rd WordPress Audio Player Plugin By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 18:08:31 +0000 I recently went looking for a good audio player for WordPress. I came across WPAudioPlayer from 1 pixel out. The plugin is extremely simple to use and has a really awesome automatic color detention tool which will match to your site with ease. For more info visit the demo page at http://www.1pixelout.net/code/audio-player-wordpress-plugin/ The post WordPress Audio Player Plugin appeared first on WPCult. Full Article Plugins Audio audio plugin
rd Hongo – The Ultimate WooCommerce WordPress Theme By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 16 Dec 2019 23:27:44 +0000 Hongo is a creative and responsive, search engine optimised and fast loading, highly flexible and powerful, feature-rich and easy to use WooCommerce WordPress theme which comes with all necessary settings and tools which will help you to create a great … Continued The post Hongo – The Ultimate WooCommerce WordPress Theme appeared first on WeLoveWP. Full Article Theme WordPress Gallery Animation Bootstrap Clean CSS3 eCommerce HTML5 jQuery Masonry Parallax Responsive Video Background WebFonts Woocommerce
rd Time Machine: Smallpox epidemic hit Meskwaki hard in 1901 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 18:51:24 PDT 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 Full Article Time Machine
rd Cedar Rapids issues boil order for portions of SW Cedar Rapids By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 04:54:51 PDT The City of Cedar Rapids Thursday morning issued a drinking water boil order for portions of southwest Cedar Rapids.A rupture in a water main feeding the Bowling Street Booster Station and C Street Water Tower caused a loss of pressure, which created the potential for bacteria contamination to occur, according to a news release.The two affected areas are bounded by these streets:• For the first area, Schaeffer Drive SW east to C Street SW and 19th Avenue SW south to Highway 30.• For the second area, Sixth Street SW east to J Street SW and 29th Avenue south to 36th Avenue SW.The city is advising affected residents to:1) Bring water to a boil2) Let it rapidly boil for at least 1 minute3) Allow to cool completely before consumingThe boil order should be lifted or extended by 1 p.m. Sunday, after repairs are complete, pressure is restored, flushing has occurred, chlorine levels have been monitored and two consecutive sets of bacteria samples have been collected for analysis, the city stated.Water is safe to consume in all other areas of Cedar Rapids. Full Article Government
rd Cargill rail yard stalls as court case rolls on By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 20:51:26 PDT BackgroundCEDAR RAPIDS — After a bitter battle between residents and one of the city’s major employers — Cargill — with the city of Cedar Rapids in the middle, in December, the Cedar Rapids City Council approved a $6.5 million, 12-track, 200-car rail yard located between the Rompot neighborhood and Prairie Park Fishery.Cargill wanted to buy and put the rail yard on a 28-acre city-owned site on Stewart Road SE. Construction required rezoning the land to industrial use and a change to the city’s future land use map — putting city officials in the spotlight.The rail yard was needed for more supply chain stability and to protect jobs at the corn-milling plant, at 1710 16th St. SE and not far from the rail yard site, company officials said. Cargill officials planned to submit final paperwork within a month of the vote, begin construction in early spring and have the rail yard operating by the end of the year. What has happened since? A lot and nothing.Before construction was to begin, the city required Cargill to provide a third-party appraisal of the land. The city had provided an initial value of $83,200, which Cargill agreed to match. However, the value of the land has been in question as nearby properties ranged from $20,000 to $30,000 an acre, which was far greater than the $3,000 per acre value the city used.City officials say the appraisal has not been submitted, nor has Cargill sought the required permits before construction can begin. This delay began well before disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic and after lawsuits were filed to block the rail yard.Rompot resident and state Sen. Rob Hogg, who is a lawyer, filed two lawsuits against the City Council — one each challenging the rezoning vote and the vote to change the future land use map. Numerous neighbors and others in opposition to the rail yard have joined the lawsuit, which Hogg supported.Meanwhile, Cargill intervened on behalf of the city. At this point, sides still are arguing whether to expand the record to include additional evidence. Dates for a hearing have not been set.So, the status of the contentious rail yard and a timeline for construction remains in limbo.“We don’t have anything new to share at this point regarding work and timelines specific to the development of the rail yard,” Kelly Sheehan, a spokeswoman for Cargill, said in late April. Full Article Government
