As part of an ongoing interview series, following are four channeled messages from Jesus/Sananda, St. Germain, Archangel Michael and Mother Mary as to what they want us to know as we enter 2020.
Say goodbye to your data loss woes! Wondershare's free recovery software helps users retrieve lost data from hard drives, memory cards and SD cards easily and quickly.
Barbara Hardie, award-winning author and founder of Angel Connections, is concerned about the battle of opposing viewpoints on some important human issues. If you are interested in the spiritual laws regarding these matters, you need to read on.
Rev. Richard Klingeisen is a pastor and educator at St. Mary Parish of Reedsville, Wisconsin and St. Michael Parish, of Whitelaw, Wisconsin. He is proud to announce a new podcast interview series, A Life of Giving.
The latest episode of A Life of Giving, the acclaimed Podumentary by Reverend Richard Klingeisen, is set to launch shortly after the holidays in early 2020. 'For a Good Cause' sees the Revered focus on the charities closest to him.
Richard R. Burton, PhD., is a seasoned Computer Scientist with more than 50 years of experience.
Toastmasters include John Simmons (Cinematographer), Allison Kelly (Cinematographer), Tamika Lamison (Producer / Director / Writer), and Starr Parodi (Composer).
One woman, one camera, NO crew. Shalyse Dominique makes a big splash with her directorial début "Legal ThreaT".
Roof Coating Supply, the first roofing supplier to specialize solely on the distribution of roof coatings. Also providing free in house roof contractor training. Roof Coating Supply opened their first location in Richardson, TX. on October 1st 2019.
Actress and TV personality Kyle Richards and fashion designer Shahida Clayton are launching their new women's contemporary fashion brand- Kyle and Shahida at New York Fashion Week.
Actress and TV Personality Kyle Richards and Fashion Designer Shahida Clayton debuted their new women's contemporary fashion brand, Kyle and Shahida, at NYFW with a little help from their friends...
Guide to growing Swiss chard with pictures and step by step explanation. Learn to grow swiss chard in the ground, container or in Hydroponics.
Shami, you need evenweave fabric to do Hardanger. It will not work on aida. 22 ct fabric is specially for Hardanger or any evenweave above 22 ct can be used
Mr. Taylor provides four decades of financial expertise to his clients at Avid Wealth Management Group.
The HASHWallet Indiegogo campaign is out! Sign up and get 30% off and Free Vault service.
Irene Yuan Sun, a consultant at McKinsey, explains why so many Chinese entrepreneurs are setting up factories in Africa. She describes what it’s like inside these factories, who works there, what they’re making—and how this emerging manufacturing sector is industrializing countries including Lesotho and Nigeria. Sun’s new book is “The Next Factory of the World: How Chinese Investment Is Reshaping Africa.”
Katherine Phillips, a professor at Columbia Business School, discusses research showing that African-Americans are often reluctant to tell their white colleagues about their personal lives — and that it hurts their careers. She says people should expect and welcome differences at work, and she gives practical advice for strengthening connections among colleagues of different racial backgrounds. Phillips is a coauthor of the article “Diversity and Authenticity,” in the March–April 2018 issue of Harvard Business Review.
Thomas Steenburgh, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, was inspired by his early career at Xerox to discover why firms with stellar sales and R&D departments still struggle to sell new innovations. The answer, he finds, is that too many companies expect shiny new products to sell themselves. Steenburgh explains how crafting new sales processes, incentives, and training can overcome the obstacles inherent in selling new products. He's the coauthor, along with Michael Ahearne of the University of Houston's Sales Excellence Institute, of the HBR article "How to Sell New Products."
In the U.S., there are at least 25,000 cases across all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington D.C. At least 323 have died from the virus.
Bob Dylan, Prince, the Time and even the Replacements all showed off his impressions on them.
