http://maxonmedia.net/index.php The Maxon Media web blog where we discuss our work, trends and technology that make sense in the real world for our clients and community en admin@maxonmedia.net Copyright 2009 2009-04-21T14:37:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/new-project-volunteer-louisiana/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/new-project-volunteer-louisiana/#When:14:37:00Z After several months of diligent work, we have successfully launched the new Volunteer Louisiana website in partnership with the Louisiana Serve Commission. At the end of 2007, we were contacted by Janet Pace, the interim exectuive director of the Louisiana Serve Commission, through the office of the Lieutenant Governor, to work on the redesign and development of the new volunteerlouisiana.gov website. Janet had first discovered Maxon Media through our involvement with Volunteer New Orleans (www.volunteerneworleans.com), which is a site that we developed in partnership with Cox Communications.    In working with the team from Louisiana Serve Commission, we were able to engage in the design and development of one of the most important projects we have ever been involved with, and is one that we are extremely proud of, not only becuase it is a wonderful showcase for our comprehensive design abilities, but that it is actually a project that will benefit our state on an individual community level. It’s not everyday that you get the chance to be a part of something that can effect real change for our state, and this was one of those opportunities. We are extremely thankful to Janet and her staff for their energy and commitment that they showed throughout the process, and for the design freedom that they allowed us to have as we developed the site. I am also thankful to the hard work of our staff, specifically Tiffany Taunton, for the excellent work done for this project.   One of the ways that Maxon Media can really excel for organizations such as this is in our comprehensive approach to corporate branding and multimedia implementation. In this particualr instance, we were able to develop the new organization logo, and then build the new web interface design from there. Capturing the unique local culture and the heart of the people of the Louisiana was first and foremost in the design intentionality behind the mark. Creating something distinctivly Louisiana, yet conveyed a spirit of service was the driving force.   The site features some very useful sections including a comprehensive search feature, in partnerhip with Network for Good, to allow users to search for active volunteer opportunities by parish throughout the state. An entire area dedicated to “Voluntourism” is available on the site, which will encourage visitors to Louisiana, and specifically New Orleans, to engage in service projects while they are visiting the state. Other features such as a mutlimedia News Room, a volunteer blog that will give actual volunteers the opportunity to share their experiences, and an e-newsletter which will allow users to sign-up for frequent e-news updates are also available on the site.   The site is built on a comprehensive Content Management System that is completely customized to allow Louisiana Serve Commission staff to instantly update the site content, specifically in the event of natural distasters or special volunteer opportunities become available. We are already in discussions to further implement a social networking strategy for the site to allow the maximum number of people to be aware of the latest news and information related to volunteer service in Louisiana.   Click here to check out the site, and we welcome your feedback since you are, in fact, the intended audience. Our Work 2009-04-21T14:37:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/maxon-media-is-on-facebook-we-need-friends/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/maxon-media-is-on-facebook-we-need-friends/#When:17:06:00Z What has become increasingly clear, the emergence of social networking as means of business promotion is the wave of the future. The Maxon Media staff attended WordCampNola this weekend (Apr 10-11) to find out more about the emerging technologies for the integration of Word Press both as a blogging system, and as a sitewide CMS. Due to nature of this software, there are virtually unlimited possibilities to the power of this system due to the fact that it is what is called “open-source”, which means as web developers all over the world use the system, they can customize individual plug-ins that expand the capabilities of the software as a whole. Having the ability to sort through all of the availble plug-ins, keep up with the software upgrades and implement compelling designs (that are not like everyone else who uses WordPress) is where we can really help. But Word Press as a whole who is a very flexible and easy-tu-use system for those interested in wading into the world of “content-managed” websites.   Anyway, back to Facebook. One of the benefits (and implications) of this type of conference is helping website developers and owners understand the complex world of social networking, which ultimately serve as communication tools and self-promotional tools. Typically, social-networking tools like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc have been more for personal use. But a rising trend is for companies and organizations to establish social-networking personas online to help communicate to their clients and supporters.   