CMD+Shift Design
Liz Andrade
Designer of print and web. Podcaster, Blogger, internet nerd and crazy cat lady.
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Just Joined FormSpring
You can ask me anything. Hoping to get some good questions that may spark ideas for extended blog posts, but don’t be shy – ask whatever you want.
Obviously, this blog doesn’t cover pop culture news or anything like that, but the recent Conan O Brien V Jay Leno hoopla has really been something I have GOT TO talk about.
Over the last couple weeks, we all experienced what has now been coined “the Late Night Wars,” it was a whirlwind of drama that sparked a large response from Conan fans on and offline all over the world.
As I watched hashtags on Twitter like #TeamConan pop up and the “I’m with CoCo!” proclamations in Facebook status updates I realized how our experience of this is something that was impossible just a short time ago.
The internets evolution and the stage of social platforms at this moment in time has made community formations like Team Conan a reality that wouldn’t have occurred on such a large scale level if this “war” had occurred just a few short years ago. How awesome is THAT!?!
On top of this uprising of internet support that came out for Conan O’Brien, something else that really stuck with me has been O’Briens reaction to the whole thing. All joking aside, Conan’s final words on his last show that aired this past Friday, January 22nd were so honest, humbled and gracious. Conan really showed what it is to love your audience. Conan has a community around him of millions and yet he constantly seems amazed by their devotion. He’s been a shinning example of being transparent, having true passion for your work and embracing your community.
Conan really summed this up in his final word on Friday night, where he gave great thanks to NBC for the 20+ year career he has had with them. His voiced wavered a bit and it brought a tear to my eye when he talked of how his fans have made this unfortunate situation a celebration… and then sent out a special message to the young people in his audience,
If you work really hard and are kind, amazing things will happen.
What perfect words to end on, they’re so true — and I am going to have to add this quote from Conan in my arsenal of inspiration. I know this is a little bit unconventional for me to be writing about, but it’s been on my mind and I’d love to hear all of your thoughts on the whole thing!
What the hell is “Whuffie”!? I know, it’s a silly sounding word, but bare with me! The word originates from the sci-fi novel by Boing Boing co-editor, Cory Doctorow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. In the novel, whuffie is a form of reputation-based currency and in Tara Hunt’s The Whuffie Factor, she applies this fictitious concept to real life marketing and shows how you can use the power of social capital to build your business.
Social Capital
If you want to talk about whuffie without explaining the word, this term sums it up, Social Capital. Think of each authentic social interaction as a transaction (an exchange of social currency,) the more meaningful transactions you make the more capital you gain and the greater your social worth. If you’re building your personal brand, if you’re engaging with your community, YOU are a social capitalist!
Social Media Books are Bullshit
I generally haven’t been drawn to many of the books that came out this year about social media, for the most part they all come off to me as gimicky and not very genuine… it’s the new generations version of “get rich quick” books. Not a fan.
The Whuffie Factor doesn’t offer any quick tips or tricks on navigating the community or growing your personal brand, but what it does offer is solid, real world examples of how people in an assortment of industries used social media platforms to reach a new audience and grow their brand reputation.
Read it!
I suggest this book in companion with another book I wrote about this year, Crush It. Read The Whuffie Factor first to get a lot great information about real world use of social marketing techniques and to get the wheels in your head turning, thinking about your reputation as a form of capital, then pick up Crush It to get a pep talk and reality check on just what you’re getting yourself into by beginning this investment in your personal brand equity.
What do you think?
Have you read TWF? What did you think? What do you make of this whole concept of “social capital”? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!!! :)
I was really excited to learn about this community, and it is a site I am going to make a point to be active on because I think that it is something that designers giving open critique can be valuable to the industry! Better design out there, happier clients, an all around better world to live in. :)
So what is Concept Feedback?
Concept Feedback is a free professional design review community. You post your website design, logo design, brochure layout, etc. and the community of designers comments with feedback on layout, color, usability, etc.