rd Coronavirus in Iowa, live updates for May 7: Gazette awards more than $60,000 in marketing grants, FEMA awards $78 million to Iowa By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 06:59:24 PDT Gazette awards more than $60,000 in marketing grantsThe Gazette has awarded more than $60,000 in grants to help local businesses market themselves during the coronavirus pandemic, and there’s more help available.“We awarded $50,000 in the first 10 days,” said Kelly Homewood, Director of Operations at The Gazette. “That tells us the need is real. The help necessary. We’re a locally owned business too, and in Iowa we lift each other up in challenging times.”The grant program, which launched April 17, awarded $50,393 to more than 60 businesses in the first 10 days. To date, almost $68,000 has been awarded to 75 businesses.“The Gazette’s Matching Program is a true testament to their commitment to our community and their small business advertisers,” said Annie Hills, marketing manager at Destinations Unlimited. “As a local small business, this program will be a huge benefit to our agency in such an unprecedented time so that we can continue to connect with our clients.”The program allocates up to $100,000 in matching advertising dollars to assist local businesses that apply. There’s still approximately $32,000 in matching grants still available to award by July 31. Businesses can apply online at www.thegazette.com/marketinggrant.FEMA awards $78 million to Iowa for COVID-19 responseThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has obligated $78 million to the state of Iowa to help reimburse eligible expenses for emergency protective measures that the state has incurred as a result of its response to COVID-19.The grant funds, awarded by FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Grant Program, were made available Thursday. FEMA has provided nearly $150 million to date in support of the state’s COVID-19 efforts.The money reimburses 75 percent of projected eligible costs associated with buying essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and medical supplies and equipment during the months of May and June 2020.This obligation also includes: $19.5 million in contract services for TestIowa, $35,000 in contract services associated with overseas PPE purchases and $13.7 million for additional medical supplies and equipment for the month of April. All figures represent the 75 percent federal share. The 25 percent is paid by the grant recipient.Linn County Conservation campgrounds to open FridayIowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a new proclamation allowing campgrounds in the state of Iowa to open.The proclamation states:“Any public or private campground may reopen provided that the campground implements reasonable measures under the circumstances of each campground to ensure social distancing, increased hygiene practices, and other public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 consistent with guidance issued by the Iowa Department of Public Health (5/6/20).”Linn County Conservation has continued to seek guidance from local and state health officials and are announcing that campgrounds will open Friday with certain restrictions and limitations. At 5 a.m. on May 8, Buffalo Creek Park, Morgan Creek Park, Pinicon Ridge Park and Squaw Creek Park campgrounds will open to campers in self-contained units. This also includes primitive (non-electric) camping areas at Matsell Bridge Natural Area (including Mount Hope) and Wakpicada Natural Area.Campers may camp only with a self-contained camping unit that has a functioning restroom, as showerhouses with flushable restrooms will remain closed. Self-contained is defined as a tent or pop-up camper with a portable toilet or an RV or camping trailer with a functioning, self-contained bathroom.Occupants are limited to six or less per camp site (unless household is more than six). No visitors are allowed. Campground showerhouses with restrooms will remain closed.Reserving campsites is not allowed as campgrounds continue to be first-come, first-served. The exception to this is Squaw Creek Park A-Loop which normally accepts online reservations at LinnCountyParks.com, starting Friday at 1 p.m.Linn County Conservation’s lodges, shelters, cabins and group camps remain closed.Hy-Vee offers two-hour express grocery pickupHy-Vee Inc., announced Friday that it is now offering a two-hour express pickup option as part of its Hy-Vee Aisles Online grocery ordering service, allowing customers to pay a fee to pick up their order faster.Customers will see a “Get It Faster” option on Aisles Online time slots where the two-hour pickup option is available. A limited number of two-hour pickup orders will be available for $9.95, from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily, at all Hy-Vee store locations offering Aisles Online services.Cedar Rapids-area students honored with light display during Graduation WeekThe lights on Alliant Energy’s Cedar Rapids Tower will change colors to recognize area high schools and honor the Class of 2020.