You can even add a dark mode toggle to your website – as seen in these examples from Johny Vino, Koos Looijesteijn and Adrian Verde Studio – to allow visitors to customize their experience.

Johny Vino - Dark Mode Toggle
Dark Mode Toggle – Johny Vino Homepage

“I think dark mode is definitely the trend that’s had the biggest impact on web design in 2020,” says Envato UX designer, Tahlia Giannopoulas. “Since Dark mode has become popular, I’ve seen several websites that have a small ‘Dark Mode’ toggle (switching between light and dark mode), which is a great yet simple way that a user can customise their experience.”

While originally designed around exclusively white and light color schemes, more and more neuromorphic designs – a divisive UX style drawing on skeuomorphism and flat design that’s often seen in iOS or Android UI – also incorporate the dark mode trend, which has quickly overtaken lighter color themes in popularity.

To cross over to the dark (mode) side, check out this Dashboard UI Concept Dark Theme by hoangpts, Finance Wallet Dark Mode UI Kit PP by angelbi88 and this Spate Ui Kit by cerpow on Envato Elements!

02. Collage & Mixing Mediums

Collage - City Circus Website
Collage – City Circus Homepage

Collage was one of the biggest trends to take over the graphic design and social media landscape this year, and it’s quickly caught on in the world of web design. The mixed media style returned to the spotlight due to digital artists and social media influencers, and was also adopted by many brands and web designers – including Chobani, City Circus and Urban Outfitters.

What Is Collage?

Collage - City Circus Website
Collage – City Circus Booking Page

Collage is all about mixing mediums such as photos, illustrations, graphics, motion and text to create an inspiring and eye-catching aesthetic.

Now that it’s moved into the digital realm, the collage trend has evolved into mixed media such as animated collage, large decorative fonts, artistic textures (such as paint brush strokes) and even animated distorted text, which generate some incredibly unique results.

“I think the concept of mixing mediums will only get bigger in 2021,” says Tahlia. “Heaps of people are now using drawing apps on iPads, and with digital brushes that mimic traditional paint mediums (such as watercolors, oils, gouache), the boundaries of digital art are being redefined. Also, the added convenience of having digital art already on your device (not having to worry about photographing or scanning it) means it’s easier than ever to share on the web.”

Collage - Urban Outfitters Website
Collage – Urban Outfitters Homepage

Collage is a trend that pairs well with minimal UX design – or even anti-design if you want to push those boundaries. Integrating mixed media and collage into your website design is a surefire way to add a splash of creativity to an otherwise ordinary experience and make your brand or business stand out.

To integrate collage into your next web design, check out this Brynn Creative Portfolio Theme, this Bridge – Creative Multipurpose WordPress Theme, or this Boldlab – Creative Agency Theme on ThemeForest. Or, check out these great collage-inspired items on Envato Elements!

03. Anti-Design

Anti Design - Roze Bunker Homepage
Anti Design – Roze Bunker Homepage

Warning: we know this trend isn’t for everybody!

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s to throw all rules and expectations out the window. Anti-design is a trend that was spurred on by the resurgence of Brutalism in 2019, and the controversial style has more recently seeped into the realms of social media and pop-culture, as well as web and graphic design.

Anti Design - Play Type Homepage
Anti Design – Play Type Homepage

What is Anti-Design?

Described as ‘raw’, ‘unapologetic’ and even ‘hideous’, the anti design movement is all about embracing chaos and ugliness in protest of the traditional standards of ‘good’ design. It features experimental and asymmetrical layouts, exaggeration, distortion, layering and traditionally ‘ugly’ elements, which means it’s certainly not everybody’s cup of tea. But if you’re someone who likes to stand out from the crowd, there’s no denying that an anti-design website is a very effective tool for doing just that!