BuzzFeed News: The J.Crew Bankruptcy Has Exposed A Hard Truth About The Influencer Economy. “The news this week that the parent company of beloved preppy brand J.Crew and its hip millennial sister, Madewell, had filed for bankruptcy led to an outpouring of sadness from fans across social media. It also led to a stark revelation … Continue reading BuzzFeed News: The J.Crew Bankruptcy Has Exposed A Hard Truth About The Influencer Economy
So, there’s this new study doing the rounds. Some economists decided to study the twitter followers of prominent coronavirus skeptics and fearmongers, and it seems that followers of Nassim Taleb were more likely to shelter in place, and less like to die of coronavirus, than followers of Richard Epstein or Cass Sunstein. And the differences […]
McGraw, Richard Allen Apr 1, 1946 - May 4, 2020 Richard Allen McGraw, 74, of Port Charlotte, Florida, died on May 4, 2020. Funeral .....
Herdegen, Richard Jan 31, 1940 - Apr 26, 2020 Richard Herdegen, 80, of Bradenton, FL, died on Apr 26, 2020. Funeral arrangements by: Shannon .....
Due to the hard work of firefighters and the successful plan they implemented, the Galahad Fire has been contained to the point where no direct threats remain to park resources. The fire is not out, but the chances of it crossing existing containment lines have been greatly reduced. The fire is estimated to be 3,102 acres and 30% contained. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/hard-work-and-good-planning-pay-off-on-the-galahad-fire.htm
Little Richard, one of the founding fathers of rock and roll, has died at the age of 87.
Woodpeckers and other cavity-excavating birds worldwide are keystone species. These birds excavate their nests out of solid wood, and because their nests are often well protected against predators and the environment, other species use and compete for their old, vacant nests. The presence of cavity-excavating birds in forests has far-reaching effects on species richness and ecosystem health.
The kitchen cabinet industry has shown significant growth recently, with expanding residential markets, new cabinet styles, and larger kitchens. This industry represents an opportunity for small Alaska wood producers to create high-value secondary products. In response to recent trends in kitchen cabinet manufacturing and the need to identify opportunities for underutilized species, the Alaska Wood Utilization Research and Development Center has conducted numerous studies evaluating consumer preferences for Alaska's primary hardwoods-Alaska birch (Betula papyrifera var. humilis )Reg.) Fern & Raup) and red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.). These studies explored consumer preferences under a range of marketing parameters, cabinet appearances, and regional market locations. This paper summarizes these studies and offers insights into the potential market for Alaska's hardwoods as secondary wood products such as kitchen cabinets.
SAGA COMMUNICATIONS first quarter net revenue fell year-to-year from $27.8 million to $26.1 million but net income rose from $1.4 million to $1.7 million for the quarter. Gross political … more
The Friends star said this is the longest time she's being away from Johnny McDaid since first meeting more than seven years ago
Rock & Roll legend LITTLE RICHARD (RICHARD WAYNE PENNIMAN) has died at the age of 87 TODAY (5/9.). The cause of death was bone cancer, according to his son, DANNY JONES … more
At the turn of the 20th century, a vaccine had been developed for smallpox, a virus that killed millions in the 1800s. Those who survived the disease were often left badly scarred or blind. The...
KELLI JO RICHARDS
Cedar Rapids
Kelli Jo Richards, 57, of Cedar Rapids, passed away on Monday, May 4, 2020, at ManorCare Heath Services in Cedar Rapids from complications of COVID-19. Iowa Cremation is assisting the family. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
Kelli was born Sept. 4, 1962, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the daughter of Ken and Karen (Walter) Oliver. Kelli married Pat Richards on Jan. 30, 1982. To this union three children were born.
She previously worked at Osco Drug, Souvenir and Dale Lee Distributing.
Kelli enjoyed gambling, trips to Arizona to spend time with her mom, shopping, camping and driving around in her Camaro.
She is survived by her children, Andrew (Holly) Richards of Waverly, Amanda (Andrew) Lutter of Palo and Adam (Brooke) Richards of Cedar Rapids; seven grandchildren, Katelynn, Zach, Myles, Drake, Dalton, Riley and Ari; her mother, Karen (Art) Kloos of Sun City, Ariz.; a brother, Kevin Oliver of Cedar Rapids; a sister, Kim (Mike) Wiggins of Center Point, Iowa; two stepsisters, Gina and Kathy Kloos, both of Iowa City; several nieces and nephews and many close friends and extended family.
Kelli is preceded in death by her husband, Pat Richards; and her father, Ken Oliver.
Condolences may be left at www.iowacremation.com under obituaries.