“In this time of uncertainty, it’s important to remember that brighter days are up ahead,”said Linda Mattes, Vice President of IT and Customer Operations. “Changing the lights on our tower is our way of celebrating this important milestone in the lives of these students and their families.”Each Cedar Rapids-area high school’s colors will be on display. The schedule:May 21 — Washington High School — Red and blueMay 22 — Jefferson High School — Blue and whiteMay 23 — Kennedy High School — Green and goldMay 24 — Linn-Mar High School — Red and blackMay 25 — Marion High School — Crimson and goldMay 26 — Prairie High School — Orange and blackMay 27 — Xavier High School — Navy and silverMay 28 — Metro High School — Purple and black MusicIC Festival cancels June in-person programmingWhat was planned to be the 10th annual MusicIC Festival has been canceled. Programming planned for June 18-20 will be pushed to summer 2021.The festival, presented by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature, will offer alternate programming. In place of the in-person performances this year, the festival will offer video performances from musicians to be highlighted in the 2021 season.Details about these video performances will be forthcoming.Grounds and grandstand entertainment canceled at 2020 Linn County FairDue to the ongoing social distancing guidelines and additional precautions taking place to help slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Linn County Fair Association is canceling the grounds and grandstand entertainment for the 2020 Linn County Fair, scheduled for June 24-28.The Linn County Fair Association, in partnership with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Linn County and Linn County 4-H, still plan on providing opportunities to 4-Her’s, FFA members, and youth of Linn County to showcase their talents and accomplishments at this year’s fair.Details regarding the 4-H/FFA exhibits and events are still being finalized and Linn County 4-H plans to email details to 4-H/FFA members in mid-May.Bike to Work Week Postponed Until SeptemberTo encourage safe and responsible social distancing practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cedar Rapids’ Bike to Work Week activities — traditionally held in May — will be postponed and are tentatively scheduled for September 21-27.This will include events such as the Mayor’s bike ride and proclamation, pit stops, group rides, and wrap-up party.Von Maur stores reopening FridayVon Maur announced it will reopen stores in Cedar Rapids, Coralville and Cedar Falls using reduced hours and safety measures starting Friday.The reduced hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.Von Maur said it will be implementing daily employee health screenings, social distancing measures, contactless payments, curbside service options and sanitizing and cleaning procedures in common areas and after each customer transaction. Its aforementioned stores are at Lindale Plaza, Iowa River Landing and College Square Mall.Online Czech language lessons offeredThe National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library recently partnered with Anna Cooková, an instructor with CzechTalk, to offer online Czech language and culture lessons.Beginner’s Czech Language & Culture I begins on Thursday, June 4. Each class will be held from 8 to 9:30 p.m. every Thursday from June 4 through August 6. During the 15 hours of instruction over 10 weeks, participants will learned to read, write, and speak in Czech.The cost is $210 for NCSML members, $235 for non-members. This fee includes all course materials. The class size is limited to 20 students, so interested individuals are encouraged to register early to secure a spot.Contact Cooková for a registration form at annacookova@gmail.com or 715-651-7044. Full Article Health
rd Some people miss travel so much they are ordering airplane food By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 15:20:00 PDT Imperfect Foods, an online surplus-stock grocery delivery company aimed at eliminating food waste, has begun is offering JetBlue Airline cheese and snack trays — $2.99 for three ounces of mixed cheeses, dried cherries and crackers.Imperfect Foods CEO Philip Behn says the cheese and snack trays were an early casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.“Almost two months ago, before it became a nationwide pandemic, this catering and airplane meal supplier said they saw a decline in economy and business-class seats,” he said. “This was one of our first COVID-19 food waste recovery opportunities. We could only take a fraction of what they had.”Behn said his company has sold 40,000 cheese and snack trays.“We call that ‘breaking bulk,’” Behn said. “We have stepped up with co-packers to try to repackage some of those products — it’s hard work and it’s slow, given the importance of food safety.”Yet there are bright spots. Imperfect Foods is a budget-conscious company, so high-end products such as pineapples are usually too expensive to offer their customers. Where do people eat pineapples? Hotels. And with hotels stalled, Imperfect Foods has been able to buy and offer them for a fair price. It has redistributed popcorn kernels previously destined for movie theaters and broccoli florets usually reserved for restaurants. Since the beginning of March, Imperfect Foods has doubled the volume of food it was previously buying, the JetBlue snacks among many.Julianna Bryan, communications specialist for JetBlue, said the airline has had to dramatically reduce its in-flight food and beverage service to minimize contact between customers and crew members.