One Part Scissors » Trends

Web Design Trends into 2013

Ashley Glover — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:10:27 +0000

Web Design trends and fashions are difficult to predict, with everything from popular culture and other disciplines of design, to major websites and software design influencing the trends. On researching the landscape, we believe that two opposing trends will emerge in web design over the next year or two.

The prevailing style on the Internet for the past two or three years has been called the Web 2.0 style, with shiny, glossy buttons and smooth, gradient finishes making websites appear to have been built using glass, water, and reflective metals. The inspiration for this trend seems to have been the design of Apple’s Aqua themed OS X Operating System (See example from Wikipedia).

There has been a trend away from the very clean, shiny appearance of the Web 2.0 style, with websites employing real-word textures to create a more gritty appearance. This foreshadows what we believe is the first major trend: skeuomorphism.

Trend #1: Skeuomorphism

Pronounced “Skew-a-morf”, this is a complicated word for a simple idea – making things look like other things. The idea has been around for a long time – Wikipedia lists two great examples; a hubcap which appears to have spokes, and decorative rivets on jeans – neither are functional, but they represent something from an earlier time. The spokes on the hubcap are not needed as they were on the first wheels – but it appeals to us nonetheless.

Skeuomorphs have been used on computers for ages – the folders on your computer are made to look like little cardboard folders – and this works, even though we all have plenty of computer folders, and probably no paper folders anymore – the metaphor still works. It is comforting.

Skeuomorphics are at the heart of Apple’s new design ethos. On the iPhone and iPad, the calendar is made to look like a real-world, leather-bound desk calendar. Selecting a time for your alarm clock brings up an old-style rotating dial with numbers on it. This style is being carried further into the operating system with each new version.

Microsoft is about to launch their next version of Windows. Windows 8 uses an interface Microsoft is calling Metro. Their design language is starkly different from Apple’s – they believe that Skeuomorphs add clutter and make things more complicated, and so they have gone for a style they’re calling “Authentically Digital”, and we believe this will be the second major trend.

Trend #2: “Authentically Digital”

The Authentically Digital idea in Windows 8 makes use of blocks of flat, bright colour tiles to represent the various programs. These are not representations of real world items – they’re not “buttons” or “windows” or “tiles” – they are digital elements that can only exist on the computer.

This look is bold, fluid, and must be used in conjunction with motion to keep it interesting – the actual elements are very plain, but they move fluidly when clicked to provide the user with feedback and guidance as to what is happening.

Why will two Operating Systems set trends in web design?

The reason we feel that these two OS trends will influence design on the web is that people look at their screens on a daily basis and interact with their computers in these two ways. This begins to form a set of expectations from users – if i see something that looks like a real-world dial, i expect to be able to click and drag it and interact with it as though it were real. If confronted with a page of large, colourful blocks, i will know these are active links.

The style you decide to go for on your next website will be determined by 2 things:

Your Brand’s personality. One of these two styles is going to feel more ‘right’ for your brand. Your Brand’s personality and style is the most important factor, it should come before personal preference!
Your Preference. Which of these appeals to you more?

If you would like to explore a redesign of your website to make it “Skeuomorphic” or more “Authentically Digital”, let us know and we will arrange to come and see you.

Click here to mail us about a site refresh.

The Verdict: Google Adwords

Ashley Glover — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:56:51 +0000

OPS has recently completed an internal experiment with advertising on Google.
We tested the effect of switching off our advertising, comparing the quality and quantity of hits to the site before and after. This was a very basic test, but the results speak for themselves.

We switched off our Google Adwords campaign for April, May and June. We switched the Adwords campaign back on at the end of June, and compared our visits to onepartscissors.com for June and July. The results are very interesting.

37% increase in visits

Our Analytics for the site show a 37% increase in visitors to the site when Google advertising is running.

We also have seen a 21% increase in the number of pages viewed by the visitors – this means that people are looking at the site in more depth.

66% increase in visits to the contact page

The number of people looking to contact us increased by two thirds. The last column of this table shows the percentage of visitors to the site that viewed the contact page. This number has increased – 37% more visitors to the site are going to the contact page.

The increase of visitors to the contact page is a very important statistic – 66% more visitors to our contact page results in people contacting us more often.

What does this mean?

This simple experiment has ensured that we will continue our Google Advertising, and allocate more budget to it whenever possible. We have noted an increased number of emails and calls from prospective clients – and the Google Adwords campaign is the only variable which has changed.

If you would like to increase the visits to your website, call us today. We will analyze the current state of your website, check if there are any improvements to content that are needed, and set up a campaign for you with Google Adwords.

Click here to have OPS contact you today about Google Adwords.

What PayPal in SA means

Ashley Glover — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 08:09:19 +0000

First National Bank recently announced it has partnered with PayPal, who is one of the world’s leading online payment providers.

PayPal is the easiest way to make and receive online payments, and they are present in 190 countries, with over 80 million active users.

Until now, a South African consumer or business could set up a PayPal account, and transfer money from their bank account to their PayPal account to make online purchases. The problem came when you would like to receive a payment via PayPal – you could receive the funds, but couldn’t transfer it back into your regular bank account, rendering it all but useless for most businesses. Now, with PayPal’s partnership with FNB, you can.

What this means for businesses is that e-commerce has just become much easier to get involved in. Up until now, it has been a complex process to create an online shop, which involved setting up payment gateway accounts and special ‘Online Merchant’ bank accounts. The banks would typically also request business plans and cash-flow statements for up to 2 years, as well as much other admin requirements. All this was a huge administrative load on a business that would like to experiment with online sales.

Now the process has been greatly simplified:

Create a PayPal account,
Open an FNB account,
Let One Part Scissors build your online shop.

PayPal even offers professional services which allow you to receive regular credit card payments as well as PayPal payments.
If you are interested in getting involved in e-commerce, contact One Part Scissors today to find out more about how to harness this exciting new development. Online sales worldwide are pinned in the hundreds of billions of dollars each year. Experts suggest that by 2020 the Internet Economy will amount to $3.8 trillion, surpassing the GDP of large countries like Germany.
Get involved in this exciting space on the web!

Click here to have OPS contact you about adding an e-commerce aspect to your website.

Is Branding for everyone?

Ashley Glover — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:30:45 +0000

How big does your company need to be before you start worrying about your brand? Are brand manuals and strategic brainstorming about where to place the next ambient media promotion only for the likes of Diesel and Donna Karan?

This depends on what your definition of branding is. Simply put, branding is becoming known, liked and trusted. A consistent brand reassures your customers that they’re still top of mind – and makes potential customers wonder what all the talk is about.

A consistent brand meets the customer where they’re at. If your customers now spend more time on the web than in their car, how is your brand reassuring them that you know what they want? If they spend more time using Facebook than they do using email, will they meet you along their travels?

Companies of every size need to understand and utilise the power of branding when reaching their customers. It’s not just a big budget burden (or at least doesn’t have to be). It’s not only about capturing the personality of your company, but also about creating a consistent message that customers can know and trust.

So what message are you sending?

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