mean

US lawmakers blast five large corporations for taking $50 million meant for small businesses. Only one is returning the money.

Reuters

  • House lawmakers on Friday demanded five large, publicly traded companies return the $10 million loans they received that were meant for small businesses. 
  • Only one company, MiMedx, said it would return the $10 million Paycheck Protection Program loans.
  • Just 48 public companies of the 387 that received PPP loans have returned the money. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

US representatives blasted five publicly traded companies for taking Paycheck Protection Program loans means for small businesses, leading at least one to return the money.

The House subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis sent letters] to MiMedx, Quantum, EVO Transportation & Energy Services, Gulf Island Fabrication, Universal Stainless, and Alloy Products on Friday demanding they return loans received from the treasury. MiMedx said late Friday it was repaying its $10 million loan.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Inside London during COVID-19 lockdown

See Also:



  • PPP
  • Paycheck protection program
  • house subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis
  • Steven Mnuchin

mean

What The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Means For Marketers

By now you have heard about the Coronavirus. The sad reality is that it is spreading quickly and will continue to spread for a while. Did you know that we are getting roughly 13,000 new cases a day and it’s growing fast? No one really knows how many people will be infected (or will pass […]

The post What The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Means For Marketers appeared first on Neil Patel.




mean

A change in law means MSMEs have greater power in cheque bounce cases

The combined effect of sections 143 and 143A would mean that, not only the Drawee can impress and urge upon the trial court to expect a speedy trial, but also to grant an interim compensation of 20 per cent of amount of cheque as a partial recovery.




mean

SCCM Pod-67 PCCM: Lower Limit of Systolic and Mean Arterial Pressure in Children

Arno Zaritsky, MD, discusses an article he and Dr. Ikram Haque published in the March 2007 issue of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine titled "Analysis of the Evidence for Lower Limit of Systolic and Mean Arterial Pressure in Children." Dr. Zaritsky is professor and chief of pediatric critical care at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida.




mean

What RBI's announcement today means for your loans and fixed deposit interest rates

The RBI announced a host of measures today aimed at increasing liquidity in the economy.




mean

Department of Justice Statement of Interest Supports Meaningful Right to Counsel in Juvenile Prosecutions

The Department of Justice today filed a statement of interest in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, in N.P. et al. v. The State of Georgia, et al.




mean

876 Photography Means Stress

Chris has spent months and years to get a grip on this: photography stresses us out. Let’s explore what we can do about it. Also Roger has a dying camera battery and wants to know if there’s anything he could have done about that. Photo by Chris Marquardt [sc:podlovebutton] Links: Tweet: What stresses you out … Continue reading "876 Photography Means Stress"

The post 876 Photography Means Stress appeared first on PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FROM THE TOP FLOOR.



  • Tips from the Top Floor

mean

For older adults, more physical activity could mean longer, healthier lives




mean

A Viget Glossary: What We Mean and Why it Matters - Part 1

Viget has helped organizations design and develop award-winning websites and digital products for 20 years. In that time, we’ve been lucky to create long-term relationships with clients like Puma, the World Wildlife Fund, and Privia Health, and, throughout our time working together, we’ve come to understand each others’ unique terminology. But that isn’t always the case when we begin work with new clients, and in a constantly-evolving industry, we know that new terminology appears almost daily and organizations have unique definitions for deliverables and processes.

Kicking off a project always initiates a flurry of activity. There are contracts to sign, team members to introduce, and new platforms to learn. It’s an exciting time, and we know clients are anxious to get underway. Amidst all the activity, though, there is a need to define and create a shared lexicon to ensure both teams understand the project deliverables and process that will take us from kickoff to launch.

Below, we’ve rounded up a few terms for each of our disciplines that often require additional explanation. Note: our definitions of these terms may differ slightly from the industry standard, but highlight our interpretation and use of them on a daily basis.

User Experience

Research

In UX, there is a proliferation of terms that are often used interchangeably and mean almost-but-subtly-not the same thing. Viget uses the term research to specifically mean user research — learning more about the users of our products, particularly how they think and behave — in order to make stronger recommendations and better designs. This can be accomplished through different methodologies, depending on the needs of the project, and can include moderated usability testing, stakeholder interviews, audience research, surveys, and more. Learn more about the subtleties of UX research vocabulary in our post on “Speaking the Same Language About Research”.

Wireframes

We use wireframes to show the priority and organization of content on the screen, to give a sense of what elements will get a stronger visual treatment, and to detail how users will get to other parts of the site. Wireframes are a key component of website design — think of them as the skeleton or blueprint of a page — but we know that clients often feel uninspired after reviewing pages built with gray boxes. In fact, we’ve even written about how to improve wireframe presentations. We remind clients that visual designers will step in later to add polish through color, graphics, and typography, but agreeing on the foundation of the page is an important and necessary first step.

Prototypes

During the design process, it’s helpful for us to show clients how certain pieces of functionality or animations will work once the site is developed. We can mimic interactivity or test a technical proof of concept by using a clickable prototype, relying on tools like Figma, Invision, or Principle. Our prototypes can be used to illustrate a concept to internal stakeholders, but shouldn’t be seen as a final approach. Often, these concepts will require additional work to prepare them for developer handoff, which means that prototypes quickly become outdated. Read more about how and when we use prototypes.

Navigation Testing (Treejack Testing)

Following an information architecture presentation, we will sometimes recommend that clients conduct navigation testing. When testing, we present a participant with the proposed navigation and ask them to perform specific tasks in order to see if they will be able to locate the information specified within the site’s new organization. These tests generally focus on two aspects of the navigation: the structure of the navigation system itself, and the language used within the system. Treejack is an online navigation testing tool that we like to employ when conducting navigation tests, so we’ll often interchange the terms “navigation testing” with “treejack testing”.

Learn more about Viget’s approach to user experience and research




mean

A Viget Glossary: What We Mean and Why It Matters - Part 2

In my last post, I defined terms used by our UX team that are often confused or have multiple meanings across the industry. Today, I’ll share our definitions for processes and deliverables used by our design and strategy teams.

