Blog
News, insight and tips from the social web.
The Hoop blog covers the evolving digital landscape, social media, mobile communications, content marketing and also includes 5 top finds and Fish on Friday. Feel free to make comments.
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What’s the responsive plan for the BBC? »
A look at the potential I see in the responsive design for the BBC News mobile website. For me their focus on content and reading is right, but now I'm wondering if desktop is missing out.
Today Chris Russell wrote up the justification behind BBC News' switch to responsive design for their mobile site. They've taken the mobile website (m.bbc.co.uk/news) and adapted it so that it now deals with many more device sizes, from desktop right down to smartphone sized screens. The techniques they've used relate to responsive web design, the benefits of which we've covered before.
However is "mobile" really the right place to be targeting this effort? The design of the new site is beautifully simple and brilliant for reading, but describing this as a "mobile" site (supposedly as opposed to "desktop") seems to be assuming too much about the context in which it will be used. I appreciate you haven't forced your mobile visitors to the mobile version (OK apart from here) they can still see the standard view, but what about changing the naming convention (the positioning) of this new site?
[The responsive mobile BBC News homepage]
Top priority for context in web design has to be the site visitor's objectives, not the device they use. Labeling a simplified version of your website as the "mobile" view assumes that mobile visitors don't want to perform complex activities. Research from all over the web (including some startling stats from sites we've built) suggests the world is quickly going mobile. Assuming they don't want to take their complex activities with them is quite a stretch.
The Opportunity
Rather than complain that you're doing it wrong, I think you have the perfect opportunity. Do you remember Facebook Lite? Do you use Instapaper or Read it Later? Have you seen the Apple Safari Reader? Each of these tools has a different purpose, but the overall effect is roughly the same, a light view of the content with many of the extras (adverts and other trivia) stripped out. If I'm reading anything on the web, Instapaper is my preferred view. Forget about the distractions I want to focus on the content.
This new site uses the technology behind responsive web design, but with a twist. Traditionally (what tradition there is on the web) responsive web design requires one web page i.e. www.bbc.co.uk/news responding to many devices. However, in this first iteration you've chosen to effectively take a copy of the page and put it here m.bbc.co.uk/news/ (Note: for non‐geeks, the "www" and "m" are the bits that make the difference). What if, as I've found myself choosing to do, I can switch between the "mobile" and standard views, not dependent on the context of my device but the context of me? This strikes me as rather more appropriate with such a content heavy site where reading is such a core activity.
The feeling of focus I had when reading a "mobile" site story was the same I have when using Instapaper. In fact I may well find myself reading on links beginning with "http://m.bbc…" even if I'm on the desktop. Just my own small experience suggests you have the beginnings of a site feature with Instapaper‐like clarity, but without the overhead of your visitor having to be enough of a geek to embed the aforementioned services into their lives. So why not rename what you call a mobile view? I like what you're doing, I just think your signposting is a little off.
Categories: Insight
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5 top finds #18 »
This week we've got a Sony Ericsson Xperia arc being blooming awesome, an interview with Mark Zuckerberg, lovely typography, webvolution and the #UKriots. Yes, it's time for 5 top finds again...
1. Beautiful typography
Type is everywhere. Every print publication, website, movie, advertisement and public message involves the creation or selection of a fitting typeface. Online, a rich and artistic typographical culture exists, where typefaces are created and graphic design seeps in to every image.
We spotted this awesome mini-documentary from PBS arts the other day. Definitely worth a watch!
2. How things have changed
We're huge fans on infographics here at Hoop. We saw a pretty good one on the Kissmetrics blog covering the evolution of web design over the past two decades. Go take a look!
3. Replacing the sun... With a smartphone
If you've not noticed already, we keen champions of mobile devices here at Hoop. We were astonished when we heard about Sony Ericsson's latest challenge; seeing if their new Xperia arc handset's screen could make a flower bloom. You can see the outcome on YouTube - but we were definitely impressed!
4. Mark Zuckerberg and his blooming Facebook
Whilst we're on the topic of flowers blooming, and continuing with a rather ropey simile, we spotted this (fairly ancient but still interesting) interview this morning. Facebook's CEO sat down with The New Yorker to discuss pretty much everything. Read the full interview here.