“We have temporarily suspended the sales of buy-onboard products including our EatUp Snack Boxes, EatUp Café fresh food items, beer, wine and liquor,” she said.JetBlue has donated leftover inventory of snacks to Feeding America and other food banks, as well as hospitals. JetBlue has worked with its business partners to sell unused inventory, such as the cheese trays, at a heavily discounted price with the goal of moving it quickly and minimizing waste, Bryan said.JetBlue is not the only airline to have to find new outlets for its in-flight overflow. Delta has had to unload its Biscoff cookies — and it serves 80 million to 85 million of these spiced shortbread favorites each year. At United, the Dutch stroopwafels have been piling up. In addition to selling some of their excess, airlines have put donation programs in place. Southwest has donated more than $400,000 in snacks and other in-flight items to not-for-profit organizations and nearly 13 tractor-trailers full of groceries to 15 food banks that are a part of the Feeding America network.Delta has donated 500,000 pounds of food around the world in the past six weeks. Front-line workers and hospitals get the Biscoff cookies along with coffee and other in-flight beverages, while other perishable food has gone to Feeding America’s partner agencies like Georgia Food & Resource Center and Missouri’s Carthage Crisis Center.And United has donated 173,000 pounds of food to food banks and charities, pulling from airport lounges and catering kitchens. United volunteers have also processed more than 428,000 pounds of food and household goods for the Houston Food Bank. Full Article Nation & World
rd Dubuque woman pleads to helping buy heroin that led to fatal overdose of another person By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 08:12:37 PDT CEDAR RAPIDS — A Dubuque woman who helped her boyfriend and another person buy heroin that later led to a fatal overdose was convicted Thursday in federal court. Jacqueline M. Birch, 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of a controlled substance.During the plea hearing, Birch admitted she knew that another person was going to illegally distribute a drug last May, and she aided in that distribution.Evidence at a previous hearing showed that Birch drove her boyfriend, Mateusz Syryjczyk, 29, of Rockford, Ill., and another person, not identified in court documents, to a residence in Dubuque on May 27. Birch and the other person went into the residence and bought heroin from a dealer. The three drove to a hotel in Dubuque and all used the heroin. The other person began to overdose in the room, but Birch and Syryjczyk didn’t immediately call 911, according to evidence. Over many hours, Birch occasionally would perform CPR on the person to restore some breathing function, though the person never regained consciousness.Eventually, Birch and Syryjczyk decided to call 911, and Syryjczyk took the remaining drug paraphernalia from the room to prevent law enforcement from finding it, according to court documents. Birch and Syryjczyk also made false statements to police about the cause of the person’s condition.Court documents showed the overdose victim died at the scene. An autopsy later determined the cause of death was use of heroin, fentanyl and valeryl fentanyl.Syryjczyk previously pleaded to misprision of a felony and remains free on bond pending sentencing.Birch faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $1 million fine and supervised release for life following her prison term. Sentencing will be set after a presentencing report is prepared. The case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Chatham. Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com Full Article Public Safety
rd Man arrested in Texas faces murder charge in Iowa City shooting By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:37:11 PDT IOWA CITY — An Iowa City man has been arrested in Texas in connection with the April 20 shooting death of Kejuan Winters.Reginald Little, 44, was taken into custody Friday by the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, according to Iowa City police.Little faces a charge of first-degree murder and is awaiting extradition back to Iowa City.The shooting happened in an apartment at 1960 Broadway St. around 9:55 a.m. April 20. Police said gunfire could be heard during the call to police.Officers found Winters, 21, of Iowa City, with multiple gunshot wounds. He died in the apartment.Police said Durojaiya A. Rosa, 22, of Iowa City, and a woman were at the apartment and gave police a description of the shooter and said they heard him fighting with Winters before hearing gunshots.Surveillance camera footage and cellphone records indicated