Anti Design - XXIX Homepage
Anti Design – XXIX Homepage

Many designers are now dabbling in the bizarre world of anti-design, which can be seen in the chaotic yet quirky website designs of Dutch brand Roze Bunker, and design studios Play Type and XXIX. Even Aussie artist Flume has taken a bright, bold and brutalist approach with his website. While this style always stands out (hopefully for the right reasons), effective web design is about balance. So, if you do choose to go down the road of anti-design in your UI, it’s important to ensure that the UX of your website is still simple, functional and user friendly.

Anti Design - Dynamic MTL Homepage
Anti Design – Dynamic MTL Homepage

“I thought the anti-design trend might die down, but I think ‘Breaking the Rules’ has evolved along with collage and mixed media,” says Tahlia. “I have come across a lot of different websites that are layering imagery, mixing serifs with san serif font, and using animation in an unconventional way. Yet, because of their great UX, they still make it work.”

04. Minimalism

Minimalism - ETQ Homepage
Minimalism – ETQ Homepage

A design trend that absolutely refuses to quit, minimalism has become the bread and butter of the work of web designers over the last decade. But what is minimalist web design? Less a visual style and more a design principle, minimalist design is based around using only the essential elements – such as basic shapes, clean text, limited color palettes and empty space – to create something simple, functional and memorable.

Minimalism - Huge Inc. Homepage
Minimalism – Huge Inc. Homepage

Many brands have been executing the minimalism trend beautifully in their web designs, such as luxe shoe label ETQ Amsterdam and Brooklyn-based business development agency Huge Inc. While typically associated with monochrome and white space, minimalism isn’t just black and white. In fact, colorful minimalism is on the rise in both graphic and web design, featuring block colors and bold backgrounds, simple sans serif fonts and minimalist typefaces, as well as minimal design elements to create a simple yet stunning website design.

Minimalism - Huge Inc. Action Page
Minimalism – Huge Inc. Action Page

A trend that aims to not only simplify website visual design, but usability and functionality – another big trend pegged for 2021 – minimalist web design will continue to be a key component of modern UI design for years to come.

“I’m not big on trends, but I believe that minimalism will always be relevant in the digital design space,” says Sean. “The more we overcomplicate our interfaces, the more users will struggle to use our products.”

05. Organic Design

Organic Design - Ora Homepage
Organic Design – Ora Homepage

One of the biggest design trends of 2020, organic design is all about using nature and the world around us as inspiration. While frequently seen in product design, interior design and graphic design, this trend is now starting to gain momentum in the world of web design too.

The Organic design trend is influenced by an increased focus on sustainability and environmentalism, featuring warm, earthy colors, natural shapes and raw organic textures – as spotted on these websites from Ora Floral Agency, A Better Source, and Melbourne’s Abbotsford Convent.

Organic Design - Abbotsford Convent 'What's On' Page
Organic Design – Abbotsford Convent ‘What’s On’ Page

Neutral colors replicate our environment’s natural palette, and are one of the easiest and most effective ways to add a more organic feel to your website. Alongside soft browns, beiges and whites, faded pinks, blues, and greens can also be great additions to a neutral color palette, which can be used on their own or paired with brighter colors to make them pop.

Organic Design - A Better Source Product Page
Organic Design – A Better Source Product Page

“I have noticed quite a few websites shift towards earthy warm color palettes, which is a welcome change from the bright cool tones we usually see dominating our screens,” says Tahlia.

06. Illustration

Illustration - AHM Homepage
Illustration – AHM Homepage

Illustration has absolutely exploded this year across graphic design, social media and web design. Plenty of brands, businesses and creators are catching on to the popularity of illustration and digital art, with many now integrating hand-drawn elements into their website designs – including the likes of health insurance company AHM and even luxury fashion brand Gucci.

Following on from organic design, illustrations are great for adding a crafty, authentic touch to your web design and give your website a welcoming feel. With an increased focus on diversity and representation in design in 2020, many illustrators are now featuring quirky people of all shapes and sizes, a style commonly referred to as “odd bodies”.