Creative

Brand Strategy

In our experience, we’ve found that the term brand strategy is used to cover a myriad of processes, documents, and deliverables. To us, a brand strategy defines how an organization communicates who they are, what they do and why in a clear and compelling way. Over the years, we’ve developed an approach to brand strategy work that emphasizes rigorous research, hands-on collaboration, and the definition of problems and goals. We work with clients to align on a brand strategy concept and, depending on the client and their goals, our final deliverables can range to include strategy definition, audience-specific messaging, identity details, brand elements, applications, and more. Take a look at the brand strategy work we’ve done for Fiscalnote, Swiftdine, and Armstrong Tire.

Content Strategy

A content strategy goes far beyond the words on a website or in an app. A strong content strategy dictates the substance, structure, and governance of the information an organization uses to communicate to its audience. It guides creating, organizing, and maintaining content so that companies can communicate who they are, what they do, and why efficiently and effectively. We’ve worked with organizations like the Washington Speakers Bureau, The Nature Conservancy, the NFL Players Association, and the Wildlife Conservation Society to refine and enhance their content strategies.

Still confused about the difference between brand and content strategy? Check out our flowchart.

Style Guide vs. Brand Guidelines

We often find the depth or fidelity of brand guidelines and style guides can vary greatly, and the terms can often be confused. When we create brand guidelines, they tend to be large documents that include in-depth recommendations about how a company should communicate their brand. Sections like “promise”, “vision”, “mission”, “values”, “tone”, etc. accompany details about how the brand’s logo, colors and fonts should be used in a variety of scenarios. Style guides, on the other hand, are typically pared down documents that contain specific guidance for organizations’ logos, colors and fonts, and don’t always include usage examples.

Design System

One question we get from clients often during a redesign or rebrand is, “How can I make sure people across my organization are adhering to our new designs?” This is where a design system comes into play. Design systems can range from the basic — e.g., a systematic approach to creating shared components for a single website — all the way to the complex —e.g., architecting a cross-product design system that can scale to accommodate hundreds of different products within a company. By assembling elements like color, typography, imagery, messaging, voice and tone, and interaction patterns in a central repository, organizations are able to scale products and marketing confidently and efficiently. When a design system is translated into code, we refer to that as a parts kit, which helps enforce consistency and improve workflow.

Comps or Mocks

When reviewing RFPs or going through the nitty-gritty of contracts with clients, we often see the terms mocks or comps used interchangeably to refer to the static design of pages or screens. Internally, we think of a mock-up as a static image file that illustrates proof-of-concept, just a step beyond a wireframe. A comp represents a design that is “high fidelity” and closer to what the final website will look like, though importantly, is not an exact replica. This is likely what clients will share with internal stakeholders to get approval on the website direction and what our front-end developers will use to begin building-out the site (in other words, converting the static design files into dynamic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code).

If you're interested in joining our team of creative thinkers and visual storytellers who bring these concepts to life for our clients, we’re hiring in Washington, D.C. Durham, Boulder and Chattanooga. Tune in next week as we decipher the terms we use most often when talking about development.




mean

A Viget Glossary: What We Mean and Why it Matters - Part 1

Viget has helped organizations design and develop award-winning websites and digital products for 20 years. In that time, we’ve been lucky to create long-term relationships with clients like Puma, the World Wildlife Fund, and Privia Health, and, throughout our time working together, we’ve come to understand each others’ unique terminology. But that isn’t always the case when we begin work with new clients, and in a constantly-evolving industry, we know that new terminology appears almost daily and organizations have unique definitions for deliverables and processes.

Kicking off a project always initiates a flurry of activity. There are contracts to sign, team members to introduce, and new platforms to learn. It’s an exciting time, and we know clients are anxious to get underway. Amidst all the activity, though, there is a need to define and create a shared lexicon to ensure both teams understand the project deliverables and process that will take us from kickoff to launch.

Below, we’ve rounded up a few terms for each of our disciplines that often require additional explanation. Note: our definitions of these terms may differ slightly from the industry standard, but highlight our interpretation and use of them on a daily basis.

User Experience

Research

In UX, there is a proliferation of terms that are often used interchangeably and mean almost-but-subtly-not the same thing. Viget uses the term research to specifically mean user research — learning more about the users of our products, particularly how they think and behave — in order to make stronger recommendations and better designs. This can be accomplished through different methodologies, depending on the needs of the project, and can include moderated usability testing, stakeholder interviews, audience research, surveys, and more. Learn more about the subtleties of UX research vocabulary in our post on “Speaking the Same Language About Research”.

Wireframes

We use wireframes to show the priority and organization of content on the screen, to give a sense of what elements will get a stronger visual treatment, and to detail how users will get to other parts of the site. Wireframes are a key component of website design — think of them as the skeleton or blueprint of a page — but we know that clients often feel uninspired after reviewing pages built with gray boxes. In fact, we’ve even written about how to improve wireframe presentations. We remind clients that visual designers will step in later to add polish through color, graphics, and typography, but agreeing on the foundation of the page is an important and necessary first step.

Prototypes

During the design process, it’s helpful for us to show clients how certain pieces of functionality or animations will work once the site is developed. We can mimic interactivity or test a technical proof of concept by using a clickable prototype, relying on tools like Figma, Invision, or Principle. Our prototypes can be used to illustrate a concept to internal stakeholders, but shouldn’t be seen as a final approach. Often, these concepts will require additional work to prepare them for developer handoff, which means that prototypes quickly become outdated. Read more about how and when we use prototypes.

Navigation Testing (Treejack Testing)

Following an information architecture presentation, we will sometimes recommend that clients conduct navigation testing. When testing, we present a participant with the proposed navigation and ask them to perform specific tasks in order to see if they will be able to locate the information specified within the site’s new organization. These tests generally focus on two aspects of the navigation: the structure of the navigation system itself, and the language used within the system. Treejack is an online navigation testing tool that we like to employ when conducting navigation tests, so we’ll often interchange the terms “navigation testing” with “treejack testing”.