Little was in the area before the shots were fired, police said.Investigators also discovered Little and Rosa had been in communication about entering the apartment, and Rosa told police he and Little had planned to rob Winters.Rosa also faces one count of first-degree murder.The shooting death spurred three additional arrests. Winters’ father, Tyris D. Winters, 41, of Peoria, Ill., and Tony M. Watkins, 39, of Iowa City, were arrested on attempted murder charges after confronting another person later that day in Coralville about the homicide, and, police say, shooting that person in the head and foot. Police also arrested Jordan R. Hogan, 21, of Iowa City, for obstructing prosecution, saying he helped the suspect, Little, avoid arrest.First-degree murder is a Class A felony punishable by an automatic life sentence.Comments: (319) 339-3155; lee.hermiston@thegazette.com Full Article Public Safety
rd A lot to look forward to in 2017. How did 2016 treat you: ???? or... By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Sat, 31 Dec 2016 12:24:31 -0500 A lot to look forward to in 2017. How did 2016 treat you: ???? or ????? (at San Francisco, California) Full Article
rd Four days from now I’ll be boarding a one way flight to... By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 02 Jan 2017 09:32:40 -0500 Four days from now I’ll be boarding a one way flight to San Francisco to take on the next evolution of my role at @shopify. Leaving the city that I’ve called home my entire life and the people who have defined everything I am was one of the most uncomfortable decisions I’ve ever had to make. But this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve chased discomfort in my career. . I wrote about my ongoing pursuit for discomfort this morning in hopes of inspiring others to do the things that scare and challenge them this year. You can find the link in my profile. . Happy 2017! ???? . ????: @jonasll (at San Francisco, California) Full Article
rd Peach Orchard By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Mar 2015 14:22:55 -0500 Posted on March 23, 2015 Peach Orchard Photo Info & Viewer Comments Tweet Full Article Farm Life
rd Peach Orchard By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 18:58:02 -0500 Posted on March 26, 2015 Peach Orchard Photo Info & Viewer Comments Tweet Full Article Farm Life
rd Why's it so hard to get the cool stuff approved? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500 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:The fear of change. 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. The fear of the unknown. 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. The fear of losing control. 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. What are low-fidelity prototypes?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. Lo-fi prototypes: client-tested, internal team-approvedThere are a lot of reasons to love lo-fi prototypes internally, too! They’re quick and easy. 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.They’re great to share with developers. 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! Full Article Design & Content
rd What’s New in Recipe Card Blocks Free & PRO By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Jan 2020 14:49:30 +0000 It’s been a few months since the release of the Recipe Card Blocks PRO plugin, and our team continued to release new updates constantly for both versions of the plugin: Free & PRO. As we’ve released many major updates for both versions in the past months, let’s make a quick overview of the most important changes and new features we’ve […] Full Article Plugins
rd 7 Best WordPress Membership Plugins to Generate Recurring Revenue By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 28 Feb 2020 14:55:24 +0000 Do you want to turn your WordPress blog into a membership site? Businesses around the globe use this model to sell their physical products or offer exclusive digital content, and many of them are super successful. CopyBlogger, a site with content marketing lessons, offers premium courses to members and they’re currently an eight-figure business. Meanwhile, the owner of the razor […] Full Article Plugins
rd 9 Things You Can Do To Your WordPress Website During Quarantine By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2020 18:15:25 +0000 If you’d have told us at WPZOOM about the current situation we find ourselves in six months ago, we wouldn’t have believed you. It’s all we can see if we turn on the TV and it’s clear right now, humanity has taken a break. Worrying about loved ones, ensuring we stay safe, and for heaven’s sake, stay inside. Staying inside […] Full Article News
rd How to Create an Online Ordering Page for Restaurants with WooCommerce By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 07:42:25 +0000 Until recently it was something normal for any restaurant to have a well-maintained website. Even so, it seems that for many restaurants this was something difficult to achieve. In these difficult times, for many restaurant owners and other businesses in this field, owning just a simple website is no longer enough. If you still want to remain in business you […] Full Article Tutorials
