Video has changed everything: design + marketing + future

There were two challenges for me to start doing my own video. One, I have no time. So it is really tough to fit anything into my schedule, especially editing and learning new programs/formats. The second reason is I know I am terrible in front of the camera and a really bad presenter.

Now after 2 months of experimentation, video has really changed everything for me. For example, almost twice a week someone NEW mentions seeing one of my videos. These online relationships are now more valuable because we have a more personal connection.

Also, I am seeing design, movies and marketing concepts a lot differently. It's a new perspective on how to make things more beautiful and precise. In ecommerce, it is providing more credibility for websites with low brand awareness and will directly improve conversion rates. Or at least shrinks the buying sales process for new customers. Video reviews are great use for this space. Plus, creating video assets are more valuable than photos, graphs or articles. Videos have more viral opportunity so the long tail is even longer.

With each new video I complete, I take a step towards pushing my creativity and improving my career. The quality of the videos will get better along with my verbal skills. In the meantime, below is my first HD movie I put online (personal test). You can preview it below, or visit Vimeo for the full HD version.

Are you doing video?

Let me know - I would love to share thoughts on editing, concepts or collaborations.


Owen In Florida from alex harris on Vimeo.

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Move Web Pages Without Losing SEO Ranking

For the last few weeks, I have been trying to transfer some search engine keyword rankings from my old blog to a new niche blog I created for Landing Pages. Take a look at these Google results here. As displayed in the graphic, Alex Designs is listed with two results for that keyword. Obviously, it would be stupid to screw this up.

My Approach

I created a blog post on the new web site that targets the keywords Landing Page Design and moved over the original content. Then all the previous links to this old post were changed to the new URL. Plus I added a server side 301 redirect to the old page. This strategy should transfer over the Google Ranking, plus the web traffic for my new blog.

There are several more pages like this that I need to complete. First, I am testing this page transfer, because it has the least traffic for this batch of keywords. If this is successful, I will then start to move over my remaining pages, one by one to build a new web presence for my new blog.

It's time consuming, but this is my way of moving web pages without losing SEO Ranking. What do you think?

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Films about design, digital artwork and typography

Finally, I was able to see the film Helvetica. I really enjoyed it. It was a little over the top on the philosophy and history of the most popular font. But it kept my attention and I found it interesting.

Then I was designing a website user interface in Photoshop using the Helvetica font. During my pixel pushing, I was thinking about comments from the film. I enjoyed how the older designers used grids to establish balance of typography on a magazine cover. Then related this to how we use rulers or guides in today's design process. I also thought about how much I really didn't want to be using Helvetica. The font stands for boring, corporations and even the Vietnam war...? You have to see the movie.

Really, the movie inspired me. I am guilty of not enjoying beautiful design work. Meaning, I haven't been appreciating good design or really doing any myself. Mainly because I design the same ecommerce sites and web experiences over and over again. Now that is boring, but it pays the bills.

I wonder if there are other design, digital artwork or typography films out there that I should see. Do you know any great design films? Or just inspirational films for creative people. I did a search on Netflix and to get the following results - they all look terrible. Have you seen any of these? Let me know, I am looking for recommendations...

Design
Filmmakers Danielle Schirman and Anna-Celia Kendall explore the fusion of form and function in six iconic products that helped define 20th-century design. See how the iMac, Akari lamp, BIC Cristal pen, Bubble Club sofa, Hoover vacuum and Citroën's DS19 went beyond pure functionality to capture the public's imagination and become part of popular culture.

ColorCalm: By Design
This isn't meant to be watched from start to finish, but to be just left playing. This collaborative effort from designers Peter Saville, John Maeda and Irma Boom (with music by Michael Nyman, Ryuichi Sakamoto, New Order and Terranova) experiments with using the soothing beauty of color as an accessory to your home decor, giving your television something to do other than pump out reality TV shows. A choice of four ambient programs offers a calming palate of options for adding color to any room.

Art 21: Art in the Twenty-First Century: Seasons 1 & 2
What inspires a particular artist to create a certain piece? This series explores that question by introducing a wide variety of contemporary artists across the United States. Seasons 1 and 2 explore what motivates and inspires these artists by focusing on eight themes: place, spirituality, identity, consumption, stories, loss and desire, time, and humor. Featured artists include William Wegman, Louise Bourgeois, Laurie Anderson, and Kara Walker.

In the Realms of the Unreal
By day, Henry Darger was a reclusive janitor who had few -- if any -- friends. But at night, he became a literary artist with a unique vision. Darger's 15,000-page novel is a wonderland of imagination as it details the exploits of seven angelic sisters who lead a rebellion against child-enslaving men. Featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning and Larry Pine and the work of talented animators, this film tells the story of Darger's hidden world.

I also tried to google for some suggestions, but all you get is design firms and movie tutorials. I am looking for documentaries and inspirational films. Are there really none out there? Want to make one?

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