2020 was quite the year, to say the least. In hindsight, 12 months ago, none of us would have believed in just one year the world would go through such a drastic lifestyle and workforce transition to cope with the global pandemic. 2020 was filled with many unexpected obstacles, quick pivots, and innovative solution finding, many of which are here to stay and evolve even further.  

The pandemic only accelerated the digital transformation we sensed coming. It exposed an ugly truth that some business practices were flawed or outdated—and consequently unfit for the challenges of the 21st century. This resulted in the rise of new digital platforms, virtual events, and interactions. While 2020 may have been the year of perseverance, 2021 will be the year of ingenuity. The past year will be earmarked in history as an era of uncertainty and adaptation, but this upcoming year will be an opportunity to refine and enhance the solutions sought in time of need. Digital agencies such as Bluetext will continue to seek new solutions, new practices, and new experiences. The digital trends of 2021 will be focused on carving a path to a digitally-focused future durable enough to withstand an immediate continuation of remote interactions and a hybrid future that sustains virtual successes when companies return to the office.

Independent Interactions

The first digital marketing trend of 2021 is not new but will grow exponentially in importance in the future. Websites and platforms have grown over the past few years to lay the groundwork for an explosion of digital interactions this year. The key thing to keep in mind when considering interactive content is ease and engagement. With a majority of employees working from home, critical business meetings, sales pitches, and prospecting must occur online as well. Keep in mind your users will be interacting independently, without anyone to walk through it or focus their attention. Additionally, with users spending countless hours in front of their screens, it is harder than ever to capture attention and create memorable interactions.

Impressive interactions are rooted in design and user experience. The two complement one another, but should never be considered a substitute. A beautifully designed website may be eye-catching at first glance, but if the site is stuck on static elements or has poor user experience (UX) you can’t expect your user’s attention to last. Now more than ever, end users are suffering from screen fatigue and begin to notice a certain sameness caused by templated digital design commonly found by using website design and development companies like Squarespace and Wix. Organizations must reconsider design, content, audience and the interaction between all three to inject greater excitement, joy, and curiosity into screen experiences.

With remote work, companies now require new solutions to deliver experiences away from the physical spaces where sales teams, clients, and brands previously interacted. To steepen the challenge further, these interactions need to be intuitive and user friendly enough to empower independent users. Schedules and “office hours” have become more fluid than ever with a remote workforce. Your customers or clients will seek to find information at any hour of the day and will expect to be able to view demos, materials, or tutorials independently on their own time. To empower users to make important independent browsing, Bluetext recommends the following website enhancements. 

• Detailed copy: Don’t underestimate the power of the written (or typed) word! It is time to invest in a thorough and detailed copy that will equip people with the critical information they need to make a decision. 
• ChatBots: Even though we are behind a screen, we are still human. Humans ask questions, may need extra explanations, or get lost sometimes. Especially if your product or solution is complex, you cannot rely on a sales manager to verbally explain and answer questions. Consider adding a chatbot to your website to help remedy any challenges in finding information.
• Animations: Adding some motion to your webpages is a small step that makes miles of impact. A favorite motion trend Bluetext has seen within the tech and B2B industries are the animation of software screenshots to act as a mini demo to play on a loop. 

People want to be inspired by what they see on their screens, and brands can step up to meet this demand. Brands that break free from industry norms and traditional design templates can achieve this differentiation. With the right content delivered through great design, an audience can find an on-screen experience just as compelling as a real-world experience.

Popular Platforms

In the new year, organizations will continue to seek new ways to communicate with people and deliver brand experiences from a distance. Online briefing centers gained many top agencies’ attention last year and will continue to grow in popularity and importance. What exactly is an executive briefing center? It is a virtual platform that surrounds your prospects with thought leadership, rich content, and interactive UX and recreates the in-person premium briefing experience. Compatible with a variety of well-known conferencing software, such as WebEx, Zoom, and Skype, a digital briefing center can support sales consultations, conferences, webinars, and so much more. The successful transition of the sales and proposal process from in-person to online is what will separate top companies from their competitors.

In 2021, virtual experience agencies forecast that virtual platforms will only grow in importance and popularity. Platforms will be re-engineered to support the growth of interactive content and solve pressing problems. Custom platforms like a digital briefing center or app may be a wise choice for corporations with a lot of content to communicate, but smaller firms can benefit just as much from widely adopted and available platforms. So which is the right choice for you? Consider the content. If you need to hold private sales consultations, training videos, or materials intended for select private audiences a briefing center may be the best fit to gate proprietary information. If you have valuable content of interest to wide audiences and with the goal of gaining brand awareness and thought leadership, consider using social media platforms in unique ways. This could include custom infographics and illustrations, interactive quizzes and games, promotional videos, and much more. 

With the growth in free time and use of social media comes a growth of advertising and targeting opportunities. These platforms offer something critical to businesses: a way to easily create content and reach a lot of potential customers. Interesting and engaging content can become key drivers for lead generation, not just brand awareness.  In 2021 Bluetext predicts social platforms will continue to emerge as places for people to monetize their creativity and reach wider audiences than ever before.

Virtual Events

Over the past year, many of us mourned the personal and professional rituals we once enjoyed. Whether that was happy hours with friends, traveling to annual trade shows and conferences, or attending annual corporate events, sacrifices were made to preserve public health. These events didn’t just support a business goal or networking opportunity, they represented a sociological ceremony and routine that binds people to their colleagues, communities, and wider society. Luckily, digital experience agencies, such as Bluetext, saw and empathized with this obstacle which resulted in the rise of virtual events. 