rd 20+ Best WordPress Video Themes for 2020 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 18:43:07 +0000 If you’re a video producer or vlogger looking to set up your own video website to showcase your content, you’ll most likely need one that reflects your own unique style. You’ll need to think about the gallery options you’d want, color schemes, customizations, and the type of business you’re running. You should also consider the different technology you’ll need to […] Full Article WP Themes
rd Why's it so hard to get the cool stuff approved? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0500 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:The fear of change. 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. The fear of the unknown. 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. The fear of losing control. 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. What are low-fidelity prototypes?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. Lo-fi prototypes: client-tested, internal team-approvedThere are a lot of reasons to love lo-fi prototypes internally, too! They’re quick and easy. 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.They’re great to share with developers. 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! Full Article Design & Content
rd Best Business WordPress Themes By www.wpthemedesigner.com Published On :: Tue, 02 Feb 2016 20:05:07 +0000 Kalium Kalium is an excellent WordPress theme that is intended for blogging and portfolio websites. It has plenty of layout design variations, along with an impressive drag and drop content builder. There are many features and elements, each designed to enhance your website and guarantee its success. Dalton A classy and clean theme for businesses […] The post Best Business WordPress Themes appeared first on WP Theme Designer. Full Article Blog Uncategorized
rd 2017 Best Coffee Shop WordPress Themes By www.wpthemedesigner.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Jan 2017 14:10:29 +0000 Avada Avada is clear, versatile and has a completely responsive design! Avada sets the new standard with limitless potentialities, top-notch help, and free updates with newly requested options from our customers. And its essentially the most easy-to use theme available on the market! Avada could be very intuitive to make use of and utterly able […] The post 2017 Best Coffee Shop WordPress Themes appeared first on WP Theme Designer. Full Article Blog
rd 2017 Best WordPress Themes for Boutiques By www.wpthemedesigner.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Jan 2017 22:06:54 +0000 Boutique Boutique offers you full means to create a tremendous on-line retailer. It’s trendy design and completely different layouts and limitless potentialities will aid you to place your merchandise in focus, It’s also fully responsive and you won’t worry how your prospects reach your store (It really works fantastic with both desktops and smartphones) Boutique […] The post 2017 Best WordPress Themes for Boutiques appeared first on WP Theme Designer. Full Article Blog
rd 2017 Best Education WordPress Themes By www.wpthemedesigner.com Published On :: Sun, 29 Jan 2017 22:58:28 +0000 Education WP Education WP is the following era and among the finest training WordPress themes round, containing all of the energy of eLearning WP however with a greater UI/UX. This WordPress educational theme has been developed primarily based on the #1 LMS plugin on the official WordPress Plugins directory LearnPress, which presents you an entire […] The post 2017 Best Education WordPress Themes appeared first on WP Theme Designer. Full Article Blog
rd 2017 Best Blog WordPress Themes By www.wpthemedesigner.com Published On :: Mon, 30 Jan 2017 21:16:46 +0000 Authentic Authentic is a light-weight & minimalistic WordPress theme good for life-style bloggers & magazines. It has so many superb options that may make your weblog or journal stand out amongst others. Let your guests benefit from the muddle free contemporary design of your new web site powered by Authentic. Maple Maple is a daring, […] The post 2017 Best Blog WordPress Themes appeared first on WP Theme Designer. Full Article Blog
rd Password Rules Are Bullshit By blog.codinghorror.com Published On :: Fri, 10 Mar 2017 11:16:26 GMT Of the many, many, many bad things about passwords, you know what the worst is? Password rules. If we don't solve the password problem for users in my lifetime I am gonna haunt you from beyond the grave as a ghost pic.twitter.com/Tf9EnwgoZv— Jeff Atwood Full Article
rd Thunderbolting Your Video Card By blog.codinghorror.com Published On :: Fri, 24 Mar 2017 09:08:37 GMT When I wrote about The Golden Age of x86 Gaming, I implied that, in the future, it might be an interesting, albeit expensive, idea to upgrade your video card via an external Thunderbolt 3 enclosure. I'm here to report that the future is now. Yes, that's right, I paid $500 Full Article