Illustration - Huge Inc. Research Page
Illustration – Huge Inc. Research Page

3D illustrator and Elements author Amrit Pal Singh is a big advocate for these more quirky and inclusiveillustrations, focusing on diversity, individuality and representation in his work.

3D Illustration - AmritPalDesign's Website
3D Illustration – AmritPalDesign’s Website

“Illustrations and character design over the years have really established wrong standards of beauty and importance. Almond-eyes, fair skin, and particular body types; we have grown up watching cartoons that establish these biases,” says Amrit. “As creators and artists, it’s our duty to fix that. We need to consciously think about representation at every stage. I’m always trying to make my work more diverse and inclusive.”

07. Functionality, Inclusivity & Accessibility

Functionality - Blue Receipt Homepage
Functionality – Blue Receipt Homepage

Website functionality has always been a key aspect of web design. However, along with fast load times, page speed, and mobile-friendly design, an increased focus on inclusivity and accessibility have created a growing need for web design to factor in the needs of people with disabilities, and make websites accessible and functional for all.

Accessibility - Blue Receipt Product Page
Accessibility – Blue Receipt Product Page

Luckily, accessible web design is being adopted by more brands and businesses – such as e-commerce hub Blue Receipt and no-fuss cat food brand Cat Person – and having a functional, accessible and user-friendly website that any visitor can easily navigate is now essential for providing an effective online experience.

Accessibility - Cat Person Product Page
Accessibility – Cat Person Product Page

Optimizing your website to be more functional, accessible and inclusive is not just good for customer service – it also increases conversion, boosts your SEO, and extends your audience reach.

Some ways to make your website more inclusive and accessible include:

  • Creating strong color contrast between text and backgrounds;
  • Adding focus indicators, such as the rectangular outline that shows up around links when using keyboard navigation;
  • Using labels and instructions with form fields rather than low-context placeholder text;
  • Using functional alt tags for images;
  • Featuring easy-to-understand, straightforward, and jargon-free copy.

“On the whole, I have seen a real raising of the bar in well designed, functional, accessible websites which is really positive,” says Sean. “I’ve observed this through higher contrast colours, large typography, authentic, relatable copy, big buttons, and soft curved UI elements. I somewhat optimistically believe this is due to a growing understanding and appreciation of the value good design can add to businesses.”

To make your web designs more functional and inclusive, try this Accessible Business Portfolio & WooCommerce WordPress Theme, Product Designer WordPress Theme for WooCommerce or this Voicer – Text to Speech Plugin for WordPress on CodeCanyon. Or, check out more items below on Envato Elements!

08. Motion & Interactivity

Motion - Gridspace Homepage
Motion – Gridspace Homepage

Video is proven to be the most engaging form of content online, so it’s no surprise that motion has also become a big trend in web design. Used everywhere from boutique websites such as Alter Mind and Gridspace to SEEK’s career advice page, motion and animation in web design is a simple way to make an otherwise ordinary web page more exciting and engaging.

In a similar vein, many brands and businesses – such as YouTube Rewind – have begun adding more interactive elements to their websites, including quizzes, games, polls and surveys. A great example is Estee Lauder, whose website features an interactive arcade game called ‘THE ANRCADE’ – a futuristic quest focused on earning ‘youth-generating power points’ to promote their Advanced Night Repair cream.

Interactivity - Estee Lauder's ANRCADE Game
Interactivity – Estee Lauder’s ANRCADE Game

In addition to being a fun addition to the online experience, interactivity is a great way to engage your visitors while also learning more about them. However, it’s important to achieve balance and ensure your motion or interactive elements don’t dominate or distract from the purpose of your website.

Interactivity - YouTube Rewind's Global Search Page
Interactivity – YouTube Rewind’s Global Search Page

“As technology continues to improve it is becoming easier to utilize and apply motion to your designs, which can make for delightful experiences (when used appropriately),” says Sean. “I see this done well when transitioning between content, and interacting with elements.”

To add more motion and interactivity into your website, check out this Lottie Animation for Elementor by merkulove, Animated Typography by motionbeard, and this Scribble Elements by FlashFXbox on Envato Elements!