Virtual events started out of necessity, but are here to stay because of ROI and accessibility. “In the face of the COVID pandemic, events became virtual out of necessity. As we move into 2021 and beyond, many events will stay virtual not only because of continued safety concerns, but also as a result of lessons learned in 2020.” says Forbes.  

Virtual events and experiences are no longer a sub-par substitute to in-person events, but the smarter solution for both a business’ bottom line and attendees. Hosting a virtual event provides the opportunity to reach a wider audience without the time and budgetary constraints of traveling. Attendees can selectively tune in to view the sessions most relevant to them, which frees up more time in their daily schedule. Unlike in-person events where employees are out of the office for days at a time, they are only out for a few short hours. The reduced time sacrifice allows for much higher attendance, and consequently more participation and overall event success. 

How can they participate from behind a screen? Virtual event marketing agencies, such as Bluetext, are designing and developing engaging interactive web platforms that allow for two-way communication and audience participation. From “lobby hall” homepages, to interactive sponsor “booths” and live video and chat functionalities there are many ways to help recreate the in-person experience of a live, in-person event. The key is to get creative and drive engagement through great speakers, rich content, and impressive UX. A virtual event offers the opportunity to reach new audiences, promote a sense of community and morale within existing audiences, and distribute valuable information in an attractive and interactive way. Added bonus? Companies that go the faux-live route with pre-recorded sessions and video content eliminate the risk of mistakes or stumbles. 

 

So what can we expect in 2021? As a society, we have learned to expect the unexpected, but as digital marketers, we can expect to see a surge in digital platforms, interactive content, and the virtual recreation of past rituals. As an industry, digital marketing agencies have observed many organizations fully embracing a digital transformation in their marketing efforts. Technology that has revolutionized remote experience and enhanced team collaboration has taken root and will only continue to grow. Companies that take advantage of and invest in digital marketing early can gain a competitive edge.

So what are you waiting for? Contact Bluetext to learn how we can propel your digital strategy into 2021.

 

 

 

 

Now more than ever it’s important to understand and master the skills of remote client relations and project management tasks. Even though the pandemic will not last forever, we have the opportunity to take a look at lessons learned, opportunities created, and skills we’ve grown to use daily. Not only will this help make one a better and more flexible employee, but allow the opportunity for a digital agency to tackle a whole new client base. Let’s dive into some of the most important skills of remote client work.

Over-Communication

Striving to over-communicate with clients is always a good thing. Scheduling weekly status calls, both for the internal project management team and with the client, is great to keep a consistent base of communication and ensure that everyone is aware of where the project stands to date. These weekly calls can be used to review completed and upcoming deadlines, updates on various levels of project status, and resolve any questions in real-time. Having frequent touchpoints with the client helps reach deadlines successfully. If frequent phone calls and video conferences are not possible, never underestimate the power of an email! Digital project managers understand how busy schedules can get, and sometimes that meeting really could have been an email.

Patience

Patience and understanding is an extremely necessary skill for managing remote client work.  Remember, no work-from-home situation is the same. Especially in the wake of COVID-19, many employees who were not prepared or planning to work from home are finding their kitchen table is doubling as their new conference room. Try to be understanding and empathetic with background noise, kids, or pets interfering during conference calls. Don’t get frustrated when someone experiences issues with virtual meetings or is having trouble with technical issues – instead, offer some assistance. Everyone’s circumstances and experience with remote work are different, so be as empathetic as you can.

Cross-Team Collaboration

As a digital marketing agency, Bluetext offers a wide variety of services – which translates into a wide variety of roles and skillsets. Many client projects include multiple tracks of deliverables, such as messaging, branding, website design, and development. It is more important than ever in a remote workplace to keep the lines of communication across these tracks clear and consistent. While agencies might not have the luxury of gathering all creatives, copywriters, project managers, and developers in one room to brainstorm or ask one-off questions, it’s important to keep everyone on the account on the same page. Bluetext recommends setting up recurring scrum meetings to run through the statuses of all parallel tracks, or regular touch bases within the different departments. Online collaboration software, such as Slack or Teams, is a great place to facilitate conversation between groups for questions, blockers, or ideation. 

Organization

Although organization is a keystone of regular client and project management, switching to remote work requires an even stronger set of organizational skills. Make sure you have a separate work space (that does not include your bed or the couch) where you can have a space to focus and create a productive working environment. This should be free of distractions and allow you to maximize your full potential. In addition, comprehensive project schedules, project trackers, to-do lists and conference reports help keep yourself, your team and your client organized with clear-cut deadlines, updates and project progress.

Time Management

When doing remote work, it can be difficult to differentiate between work-life and personal life. Sometimes, even just reminding yourself to take appropriate lunch breaks can make all the difference. Block chunks of time off on your calendar for lunch breaks and to tackle specific projects. This helps keep yourself accountable and make sure you’re accomplishing everything on your to-do list. In addition, prioritization of high-priority and low-priority tasks will help you be extremely successful. Identify the items on your to-do list that need to be tackled right away and which can wait. This better helps you manage your time as well as delivering items on deadline, which all leads to a more successful project.

Adaptability

Adaptability is one of the most critical skills for remote client and project management work. You must be willing to test out new tools, new applications and whatever can help you perform your job successfully. In a new environment, new tools are inevitable. Your client might even have their own favorite tools they want you to try out. Always willing to be adaptable and try out new things!

At Bluetext, we’re extremely dedicated to our work and our clients, remote or not. We have a variety of clients based outside of Washington, D.C., such as Wallix, based in France; AppGate, based in Texas; Citrix, based in New York City. We have the talent, skills, and resources to take your business to the next level, no matter where you are.