I’m running for Iowa’s 2nd district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Early last fall, I found that Mariannette Miller-Meeks is running again, after three losses, and that former Illinois Congressman Bobby Schilling is an Illinoisan turned Iowan. The second district seat should be held by a true Iowa citizen legislator.
The House of Representatives was meant to be the people’s house. One where people temporarily left their home and family to serve in Washington, then returned home to resume their life. Being elected to office was never intended to be a lifetime job. If elected I will serve three terms, then return to Iowa and the private sector.
I believe our government should be small, efficient and responsive to its citizens. I would insist that all government programs are reviewed and eliminated if they are not currently serving the public’s interests. I would also push for a budget that does not grow at a higher rate than incoming revenues.
I believe that all law-abiding citizens have the right to own a gun to hunt or to protect themselves from danger. I will not support any additional restrictions placed on law-abiding citizens.
I believe all life is sacred, from conception to natural death, regardless of ability. It is not my intention to tell any woman what to do with her body. I would prefer that each women take full control of her body and the choices she makes before pregnancy occurs.
In the beginning, our country was land rich and people poor. Anyone who could make it to our country was welcome and opportunities abounded. Today, we are crowded and too many struggle to find substantial work. Immigrants are welcome, but I support only legal immigration, to mitigate how many enter the United States, while our county exercises its right to defend its borders by reasonable means, including strengthening barriers to illegal entry.
I grew up in Washington, Iowa and moved to Iowa City in my late 20s. I currently work in retail and my wife works at a food distribution plant. We have two children, ages 11 and 9, who attend public school in Iowa City. On any given day you could see me at the grocery store, the mall, at the children’s school or at their soccer game. I will be a true citizen-legislator and I would like your support.
Tim Borchardt is a candidate in the Republican primary for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District.
My litmus test for a sheriff is someone who understands the community, partners well with different levels of government and law enforcement and stands up for the powerless. Brad Kunkel has been coordinating with all levels of local government as part of the Johnson County Emergency Operations Center pandemic meetings. He knows his community, and I’m confident he will continue to work hard for the most vulnerable, especially victims of domestic violence and at-risk children. That’s why I am voting Brad Kunkel for Johnson County sheriff. I hope you will, too.
Janice Weiner
Iowa City
At the turn of the 20th century, a vaccine had been developed for smallpox, a virus that killed millions in the 1800s. Those who survived the disease were often left badly scarred or blind.
The vaccine’s protection, though, lasted only five years and had to be renewed. And people forgot to do that, leading to occasional epidemics, including a serious outbreak on the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama.
In February 1901, three dozen Iowa communities reported smallpox outbreaks. When Des Moines reported 200 smallpox cases in late February, the mayor closed the schools and prohibited public gatherings. Still, no one died. That would not be the case at the Meskwaki Settlement.
Meskwaki OutbreakOn Oct. 22, 1901, an area resident told Dr. Benjamin Thompson of Tama, “I believe the Indians have the smallpox.”
Thompson went to the nearby Meskwaki Settlement, home to 309 people, to investigate.
He learned that an Indian from the Winnebago tribe had visited the settlement Sept. 23. He had become ill, but no doctor was called and he continued meeting with tribe members.
Two weeks later, the Meskwaki were becoming ill.
Thompson went back to the settlement with Dr. George Carpenter of Toledo. The first wickiup they visited had four active smallpox cases and three people recovering from the virus. Two Meskwaki who’d lived there had died.
The doctors found another five cases and were told of two other deaths.
The doctors that night reported to a joint meeting of the boards of health in Tama, Toledo and Montour.
William Malin, the Interior Department’s Indian agent for the settlement, insisted there was no problem. But after another medical visit to the settlement, the three cities quarantined themselves.
By Nov. 2, 70 Meskwaki had smallpox, and nine members of the tribe had died. Two weeks later, the totals had risen to 90 Meskwaki with smallpox and 35 deaths.
To complicate matters, the Meskwaki declined offers to go to the hospital, they refused smallpox vaccinations and they refused to stay on the settlement. If they became sick, they would hide from the doctors.
The Tama Herald reported, “It looks as though the disease must run its course through the tribe, carrying off the aged and the infirm and weakening the constitution of those who may survive.”