So, we have followed suit. If you would like to become a “fan” of Maxon Media on Facebook, we would love to hear from you. And if your not on Facebook, it’s worth a try. Specifically if you would like to hook up with your old friends from high school. Click here to check out our Facebook page.   Technology 2009-04-11T17:06:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/need-help-prepping-images-for-the-web-heres-your-solution/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/need-help-prepping-images-for-the-web-heres-your-solution/#When:13:24:00Z Content Management Systems are becoming more and more popular and easy to use for websites. But one of the missing links in the whole process has been our ability to give our clients an easy way to resize their own images. Well, we have recently discovered a very easy to use tool called Shrink-O-Matic, developed by a company called Toki-Woki. This is a easy-to-use, drag and drop style application that allows anyone with a mouse to take an image that they want to put on the web, and easily resize (and compress) the image to a more manageable size and type. The vast majority of our web clients do not have software on their computer like Photoshop (unless it is something that came with a digital camera) that is capable of doing this small but very important step. This is a program developed on the Adobe AIR platform, which means it will require you to install the AIR plugin before you are able to install the actual software, but do not let that stop you. AIR is a great development tool that allows web developers to make web-style software that runs like software on your computer (and not on the web per se). But the actual system will look and feel like a web application, so it will be very friendly to use. Programming styles like Ajax and Flash are very commonly used in these applications so they are very slick. Anytime we install a Content Management System (CMS) on a site for a client we have done the vast majority of the hard work by styling the template that they will use for the individual page layouts. We have made decisions like font size, color, menu layout, etc, but one thing we can’t necessarily do for them is enable them to easily add images to the individual pages - which (by the way) is a very important sep that most clients overlook or keep away from simply becuase they are not interested in the time and effort it takes to understand how to make them work. The tendency is to upload a large image (perhaps off a digital camera) that might be 8-10 MB in size. And then resize it down to the roughly 300 pixel size that fits on the page. The reality is that even though they have sized the image down, they have not changed the data size of the image, and even though the image may appear small on the page, it is actually loading as the 8 MB image (which on some connections may take a very long time). A great website will work very efficiently, and having properly sized/compressed images is critical for that to be the case. They also add quite a lot to the overall layout of the page, and for that reason alone it is worth the effort. RELATED LINKS: Here is more information on ADOBE AIR and on Shrink-O-Matic. http://www.adobe.com/products/air/ http://toki-woki.net/p/Shrink-O-Matic/ Technology 2009-03-24T13:24:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/maxon-media-wins-statewide-web-design-contest-for-the-ltc/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/maxon-media-wins-statewide-web-design-contest-for-the-ltc/#When:16:12:00Z We are very pleased to announce that Maxon Media has won a statewide web design contest for the redesign of the Louisiana Technology Council website. Last week, I had the privilege of meeting with Mark Lewis, the president of the LTC and we had a great conversation about all of the amazing work that this organization is doing. I am very excited to be a part of this organization, and look forward to working with their development team to implement the new design on the site in the coming weeks. We will certainly include the link to the design in this blog as soon as the site is up and running. Special thanks to my good friend Patricia Burns with Cavalier Telephone who let us know about the contest and the LTC. Be sure to check out their website and talk with them about the services they provide. Thank you to all of you who has expressed your congratulations to us. Here is the press release that was sent out late last week…   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACTS: Michelle Hansen (LTC)                         Michael Lipe (Maxon Media)                (504) 304-2910                                     (225) 753-7670 mhansen@ltc-la.org                             michael@maxonmedia.net         LTC announces Baton Rouge Company as technology winner - Maxon Media wins LTC website design contest - New Orleans – March 13, 2009 – The Louisiana Technology Council (LTC), a member organization dedicated to advancing economic and social development through technology throughout the State, is pleased to announce that Maxon Media of Baton Rouge has been chosen the contest winner for designing its new website.  