What is ADA Compliance? 

The Internet should be accessible for all, and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, ensures that. Section 508 is designed to extend federal responsibilities to all individuals with disabilities, especially as the world moves towards more digitally based interactions. In 1998, the law was updated to include specific terminology over ‘electronic and information technology.’ Because the actual terms and conditions outlined in § 508 are ambiguous, the W3C created specific guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG) to be able to run specific criterion tests on the suggested interpretation of the guidelines. Since January 2017, the current version, WCAG 2.0, has been accepted as the primary set of implementation guidelines. 

This Is A Lot of Legal Jargon, Why Should You Care?

Every company should want as much reach for your digital content as possible, even if your target audience is not visually impaired or disabled. Not to mention, you could get sued if your website is not ADA compliant. If you’re federally funded, you must be compliant. For non-federally funded websites, it’s a gray area, but certainly a legal risk. Best practice is to be compliant and empower equal access and equal opportunity for all digital content. The Internet in particular can dramatically improve the lives of people with disabilities. It’s important to remember that accessibility is not just for the blind – it also accommodates auditory, motor, cognitive, and seizure disabilities. With about 15% of the global population living with some form of disability, it’s crucial as a reputable brand to want to make your website and digital content accessible for everyone. But it’s not always easy…

Accessibility Design

Accessibility should be considered early on in the design phase. It’s also important to remember that there’s no “end” to accessibility – it’s an evolving process. There’s also no ‘correct’ solution to accessibility. The WCAG 2.0 instead focuses on four principles of accessibility to base on for criterion testing:

1. Perceivable
2. Operable 
3. Understandable 
4. Robust 

What do these principles mean and how can I design in style with them in mind? 

Perceivable

This means web content is made available to the senses – sight, hearing, and/or touch. 

Text Alternatives: You must provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols, or simpler language.

• All non-decorative images should have alternative text (aka ‘alt text’)
• Complex images should be described on a separate and linked page
• Form buttons and fields should be labeled

Pro tip: Use arrows so google can “read” hidden content. 

↓

Time-Based Media:

• Audio content should have text transcripts
• Video content should have synchronized captions 
• Any visual content in video should be described 

Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example, simpler layout) without losing information or structure. 

• Semantic markup is used for headings and text (e.g, <h1>, <ul>, <ol>, <strong>)
• Menus should be logical and intuitive from reading order alone
• Instructions do not rely on shape, size, location, or with auditory cues

Not only are these practices compliant, but they also provide tremendous SEO benefits! So why wouldn’t you implement an adaptable structure?

Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.

• Color is not used as the sole method of conveying content or distinguishing visual elements
• Contrast (http://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)
  • The text has a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 (AA)
  • The large text has a contrast ratio of 3:1 (AA)
    • Large text is defined as text larger than 18 points (~24px) or bold text larger 14 points (~19px)
• The page is readable and functional when text size is doubled (AA)
• Should be able to pause or change the volume of any audio longer than 3 seconds

Pro Tip: Test your color contrast and font size with this tool to ensure it’s compliant. Accessible design can still look modern and creative! https://www.getstark.co/

↓

Operable

This means the user interface components and navigation must be operable. 

Keyboard Accessible: Make all functionality available from a keyboard

• All functionality is available using the keyboard unless the functionality cannot be accomplished in any known way using the keyboard
• Keyboard focus is never trapped

Enough Time: Provide users enough time to read and use content

• If a page or application has a time limit, the user is given options to turn off, adjust, or extend that time limit
• Automatically moving, blinking, updating, or scrolling content that lasts longer than 5 seconds can be paused, stopped, or hidden by the user. 

Pro Tip: On auto-scroll content, include a play/pause button so it can be paused and the content can be consumed. If the content on auto-play doesn’t have a link or text, or really any content associated with it, then it does not need a pause/play button.

↓

Seizures: Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures

• No content flashes more than 3 times per second and do not contain too much red 

Navigable: Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are

• A link is provided to skip navigation and other page elements that are repeated across web pages
• Pages have descriptive and informative page titles
• Navigation is logical and intuitive
• The purpose of each link can be determined by the link text and context alone. Links with the same text that go to different locations are readily distinguishable.
• Multiple ways to find other web pages of the sites (e.g., table of contents and search) (AA)
• Avoid duplicative page headings and label text (AA)
• Focus states are visible to the user (AA)

Understandable

It’s as simple as it sounds – content and interface need to be easy to understand. This should be a website goal for both disabled and abled users!

Readable: Make text content readable and understandable

• The language of the page is identified using the HTML lang attribute (e.g., <html lang=“en”>)
• The language of page content that is in a different language is identified using the lang attribute (e.g., <blockquote lang=”es”>) (AA)

Predictable: Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways

• When a page element receives focus or a user interacts with a form or control, it does not result in a substantial change to the page, creates a pop-up, or any other change that could confuse the user, unless the user is informed of the change ahead of time
• Navigation links do not change order (AA)
• Elements across multiple webpages are consistently identified (AA)

Input Assistance: Help users avoid and correct mistakes 

• Required elements for a form are clearly labeled as such
• Form validation issues are provided in a quick and accessible manner
• Required interactive elements have sufficient labels and instructions
• Suggestions should be provided for fixing input errors (AA)
• Changes to legal or financial data can be confirmed or reversed (AA)

Robust

Content can be used reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies

Compatible: Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents

• Avoid HTML parsing errors (http://validator.w3.org)
• Markup is used in a way that facilitates accessibility (e.g., ARIA labels for custom interface components)

Remember, accessibility is more than just following these guidelines – it’s about equal access to digital content. You could be the next big example in your industry for accessibility, and maybe even be eligible for an award. And once your beautiful, new website is built, there are tools to help you ensure your site is accessible. Download WAVE to identify accessibility and Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) errors. 