5. #UKriots
This week has been a pretty messy and scary one for those of us living in London - or any of the other cities where riots have broken out.
89 year old Aaron Biber has been a Tottenham resident for 41 years where he ran his barber shop. On Saturday night, his shop was destroyed and then looted during the riots. Without insurance, he was facing closure.
But then social media and some internet savvy interns over at BBH stepped in and set up Keep Aaron Cutting. The site has acted as a crowd sourcing platform to help donate money to get Aaron's shop open again. And in just two days, they've raised over £25,000. A truly heartwarming story!
Categories: 5 top finds
Tags: facebook, #keepaaroncutting, #Londonriots, Mobile, Typography
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5 top finds from around the web. »
After last week's 'A special 5 top finds', we compile another list of some of the cool things we've stumbled upon over the past week.
1. Retrofied Facebook advertising.
After our post about Facebook yesterday, we came across these wonderfully vintage-themed posters for social networks. Created by Moma Propaganda and 6B Studio for Maximidia Seminars, there were a run of these posters under the title of 'Everything ages fast. Update'. Truly awesome!
See the rest of the posters here.
2. The future of the web?
We spotted a great piece on HTML5 and the future potential of the web over on McKinsey Quarterly the other day. Well worth a read if web standards are your cup of tea!
Read "How new Internet standards will finally deliver a mobile revolution" here.
3. Boris Bikes.
We love our bikes here at Hoop. Most of us ride to work, some of us using the extremely popular 'Boris Bikes'. Whilst we love the scheme and what it's done to encourage new cyclists onto London's roads, we also have a few reservations about the system.
It seems The Economist shares some of them.
Do you agree with the points raised in the article? We'd be interested to hear your thoughts, feel free to get in touch and let us know!
4. 1924's Venturous Vegetables at the Frolic Grounds
Kate draws your attention to these wonderful illustrations from Venturous Vegetables at the "Frolic Grounds" - an illustrated story by T. Benjamin Faucett (New York: A. L. Burt Company, 1924). The book forms part of Faucett's Moon Queen series - which you can see on 50 Watts here.
5. T-Mobile does the Royal Wedding.
To celebrate the Royal Wedding and to get people talking about the brand, the creatives over at T-Mobile have done a rather amusing parody of a popular YouTube video. Judging by a few of the comments, some people haven't quite realised that it's a joke. Fingers crossed this is actually how the Royal Wedding goes down!
See the T-Mobile Royal Wedding video here.
Categories: 5 top finds
Tags: Bikes
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Digital Britain - 10 points to ponder »
The digital economy is the most dynamic sector in the world and as the global recession bites, it is essential to nurture those parts of the economy that can generate growth potential and jobs.
Their words, not ours
The statement above is cut straight from the content of Digital Britain, the interim report from the DCMS on Britain’s digital future. It makes interesting reading and has implications for us all. To save you time, we’ve pulled out 10 top passages and published them below.
1. Ready
British consumers have a huge appetite for new digital services, with high levels of take-up of new networks and devices. This in turn creates a market environment which unlocks new commercial possibilities and encourages innovation in new content, services and applications.
2. Sitting ducks
These changes (in consumer habits) are challenging the economics of intermediaries of all kinds and more traditional types of content companies – publishers, the music industry, the newspaper industry and broadcasters – in particular.
3. New rules
When there is very widespread (contrarian) behaviour and social acceptability of such behaviour that is at odds with the rules, then the rules, the business models that the rules have underpinned and the behaviour itself may all need to change.
4. Reach
In the UK today over nine in ten households can get first generation broadband. Six in ten households have today already adopted it, a higher percentage than most other major economies.
5. Broadband everywhere
Several other countries are now moving to a universal service commitment for broadband. America, France, Australia and Finland have all announced plans for a universal guarantee.