Learn more about Viget’s approach to user experience and research




mean

A Viget Glossary: What We Mean and Why It Matters - Part 2

In my last post, I defined terms used by our UX team that are often confused or have multiple meanings across the industry. Today, I’ll share our definitions for processes and deliverables used by our design and strategy teams.

Creative

Brand Strategy

In our experience, we’ve found that the term brand strategy is used to cover a myriad of processes, documents, and deliverables. To us, a brand strategy defines how an organization communicates who they are, what they do and why in a clear and compelling way. Over the years, we’ve developed an approach to brand strategy work that emphasizes rigorous research, hands-on collaboration, and the definition of problems and goals. We work with clients to align on a brand strategy concept and, depending on the client and their goals, our final deliverables can range to include strategy definition, audience-specific messaging, identity details, brand elements, applications, and more. Take a look at the brand strategy work we’ve done for Fiscalnote, Swiftdine, and Armstrong Tire.

Content Strategy

A content strategy goes far beyond the words on a website or in an app. A strong content strategy dictates the substance, structure, and governance of the information an organization uses to communicate to its audience. It guides creating, organizing, and maintaining content so that companies can communicate who they are, what they do, and why efficiently and effectively. We’ve worked with organizations like the Washington Speakers Bureau, The Nature Conservancy, the NFL Players Association, and the Wildlife Conservation Society to refine and enhance their content strategies.

Still confused about the difference between brand and content strategy? Check out our flowchart.

Style Guide vs. Brand Guidelines

We often find the depth or fidelity of brand guidelines and style guides can vary greatly, and the terms can often be confused. When we create brand guidelines, they tend to be large documents that include in-depth recommendations about how a company should communicate their brand. Sections like “promise”, “vision”, “mission”, “values”, “tone”, etc. accompany details about how the brand’s logo, colors and fonts should be used in a variety of scenarios. Style guides, on the other hand, are typically pared down documents that contain specific guidance for organizations’ logos, colors and fonts, and don’t always include usage examples.

Design System

One question we get from clients often during a redesign or rebrand is, “How can I make sure people across my organization are adhering to our new designs?” This is where a design system comes into play. Design systems can range from the basic — e.g., a systematic approach to creating shared components for a single website — all the way to the complex —e.g., architecting a cross-product design system that can scale to accommodate hundreds of different products within a company. By assembling elements like color, typography, imagery, messaging, voice and tone, and interaction patterns in a central repository, organizations are able to scale products and marketing confidently and efficiently. When a design system is translated into code, we refer to that as a parts kit, which helps enforce consistency and improve workflow.

Comps or Mocks

When reviewing RFPs or going through the nitty-gritty of contracts with clients, we often see the terms mocks or comps used interchangeably to refer to the static design of pages or screens. Internally, we think of a mock-up as a static image file that illustrates proof-of-concept, just a step beyond a wireframe. A comp represents a design that is “high fidelity” and closer to what the final website will look like, though importantly, is not an exact replica. This is likely what clients will share with internal stakeholders to get approval on the website direction and what our front-end developers will use to begin building-out the site (in other words, converting the static design files into dynamic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code).

If you're interested in joining our team of creative thinkers and visual storytellers who bring these concepts to life for our clients, we’re hiring in Washington, D.C. Durham, Boulder and Chattanooga. Tune in next week as we decipher the terms we use most often when talking about development.




mean

A Viget Glossary: What We Mean and Why it Matters - Part 1

Viget has helped organizations design and develop award-winning websites and digital products for 20 years. In that time, we’ve been lucky to create long-term relationships with clients like Puma, the World Wildlife Fund, and Privia Health, and, throughout our time working together, we’ve come to understand each others’ unique terminology. But that isn’t always the case when we begin work with new clients, and in a constantly-evolving industry, we know that new terminology appears almost daily and organizations have unique definitions for deliverables and processes.

Kicking off a project always initiates a flurry of activity. There are contracts to sign, team members to introduce, and new platforms to learn. It’s an exciting time, and we know clients are anxious to get underway. Amidst all the activity, though, there is a need to define and create a shared lexicon to ensure both teams understand the project deliverables and process that will take us from kickoff to launch.

Below, we’ve rounded up a few terms for each of our disciplines that often require additional explanation. Note: our definitions of these terms may differ slightly from the industry standard, but highlight our interpretation and use of them on a daily basis.

User Experience

Research

In UX, there is a proliferation of terms that are often used interchangeably and mean almost-but-subtly-not the same thing. Viget uses the term research to specifically mean user research — learning more about the users of our products, particularly how they think and behave — in order to make stronger recommendations and better designs. This can be accomplished through different methodologies, depending on the needs of the project, and can include moderated usability testing, stakeholder interviews, audience research, surveys, and more. Learn more about the subtleties of UX research vocabulary in our post on “Speaking the Same Language About Research”.

Wireframes

We use wireframes to show the priority and organization of content on the screen, to give a sense of what elements will get a stronger visual treatment, and to detail how users will get to other parts of the site. Wireframes are a key component of website design — think of them as the skeleton or blueprint of a page — but we know that clients often feel uninspired after reviewing pages built with gray boxes. In fact, we’ve even written about how to improve wireframe presentations. We remind clients that visual designers will step in later to add polish through color, graphics, and typography, but agreeing on the foundation of the page is an important and necessary first step.

Prototypes

During the design process, it’s helpful for us to show clients how certain pieces of functionality or animations will work once the site is developed. We can mimic interactivity or test a technical proof of concept by using a clickable prototype, relying on tools like Figma, Invision, or Principle. Our prototypes can be used to illustrate a concept to internal stakeholders, but shouldn’t be seen as a final approach. Often, these concepts will require additional work to prepare them for developer handoff, which means that prototypes quickly become outdated. Read more about how and when we use prototypes.

Navigation Testing (Treejack Testing)

Following an information architecture presentation, we will sometimes recommend that clients conduct navigation testing. When testing, we present a participant with the proposed navigation and ask them to perform specific tasks in order to see if they will be able to locate the information specified within the site’s new organization. These tests generally focus on two aspects of the navigation: the structure of the navigation system itself, and the language used within the system. Treejack is an online navigation testing tool that we like to employ when conducting navigation tests, so we’ll often interchange the terms “navigation testing” with “treejack testing”.