Not sure how to get started? Contact us at Bluetext – we’re here to help! 

A business’ marketing content is crucial in informing and educating prospects and customers about the company. It helps communicate the company’s story, credibility, leadership in the industry, as well as specific solutions and challenges they can solve. It not only represents your business but also your value proposition. It determines what sets you apart from your competition. Content marketing helps to educate and guide customers on authentic and trustworthy experiences, ultimately leading to conversions for your business. 

There is no shortage of marketing resources available. From infographics to whitepapers, to case studies and blogs, marketing content exists in all shapes and sizes. The variance helps open your resources to a wide range of audiences while also keeping content fresh and modern. But what is the best way to showcase all your resources together in one organized, concise place?

Rise of the Resource Centers

The popularity of businesses creating online Resource Centers/Hubs on their websites is through the roof. Resource Centers consist of pages and pages of content marketing assets. End users typically can preview the type of content, a short description, and maybe even a thumbnail image. Resource Centers can often become extremely overwhelming for a user, driving away conversions. The user journey is important to keep top-of-mind when designing your Resource Center. 

One of the best ways to improve the user experience while browsing content marketing is to aid them in finding exactly what would cater to their needs. Taxonomy tags are the most efficient way to categorize content by type, category, or keyword. Users should be able to easily search or filter between taxonomies, to view results relevant to them as a click of a button. Resource Center listing pages can even pre-filter content and allow the user to view specific collateral types, topics, or more upon landing.

Industry Examples

For example, Genpact exemplifies a simple user journey on their Resource Center. The first thing a user sees landing on their “Insights” page is the ability to search for content related to a specific industry, function, or even to improve a strategic goal. By establishing obvious and easy to use personalization options, users feel catered to and confident they will find exactly what they are looking for. And even without a specific intent in mind, users can pre-filter options to simply browse by industry, function, or goal-relevant to them. Users can even combine all three filtering options to view even more tailored results.

Another great example of pre-filtered content in a Resource Center is IPsoft. IPsoft filters all content by types, such as Press Releases, Opinions or blogs, or educational resources such as whitepapers and videos. For users browsing the newsroom, all content is sorted chronologically and categorized by large, recognizable tags. In addition, popular posts constantly follow the user in the right-hand column while social media share buttons are easily accessible in the left-hand column.

McKinsey takes a unique approach in its Resource Center by showcasing its range of content marketing and news types in nugget-sized promotional banners. With this approach, a user is introduced to a wealth of resources and content types, without being overwhelmed. With only one to four resources shown per type, the page is easily scannable. This not only caters to the simplified user journey for the user who knows what they want they’re looking for, but also for the user who wants to explore and browse content. McKinsey sorts by popular posts, magazine insights, global institute insights, and podcasts and videos into one streamlined interface, much like a magazine stand. This further cements the credibility of the company as well by highlighting various company publications.

Along with pre-filtering content for your audience, creating a unique and well-designed Resource Center is key for standing out amongst your competitors and bringing in potential conversions. It’s crucial you recognize the goal for your Resource Center – is it to highlight outstanding thought leadership? Or is it to showcase your wide range of insights? Once you have your goal in mind, focus on user experience, and strategic branding to achieve your goals and watch the conversions come in.

Affinity is a prime example of using unique branding to frame their content marketing as interesting and valuable. Affinity is focused on showcasing a breadth of content and has created a unique design to accomplish this goal. When you land on the News, you immediately view the most recent article, ready for your users to read. While prioritizing the most up to date content, the left-hand column allows users to scroll through other posts or resource types with the ability to filter by categories. It gets a user hooked on the breaking headline, but not without showing off the greatest hits.

Another great example of a unique Resource Center is Guidehouse. Guidehouse has a large number of insights, thus utilizes sticky navigation. Sticky navigation follows a user as they scroll up and down on a page so that a menu of alternate pages or sections are always in view. Their sticky navigation showcases pre-filtered content in a variety of industries. This highlights their range of abilities, while also ensuring users never feel lost in an unfamiliar industry.

We all want to be thought leaders, but your company has to look the part. Don’t underestimate the power of your marketing content. Utilize your content and drive conversions for business and reputational success!

Considering amping up your Resource Center? Trust Bluetext with all your digital marketing and design needs!

 

What is responsive web design?

At its core, responsive web design uses a single layout for a web page then dynamically adapts to best fit the user’s screen, whether it’s a desktop, laptop, tablet, or a mobile device. This creates a seamless and recognizable experience for every user and session if viewed on a laptop one day, and on a mobile device the next.

Responsive web design not only improves user experience but also increases development and design efficiency. This method of web design is preferred over an adaptive approach since it reduces the number of layouts designers and developers need to account for. Rather than designing the same page for small and large desktops, tablets, and mobile devices, responsive design dynamically updates page layout to fit the users’ screen.

User Experience and Expectations

Welcome to 2020, where everyone is walking around with a miniature computer glued to the palm of their hands. Users have become more and more comfortable browsing online for everything from e-commerce to B2B research.  Even if your business imagines themselves being primarily viewed at the office or on traditional desktop screens, you must accommodate for changes in user behavior. It’s highly likely that your users may find your website while browsing LinkedIn on their phone or tablet, or maybe Googling on-the-go. And if you have successfully captured their interest on a mobile device, you better prepare for a more thorough investigation on desktop. Your website now has two unique sessions that you should ensure are seamless and as familiar as possible. Imagine being blown away by a beautifully designed website, only to show your colleague the next day on your iPhone and find the mobile site clunky and unusable.