Quarantine EnforcedThe Iowa governor appealed to Interior Secretary Ethan Hitchcock for authority to enforce the quarantine among the Meskwaki. Hitchcock complied, giving the state the authority to “take any necessary action.”
National Guard hospital tents and cots were shipped to the settlement. The Meskwaki were vaccinated, and they acquiesced to the quarantine.
The local towns began raising money for medicines and provisions not covered by the federal government.
Meanwhile, Congress appropriated $50,000 — more than $1 million in today’s dollars — to eradicate smallpox on the settlement. The bill gave the Interior Department the authority to quarantine the village and, if necessary, burn Meskwaki wickiups and clothing to halt the contagion.
The state of Iowa chipped in another $7,000 to burn the clothing, blankets, wickiups and other property belonging to the Tama tribe and to provide replacements for the Meskwaki.
The money paid for disinfectants — formaldehyde gas and corrosive sublimate fluid — to bathe tribal members and their dogs. Members of the tribe were forced to move to a camping ground while their village was decontaminated.
Malin, the Indian agent, reported to the Interior Department it took seven days to clean and renovate “the Indian camp.”
“During this process, a large number of the wickiups, where the disease had been prevalent, also large quantities of clothing, bedding and other infected property, were committed to the flames and new goods of similar character supplied,” he reported.
“Twenty-four new board houses, built of good lumber, and some 2,700 square yards of very heavy duck for tents, to those who preferred tents to houses, were given in lien of the wickiups destroyed. ... The Indians emerged from the trying ordeal through which they had passed and came out into the world again, after having been confined to the limited area of their camping grounds ... with a higher and better conception of the white man’s civilization.”
That assessment aside, the Meskwaki Settlement survived and grew. It now covers 8,000 acres and is home to 800 of the tribe’s 1,300 members.
It wasn’t until 1980 that smallpox was declared eradicated worldwide.
l Comments: d.fannonlangton@gmail.com
The classic adage is “good design speaks for itself.” Which would mean that if something’s as good of an idea as you think it is, a client will instantly see that it’s good too, right?
Here at Viget, we’re always working with new and different clients. Each with their own challenges and sensibilities. But after ten years of client work, I can’t help but notice a pattern emerge when we’re trying to get approval on especially cool, unconventional parts of a design.
So let’s break down some of those patterns to hopefully better understand why clients hesitate, and what strategies we’ve been using lately to help get the work we’re excited about approved.
Imagine this: the parallax homepage with elements that move around in surprising ways or a unique navigation menu that conceptually reinforces a site’s message. The way the content cards on a page will, like, be literal cards that will shuffle and move around. Basically, any design that feels like an exciting, novel challenge, will need the client to “get it.” And that often turns out to be the biggest challenge of all.
There are plenty of practical reasons cool designs get shot down. A client is usually more than one stakeholder, and more than the team of people you’re working with directly. On any project, there’s an amount of telephone you end up playing. Or, there’s always the classic foes: budgets and deadlines. Any idea should fit in those predetermined constraints. But as a project goes along, budgets and deadlines find a way to get tighter than you planned.
But innovative designs and interactions can seem especially scary for clients to approve. There’s three fears that often pop up on projects:
Maybe the client expected something simple, a light refresh. Something that doesn’t challenge their design expectations or require more time and effort to understand. And on our side, maybe we didn’t sufficiently ease them into our way of thinking and open them up to why we think something bigger and bolder is the right solution for them. Baby steps, y’all.
Or, less dramatically, a lack of understanding of the medium. In the past, we have struggled with how to present an interactive, animated design to a client before it’s actually built. Looking at a site that does something conceptually similar as an example can be tough. It’s asking a lot of a client’s imagination to show them a site about boots that has a cool spinning animation and get meaningful feedback about how a spinning animation would work on their site about after-school tutoring. Or maybe we’ve created static designs, then talked around what we envision happening. Again, what seems so clear in our minds as professionals entrenched in this stuff every day can be tough for someone outside the tech world to clearly understand.