Learn more about Viget’s approach to user experience and research




mean

A Viget Glossary: What We Mean and Why It Matters - Part 2

In my last post, I defined terms used by our UX team that are often confused or have multiple meanings across the industry. Today, I’ll share our definitions for processes and deliverables used by our design and strategy teams.

Creative

Brand Strategy

In our experience, we’ve found that the term brand strategy is used to cover a myriad of processes, documents, and deliverables. To us, a brand strategy defines how an organization communicates who they are, what they do and why in a clear and compelling way. Over the years, we’ve developed an approach to brand strategy work that emphasizes rigorous research, hands-on collaboration, and the definition of problems and goals. We work with clients to align on a brand strategy concept and, depending on the client and their goals, our final deliverables can range to include strategy definition, audience-specific messaging, identity details, brand elements, applications, and more. Take a look at the brand strategy work we’ve done for Fiscalnote, Swiftdine, and Armstrong Tire.

Content Strategy

A content strategy goes far beyond the words on a website or in an app. A strong content strategy dictates the substance, structure, and governance of the information an organization uses to communicate to its audience. It guides creating, organizing, and maintaining content so that companies can communicate who they are, what they do, and why efficiently and effectively. We’ve worked with organizations like the Washington Speakers Bureau, The Nature Conservancy, the NFL Players Association, and the Wildlife Conservation Society to refine and enhance their content strategies.

Still confused about the difference between brand and content strategy? Check out our flowchart.

Style Guide vs. Brand Guidelines

We often find the depth or fidelity of brand guidelines and style guides can vary greatly, and the terms can often be confused. When we create brand guidelines, they tend to be large documents that include in-depth recommendations about how a company should communicate their brand. Sections like “promise”, “vision”, “mission”, “values”, “tone”, etc. accompany details about how the brand’s logo, colors and fonts should be used in a variety of scenarios. Style guides, on the other hand, are typically pared down documents that contain specific guidance for organizations’ logos, colors and fonts, and don’t always include usage examples.

Design System

One question we get from clients often during a redesign or rebrand is, “How can I make sure people across my organization are adhering to our new designs?” This is where a design system comes into play. Design systems can range from the basic — e.g., a systematic approach to creating shared components for a single website — all the way to the complex —e.g., architecting a cross-product design system that can scale to accommodate hundreds of different products within a company. By assembling elements like color, typography, imagery, messaging, voice and tone, and interaction patterns in a central repository, organizations are able to scale products and marketing confidently and efficiently. When a design system is translated into code, we refer to that as a parts kit, which helps enforce consistency and improve workflow.

Comps or Mocks

When reviewing RFPs or going through the nitty-gritty of contracts with clients, we often see the terms mocks or comps used interchangeably to refer to the static design of pages or screens. Internally, we think of a mock-up as a static image file that illustrates proof-of-concept, just a step beyond a wireframe. A comp represents a design that is “high fidelity” and closer to what the final website will look like, though importantly, is not an exact replica. This is likely what clients will share with internal stakeholders to get approval on the website direction and what our front-end developers will use to begin building-out the site (in other words, converting the static design files into dynamic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code).

If you're interested in joining our team of creative thinkers and visual storytellers who bring these concepts to life for our clients, we’re hiring in Washington, D.C. Durham, Boulder and Chattanooga. Tune in next week as we decipher the terms we use most often when talking about development.




mean

Understanding Climate Change Means Reading Beyond Headlines

By David Suzuki The David Suzuki Foundation Seeing terms like “post-truth” and “alternative facts” gain traction in the news convinces me that politicians, media workers and readers could benefit from a refresher course in how science helps us understand the … Continue reading




mean

Using Communities to Further the True Meaning of Resiliency

Service members, veterans, and their caregivers are incredibly resilient, says Adam, but learning to connect with whatever community you are in will only strengthen that resiliency.




mean

A Viget Glossary: What We Mean and Why it Matters - Part 1

Viget has helped organizations design and develop award-winning websites and digital products for 20 years. In that time, we’ve been lucky to create long-term relationships with clients like Puma, the World Wildlife Fund, and Privia Health, and, throughout our time working together, we’ve come to understand each others’ unique terminology. But that isn’t always the case when we begin work with new clients, and in a constantly-evolving industry, we know that new terminology appears almost daily and organizations have unique definitions for deliverables and processes.

Kicking off a project always initiates a flurry of activity. There are contracts to sign, team members to introduce, and new platforms to learn. It’s an exciting time, and we know clients are anxious to get underway. Amidst all the activity, though, there is a need to define and create a shared lexicon to ensure both teams understand the project deliverables and process that will take us from kickoff to launch.

Below, we’ve rounded up a few terms for each of our disciplines that often require additional explanation. Note: our definitions of these terms may differ slightly from the industry standard, but highlight our interpretation and use of them on a daily basis.

User Experience

Research

In UX, there is a proliferation of terms that are often used interchangeably and mean almost-but-subtly-not the same thing. Viget uses the term research to specifically mean user research — learning more about the users of our products, particularly how they think and behave — in order to make stronger recommendations and better designs. This can be accomplished through different methodologies, depending on the needs of the project, and can include moderated usability testing, stakeholder interviews, audience research, surveys, and more. Learn more about the subtleties of UX research vocabulary in our post on “Speaking the Same Language About Research”.

Wireframes

We use wireframes to show the priority and organization of content on the screen, to give a sense of what elements will get a stronger visual treatment, and to detail how users will get to other parts of the site. Wireframes are a key component of website design — think of them as the skeleton or blueprint of a page — but we know that clients often feel uninspired after reviewing pages built with gray boxes. In fact, we’ve even written about how to improve wireframe presentations. We remind clients that visual designers will step in later to add polish through color, graphics, and typography, but agreeing on the foundation of the page is an important and necessary first step.