As Krisztina Szerovay explains responsive web design, nowadays, it’s more of an expected standard than a luxury for sites to utilize a responsive design. With a significant portion of site traffic coming from mobile, it’s more important than ever to ensure your site caters to all users regardless of screen size. 

Work smarter, not harder. 

Responsive web design provides many benefits such as increased flexibility, better SEO, reduced costs, and better mobile experiences. Instead of making a new design for each new device or screen size, rapid response allows you to stick with one design. Google recommends using responsive designs as they allow you to focus on a single page while also improving the mobile experience for users.

This approach is also cost-effective thanks to its faster implementation and easier management. Lastly, responsive designs’ simplified layouts provide your mobile users with more enjoyable experiences. And as we already know, with more and more web traffic coming from mobile, a good mobile experience is essential. Responsive web designs have even led to higher engagement, with users visiting more pages on average per visit.

A word of caution, trust the experts

While responsive web design has numerous benefits, it’s worth noting it’s not for every company. This method requires more up-front planning to ensure the design and experience are clear for users. But that’s where Bluetext comes in, our experienced designers and developers collaborate to develop a site that not only meets your goals but also works across all devices.

Indirectly, the responsive method provides additional benefits. Since your site must be designed for all the content to be repositioned based on the users’ screen, we work with you to find the simplest and clearest way to convey your message. Often, responsive designs benefit from a very straightforward design. For example, Apple doesn’t change any of the content that’s shown on their desktop site compared to its mobile site, the only difference is their menu and content placement. With the knowledge of industry best practices, we can guide you every step of the way from content placement to functionality.

Read more about how we recently designed and developed a fully responsive site for Challenger. Our team created a site with current best practices for content functionality while giving more flexibility to the back-end users to accommodate various user journeys.

So you’re a top technology company who wants to be seen as modern and ever-evolving — much like the rest of the industry! To stay ahead you’ll need a modern, eye-catching design.  Perhaps you want to redesign your logo… Where do you start?  A memorable logo can ensure your brand stays top of mind and up to par with big-league competitors. Updating any aspect of your corporate visual identity can be intimidating, especially when making changes to one of the most identifiable features. There are many considerations: How can you establish or maintain your brand identity and form a strong connection with your audience? Do you want to fit in or stand out? How can you modernize your existing design?

One way to begin the process of redesigning your logo is by identifying some “zigs” and “zags” in your industry. Digital branding agencies define “zigs” as companies that follow industry standards and recent trends when designing and marketing their brands and “zags” as designs that opt to stand out in the crowd by moving against the latest trends. 

Tech Industry Zigs

Gradient

Using gradients in web design emerged as a hot trend as early as 2016 and has since grown in popularity with no signs of slowing down. There are several companies that have successfully incorporated this trend into their CVI, for example, Stripe, an economic infrastructure technology company. Stripe’s gradient style has become incorporated throughout the brand and website, creating an ethereal and futuristic feel to its services,  Instagram can be seen as one of the OG trendsetters, debuting gradient design into their mobile app icon in 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minimalistic

Another recent trend has been the simplification of logos and website design. Many brands have adopted this trend to streamline their CVI. This branding trend aims to provide a clean and clear brand vision, which is ideal for smaller screens as users continue to shift to mobile browsing. As we shift away from decorative and intricate details that look great on a billboard but cluttered on a mobile device, simple logos stay relevant and readable for modern consumers.

Many major global tech brands have already opted to use multiple iterations of their logo design – DropBox, Atlassian, and Android all now include a single image or letter logo option within their design range. 

Illustrative

One way to establish a connection with your audience is by designing a unique illustration to accompany your wordmark. A key advantage to this trend is that when done successfully, brands can use the illustration as an identifier without the wordmark. Take Mailchimp’s Freddie as an example. In 2018, Mailchimp simplified their mascot’s design and gave him an established spot next to the logo. 

Tech Industry Zags

Fine Line Detail

While many tech companies are moving in the direction of simplification, some are going against the grain. One example is cloud migration software company Cloudreach, whose finger-print-like logo detail denotes security and reliability at first glance. Using fine detail has its advantages. Detailed designs can speak volumes about your brand value and tone. Especially in the technology industry rich with complex products you may want your logo to symbolize unique detail and features of your products. In contrast, simplified designs may be preferred to make complex technology more approachable to everyday consumers.

Anti-Marketing

Most technology-oriented marketing campaigns inspire the target audience to use the advertised product or service as much as possible. This statement holds true for most companies looking for customers to download and use their mobile apps. This is also where you can differentiate your campaign to stand out amongst the rest. For example, the newest campaign from the popular dating app, Hinge, inspires it’s the target audience to delete their app. Yes, you read that right. That may sound counterintuitive, however, it guarantees a different approach from their dating site counterparts, who focus on their service being the best at finding love for its users. Hinge’s campaign, instead, inspires its users to find love and delete the app. 

Of the campaign, Hinge CMO, Nathan Roth, said “It’s quite common for apps to optimize for time in-app, whether it’s to maximize subscription or advertising revenue. We are purely focused on our users’ success and that’s helping them find someone worth deleting the app for. That’s our single focus,”

Interested in learning more about the zigs and zags of the technology industry? Contact us.