We’re all about learning from past mistakes. So lets say, after dealing with that fear of the unknown on a project, next time you go in the opposite direction. You invest time up front creating something polished. Maybe you even get the developer to build a prototype that moves and looks like the real thing. You’ve taken all the vague mystery out of the process, so a client will be thrilled, right? Surprise, probably not! Most clients are working with you because they want to conquer the noble quest that is their redesign together. When we jump straight to showing something that looks polished, even if it’s not really, it can feel like we jumped ahead without keeping them involved. Like we took away their input. They can also feel demotivated to give good, meaningful feedback on a polished prototype because it looks “done.”
So what to do? Lately we have found low-fidelity prototypes to be a great tool for combating these fears and better communicating our ideas.
Low fidelity prototypes are a tool that designers can create quickly to illustrate an idea, without sinking time into making it pixel-perfect. Some recent examples of prototypes we've created include a clickable Figma or Invision prototype put together with Whimsical wireframes:
A rough animation created in Principle illustrating less programatic animation:
And even creating an animated storyboard in Photoshop:
They’re rough enough that there’s no way they could be confused for a final product. But customized so that a client can immediately understand what they’re looking at and what they need to respond to. Low-fidelity prototypes hit a sweet spot that addresses those client fears head on.
That fear of change? A lo-fi prototype starts rough and small, so it can ease a client into a dramatic change without overwhelming them. It’s just a first step. It gives them time to react and warm up to something that’ll ultimately be a big change.
It also cuts out the fear of the unknown. Seeing something moving around, even if it’s rough, can be so much more clear than talking ourselves in circles about how we think it will move, and hoping the client can imagine it. The feature is no longer an enigma cloaked in mystery and big talk, but something tangible they can point at and ask concrete questions about.
And finally, a lo-fi prototype doesn’t threaten a client’s sense of control. Low-fidelity means it’s clearly still a work in progress! It’s just an early step in the creative process, and therefore communicates that we’re still in the middle of that process together. There’s still plenty of room for their ideas and feedback.
There are a lot of reasons to love lo-fi prototypes internally, too!
We can whip up multiple ideas within a few hours, without sinking the time into getting our hearts set on any one thing. In an agency setting especially, time is limited, so the faster we can get an idea out of our own heads, the better.
Ideally, the whole team is working together simultaneously, collaborating every step of the way. Realistically, a developer often doesn’t have time during a project’s early design phase. Lo-fi prototypes are concrete enough that a developer can quickly tell if building an idea will be within scope. It helps us catch impractical ideas early and helps us all collaborate to create something that’s both cool and feasible.
Stay tuned for posts in the near future diving into some of our favorite processes for creating lo-fi prototypes!
The classic adage is “good design speaks for itself.” Which would mean that if something’s as good of an idea as you think it is, a client will instantly see that it’s good too, right?
Here at Viget, we’re always working with new and different clients. Each with their own challenges and sensibilities. But after ten years of client work, I can’t help but notice a pattern emerge when we’re trying to get approval on especially cool, unconventional parts of a design.
So let’s break down some of those patterns to hopefully better understand why clients hesitate, and what strategies we’ve been using lately to help get the work we’re excited about approved.
Imagine this: the parallax homepage with elements that move around in surprising ways or a unique navigation menu that conceptually reinforces a site’s message. The way the content cards on a page will, like, be literal cards that will shuffle and move around. Basically, any design that feels like an exciting, novel challenge, will need the client to “get it.” And that often turns out to be the biggest challenge of all.
There are plenty of practical reasons cool designs get shot down. A client is usually more than one stakeholder, and more than the team of people you’re working with directly. On any project, there’s an amount of telephone you end up playing. Or, there’s always the classic foes: budgets and deadlines. Any idea should fit in those predetermined constraints. But as a project goes along, budgets and deadlines find a way to get tighter than you planned.
But innovative designs and interactions can seem especially scary for clients to approve. There’s three fears that often pop up on projects:
Maybe the client expected something simple, a light refresh. Something that doesn’t challenge their design expectations or require more time and effort to understand. And on our side, maybe we didn’t sufficiently ease them into our way of thinking and open them up to why we think something bigger and bolder is the right solution for them. Baby steps, y’all.