09. 3D & Geometric Design

3D Floating Objects - The Artery Homepage
3D Floating Objects – The Artery Homepage

Geometric patterns and elements are frequently used in the world of modern web design – including classic flat shapes such as polygons, diamonds, rectangles, triangles, and the occasional rhombus. However, the geometric web design trend has evolved to also include  more modern elements such as 3D shapes, floating objects and visible gridlines.

Geometric Design - The Imagineers Homepage
Geometric Design – The Imagineers Homepage

The use of 3D shapes and floating objects in geometric design blends surreal motion with realistic objects, creating a mesmerizing, futuristic effect – a style popularized by the suspended, rotating movement often used in tech commercials to show off new products. This is perfect for adding another layer or dimension to your web design, to ensure your website captivates your visitors  – as seen in this website by The Artery, which pairs geometric elements with minimalist, simple gridlines to lay out their website.

3D Floating Objects - The Artery Design Lab Page
3D Floating Objects – The Artery Design Lab Page

In contrast to the complex nature of 3D and floating objects, the use of simplic grid lines, borders and other structural elements has also become a trending style in the web design space – such as in these websites by Rail Road Ladies, Monograph Comms and The Imagineers.

Geometric Design - The Railroad Ladies
Geometric Design – The Railroad Ladies

“I’ve also noticed a resurgence of more geometric elements and visible grid lines in web design, which I’m kind of into as someone who loves structure and order,” says Sean.

Envato Elements - Connected - Landing Page by cerpow

10. WordPress Page Builders & Template Kits

In the last few years, self-serve website templates and page builders have increased in popularity. Website builders such as Elementor and WordPress Gutenberg mean that, nowadays, even the least tech-savvy or design-minded person can create a professional website in no time.

Kaleo - Creative Portfolio Template Kit
Kaleo – Creative Portfolio Template Kit

Page builders are fast, code-free and fully flexible, offering professional layouts and limitless customization for those without design or coding knowledge.

With a little something for everyone, Envato Elements Template Kits for Elementor offer a wide variety of professional and cohesive website designs and templates for everything from your homepage to your contact page. Envato’s new category of pre-designed templates are designed to go hand-in-hand with your WordPress page builder – which makes it super easy to get a website up and running in no time.

The Restaurant - Elementor Template Kit
The Restaurant – Elementor Template Kit

To build your own WordPress website, check out these top 10 Template Kits for Elementor, or try out some of the Template Kits below…

Reformoa - Architecture & Interior Design Elementor Template Kit
Reformoa – Architecture & Interior Design Elementor Template Kit

11 Free Ways to Reach an Audience Online During COVID-19

Article by Kristen McCormick MAY 1st – 2020

The financial burdens of COVID-19 have put many SMBs in search of affordable ways to market their business. The good news is that more people are spending time online than ever before, and there are plenty of simple ways to reach your customers digitally without spending a dime.

how to reach your audience online during covid19 shop local

Here, I’m sharing 11 free strategies to expand your reach on four popular online platforms:

  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Reaching your audience on Google

One quick note before we begin this section: As of writing this post, Google My Business profile editing capabilities are varying from day to day as Google suppresses and adds features in response to COVID-19. If you get stuck on any of the below suggestions, skip them and be on the lookout for capabilities to return.

1. Update your Google My Business profile

Your Google My Business profile is the free listing that appears for your business on both Google Maps and Google Local Search results. Due to special hours, physical closings, and limited travel, consumers are performing even more “near me” and “open now” searches on Google during COVID-19. They’re also searching for specific criteria such as delivery and online payment options. That being said, you should make the following updates to your profile to continue reaching your audience on Google:

  • Verify your hours (or mark your business as temporarily closed).
  • Modify your description (a.k.a. “From the business”) to include relevant COVID-19 offerings.
  • Have a category selected, as this will allow you to indicate industry-specific attributes, such as curbside pickup, drive-through and delivery for restaurants.
  • Create posts (more on this next).
reach audience during COVID update GMB listing

Note: Google is using blanket labels right now such as “hours and services may differ,” but you can still set your business up for success for when they lift this label.