 

 

 

In recent years illustration has evolved far beyond traditional child’s play. The classic art form that many people associate with children’s books actually has serious B2B benefits. 

More and more, illustration has become a focus of company web pages, getting more unique and colorful with each year. Illustrations can be a powerful tool in brand storytelling and avoiding the potential pitfall of cheesy stock alternatives. They can provide your customers with an approachable introduction to a brand, while also reinforcing design styles or colors key to your visual identity. For many B2B companies, illustrations have become an essential component of customer-facing imagery. 

Here at Bluetext, we see a variety of purposeful illustration styles. Two of the main objectives for B2B companies seeking illustration is to visually describe abstract products, or depict meaningful customer experiences. For many industries, such as tech or cybersecurity, showing literal subjects or end-user experience is not possible through photography, therefore, illustration is an ideal solution. 

Below are some of our favorite illustration themes used to take clients’ business goals to new heights. 

Flat

There’s no reason to shy away from simplicity! Flat illustrations have been a huge trend in 2020, with many major companies including GoDaddy, Mailchimp, and Slack implementing them into their brand designs. This illustration style is most often used to depict people or experiences. Stock photography tends to favor extremely generic scenarios, or let’s face it, painfully boring subjects. When your business wants to highlight a specific experience or incorporate as much branded detail as possible, custom art may be the way to go. Illustrative styles offer far more flexibility and adaptation, without falling flat.

Bluetext produced flat illustration styles for Centauri’s employee engagement campaigns to depict unique company events and contests that stock photos could not. 

3-Dimensional

Bluetext’s work for Cvent brought custom illustrations to life in a 3D animated video. Intended to immerse the viewer with a preview of the event experience, graphic designers and animators transformed human illustration into a realistic simulation. With this stunning visual design, Cvent was able to digitally communicate their in-person experience to remote viewers and translate their business value in the most powerful manner.

 

Sketch

Bluetext’s work for GMAC, Graduate Management Admissions Council, promotes graduate school admissions in an approachable and digestible manner. Stretch illustrations were used in the revamped CallingAllOptimists.com campaign to inspire people motivated to improve their future opportunities into action. Juxtaposing a serious life decision and often anxiety heavy admissions process with a uniquely, optimistic brand identity captures both the courage and the celebration of the end-user. Illustrative styles complemented real photography to provide a snapshot of the user, decision factors, and end result.

Monochromatic Gradient

In another successful campaign for GMAC, Bluetext designed custom humanistic illustrations to represent user personas. In awareness of a wide breadth of audience targets, the campaign opted to show a variety of potential applicants in a range of career stages. To resonate with a potential applicant, it was key that they could imagine themselves pursuing a graduate degree. To avoid isolating any potential audience members, Bluetext’s custom illustrations avoided biases of race or ethnicity by showing monochromatic styling of men and women in post-grad, young professionals, and even in established careers.

Product Illustration

Another top use case for illustrations is product depictions. Especially in service-based or digital industries, it can be a challenge to accurately depict what you’re selling to customers. Bluetext client RevBits, a cybersecurity software and service provider, overcame this obstacle with branded product illustrations. With a complex product lifecycle, visuals helped conceptualize their cybersecurity offerings in a clean and user-friendly format. Especially on webpages, product illustrations were an ideal way to communicate offerings to users scanning a webpage and without the time or desire to read long paragraphs of text. The illustrations utilized key brand elements such as color palettes and iconography to maintain a consistent brand experience throughout the website.

 

Digital illustrations are catching a new wave of excitement from companies across all industries. With an ever-expanding range of use cases and applications, we predict this will quickly become one of the most effective ways for B2C or B2B companies to start a more emotional conversation with users. With the rise of personalization and hyper-targeting, establishing warmer and more “human” relationships with clients and customers is a  proven way to strengthen loyalty and improve overall ROI. 

 

Interested in exploring the potential of a rebrand (or illustrations!) for your business? Contact Bluetext today.

Welcome to 2020, a year of new normals, routines, and best of all, new logos! The logo design trends in 2020 thus far have been an intriguing remix of new and old. Logos have taken a trip back in time to a variety of eras, while also remixing modern styles. We’ve seen the gamut of design trends; from neon 80’s juxtaposed against inky, to futuristic 3D gradients and custom animation. 

The key theme of 2020 logo design has been a digital-first focus. Many brands have modernized their logos for optimal web and mobile displays. For example, the popular gradient trend has evolved and merged with 3D design —a perfect fit for our smartphone society.

3D Gradients

Gradients are a unique way to blend any group of colors into a dynamic spectrum that exudes life and energy. Gone are the stark striped color transitions, as some brands have opted for a more subtle and gradual shift. This year, designers will give rise to the newest evolution of gradients creating depth and 3D effects in logos. Other top branding agencies are experimenting with new trends such as tapered gradients—ones that come to a central point and actually emphasize the contrast between their colors.

80’s Retro

Don’t thrift away your 80’s style just yet, because some fads never go out of fashion. Enough time has finally passed for all things 80’s to be cool again: video games, pop music, and the rebel attitude associated with them. In 2020, logo design agencies expect to see a resurgence of throwback logos accented with chrome, neon, and a lot of digital pixels. These styles give a nod to the old-school tech that preceded the glowing iPhone and laptop screens our eyes are glued to today. Nostalgic marketing has made a huge comeback in recent years, necessitating a cool, retro logo to accompany any throwback campaign. Throwback logos are popular because they capitalize on consumers’ nostalgia of old-school 80s tech, which is widely known to be retro, cool, and most importantly, collectible. Some logos reference nostalgic 80’s items by literally depicting the old school cassette tapes, arcade games, etc. Others embrace this trend with 80’s typography and design trends, like GV’s logo for LI Mowz.

