Insights

Not all site designs are easy; some, you have to work for. And by some, I mean all of them.

Recently, I had to work out a problem with a site showcasing logos on a black background. The problem was the logo files I had were JPEGs of each on a white background. Laying out these white rectangle logos on the black background just wasn't working for me—not a good look. So I came up with a Photoshop method to cut the logos away from their white backgrounds, thus making them usable on any color background. I assure you this method works better and more often than other traditional isolation techniques, magic wand included.

The New Year's Diet has become a staple resolution for many—not us, of course, but other people—and for good cause. In the course of a busy week, our thoughts of eating well and exercising quickly devolve into a maelstrom of fast food, microwave dinners, and "quality" time in front of our televisions. It's rarely intentional—it just ... happens.

As I write, the clock has yet to chime midnight on December 31; however, all indications are that 2009 was the Year of Facebook, for both personal and business communication. The five-year-old social network has become a behemoth of users and capital, and marketers like myself have been forced to spend hours wading through silly farm games and virtual Yankee Candle giveaways to better understand how the service may be used by our clients.

A family friend recently launched a new website for his company and asked me to take a look at the finished product. It's beautiful and professional; it sets the right tone for his customers and makes it easy to contact the company for more information.

It's not going to perform well in search engines, though. One quick look at the source code—the "stuff" that Google sees—let me know.

I used to think "inspiration" was for people with no "imagination." I thought people who were inspired all the time were just too cool for school; you know the type—talking on a bluetooth headset while jogging to Jamba Juice at 5 a.m. So, I would say, let them have their inspiration, and I'll stick to going it alone, just me and my imagination.