Recent News
When the Economy Gets Tough, the Tough Get Content
Three Magic Words of Web Marketing: Search Engine Optimization
Training to Create Creative Jocks
Visual Literacy Affects Site Usability
Head In The Clouds? Put Data There Instead
The Tension In A Tug-of-War Needs Two Players
The Many Faces of Library Architecture
Great Design Supports Great Brands
Traffic Is Just Traffic Unless Clicks Turn To Leads
Getting Viewers To Ask For Your Marketing Material
Operations Handling of the Political Layer in the Stack
Multiple Degrees of Communication
Getting Your Message Across in a World of Instant Communication
How the Economic Recession Affects Your Content Mix
Using Social Media to Promote Personal Brand
Call for Presentations Extended: Submit Your Speaking Proposal By August 28
Web Content 2009 Tampa Bay Comes To Clearwater Beach, Florida
Great Design Supports Great Brands
Building a brand goes way beyond a logo, which is simply the visual icon that customers come to associate with a brand. The Nike swoosh, the colors of Google, McDonald’s M, the colorful quadrants of Microsoft - none of these symbols actually indicate what the corporation behind the logo does, but each icon elicits an emotional response that can articulate brand values. Trustworthy? Customer-focused? Borg-like? Cheap but cheerful? All of these manifestations of brand are the result of multiple stories that have infused the public sphere.
The effect of brand on a site, or more accurately, of a site on brand, plays out slightly differently. An online presence can detract from a strong bricks-and-mortar brand if the organization’s site screams out lack of functionality. A “cute-but-dumb” site deters users from engaging with not only the site but often the company itself.
Matthew Schwartz of MSDS discusses form, function, and fashion - web design fashion - in his presentation, Functionality Matters: Why Great Design Can Be Bad for Business, at Web Content 2009 Tampa Bay.