Prototypes

During the design process, it’s helpful for us to show clients how certain pieces of functionality or animations will work once the site is developed. We can mimic interactivity or test a technical proof of concept by using a clickable prototype, relying on tools like Figma, Invision, or Principle. Our prototypes can be used to illustrate a concept to internal stakeholders, but shouldn’t be seen as a final approach. Often, these concepts will require additional work to prepare them for developer handoff, which means that prototypes quickly become outdated. Read more about how and when we use prototypes.

Navigation Testing (Treejack Testing)

Following an information architecture presentation, we will sometimes recommend that clients conduct navigation testing. When testing, we present a participant with the proposed navigation and ask them to perform specific tasks in order to see if they will be able to locate the information specified within the site’s new organization. These tests generally focus on two aspects of the navigation: the structure of the navigation system itself, and the language used within the system. Treejack is an online navigation testing tool that we like to employ when conducting navigation tests, so we’ll often interchange the terms “navigation testing” with “treejack testing”.

Learn more about Viget’s approach to user experience and research




mean

A Viget Glossary: What We Mean and Why It Matters - Part 2

In my last post, I defined terms used by our UX team that are often confused or have multiple meanings across the industry. Today, I’ll share our definitions for processes and deliverables used by our design and strategy teams.

Creative

Brand Strategy

In our experience, we’ve found that the term brand strategy is used to cover a myriad of processes, documents, and deliverables. To us, a brand strategy defines how an organization communicates who they are, what they do and why in a clear and compelling way. Over the years, we’ve developed an approach to brand strategy work that emphasizes rigorous research, hands-on collaboration, and the definition of problems and goals. We work with clients to align on a brand strategy concept and, depending on the client and their goals, our final deliverables can range to include strategy definition, audience-specific messaging, identity details, brand elements, applications, and more. Take a look at the brand strategy work we’ve done for Fiscalnote, Swiftdine, and Armstrong Tire.

Content Strategy

A content strategy goes far beyond the words on a website or in an app. A strong content strategy dictates the substance, structure, and governance of the information an organization uses to communicate to its audience. It guides creating, organizing, and maintaining content so that companies can communicate who they are, what they do, and why efficiently and effectively. We’ve worked with organizations like the Washington Speakers Bureau, The Nature Conservancy, the NFL Players Association, and the Wildlife Conservation Society to refine and enhance their content strategies.

Still confused about the difference between brand and content strategy? Check out our flowchart.

Style Guide vs. Brand Guidelines

We often find the depth or fidelity of brand guidelines and style guides can vary greatly, and the terms can often be confused. When we create brand guidelines, they tend to be large documents that include in-depth recommendations about how a company should communicate their brand. Sections like “promise”, “vision”, “mission”, “values”, “tone”, etc. accompany details about how the brand’s logo, colors and fonts should be used in a variety of scenarios. Style guides, on the other hand, are typically pared down documents that contain specific guidance for organizations’ logos, colors and fonts, and don’t always include usage examples.

Design System

One question we get from clients often during a redesign or rebrand is, “How can I make sure people across my organization are adhering to our new designs?” This is where a design system comes into play. Design systems can range from the basic — e.g., a systematic approach to creating shared components for a single website — all the way to the complex —e.g., architecting a cross-product design system that can scale to accommodate hundreds of different products within a company. By assembling elements like color, typography, imagery, messaging, voice and tone, and interaction patterns in a central repository, organizations are able to scale products and marketing confidently and efficiently. When a design system is translated into code, we refer to that as a parts kit, which helps enforce consistency and improve workflow.

Comps or Mocks

When reviewing RFPs or going through the nitty-gritty of contracts with clients, we often see the terms mocks or comps used interchangeably to refer to the static design of pages or screens. Internally, we think of a mock-up as a static image file that illustrates proof-of-concept, just a step beyond a wireframe. A comp represents a design that is “high fidelity” and closer to what the final website will look like, though importantly, is not an exact replica. This is likely what clients will share with internal stakeholders to get approval on the website direction and what our front-end developers will use to begin building-out the site (in other words, converting the static design files into dynamic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code).

If you're interested in joining our team of creative thinkers and visual storytellers who bring these concepts to life for our clients, we’re hiring in Washington, D.C. Durham, Boulder and Chattanooga. Tune in next week as we decipher the terms we use most often when talking about development.




mean

Rationing Protective Gear Means Checking on Coronavirus Patients Less Often. This Can Be Deadly

Low on essential supplies and fearing they’ll get sick, doctors and nurses told ProPublica in-person care for coronavirus patients has been scaled back. In some cases, it’s causing serious harm. By Joshua Kaplan, Lizzie Presser and Maya Miller, ProPublica Every morning, between 7 and 8, at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, several coronavirus patients are pronounced dead.…



  • News/Nation & World

mean

System for generating readable and meaningful descriptions of stream processing source code

An information processing system, computer readable storage medium, and method for automatically generating human readable and meaningful documentation for one or more source code files. A processor of the information processing system receives one or more source code files containing source code artifacts (SCA) and infers semantics therefrom based on predefined rules. The processor, based on the inferred semantics, extracts documentation from another source code file. The extracted documentation and the inferred semantics are used to generate new human readable and meaningful documentation for the SCA, such new documentation being previously missing from the SCA. The generated new documentation is included with the SCA in one or more source code files.




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Speech recognition apparatus with means for preventing errors due to delay in speech recognition

When a speech sound of at least a predetermined sound pressure is externally input while a time measurement is not being performed, a time measuring circuit starts a time measurement responsive to a signal from a speech detector. When another speech sound of at least a predetermined sound pressure is externally input while a time measurement is being performed by the time measuring circuit, a measurement time measured by the time measuring circuit at this moment is stored in a time information memory. After a predetermined time has elapsed, if a speech recognition circuit recognizes that the externally input speech sound is a "stop" command, the time measurement operation performed by the time measuring circuit is stopped, and the time information stored in the time information memory is read out and displayed as measurement time information on a display unit.




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Method for the production of 2-octyl acrylate by means of transesterification

The invention relates to the production of 2-octylacrylate of high purity and in good yield using ethyl titanate in solution in 2-octanol or 2-octyl titanate as a transesterification catalyst.