Or, less dramatically, a lack of understanding of the medium. In the past, we have struggled with how to present an interactive, animated design to a client before it’s actually built. Looking at a site that does something conceptually similar as an example can be tough. It’s asking a lot of a client’s imagination to show them a site about boots that has a cool spinning animation and get meaningful feedback about how a spinning animation would work on their site about after-school tutoring. Or maybe we’ve created static designs, then talked around what we envision happening. Again, what seems so clear in our minds as professionals entrenched in this stuff every day can be tough for someone outside the tech world to clearly understand.
We’re all about learning from past mistakes. So lets say, after dealing with that fear of the unknown on a project, next time you go in the opposite direction. You invest time up front creating something polished. Maybe you even get the developer to build a prototype that moves and looks like the real thing. You’ve taken all the vague mystery out of the process, so a client will be thrilled, right? Surprise, probably not! Most clients are working with you because they want to conquer the noble quest that is their redesign together. When we jump straight to showing something that looks polished, even if it’s not really, it can feel like we jumped ahead without keeping them involved. Like we took away their input. They can also feel demotivated to give good, meaningful feedback on a polished prototype because it looks “done.”
So what to do? Lately we have found low-fidelity prototypes to be a great tool for combating these fears and better communicating our ideas.
Low fidelity prototypes are a tool that designers can create quickly to illustrate an idea, without sinking time into making it pixel-perfect. Some recent examples of prototypes we've created include a clickable Figma or Invision prototype put together with Whimsical wireframes:
A rough animation created in Principle illustrating less programatic animation:
And even creating an animated storyboard in Photoshop:
They’re rough enough that there’s no way they could be confused for a final product. But customized so that a client can immediately understand what they’re looking at and what they need to respond to. Low-fidelity prototypes hit a sweet spot that addresses those client fears head on.
That fear of change? A lo-fi prototype starts rough and small, so it can ease a client into a dramatic change without overwhelming them. It’s just a first step. It gives them time to react and warm up to something that’ll ultimately be a big change.
It also cuts out the fear of the unknown. Seeing something moving around, even if it’s rough, can be so much more clear than talking ourselves in circles about how we think it will move, and hoping the client can imagine it. The feature is no longer an enigma cloaked in mystery and big talk, but something tangible they can point at and ask concrete questions about.
And finally, a lo-fi prototype doesn’t threaten a client’s sense of control. Low-fidelity means it’s clearly still a work in progress! It’s just an early step in the creative process, and therefore communicates that we’re still in the middle of that process together. There’s still plenty of room for their ideas and feedback.
There are a lot of reasons to love lo-fi prototypes internally, too!
We can whip up multiple ideas within a few hours, without sinking the time into getting our hearts set on any one thing. In an agency setting especially, time is limited, so the faster we can get an idea out of our own heads, the better.
Ideally, the whole team is working together simultaneously, collaborating every step of the way. Realistically, a developer often doesn’t have time during a project’s early design phase. Lo-fi prototypes are concrete enough that a developer can quickly tell if building an idea will be within scope. It helps us catch impractical ideas early and helps us all collaborate to create something that’s both cool and feasible.
Stay tuned for posts in the near future diving into some of our favorite processes for creating lo-fi prototypes!
By Jill Richardson Other Words If environmental solutions aren’t systemic, living green will always mean going against the grain — and usually failing. Every year around Earth Day, I’m reminded of papers I graded in an environmental sociology class. The … Continue reading
Have you chosen Mac for its reliable system? They really have a lot of advantages and are of the best quality. Mac users don’t face serious problems with hard drives often. But the reality is such...
This book packs a lot of wisdom. You’ll learn about aphasia; you’ll understand ambiguous loss; you’ll follow Abby down dark hallways and into sunlit rooms and learn what it means to own a life built on raw truth.
The classic adage is “good design speaks for itself.” Which would mean that if something’s as good of an idea as you think it is, a client will instantly see that it’s good too, right?
Here at Viget, we’re always working with new and different clients. Each with their own challenges and sensibilities. But after ten years of client work, I can’t help but notice a pattern emerge when we’re trying to get approval on especially cool, unconventional parts of a design.
So let’s break down some of those patterns to hopefully better understand why clients hesitate, and what strategies we’ve been using lately to help get the work we’re excited about approved.