2. Create Google posts

Just like with social media platforms, you can publish posts to your Google My Business listing for free. But unlike social media platforms where users are leisurely scrolling, consumers on Google are actively seeking. GMB posts enable you to get your updates and special offers in front of consumers who are ready to engage, making this is a great way to reach and retain customers during COVID-19.

how to reach your audience online during COVID-19 GMB post example

This salon is temporarily closed, yet its online store is reaching a vast Google Maps audience through this GMB post.

And with GMB’s new COVID-19 post type, you can be even more effective at reaching your audience at the right time. This is a great alternative to the Q&A section (“Is your business open during COVID-19?”), which is temporarily not appearing on profiles.

how to reach your audience online during COVID post gmb

3. Write relevant blog posts

The internet is saturated right now with COVID-19 content, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still strive to show up on the first page of a Google search. The trick is to target long-tail keywords highly specific to your niche. For example, a chiropractor could write a blog post “At-home Lower Back Exercises” or “Avoid Neck Pain While in Quarantine.” This content costs nothing to create other than your time, which you might have more of at this point, anyway.

how to reach your audience online during COVID-19 blog posts

The very first results for “prevent neck pain during quarantine” is none other than a small PT business in Cambridge, MA.

You could even tie in your geographic area for more effective targeting, like with a list titled “Best Places to Walk Your Dog in Bethesda.” These coronavirus-relevant pages will garner traffic in and of themselves right now, but they’ll also boost your overall website SEO for the long term.

Bonus strategy: create a free Google Shopping listing

On April 21, Google announced the rollout of free Shopping listings to all retailers to help them find more customers online in the wake of COVID-19. Give it a try!

Reaching Your Audience on Facebook during COVID-19

Social media is key for building relationships, and with usage increasing during isolation, you can reach more of your audience on Facebook during COVID-19. Here are three ways to do that.

4. Hop on Facebook Live

More people are watching live videos right now than ever before. In fact, Facebook Live viewers have increased by up to 50%. There are many obvious uses for this free Facebook marketing feature, such as answering COVID-19 customer questions, providing relevant advice, or leading a quarantine workout. But remember also that Facebook Live videos can be saved. With viewership at an all-time high, this is a good time to run live sessions on your traditional and evergreen topics, which you can repurpose down the line once the coronavirus has passed.

How to reach your audience online during COVID19 FB live

This non-coronavirus-related DIY tutorial is helpful now but can also be repurposed later on down the line.

Navigate the changing online advertising landscape with this free small business guide to COVID-19.

5. Do a lucky draw giveaway

If you’re open and delivering, it’s a good idea to add some extra delight to your deliveries. It’s an even better idea to add some mystery to the mix. As with the Facebook example below, you could run a giveaway where all orders placed within a particular time frame qualify for a free treat—and one lucky winner gets a gift card. Not only can this encourage more audience engagement, but it will boost their spirits, as well.

How to reach your audience online during COVID19 FB giveaway

6. Check in with your community

There’s a plethora of COVID-19 posts on social media, but that doesn’t mean you need to come up with an earth-shattering post to stand out to your audience. A simple, heart-felt post with no intention other than to wish your community well can go a long way. After all, genuinity is authenticity.

hoe to reach audience on facebook during covid19 check in with community

Reaching your audience on Instagram during COVID-19

Instagram is great for storytelling, and everyone has their own unique COVID-19 stories to share. Here’s how to reach your audience for free on Instagram during COVID-19.

7. Use COVID-19 hashtags

Hashtags are a free and yet powerful way to expand your social media visibility.There are, of course, many trending COVID-19 hashtags circulating around. But broad Instagram hashtags like #COVID19 aren’t going to give you much visibility. The key is to use location and industry modifiers. For example:

  • Instead of #COVID19, try something like #covidfashion #covidpetsafety or #covidhomeschooling.
  • Instead of #wereinthistogether, try something like #portlandstrong.