The contest was implemented as a part of various changes to the LTC’s infrastructure; and to provide improved content for its users, greater visibility, easier access and integration for existing and new members, better event management and to help with marketing and promoting Louisiana’s technology initiatives. Maxon Media receives two years of free membership in the LTC, $10,000 in promotional services, a $1,000 cash prize and a complementary ad in the annual LTC Membership Directory and Resource Guide. “A group of LTC members help choose Maxon Media out of a number of excellent submissions.” said Louisiana Technology Council President Mark Lewis. “Our goal is to improve the quality of our programs and initiatives that we provide to our region and the State and we are excited to be working with Maxon Media to make that happen,” states Lewis. “This is another step in helping to create greater for Louisiana and to help make Louisiana – Tech Capital of the SouthÒ.” “The creative team at Maxon Media is thrilled to partner with the Louisiana Technology Council in the development of their new websit,” said Maxon Media Creative DIrector Michael Lipe.  “As a Louisiana-based design agency, we are very excited about the efforts the LTC has made in advancing Louisiana as a leader in technological achievement, and our hope is that this new website will assist in reinforcing those efforts.”   About the Louisiana Technology Council (LTC) The vision of the Louisiana Technology Council is to be recognized as the most sought after and widely-respected technology association in the communities it serves.  It will attract, facilitate, and disseminate technology knowledge and skills in order to enhance the business growth and career development of its membership. For more information about the LTC, please visit: www.ltc-la.org. About Maxon Media Founded in 2004 by Ron McDaniel and Michael W. Lipe, Maxon Media is a full-service, strategically-driven, interactive graphic design agency, specializing in corporate branding, print collateral design and website development. Based in Baton Rouge, Maxon Media specializes in working with clients to both develop their corporate brand and then effectively implement their brand through every phase of the media spectrum. Through our collaborative efforts, we strengthen the bond between the practical technology that exists and the people who put it to use in their everyday lives. Each website we create, each corporate identity we design, and each concept we develop acts as a point of connectivity between our clients and their goals. Please visit our website to find out more about Maxon Media and our design services - www.maxonmedia.net.   Our Work 2009-03-16T16:12:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/live-tv-on-your-iphone-its-true/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/live-tv-on-your-iphone-its-true/#When:13:58:00Z This year’s March Madness college basketball tournament will be broadcast live on your iPhone.That’s right LIVE on your iPhone. A company called MobiTV will be releasing a new App that will allow users (once they have purchased the app and pay a small per-game fee) to view the selected tournament games live on the iPhone or iTouch. Many other mobile phone companies have promoted their live streaming audio over their phone devices, but this is the first I have heard of live video over a mobile device. Once this door is kicked open, there will be an entire new word of broadcast opportunity that consumers will demand. The ongoing consolidation of voice, data, video (and now live broadcast) into one handheld unit is the clear future of mobile media and media saavy companies will respond accordingly. While the optimist in me is very excited about this type of development, the skeptic in me is wary of performance issues, such as audio/video compression, signal loss, etc. So if your team makes it to the Final Four, I wouldn’t have a watching party where everyone is gathered around your phone. But, if this is any indication of the direction this is headed, any technical issues will be quickly resolved if the public is willing to pay for the content and advertisers get on board. Here is an article that details the plan…   Live sports are coming to the iPhone.MobiTV, which offers prime-time TV programming for cellphones, has cut a deal with CBS Sports to show 63 NCAA basketball games in an iPhone/iTouch app for $4.99. The games begin next week, but the App goes on sale Thursday.The app grants access to all of the CBS Sports NCAA games, and goes one step further than television, says MobiTV senior vice-president Ray DeRenzo.On TV, you can only see one game at a time, but on the iPhone or iTouch, you can choose to watch any of 4 games that are happening at any given time until the elimination process begins. So, for instance, if you tune in and see that games in New York, Florida, Illinois and California are available to watch, you just click to see the game of your choice.To watch the sports live, you need to have access to WiFi, like the recently introduced Joost app for watching live TV shows on the iPhone and iTouch.This isn’t the first live sports app for the iPhone.  Turner Broadcasting showed footage from the National Basketball Association’s All-Star game in February for 99 cents.On Sprint and AT&T, MobiTV offers TV shows from the four networks, NBC, CBS, ABC and Fox.  The company says it would love to bring that programming to the iPhone, but tech hurdles prevent that currently.MobiTV needs to be able to sell subscriptions, where the iTunes App Store is built to make direct sales. MobiTV got around that with the NCAA games by selling a “ticket” to buy all the games. The NCAA tourney gets under way on 3/19.Meanwhile, beyond the live games, Thought Equity Motion just unveiled a free iPhone/iTouch app to see 2009 NCAA previews and past videos.   