The service doesn’t require any money to get started. Creating a profile and posting feedback is free. If you would like to post work for the community to critique you have to earn it by giving feedback to other users. Depending on how valuable others find your feedback you get “reputation points,” which help those in the community gauge the value of your comments.
When I first looked over the site, I was expecting to just see comments like “nice job!” or “i don’t like that blue,” but there were some thought out, well reasoned and highly valuable criticisms being made! Don’t take my word for it, go check it out!
The Giveaway
Concept Feedback is now offering a “Premium Concept” feature for users who want to get maximum exposure for their concept. Once a premium concept is live, it is featured on our homepage for 1 week, giving users maximum traffic and reviews. We also personally invite our top members (highest reputation scores) to review the concept, ensuring top quality feedback. You can find more details on premium concepts here.
How to Enter
1. Sign up for an account at Concept Feedback and add me as one of your contacts.
2. Tweet out a link to this Giveaway as follows: “RT @cmdshiftdesign 5 FREE Featured Spots on Concept Feedback, the Design Review Community! http://bit.ly/92FLln”
3. Leave a comment here with your name, email and a link to your tweet and Concept Feedback profile!
You have until Thursday, December 10th at Midnight PST to enter. 5 lucky readers will be chosen at random the following Friday and will be contacted via Twitter!
30 Highly Creative Blog Design Layouts
Today I got an excited email from one of my recent clients when he saw that his Game Development Studio’s newly launched blog was featured at the Spyre Studios site among one of my other blog designs and 28 other killer creative works! This blog design was completed the week after my vacation as many of you joined me through my week long Rush Project Video Diary. It’s always a good feeling to know your hard work paid off, I’m happy, the client is happy, and I’ve got some encouraging feedback from the design community! :) I love my job!
My Vacation Reading List
As you already know, since I’ve been blogging about it and Tweeting about it. I am going on vacation! In preparation for the extended hours I will be spending lounging, I am bringing along a few books to keep my mind from turning to mush while I am away, here’s what they are…
You can buy these titles on Amazon and read along with me!
Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us by Seth Godin | This book is all about community!
The Whuffie Factor: Using the Power of Social Networks to Build Your Business by Tara | This one’s about community, personal branding and social media marketing.
Wildly Sophisticated: A Bold New Attitude for Career Success by Nicole Williams | A unique womans perspctive on marketing yourself in a competitive business world. I chose this cause I was intrigued by her interview on Obsessed.tv – check that out here.
Cash: The Autobiography by Johnny Cash | The title should explain this one… :)
The Launch of Twitter Lists
Twitter has just launched a new feature called Lists. This is very similar to what is known as Groups in TweetDeck or HootSuite, except the group lists that you make on Twitter are public.
How You Use It
You can group your followed friends into categories like “Designers”, “Blogs”, “Celebrities” and then view you lists to get a more targeted look at what people are talking about.
How Your Followers Use It
When you are looking at a Twitter profile, in addition to seeing who they follow you can also check out the groups they have created or the groups other people have listed them in! This can be helpful if you are looking for a certain group of people like designers or freelancers to add to your stream.
What do you think of this new feature? Do you see it as something valuable? How will you use it?
Being included on this list of some KICK ASS designers is pretty awesome!
Facebook Friends > Fans
A while back I set up a Facebook Fan Page to stay connected on Facebook with some of you from the design/dev community, fellow freelancers, clients, internet nerd friends… but I just couldn’t get into the groove with the Fan page thing. All that is so fun about Facebook is the give and take of it and my Fan page only really allowed me to push stuff out without really participating with all of YOU.
Let’s be honest, you’re not Fans – you’re Friends. So I just abandoned the whole Fan Page idea and set up facebook.com/cmdshiftdesign, come be my FBF (Facebook Friend!) :)
Brian over at BK MacDaddy Designs blog has featured me in his series Behind the Avatar, check it out!