Some other ideas for COVID-19 hashtags you can use or modify for your business are:

  • #DIY (think #diyhomedecor or #diyhaircut).
  • #boredombusters
  • #athome (like #athomeworkout or #athomelearning).
  • #quarantineedition
  • #quarantine (Including #quarantineparenting, #quarantinecrafts, #quarantinerecipes).
how to reach your audience online during covid19 hashtags

Of course, if you’re just looking to sprinkle in some friendly and uplifting hashtags, that’s fine too! Try COVID-19 hashtags like #wereinthistogether, #wellgetthroughthis, #allinthistogether, #thenewnormal, #alonetogether, #stayhome, #saferathome, and #sixfeetapart.

8. Write COVID-friendly captions

There are a number of purposes your COVID-19 Instagram posts can serve. Here are some writing guidelines for Instagram captions to appropriately reach your Instagram audience:

  • When boosting morale: Keep captions light and not too specific; everyone is experiencing it differently.
  • When offering health and safety tips: Check captions for accuracy.
  • When providing updates: Keep captions concise with essentials only.
  • When promoting pivoted offerings: Include words like “curbside pickup”or “still available.”
how to reach your audience online during COVID instagram caption

For more copywriting guidelines during COVID-19, head here.

Reaching your audience on Twitter during COVID-19

Twitter takes on the conversational nature of Facebook but the quicker consumption pace of Instagram. Here are three free ways to obtain visibility and resonate with your audience during COVID-19.

9. Repurpose reviews

Part of Roger Smith Hotel’s Twitter strategy is that of taking quotes from positive customer reviews and creating tweets out of them. They have continued this tactic throughout COVID-19, and I must say, it works. The tweets don’t ask you to leave a review or book a stay, but the positive words and attractive images do leave you feeling pretty good.

how to reach your audience online during COVID roger smith hotel

Create tweets out of your most uplifting customer feedback as a way to reach followers during COVID-19.

10. Take up #supportsmallbusiness offers

There are plenty of consumers on Twitter right now who are offering to promote local businesses in their area. Run a hashtag search like #shoplocal, #supportsmallbusiness, #shoplocal[yourcity] or #smallbusiness and see if you find any offers.

how to reach your audience online during COVID retweets

11. Support other local businesses during COVID-19

In the example below, Connected Kent offers to share five different local businesses for every one tweet about their services. Why not try this strategy for your business? It’s a great way to reach new audiences on Twitter while also helping out other local businesses struggling during COVID-19—all for free.

how to reach audience on twitter during COVID connected kent

These free methods of digital marketing are great strategies for reaching your audience and alleviating economic hardship during COVID-19, but they can be adapted for use even after the pandemic has passed. Try them out and how knows, maybe you’ll come out of this pandemic with a stronger online presence than ever before.

Special thanks to Kristen McCormick for article!

OSMO Pocket Video Camera by DJI

We recently got a hold of the Osmo Pocket 4K Video Camera by DJI and were quite impressed! The DJI Osmo Pocket puts video stabilization in the palm of your hand, with a small camera that smooths out your footage thanks to a 3-axis gimbal. It’s pocketable, like the name suggests, and doesn’t hog your smartphone, like the larger DJI Osmo Mobile 2. The fluid 4K resolution is ideal for anyone who uploads to YouTube, yet hates the idea of being shackled to professional-sized camera stabilization equipment. It’s not as durable as a GoPro and its microphone isn’t the best, but our testing proved that it’s the real ‘hero’ of smooth video and video transfer speeds.

Video below was produced by Kelsey Media Productions from footage we shot at the play date opening for Encore Boston Harbor located in Massachusetts. Video was shot with a DJI Osmo Pocket camera in 4K @ 60fps. Kelsey Media Productions

A camera that can be used for steady B-Roll footage along with having a small compact design makes it a great camera for on-the-go shooting or vacation fun!