Article Link http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/03/live-sports-are.html?sr=hotnews   Other Related Links http://www.mobitv.com   Technology 2009-03-13T13:58:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/the-most-recent-release-of-safaris-web-browser-is-changing-the-game/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/the-most-recent-release-of-safaris-web-browser-is-changing-the-game/#When:15:52:00Z The dominance of the IE web browser is slowly fading as Mozilla Firefox and Apple’s Safari browser are getting a stronger and stronger foothold in the market. The latter, Safari version 4, is out in Beta form and has raised the bar with some very compelling new features Those of us who are iPhone users are very familiar with the Safari web browser and with the popularity of the iPod and iTunes software, some of the features found within those technologies arenow making their way to the web. Most notably, Apple has applied a version of their cover flow system to the web browsing world in the latest release of the Safari 4 web browser. Their system called “Top Sites” uses thre same cover flow style to browse both popular sites and your own browsing history. It even displays your most recent and most frequented sites in a single view so that you can browse all of them a single glance. Pretty cool.     But interface upgrades alone are not the only difference with this latest release, as Safari 4 claims to have the fastest browsing experience on the web, and a leading edge commitment to compatability of the latest web development technologies to get the most of the web’s potential. It has heightened security measures available to protect the user and an open-source module called “WebKit” which will allow independent web developers to continually develop new technologies based on the platform. As good as all of these upgrades are, the most difficult thing for web developers (and website owners for that matter) is to continually keep up to date with the cross-browser compatability standards that insure that each website operates with ideal visual and performance integrity. There are many popular sites who are not accessible via the Safari browser, and that mindset will have to change as its popularity increases. As these new technologies emerge it is crticial that the web development world continually be aware of the changes to not only utilize all available technologies, but also to insure that each client’s site is accessible to eveyone on the web. Intenet Explorer is still the top dog, but as you can see in this most recent chart of web browser usage statistics, Firefox and Safari are starting to make a push, and innovations such as these new realeases are making a strong case for the viability of these emerging competitors. Technology 2009-02-26T15:52:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/a-passing-thought-on-bank-architecture/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/a-passing-thought-on-bank-architecture/#When:23:29:00Z The other day I was driving around town and noticed how impressive (and increasingly modern) the architecture behind some of the small community banks has become. Clearly, a “design” arms race has evolved within the banking industry with each bank trying to out do the next with some of the sharpest architectural and interior design around. And it got me to thinking, this arms race has not yet infected the world of online banking. Some of the banks that have the most beautiful buildings also have some of the most underdeveloped website interface designs. As online banking becomes more the norm, fewer and fewer customers will rely on the design of the bricks and mortar of their banking institutions, and more on the design and functionality of their bank’s web presence to determine where they do their business. Now, that is not to say that onsite image/branding/curb appeal is not a critical factor for a bank to reach their customer base. But what I am saying is that a bank’s website should be every bit as sharp and appealing as their building’s facade.We have had the opportunity to develop a few different financial institution websites over the years, and in fact, we will be releasing a new design for a local Credit Union in a few weeks (stay tuned for that) that we hope will more effectively reflect the progressive nature of their products and services. It’s been an interesting experience, and is one that will be a great “before and after” piece to show how the same information can be greatly enhanced with an interface overhaul.I have often said, and will say again, although your mother taught you not to judge a book by its cover, if you consider what our habits are when browsing through the shelves of a bookstore, we are, in fact, looking for a compelling cover. The cover should be a visual forerunner to the content of the book, therefore making the design of the jacket a crticial part of the success of the book. Now, a great cover will not make a book a best-seller, but it can make a best-seller fly off the shelves. That is colloboration of form and function (again back to the architectural references), and is a critical aspect of marketing that is often overlooked. Our Work 2009-02-19T23:29:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/design-trends-glassy-icons-and-reflections/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/design-trends-glassy-icons-and-reflections/#When:00:22:00Z