rd Caricatures by Ricardo Gimenes By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 11 Apr 2012 04:59:46 +0000 We’re working on redesigning the Pagebreak Podcast website and decided to get some caricatures of us made by Ricardo Gimenes.Check ’em out! We’re SO CUTE! Full Article Just For Fun
rd Design Strategy for Nerds. By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 23:11:44 +0000 This week was my second one-on-one mentorship meeting with Marie Poulin as I go into my second month of Digital Strategy School. This month is all about Positioning, a subject my business is struggling with. The copy on my site as of today is not cutting it, it is vague and does not truly convey […] Full Article Uncategorized
rd Building a Crossword Puzzle Generator with JavaScript By mitchum.blog Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 04:14:31 PDT https://mitchum.blog/building-a-crossword-puzzle-generator-with-javascript/ Full Article
rd 10 Best Content Scheduling Tools for WordPress By line25.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 09:12:00 PDT https://line25.com/wordpress-plug-ins/content-scheduling-tools-for-wordpress Full Article
rd How to Help Someone With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 14:29:13 EDT Listening without judgement is one of the best things you can do for someone with PTSD. Full Article
rd How to Help Someone With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 - 2:29pm Listening without judgement is one of the best things you can do for someone with PTSD. Full Article
rd The 2020 WordPress Plugin Hacking Debacle By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 19 Mar 2020 07:37:37 +0000 By now, anyone who has the internet has heard about how hackers targeted WordPress plugins during January and February 2020. Quite understandably, this hack job left many WordPress users wary about the damage done. For one of the most prevalent website template providers on the planet, this was an eye-opener. This hack job was also […] Full Article Articles Blog WordPress plugins
rd How to Add Native Keyword Aliases to Babel By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Apr 2020 12:09:13 +0000 Those of you who follow this blog know that not every blog post is an endorsement of a technique but simply a tutorial how to accomplish something. Sometimes the technique described is probably not something you should do. This is one of those blog posts. The Babel parser is an essential tool in the web […] The post How to Add Native Keyword Aliases to Babel appeared first on David Walsh Blog. Full Article JavaScript Theory / Ideas
rd Track Your Keyword Placement with Ranktrackify (Sponsored) By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 16:17:10 +0000 I don’t need to tell you how important search engine placement is. You either earn it with quality content, loads of SEO work, paying for placement, or all of the above. And even we you achieve best placement, you need to be wary of your content becoming stale or someone else coming along with a […] The post Track Your Keyword Placement with Ranktrackify (Sponsored) appeared first on David Walsh Blog. Full Article Sponsored
rd Giveaway: 500 Holographic Raised Foil Business Cards – 100% Free By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Dec 2019 00:03:14 +0000 Print Peppermint is one of the most refreshingly creative online printers on the internet at the moment. Their endless range of high-end business cards with unique special finishes like: foil stamping, die-cutting, embossing, letterpress, and edge painting, coupled with a meticulously curated family of thick premium papers make them a rather deadly force. Move over Moo and […] The post Giveaway: 500 Holographic Raised Foil Business Cards – 100% Free appeared first on WebAppers. Full Article Reviews
rd “Needle in a haystack” search problem? Check 15 of the very best WordPress themes for 2020 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:30:09 +0000 Having too many WordPress themes to choose among is of course better than having too few. But there are times when searching for what you really need is like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. If you’ve been looking for a top-of-the-line multipurpose theme you will probably find it right here. We’ve listed […] The post “Needle in a haystack” search problem? Check 15 of the very best WordPress themes for 2020 appeared first on WebAppers. Full Article Design Tools
rd 20 Minute Tut! Create Your Own Customized Chalkboard Text Vector By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 09 Apr 2020 14:00:00 +0000 In this Chalkboard Text Vector tutorial, I’ll show you how to create a chalkboard vector effect with some gradients, a bristle brush, and some freebies from Vector Mill! This chalkboard text vector effect tutorial is relatively simple and can be applied to many other Illustrator projects. Use this effect for logo creation, back to school backgrounds, […] The post 20 Minute Tut! Create Your Own Customized Chalkboard Text Vector appeared first on Vectips. Full Article Tutorials chalkboard text effect chalkboard text vector chalkboard text vector effect chalkboard vector how to create a chalkboard text how to create a chalkboard text vector how to create a chalkboard vector
