Art & Life for March 2006

Photo of the Month

March is full of hope…the spring thaw, a memory of a smiling dog, starting to think about a summer vacation…all indicators that the snow might one day go away…

Oh the humanity of it all…

This month's featured humanity is Design Art…

Over the last few months I have had some calls from companies that have spent a small fortune on their Web site, only to discover that it doesn't show up in the search engines, or that they are not getting the traffic and subsequent conversion from site visitor to client that was expected. Sometimes there are obvious flaws -- frames or sites done completely in Flash. But most times it is more subtle. While the sites look fine, they have been designed in a void. No consideration to the content, no consideration to the message. The look is put together by the design team, and the lucky marketing department gets to "plop in" text afterward.

In no other medium is this considered acceptable. No company would ever design a slick brochure before the content was written. Actors would not be hired for a television commercial before it was written. To have effective marketing, content must drive the look and feel of the message.

If we're all sick of hearing the words "branding" and "brand awareness" why is there so little of it? With the vast amounts of cash that are thrown at designing Web sites, you'd think that companies would demand a better ROI. Designers need to work in tandem with the marketing department and consider the goal of each and every page. Is it to get people to sign up for a newsletter and build a database? Is it to have the visitor try a demo? If so, what is the Scooby Snack that will get your prospective client to enter an email address here or click there?

I'll step down from my soapbox, but here's a helpful hint: if you are thinking about launching a new site, or redesigning an existing one, save yourself a lot of trouble and money - call me!

Wine of the Month

Element, Sandalford Wines, 2005 - Fresh and delightful. Not as "big-mouth-blast" as some of the other Aussie whites, this is nevertheless citrus-tangy and easy drinking. A combination of Semillion, Chenin Blanc and Verdelho varietals offer a slight floral bouquet, light guava fruit notes and an excellent acidity.

$16.50, 4 stars out of 5

Liano, Umberto Cesari, 2002 - Hubba! Hubba! Super big savoury flavour. This is an Italian wine in every sense of the word. Aromas of pomegranites, leather, ripe cherry and spices, it's a complex robust wine. Pair it with something that will hold its own - lamb or game.

$26.10, 4 stars out of 5

Cool Sites for Wasting Time

PI - The story of pi.

Australia - National Toilet Map

Avast! -  Talk Like a Pirate

Stuff That Disturbs Me

Weather forecasters referring to rain as "the rain event" and to snow as "the snow event." C'mon, it's going to rain, or it's going to snow. The only event taking place would be the meteorologists getting it right.

Stuff I Love

This month? This month I am grooving on:

• Run, Devil, Run by Jenny Lewis
• Re-reading the wonderful book, "Yves Klein: Fire at the Heart of the Void" by Pierre Restany

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