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Method for producing mono-aminofunctionalized dialkylphosphinic acids and esters and salts thereof by means of acrylnitriles and use thereof

The invention relates to a method for producing mono-aminofunctionalized dialkylphosphinic acids and esters and salts thereof by means of acrylnitriles, characterized in that a) a phosphinic acid source (I) is reacted with olefins (IV) to yield an alkylphosphonic acid, salt or ester (II) thereof in the presence of a catalyst A, b) the thus obtained alkylphosphonic acid, salt or ester (II) thereof is reacted with an acrylnitrile of formula (V) to yield a mono-functionalized dialkylphosphinic acid derivative (VI) in the presence of a catalyst B, and c) the thus obtained mono-functionalized dialkylphosphinic acid derivative (VI) is reacted to yield a mono-aminofunctionalized dialkylphosphinic acid derivative (III) in the presence of a catalyst C or a reduction agent, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 are the same or different and stand independently of each other, among other things, for H, C1-C18 alkyl, C6-C18 aryl, C6-C18 aralkyl, C6-C18 alkylaryl and X stands for H, C1-C18 alkyl, C6-C18 aryl, C6-C18 aralkyl, C6-C18 alkylaryl, Mg, Ca, Al, Sb, Sn, Ge, Ti, Fe, Zr, Zn, Ce, Bi, Sr, Mn, Cu, Ni, Li, Na, K and/or a protonized nitrogen base, and Y stands for a mineral acid, a carboxylic acid, a Lewis acid or an organic acid, n=an integer or fractional number of 0 to 4 and the catalysts A and C are formed by transition metals, transition metal compounds and/or catalyst systems composed of a transition metal and/or a transition metal compound and at least one ligand, and catalyst B is formed by compounds forming peroxides, peroxo compounds, azo compounds, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, alkali hydrides, alkaline earth hydrides and/or alkali alcoholates and alkaline earth alcoholates.




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Pneumatic compression garment with noise attenuating means

A pneumatic compression garment includes a flexible member for placement on a limb of a human body. A bladder in the flexible member defines an inflatable chamber. The bladder has an opening through which the inflatable chamber is inflated. A port mounted on the bladder has an air inlet adapted for communication with a source of pressurized air and an air outlet in communication with the inflatable chamber via the opening in the bladder. Pressurized air is delivered from into the inflatable chamber for inflating the inflatable chamber and thereby applying a compression force to the limb when the flexible member is in place on the limb. An air diverter affixed to an inside surface of a first sheet of the bladder and configured to divert air entering the inflatable chamber from directly impinging against an inside surface of a second sheet of the bladder.




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Mixing and kneading machine for continual compounding and method of implementing continual compounding by means of a mixing and kneading machine

A mixing and kneading machine (1) for continual compounding comprises a screw shaft (3) rotating in a casing (2) and simultaneously moving axially translationally. To sustainably enhance the efficiency of the machine as regards its material thruput per unit of time the screw shaft (3) comprises at least four groups of radial screw vanes (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) evenly distributed circumferentially, each group consisting of a plurality of screw vanes in axial sequence. The outer diameter (Da) of the screw shaft ranges from 400 to 800 millimeters. The rotary speed of the screw shaft (3) ranges from 30 to 80 rpm. A mixing and kneading machine (1) engineered as such is particularly suitable for compounding an anodic mass in the production of electrodes—anodes—for the aluminum industry.




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Method for machining a series of workpieces by means of at least one machining jet

The method for machining a series of workpieces (21) via at least one machining jet includes the following steps: each workpiece (21) is associated with an identifier for uniquely identifying the workpiece,during the machining of a respective workpiece, the temporal characteristic of the machining jet is detected by at least one sensor (30),the detected temporal characteristic is evaluated so as to obtain at least one comparative value, andfor detecting incorrect machining, the at least one comparative value is compared with at least one threshold value.




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Cartridge with fine adjustment means

Cartridge for supporting at least one cutting insert and for being received on a tool body is disclosed. At least a first portion of the cartridge may be stationary mounted and the cartridge includes at least one pocket for receiving a cutting element. A coarse and a fine adjustment means are provided by means of which at least a second portion of the cartridge including the pocket may be moved with respect to the tool body and wherein the coarse and the fine adjustment means are merely provided at the cartridge.




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Flexible coupling means and a mechanical transmission

A coupling means (10) provided with a first member (20) suitable for being fastened to a first rotary part (2) and with a second member (30) suitable for being fastened to a second rotary part (3), the first member (20) being provided with a first diaphragm (22) and the second member (30) being provided with a second diaphragm (32) that is secured to the first diaphragm (22). An emergency torque transmission device comprises at least one bayonet system including a protuberance (50) secured to one member (30) and co-operating with an angled groove (60) secured to the other member (20) by being inserted in the angled groove (60) by a thrust-and-rotation movement, in the absence of said breakage said coupling means (10) including both axial clearances in compression (70') and in translation (70″) and also circumferential clearance between each protuberance (50) and walls defining the corresponding angled groove (60).




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Motor with torsional isolation means

An electro-mechanical energy conversion device is provided having an armature with a central cavity. The armature is rotatably mounted in a frame. A torsion bar is positioned within the armature with one end connected to the armature and the other end connected with an energy source or consuming device.




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Dissection handpiece with aspiration means for reducing the appearance of cellulite

A dermatological skin treatment device is provided. The device comprises a handpiece and a cutting tool, wherein the tool is inserted through the conduit and percutaneously inserted into a tissue disposed within a recessed area of the handpiece. The device and method cut the fibrous structures under the skin that cause cellulite at an angle substantially parallel to the surface of the skin and replace these structures with a non-cellulite forming structure by deploying a highly fibrous mesh through a single needle hole to create a highly fibrous layer directly or through wound healing processes. A tool is provided to aspirate excess fluid and tissue from the treatment area.