rd 10 Step Tutorial: How to Design Flat Skateboards Using Adobe Illustrator By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 14:00:00 +0000 Summer is in full swing here in the states! It’s a perfect time to grab your skateboard and go cruising. Today we’re going to learn how to design flat skateboards and colorful vector longboards in Adobe Illustrator! We’ll be working with Clipping Masks, Stroke, and Pathfinder panel. Let’s get started! Tutorial Details Program: Adobe Illustrator CC Difficulty: […] The post 10 Step Tutorial: How to Design Flat Skateboards Using Adobe Illustrator appeared first on Vectips. Full Article Tips and Tricks adobe illustrator design flat flat style illustration illustrator illustrator tutorial longboard summer Tips tutorial vector vector illustration
rd Themify Shoppe – The Ultimate WooCommerce WordPress Theme By webdesignerwall.com Published On :: Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:52:16 +0000 I’m excited to announce that Themify has released another awesome theme – Themify Shoppe. Designed by Liam McKay and coded by Themify team, Shoppe works hand-in-hand with WooCommerce, making it the ultimate multi-purpose eCommerce theme. It features the popular drag and drop Themify Builder that can help you design and build your online store to […] The post Themify Shoppe – The Ultimate WooCommerce WordPress Theme appeared first on Web Designer Wall. Full Article General Stuff
rd Common WordPress Errors & How to Fix Them By webdesignerwall.com Published On :: Thu, 28 Feb 2019 11:00:47 +0000 WordPress is an amazingly stable platform thanks to the dedication and talent of the hundreds of professionals contributing to it, and the strict code standards they follow. Even so, the huge variety of themes, plugins and server environments out there make it difficult to guarantee nothing will ever go wrong. This guide will help you […] The post Common WordPress Errors & How to Fix Them appeared first on Web Designer Wall. Full Article Tutorials WordPress
rd 30 Best WordPress Themes of 2019 By webdesignerwall.com Published On :: Thu, 28 Feb 2019 13:00:47 +0000 WordPress is a perfect example of how the web has evolved from static to interactive, a shift driven by our desire to share thoughts and a great opportunity to promote our goods. A truly good WordPress theme goes beyond simply looking good to offer solid core functionality and administrative features. There are hundreds of WordPress […] The post 30 Best WordPress Themes of 2019 appeared first on Web Designer Wall. Full Article Design Trends WordPress
rd The Deepwater Horizon Dirty Blizzard By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 01 Jun 2016 19:26:03 +0000 By Julie Cohen The UC Santa Barbara Current Oceanographer Uta Passow demonstrates that contaminants from Deepwater Horizon lingered for months in subsurface water before sinking to the seafloor Between April 20 and July 15, 2010, millions of barrels of crude … Continue reading → Full Article Water Pollution Deepwater Horizon gulf oil spill
rd Record-Low 2016 Antarctic Sea Ice Due to ‘Perfect Storm’ of Tropical, Polar Conditions By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Sep 2017 19:16:51 +0000 By Hannah Hickey UWNEWS While winter sea ice in the Arctic is declining so dramatically that ships can now navigate those waters without any icebreaker escort, the scene in the Southern Hemisphere is very different. Sea ice area around Antarctica … Continue reading → Full Article Cryosphere ET News 2016 Antarctic ice sheet arctic sea ice ocean temperature warming
rd Why Is Going Green So Hard? Because Our System Isn’t By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 24 Apr 2019 12:13:01 +0000 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 → Full Article Points of View & Opinions environmental consciousness going green government policy
rd How To Restore Hard Drive From A Time Machine + Other Ways By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Sun, 29 Mar 2020 06:25:37 PDT 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... Full Article Learning
rd 5 Tips That You Absolutely Must Know To Design A Unique Metal Business Card By icanbecreative.com Published On :: Sat, 04 Apr 2020 04:15:51 PDT Every day thousands of business cards exchange hands, and these business cards often get lost in mounds of other cards. Often, clients are unable to reach you just because they couldn't find your... Full Article Design Roud-up
rd Is Caregiving a Burden? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Monday, March 26, 2018 - 10:10am The truth is, all family members are both a source of joy and a burden at one time or another. That’s what family life is: the art of weaving webs of joy between strands of pain is what creates the intricate fabric of family love. It’s not the people in our care who burden us; it’s our anger over circumstances... Full Article
rd Book Review: Love You Hard by Abby Maslin By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Monday, January 21, 2019 - 8:33am 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. Full Article