5 Amazing 3D Printed House Projects!


A French family just became the first to permanently live in a 3D-printed home

At 350 square feet, the house was far cheaper than the average tiny home, which has a price tag hovering at around $25,000, but can often reach six figures. Before using 3D-printing technology, it took New Story eight months to build 100 homes, each costing about $6,000.

While the prototype was being developed, Icon’s printer, known as the Vulcan, was running at only 25% speed. That gave the companies confidence that they could build a 600- to 800-square-foot home in just 24 hours for $4,000 or less.

When it comes to producing an average-sized home — around 2,000 square feet — the savings aren’t quite as stark. A year after releasing its $10,000 prototype in Austin, Texas, Icon told the Wall Street Journal that printing a 2,000-square-foot home would cost around $20,000.

More remarkable is the fact that the company’s upgraded printer, the Vulcan II, is now available for purchase, and could soon be used to produce affordable homes in places like Austin and Latin America.

Icon’s first 3D model offers a glimpse of what the machine could produce in the future. Take a look.

The Vulcan II can produce a home seamlessly onsite, without having to piece together individual units. The Vulcan II can produce a home seamlessly onsite, without having to piece together individual units. The printer churns out layers of cement, which amass to form the walls of the home. Non-printed fixtures like doors and windows are installed later.

The Vulcan II is capable of producing walls that are up to eight-and-a-half feet tall and up to 28 feet wide.

The printer is designed to be mobile and weighs about 3,800 pounds. The Vulcan II is operated by a tablet, which means only a few workers are required to produce a 3D home.

Watch LG’s 65-inch rollable OLED TV curl up like a poster, disappear from sight

We’ve seen the future of TV, and it rolls up like a newspaper. Now you can see it, too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WATCH VIDEO FOR ROLL UP TV

After two years of watching white-gloved LG Display engineers gingerly roll up prototype OLED panels, the company has finally created a functioning roll-up OLED TV. Of course the idea of being able to roll up your TV, throw it in your backpack and take it wherever you want is a fun, futuristic idea, but LG has found a more practical application for a rolling OLED television. It is both literally and figuratively the most flexible TV ever made.

This is how it works: flexible OLED panel is mounted to a motorized spindle, set in a rectangular box. You can’t see the mechanics, all you see is the TV going up and down. But why would you want to be able to move your TV up and down like this?

The appeal of hiding your TV is clear. When you don’t want to see your TV, you simply put it away. But the practical applications go further than that. You can adjust the TV so that it’s sized for different aspect ratios. Admittedly, different aspect ratios have a smaller size, but this is a very cool application for watching movies.

You may have noticed that, when watching movies, you see black bars on the top and the bottom of the screen. This is because many movies are filmed in a 2.39:1 (or 21:9) aspect ratio, and a convention 16:9 widescreen TV can’t fit the picture. To accommodate, the letterbox bars are added so you can see the full width of the film. By rolling this TV down to obscure part of the screen, the rolling OLED TV can be resized to 21:9, and the black bars are unneeded.

Roll it down a bit further, and you can have an extremely low-profile display which could be used for computing, informational display, or simply for showing pictures. Use your imagination. What would you place in a slick strip of roll-up OLED TV?

The TV won’t be seen commercially in 2018, but it could very well be LG’s flagship offering in 2019. This time next year, we could be talking about when you could buy your own roll-up OLED. Between now and then, LG TV needs to take this display and build it into a TV. It will need a box to handle HDMI connections, the processing chips, optical digital audio output jacks, and all the other features we’re used to seeing in a TV. It’s also possible LG’s TV division could somehow fold a soundbar into the final design.

It’s also possible the TV could be hidden in a piece of furniture, so you wouldn’t have a TV in the room until you pressed a button on a remote control.

The roll-up OLED isn’t the only innovation to be seen at the private LG Display booth. We also got up close and personal with the 88-inch 8K OLED and we’ll be posting video of that TV very shortly.