Ultra Thin Lines

In 2020, high definition is leaving its mark on logo design. Designers push the envelope with extremely delicate lines, creating effects that can only work in the digital media. With extremely detailed linear patterns, logos began to feel ethereal and surreal — much like the original perception of radio and transmission media. With the new ability (and COVID necessity) for some brands to exist exclusively online, previous print limitations are eliminated.  In an age of high-resolution screens and defined displays, complex line design makes classic logos seem elementary and easily reproducible.

Multi-Layered

2020 has been all about complexity! Logos are going deeper than ever before using artfully layered color systems. Especially with new digital affordances, designers are reverting flat and semi-flat designs to build depth through color layering. While shapes and colors remain simple, their relationship has intensified. By adding additional layers, designers create complex logos with highlights, shadows, and overlapping colors to communicate the brand brands. Especially on digital screens, the ability to create three-dimensional effects creates a unique, almost tactile experience. 

Animated Logos

Top design agencies have been producing logo animation for some time now, but in 2020 we’ve seen more detailed and innovative plays on animation. Previous logos have been limited to simple movement, but over the years technology has allowed for more intricate and purposeful movement. Especially with a growing digital audience, animated logos can be more eye-catching and practical to the brand story. A popular 2020 logo design trend has been the blending of 2D and 3D animation or logos with multiple moving parts. These complex logo animations aim to take the viewer on a journey and tell a story. With lots of details to look at, the viewer looks at these logos longer than they’d look at a more simple logo animation and can potentially find something new they like about it every time they see it again.

The move toward animated logos comes from a similar place as the tapered gradient logos trend: when you’re designing for screens, there’s a whole lot more you can do as opposed to when you’re designing for print.

The logo design trends for 2020 will continue to build on everything designers have been exploring in the last few years, while also taking the design in directions that are totally new, totally fresh, totally right for an all-new decade. Let’s take a look at the top logo design trends that are already defining 2020.

 

When building and launching digital campaigns, many of the key determinants of success are evaluated through digital engagement measurement and tracking. However, as websites and ad-tech have evolved in recent years, so have protections and privacy policies. It’s easy to write off the need for a comprehensive privacy policy, however, this is a recipe for disaster in the age of big data regulation and enforcement. To avoid the FTC and International regulators ire, digital agencies such as Bluetext recommend taking data privacy measures that cater to the most comprehensive regulations in effect. 

For businesses with users outside of the United States, being aware of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and similar legislation is an essential consideration. The GDPR has created strict provisions for EU web users’ privacy and data rights, which extends to US browsers. As global privacy legislation evolves, North American businesses that handle global users’ data must comply with current regulations and build with an eye on future compliance. Top digital marketing agencies advise and design campaigns and websites with these policies in mind to provide frictionless engagements. 

What is the GDPR?

The GDPR is an extraterritorial set of provisions that updated Europe’s data protection standards. The privacy policy strengthens the protections set in 1995, adding requirements for greater transparency and disclosure to users, in addition to modernizing the “cookie law” of 2002.

The GDPR goes beyond earlier regulation, focusing on personal data protection regardless of the type of data and how companies must document user consent in a transparent fashion. These protections apply to all persons browsing within or originating from the European Union. 

The term “personal data” is not synonymous with “personally identifiable information”, or PII. PII has traditionally been a legal concern for American businesses, and it refers to a more defined set of information than the GDPR model. PII does not have to be context-specific to be regulated, in contrast, the GDPR emphasizes the consumer risks of data aggregation.

My business isn’t located in Europe, why should I care?

The GDPR’s reach is far greater than the medley of privacy protections in effect across the United States. Violators of the regulations risk penalties of €20 million ($22.6 million as of writing) or 4 percent of global annual revenues for the preceding fiscal year, whichever is greater. Comprehensive legislation at the state level in the U.S. has been varied, many forward-thinking businesses are beginning to take steps to adapt their practices to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Ultimately every website will have to comply with some set of standards, so it is wise to be proactive and implement privacy protection now. Top digital marketing agencies such as Bluetext are taking steps to protect against potential violations of the CCPA and GDPR by changing cookie collection practices, recommending new data collection practices, and designing clear consent forms. 

Changing privacy policies impact sites from the bottom up, starting with development and design

In a digital-first world, data is a critical component of many businesses online and offline strategies. With the implementation of the GDPR, marketers and web developers must be more diligent about what data we collect, the means by which we collect it, and how we handle sensitive information. When building or updating websites, web developers, and digital project managers should take this as an opportunity to rethink how sites can be more transparent and adopt the Privacy by Design framework. 

The Privacy by Design framework highlights design-thinking approaches to development prior to launch to eliminate the need for post-hoc privacy fixes once a project is live. Solutions such as making privacy the default setting for site visitors, making privacy standards visible and open, and giving users specific privacy information notices are easy considerations to add to the development plan.

If your site is already live, consider a development sprint focused on auditing areas of potential weakness. In assessing your data hygiene, your team can look for unsafe or unnecessary modules that can be disabled, particularly those found in APIs and third-party libraries. Adtech integrations may help source leads and retarget with better precision, but validating that their pixels and tracking are in alignment with GDPR best practices is essential. 

The aesthetic design of websites is also impacted by changing privacy practices. GDPR consent requires clear and explicit opt-in notices to users. Designers, user experience experts, and marketers should work collaboratively to update existing landing page components to incorporate new disclosure features. One simple mantra to internalize in the design phase? Offer accessible, clean choices around cookies and pixels.