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Method for the production of alkyl lithium compounds by means of spraying of lithium metal

A method for the production of alkyl lithium compounds is disclosed, in which metallic lithium is reacted with an alkyl halide in a solvent, whereby the metallic lithium is introduced in the form of lithium particles, generated by spraying molten lithium into an inert atmosphere or into a vacuum.




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Method for preparing diorganomagnesium-containing synthesis means

A diorganomagnesium-containing synthesis means, a method for its preparation and its use.




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Screw with anti-loosening means

A screw with anti-loosening means, which includes a securing element with a ring portion and that can be inserted about a shaft of the screw under a head thereof and, with the screw in a state in which it is screwed on a base, prevents the screw from being turned back counter to a screwing-in direction. The securing element has on the ring portion, on a side facing the surface of the base, at least one projection which can be pressed into the surface when screwing in the screw. The securing element can have an outer circumferential region of the ring portion, with finger-like extensions which, with the securing element in the inserted state, extend along the circumference of the head and under spring-elastic forces of the securing element, contact a surface structure of the body that has an inhibiting action counter to the screwing-in direction. The extensions can have inwardly bent-off end portions which engage over the head, or a circumferential portion thereof protruding radially thereon, on an upper side thereof facing away from the shaft.




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Method for operating a collection means for printed products

A method for operating a collection system for printed products includes drawing off the printed products from discharge device(s) disposed at corresponding discharge point(s) in the collection system. The printed products are deposited on a collection section during a cycle period of the discharge device(s) so as to form a bundle of printed products. The bundle is transferred to a subsequent conveying mechanism having receiving pockets. It is determined whether at least one missing printed product exists due to an incorrect drawing off from the discharge point(s). A repair process is initiated and controlled in which the at least one missing printed product is drawn off from the corresponding discharge point(s) at a time corresponding to a subsequent recurrent pocket-related cycle of the subsequent conveying mechanism in a subsequent cycle period of the discharge device(s). The at least one missing printed product is inserted in the relevant receiving pocket.




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Solar power inverter with sealing means

A solar power inverter having a sealing means includes: a main case having an opening on a front surface thereof, the opening open and closed by a main cover; an auxiliary case coupled to one side surface of the main case, and having a second opening on a front surface thereof, the second opening open and closed by an auxiliary cover; and a gasket interposed between the main case and the auxiliary case, wherein the main case and the auxiliary case are coupled to each other by coupling bolts which pass through the main case, the gasket and the auxiliary case.




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Means for locking a sealing ring on a turbine disk

A mechanism compressing a sealing ring of a cooling circuit of blades of a turbine engine against a turbine wheel supporting the blades, the wheel supporting on a downstream surface thereof an annular flange positioned radially and defining with the surface a groove configured to house the sealing ring. The flange includes at least two cut-outs on the edge thereof located opposite the bottom of the groove, to form windows for axial insertion in the groove for claws supported by the circumference of the ring facing the groove of the wheel. The mechanism includes a bolt tab configured to be positioned in the groove between the surface of the wheel and the ring, and a clamping shaped to be supported by the surface of the wheel and to engage with the bolt to ensure that the ring is compressed against the flange.




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Control of wind turbine blade lift regulating means

The invention involves a wind turbine comprising at least one blade (5) in turn comprising a blade body (501), lift-regulating means (502) adapted for movement in relation to the blade body (501) so as to regulate the lift of the blade, and load sensing means (5022, 506) for determining a load acting on the lift-regulating means (502), the wind turbine further comprising an actuation control unit (6) adapted to control the movement of the lift-regulating means (502) based on output from the load sensing means (5022, 506). In addition to output from the load sensing means (5022, 506), the actuation control unit (6) is adapted to control the movement of the lift-regulating means (502) based on the movement of the lift-regulating means (502).




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Line justifying means and method in selective printing machines




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DIE HOLDER WITH STAMPING DIE MEANS

A stamping die holder comprises a tube of noncircular e.g., square cross-section, having die receiving transverse openings at one end, a clamp of correlative non-circular cross-section slidable in the tube adjacent the die openings for holding a die means in the openings, a screw engaging a thread on the clamp to move the clamp to and from die engaging position, the head of the screw being captured between two apertured plates held in the tube, the screw extending through the aperture in one plate and the aperture in the other plate providing access for a socket wrench to engage a socket in the screw head to turn the screw and move the clamp. The clamp has a hard rubber face providing enough resiliency to maintain tightness while at the same time preventing wobble of the die means. Hammer actuated stamping dies carrying letter or other metal marking indicia may be held in the holder, e.g., dies for identification of inspected welded material.




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Means for regulating pressure in a pressure chamber

PCT No. PCT/DE96/01067 Sec. 371 Date Jun. 17, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Jun. 17, 1998 PCT Filed Jun. 17, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO97/16777 PCT Pub. Date May 9, 1997For regulating the pressure in a pressure chamber, in particular in a pneumatic brake apparatus for a web-type recording medium, an actual pressure is set in the pressure chamber dependent on an actual angle of rotation of a rotary valve. The actual angle of rotation of the rotary valve and the actual pressure in the pressure chamber are acquired. A target pressure and a target angle of rotation allocated to this target pressure are predetermined, and a pressure deviation between the actual pressure and the target pressure are determined, as is a deviation of the angle of rotation between the actual angle of rotation and the target angle of rotation. An adjusting unit sets the angle of rotation at the rotary valve, first dependent on the deviation of the angle of rotation and then dependent on the pressure deviation. Furthermore, a sensor for acquiring the angle of rotation is specified.




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Battery pack with integral non-contact discharging means and electronic device including the same

A battery pack and an electronic device are disclosed. The battery pack includes a battery for storing electric energy, and a non-contacting discharging unit for receiving the stored electric energy from the battery and for transferring the stored electric energy to a power receiving unit in a non-electrically contacting manner. The electronic device includes a main body and the battery pack. The main body includes a power receiving unit. The battery pack is for mounting to and supplying power to the main body.