Imagine this: the parallax homepage with elements that move around in surprising ways or a unique navigation menu that conceptually reinforces a site’s message. The way the content cards on a page will, like, be literal cards that will shuffle and move around. Basically, any design that feels like an exciting, novel challenge, will need the client to “get it.” And that often turns out to be the biggest challenge of all.
There are plenty of practical reasons cool designs get shot down. A client is usually more than one stakeholder, and more than the team of people you’re working with directly. On any project, there’s an amount of telephone you end up playing. Or, there’s always the classic foes: budgets and deadlines. Any idea should fit in those predetermined constraints. But as a project goes along, budgets and deadlines find a way to get tighter than you planned.
But innovative designs and interactions can seem especially scary for clients to approve. There’s three fears that often pop up on projects:
Maybe the client expected something simple, a light refresh. Something that doesn’t challenge their design expectations or require more time and effort to understand. And on our side, maybe we didn’t sufficiently ease them into our way of thinking and open them up to why we think something bigger and bolder is the right solution for them. Baby steps, y’all.
Or, less dramatically, a lack of understanding of the medium. In the past, we have struggled with how to present an interactive, animated design to a client before it’s actually built. Looking at a site that does something conceptually similar as an example can be tough. It’s asking a lot of a client’s imagination to show them a site about boots that has a cool spinning animation and get meaningful feedback about how a spinning animation would work on their site about after-school tutoring. Or maybe we’ve created static designs, then talked around what we envision happening. Again, what seems so clear in our minds as professionals entrenched in this stuff every day can be tough for someone outside the tech world to clearly understand.
We’re all about learning from past mistakes. So lets say, after dealing with that fear of the unknown on a project, next time you go in the opposite direction. You invest time up front creating something polished. Maybe you even get the developer to build a prototype that moves and looks like the real thing. You’ve taken all the vague mystery out of the process, so a client will be thrilled, right? Surprise, probably not! Most clients are working with you because they want to conquer the noble quest that is their redesign together. When we jump straight to showing something that looks polished, even if it’s not really, it can feel like we jumped ahead without keeping them involved. Like we took away their input. They can also feel demotivated to give good, meaningful feedback on a polished prototype because it looks “done.”
So what to do? Lately we have found low-fidelity prototypes to be a great tool for combating these fears and better communicating our ideas.
Low fidelity prototypes are a tool that designers can create quickly to illustrate an idea, without sinking time into making it pixel-perfect. Some recent examples of prototypes we've created include a clickable Figma or Invision prototype put together with Whimsical wireframes:
A rough animation created in Principle illustrating less programatic animation:
And even creating an animated storyboard in Photoshop:
They’re rough enough that there’s no way they could be confused for a final product. But customized so that a client can immediately understand what they’re looking at and what they need to respond to. Low-fidelity prototypes hit a sweet spot that addresses those client fears head on.
That fear of change? A lo-fi prototype starts rough and small, so it can ease a client into a dramatic change without overwhelming them. It’s just a first step. It gives them time to react and warm up to something that’ll ultimately be a big change.
It also cuts out the fear of the unknown. Seeing something moving around, even if it’s rough, can be so much more clear than talking ourselves in circles about how we think it will move, and hoping the client can imagine it. The feature is no longer an enigma cloaked in mystery and big talk, but something tangible they can point at and ask concrete questions about.
And finally, a lo-fi prototype doesn’t threaten a client’s sense of control. Low-fidelity means it’s clearly still a work in progress! It’s just an early step in the creative process, and therefore communicates that we’re still in the middle of that process together. There’s still plenty of room for their ideas and feedback.
There are a lot of reasons to love lo-fi prototypes internally, too!
We can whip up multiple ideas within a few hours, without sinking the time into getting our hearts set on any one thing. In an agency setting especially, time is limited, so the faster we can get an idea out of our own heads, the better.
Ideally, the whole team is working together simultaneously, collaborating every step of the way. Realistically, a developer often doesn’t have time during a project’s early design phase. Lo-fi prototypes are concrete enough that a developer can quickly tell if building an idea will be within scope. It helps us catch impractical ideas early and helps us all collaborate to create something that’s both cool and feasible.
Stay tuned for posts in the near future diving into some of our favorite processes for creating lo-fi prototypes!