When building clear user permissions for data capture, the GDPR requires that websites define data retention and deletion plans for all the personal data collected. Adding GDPR conscious logic to scripts at the code level of your site can save time for site custodians and business analysts alike in the future. 

Updating best practices for common marketing tactics and tools 

Updating the fine print on your Privacy Policy is just the first step of complying with new regulations; common marketing campaign tactics such as cookies should also be rethought through the lens of compliance.  Cookies are the small data files that can be placed on users’ browsers and provide a trove of useful insight to website operators. Under the GDPR, businesses are legally liable for any activities on their sites, specifically protecting user data from third-party cookie tracking.

Many businesses use cookie tracking to better measure the impact of their marketing strategies, and they combine tracking with other user data to build user personas. While this has been an accepted practice in the past, the new regulation now requires clear permission from European users to collect this information, whether the site is for an American or French company. As noted in the impact of GDPR on design, cookie usage has to be explained on either the homepage or a  second-level page on the navigation. This immediate opt-in should allow users to understand how their data is collected, the purpose of the data, and how long they are consenting to these cookies.

As a website operator, sites must withhold all cookies and trackers on your website until you have received clear and explicit user consent on each type of cookie and tracker. This consent has to be given freely, described in explicit plain language, and users must have the ability to withdraw consent. The rights of users under the GDPR are extensive — to comply, website custodians must update their privacy policies and opt-in tools. 

This sounds like a lot of work, why should I care?

Ultimately, thoughtful privacy policies, development, and design provide a safeguard for both businesses and users. The GDPR gives consumers new rights to access and manage their data on digital platforms, and businesses that do not adapt to meet these regulatory requirements can face steep fines. While these changes can seem overwhelming, a top digital marketing agency such as Bluetext can guide your business through the murkiness of data privacy design and compliance.

In the past few years, the option for “dark mode” has become increasingly popular as our time spent on-screen steadily climbs. Dark mode is a display setting on a computer, tablet, or mobile device that allows the user to view their content with a predominantly dark theme, compared to the typical white background we find on most websites and apps. So what is the purpose of this change? UX research shows that dark backgrounds enhance page contrast, making visuals pop and easier for the user to focus on.

Early adopters of dark mode will remember when it was only a one-off feature, offered exclusively within certain mobile apps. Slowly, as time passed and more software updates were revealed, operating systems like iOS 13 and Android 10 offered a dark mode option that applied device-wide; making the switch for all of your default apps (i.e. your notepad, weather, and more). Now that dark mode is more widely available on our top visited apps like Instagram, Twitter and soon Facebook, many website designers and developers are wondering if a dark mode option is right for their site.

Is Dark Mode for Me?

There are a number of factors to consider before adding a dark mode setting option on your site. The trendiness vs. the more concrete usability points is the main question to ask yourself. What is the goal of your site? If the focus is on the style and design, it makes a better case for a dark mode implementation. There is evidence that users viewing content in dark mode are able to more easily focus on the visuals on screen, over the content. Dark mode is ideal for distinct CVIs or attractive product imagery. If brand awareness or e-commerce is your site’s main focus, dark mode may improve page performance.  If a KPI is more content driven, focusing on conversions and leads, dark mode might not be a critical feature.

Web developers should also be aware of the time needed to implement a dark mode option—both initially and to factor it in with future updates. If the project is already on a timeline with a quick turn around, it could be better to revisit the integration as a post-launch add-on item.

Consider Your Users:

Two key end-user  benefits stand out when considering dark mode for your site:

1. The highly convincing argument that it may be easier on the eyes. This is pretty self-explanatory. Users are becoming more aware of daily screen time and actively seeking out ways to maintain a healthy balance with technology. For instance, Apple recently released Screen Time, allowing users to track the amount of time spent on their devices. Though it is not the responsibility of web designers and developers to look out for users’ natural light-dark cycles and circadian rhythms, it serves as an added bonus to offer your site visitors a dark mode option. Think of it this way: the easier on the eyes, the longer your visitors will stay on the site. 
2. It can improve device battery life. That’s right—some developers claim that dark mode consumes only a fraction of the percentage that using a site or application takes from your battery, saving your users time between charges.

With the rise of digital personalization and online interactions, it’s important that your users feel your brand has their best interest in mind. Especially when attracting new users, these subtle enhancements to their experience can make all the difference. Ultimately, dark mode is largely an aesthetic decision, so you’ll want to think through how to integrate this with current branding. 

Recommendations for How to Use

If you decide to include a version of a dark mode integration in your site or app, here are some additional recommendations to use as a guideline. Start by establishing an alternate dark mode color palette for your brand. Since your users will be more drawn to the visual aspects of the site while viewing a darker background, make sure that none of the brand colors you’re using are too saturated or too bright in contrast to the dark background.

The development team should explore the options for adding additional theming options to your site using custom CSS classes on existing code. Decide whether you will allow your site’s visitors to choose their display options, revealing a dark mode theme, or if it will be automatically based on their browser settings, and even other in-app indicated preferences if designing for a mobile app. The best option being that whatever you decide for the user’s interaction with it, it should closely resemble other display settings and theme updates available on your site. If these are not present, recognizable icons, like a light bulb or sunshine (for light mode) and the moon (for dark mode) are acceptable for a quick turn-on turn-off functionality.

As the popularity of user-end site personalization options increases, rely on these helpful tools to help the decision-makers on your team in their choice to join the dark mode movement.