6. Untapped potential
In the UK, an estimated 17 million people over the age of 15 are not using computers and the Internet. We need to build the awareness of the benefits of internet technology to enhance the life chances of all. Otherwise inequality in the use and application of digital technologies is potentially a significant new driver of social exclusion in the 21st century, which risks accelerating existing social divides and creating new ones.
7. User experience
We (the Govt) commit to ensure that public services online are designed for ease of use by the widest range of citizens, taking advantage of the widespread uptake of broadband to offer an improved customer experience and encourage the shift to online channels in delivery and service support.
8. Like, hello!
This country has the potential to become a leader. All the evidence is that effective deployment, understanding and use of digital technologies are crucial to every business’s competitiveness. For some it is transforming.
9. Bottom up
The simple message at the core of this interim report is that we cannot afford to treat education and training for digital technologies as just another ‘vertical’ subject area. It underpins everything we do in the 21st Century. Successful, emerging economies have already embraced this message. We must do likewise.
10. The Googlies
(We) need effectively to engage an entire generation growing up with the internet, multi-media formats and broadband. This starts with inspiring and innovative programmes and initiatives to engage a new generation of students and attract them into technology-inspired and creative careers.
Join the debate
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Top tips for 2009 »
Our take on the things you need to do to get through the downturn.
Cut the waste, don't just trim
Print less. Travel less. Buy less advertising. Buy better, buy smarter. Demand a return on your investment and live without for a while. Sack the agencies that aren't giving you up to the minute advice or are still selling proprietary systems.
Focus on customers
Internal or external, get to know what people want, need or can contribute to your business. Understand that open collaboration is the spirit of the age and a business strategy in itself.
Focus on content
You will hear it more and more over the coming year, so get ahead of the competition - produce better content. Content built around user interests, and sites built around content are the ones that will survive and thrive.
Sort out the user experience
Unless you are the only business in your field you are in competition. User experience is binary so if you don't give your site visitors what they want they will go elsewhere. And they won't come back. Take this opportunity to fix the things that annoy you and your customers.
Measure everything
Take control of your ROI. Spend money and effort where you get the best return. Stop doing things that send budget and resources down a black hole. If it's not working, change it.
Take advice
Unless your job is to keep on top of the changing media, communications and business landscape, chances are you won't have time to fit this in. This is a full time job. In fact it's many full time jobs. Hire the right people to advise you on User Insight, Online Marketing, User Experience Design, User Experience Branding, Web Development, Online PR and Social Media Strategy.
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The game’s up »
Traditional advertising is missing a trick - that more and more purchasing decisions are based on the customer's online experience.
And when that online experience doesn't measure up, as is so often the case, it doesn't matter how creative the idea or how extensive the media spend, people are just not going to buy.
Wrong message
Now, before we buy almost anything, we seek out comparisons in performance, price, customer service and after sales support. This change in behaviour affects every business, brand, product or service. It also calls into question the advertising business model. How does it add value online exactly?
Customers have a choice
Sitting between seeing an advert and making a purchase is the online experience. And it's an experience that often doesn't meet expectations. However memorable or stimulating a TV commercial or a magazine spread might be, consumers increasingly make their decisions to purchase based on their online experience, on the product detail available, on the belief and confidence the website gives them in the brand and of course, the word of other customers.
Switching over
Companies that fail to grasp the importance of the online experience for their customers and that don't invest in content or integrate their communications, will soon find those customers have deserted them and gone where they will be valued.
Disappointment is no basis for business
We've all been there. You see an advert, find the website but then you can't find the information you want. Where are the decent product shots? Why is the product description only five words long. No dimensions? Colours? What about finish and material?
Worse still when you Google the product you find a site where somebody has posted a message saying, "Don't buy this, it's rubbish".
So even where the advertising effort hits home and the desire to buy is highly stimulated, if the online experience lets users down then that's the advertising budget blown, game over.
New game
The advertising industry doesn't want to hear that their efforts will eventually be directed towards promoting the internet. But that's where we're heading. And when this day comes, top of the pile of customer needs will not be brand or price, but user experience. Online, in use, after sales and support.
Online shoppers have a huge choice, they can immediately find and see what the competition have to offer and, if the experience is better, then it really is game over.
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