It seems that the latest Mac-induced design trend of the 3-dimensional, glassy looking buttons with the clean reflections are seeming to run their course. It seems that the latest Mac-induced design trend of the 3-dimensional, glassy looking buttons with the clean reflections are seeming to run their course. The iPhone interface seems to have brought this technique to its visual climax, as they used it in a very effective way to drive their GUI (graphic user interface), which was not necessarily a new thing but they seem to do it better than just about everyone else. Now everyone is copying them, as usual, which means that the design community is probably clamboring for the next style wave. I will admit that I have utilized this technique and have appreciated some of the very effective results that come from applying a few simple gradients and light effects. It is particularly effective in web design as it brings a three-dimensional quality to graphics that is difficult to achieve without the mastery of a 3-D rendering program. The whole web 2.0 look is clean and efficient, but the overly-slick look and feel may leave designers feeling a bit stagnant. The reflection trend is also one of those easy apply techniques that recently gotten a lot of bang for the buck. Even the latest versions of the Mac-based iWork/iLife software have the reflection tool built in to a simple key command. Which means everyone can do it, and therefore it would appear that the shelf life of this trend is starting to wane. It is reminiscent of the arc symbol that became the logo craze of the 21st century. It seemed that anyone and everyone who needed a logo simply put a half oval arch shape around the the type and called it a day.Funny enough, people still pay good money to have this decade-old trend applied to their logo and call it a corporate rebrand. Capital One comes to mind. Maybe this is why they recently jacked up my interest rate on my credit card - so that they could pay for their new arch. Hope it was worth it.     That is not to say that there is not an effective role for these design solutions, and I am certainly not saying that I used my last subtle gradient, reflection or white glossy light blur on a logo. But as with all things design-oriented, we will be keeping our eye on what the next wave will be. GUI’s are usually the trendsetters in this case, so keep your eye on Apple to lead the way, and everyone else to follow. Technology 2009-02-16T00:22:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/okay_i_admit_it_i_cant_wait_to_see_wall_e/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/okay_i_admit_it_i_cant_wait_to_see_wall_e/#When:02:48:00Z I remember when I first saw the initial trailer for Pixar's new animated film Wall-E. I was immediately capitvated by it. As they usually do, the story was very vague, but in the most subtle way possible, they lured me in to this amazing film. I do find it amazing that the directors, producers, writers, animators, editors and eveyone else associated with these types of films are able to dedicate literally years of their life to one project. The quality of product that they produce is not as much in the technical prowess of the animation (although it is breathtakingly amazing). It is the quality of the stories that they are able to tell, and the depth they are able to create in these characters that are fictional in every sense of the word. That is why I love Pixar movies, maybe more than any other studio. A key element of great design is to never let the style overcome the substance. The result will be shallow and ultimately forgettable. These movies last far beyond the "wow" factor of the visuals, and when it comes to great multimedia design, regardless of the subject matter, it should model that pattern however possible. Concept really is king.     Technology 2008-06-28T02:48:00-06:00 http://maxonmedia.net/site/maxon_launches_rebranding/ http://maxonmedia.net/site/maxon_launches_rebranding/#When:15:09:00Z The 2008 LSU Tiger Tour is underway and Maxon Media once again this year was able to provide the multimedia video intro for the event. For the fourth consecutive year, Maxon Media has designed and produced the :60 Tour Intro that features high energy video clips, and great sound effects to get the crowd fired up for the event. LSU coaches and administrators speak at every tour stop and its a great time for LSU fans across the region. Many thanks to our friends at LA Post and Ford Soundesign for their efforts in helping with the production. This intro was inspired by the cool new Gatorade ad campaign that take the still-action photographs and convert them into 3-dimensional compositions. The subtly to the movement combined with the key motivational phrases are what give the presenation real impact. I have always been a fan of the image campaigns that Gatorade has developed, as they always seem to be on the leading edge of applying subtle use of the latest technology. They are amazing example of executing a first-rate image campaign and their product marketing, packaging and media are always ahead of the curve.Implementing video and audio files into your website is a great way to showcase your work to existing and potential clients. Give us a call if you would like to discuss converting your commercials, video presentations or audio files into a format that is web-friendly and work for you beyond traditional broadcast media outlets. Our Work 2008-05-06T15:09:00-06:00