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System adapted for one or more electrically propellable vehicles (cleansing means)

A cleaning means related to a vehicle-related system for driving an electrically propellable vehicle along a roadway. The vehicle has three sources of power: a vehicle-related power generator, a set of batteries and vehicle-external electric stations. The vehicle is provided with a current collector which is displaceable up and down and sideways in relation to the direction of transportation, in order to be brought into mechanical and electrical contact with elongated tracks positioned below the roadway and comprising a conductor adapted to be connected with an electric station. The cleaning means is rotatably fastened in an upper area thereof about a horizontally oriented axis of rotation and adapted to clean the track from loose obstacles and/or yield to solid obstacles. The cleaning means and the axis of rotation are movably disposed in vertical direction by means of a resilient member. The cleaning comprises a forwardly directed edge portion oriented in the direction of travel, the edge portion comprising a point which may be brought into contact with the track and the conductor.




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Spring whip defensive mechanism having means to permit disassembly thereof

A knock down spring whip assembly including a hollow housing which serves as a handgrip, and also stores a spring subassembly formed of lengths of helically wound springs of sequentially increasingly larger diameter size to move between a telescoped position within the housing and an extended whipping position projecting from one end of the housing with the springs wedgingly engaging each other in an end to end arrangement. A removable closure unit is provided for plugging the other end of the housing to define a storage compartment. The closure unit includes an integral magnet for retaining the spring subassembly in the telescoped position, where the closure unit can be replaced with other types of closure units. The housing includes a tapered end and an annular constriction for providing both a wedging engagement of the projecting springs as well as a positive locking action. Weighted ball bearings can be included within one of the springs for spiral rotation therethrough to provide an additional striking force. The striking spring can be replaced by a solid rod for an increased striking force. Preferably, the tip portion at the striking end is also removable to permit the spring whip assembly to be disassembled into its component parts.




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Spring whip defensive mechanism having means to permit disassembly thereof

A knock down spring whip assembly including a hollow housing which serves as a handgrip, and also stores a spring subassembly formed of lengths of helically wound springs of sequentially increasingly larger diameter size to move between a telescoped position within the housing and an extended whipping position projecting from one end of the housing with the springs wedgingly engaging each other in an end to end arrangement. A removable closure unit is provided for plugging the other end of the housing to define a storage compartment. The closure unit includes an integral magnet for retaining the spring subassembly in the telescoped position, where the closure unit can be replaced with other types of closure units. The housing includes a tapered end and an annular constriction for providing both a wedging engagement of the projecting springs as well as a positive locking action. Weighted ball bearings can be included within one of the springs for spiral rotation therethrough to provide an additional striking force. The striking spring can be replaced by a solid rod for an increased striking force. Preferably, the tip portion at the striking end is also removable to permit the spring whip assembly to be disassembled into its component parts.




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Connecting means and method of producing a connection between a first component and a second component

This application is directed to groove milling devices for milling a groove in a component. In one example, a groove milling device includes a milling disk which is rotatable about a rotational axis, wherein the groove milling device comprises a displacement device for moving the milling disk along the rotational axis during the milling process. In an example, the groove milling device may include a control device which actuates the displacement device automatically when a predetermined depth of the milled groove is reached during the milling process. In an example, the groove milling device may include a switch for activating the displacement device by an operator during the milling process. In an example, the energy required for actuating the displacement device may be generated by a generator coupled to a main drive spindle of the groove milling device.




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Lead equipped with means for blocking the extensible cord

An extensible cord lead comprising a casing (11) containing a winding wheel (13) equipped with housings (15) intercepted by a pushbutton (16) to allow the partial or total blocking of the cord, the pushbutton (16) being equipped with a forward position blocking device consisting of a cursor (20) which slides or rotates in a transverse direction with respect to the axis of the pushbutton (16) in which it is inserted, said cursor (20) being activated by a thumb-turn (21) located on the head of the pushbutton (16), said cursor (20) being able to move from a blocked position to free sliding of the pushbutton, entering and exiting transversally to the sliding axis of the pushbutton (16), in a housing (22) in the box-like casing (11) of the winding device.




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Method for controlling at least one machining device which is coupled to a machine tool by means of an encoder signal

A method is disclosed for controlling at least one machining device which is coupled to a machine tool by means of an encoder signal, the machine tool having at least one motion control device. In order to improve the accuracy of the encoder connection, at least one additional variable which characterizes the transport is digitally transmitted from the motion control device to the at least one machining device and is used to correct the encoder signal.




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Apparatus for correcting belt-meandering for secondary battery

An apparatus of correcting belt-meandering for a secondary battery is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes i) upper and lower rollers configured to receive a base material therebetween, wherein the base material comprises positive and negative electrode materials and an insulating material interposed between the electrode materials and ii) a driver portion configured to rotate the upper and lower rollers such that the base material is transferred in a first direction during the rotation. The apparatus may also include i) a support portion configured to support shafts of the driver portion and the upper and lower rollers and ii) a transverse moving mechanism configured to move the support portion in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.




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Wall-mounted expandable toilet tissue roll storage means

A toilet tissue roll holder is provided having a telescoping structure that is attachable to a wall surface for providing replacement toilet tissue to a dispenser and shrouding unused rolls prior to deployment. The device includes a lowermost housing having a base surface, rounded sidewalls, an interior volume, and an open front. The lowermost housing connects to a first upstanding sidewall thereabove, which in turn supports a plurality of telescoping sidewalls that form individual toilet tissue roll containers extending upward. A viewing window is provided through at least one of the device sidewalls above the lowermost housing to allow an administrator to visualize whether a minimum number of reserve toilet paper rolls are still available. The structure is expanded and contracted depending on the number of rolls therein, while the lowermost housing and first upstanding sidewall provide the base structure that is secured to a support wall.




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Universal mounting hole means for different electric tool heads

The present invention discloses a kind of universal mounting hole means for different tool heads of electric tools, which are disposed on a mounting portion of the tool head, comprising a central hole and a plurality of long and narrow limiting holes which orient radially surrounding the central hole and disposed in distance with each other. Compared with the prior art, the present invention is applicable to various kinds of structures of the mounting seat on electrical tool and is more universal. It takes much convenience to people when changing different tool heads of electric tools, and it is benefit for storing.