ELCA Web and Multimedia Development Blog

Tips and other useful ideas

Who’s Responsibility is Content? – 2011 SXSWi Notes

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Len Mason

Credit: SXSW

From the SXSWi site:

OK. So let’s say your business has a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a blog (or lots of blogs), an email newsletter, some SEO stuff, and eighty bajillion landing pages you forgot about back when it was still funny to rick-roll someone. Who’s doing all this content? Are they talking to each other? Should someone be in charge? Who? Come feel the love as a marketer, a CMS wonk, a UX designer, and a typical SME are brought together (Jerry Springer-style) to discuss the joys of cross-channel content strategy.

At this panel, between the arguing and disagreement, there were some good truths that came out. We might know these things, but it was good to hear them again.

Content has a lifecycle

  • Core Strategy
  • Substance
  • Structure
  • Workflow
  • Governance

You hardly ever hear about the last two items in the life cycle, but in order to have healthy content, they must exist. Throwing content on the web and then forgetting about it is a common problem.

Content is a business asset

Take down all your internet content and see what happens to your business/ organization. Intranet content is also an asset. Employees need to be treated like clients or constituents when it comes to providing content for them.

We all own the content Strategy

While one department or unit may come up with the strategy, all must buy in and own it for the strategy to succeed. The content strategy impacts the design of the site.

When it comes to governance, does everyone have a say?

Standards enable collaboration. They may be seen as restricting, but when we can all fall back on the same standards, we can then be free to be creative and still accessible.

I feel the reason the last two points, “workflow” and “governance” are largely overlooked is that no one really understands how to tackle them. Also I think no one wants the responsibility. But for our Web presence to be successful, the complete Content Lifecycle must be attended to.

The audio of this session can be found here.

What has been your experience with your organization’s content strategy? Do you agree or disagree with the lifecycle? Please comment below.

Picking the right platform for your mobile app – 2011 SXSWi Notes

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Len Mason

In this SXSW session entitled,  ”App, Schmapp, Tell Me What Works Accross Platforms,” VP of Production for Mint.com Aaron Forth detailed the planning that went into the building of their financial planning iPhone app. It was more a case study, and some attendees were turned off by this specific look at their app. I was able to find a few good points though, that I think we can all use when thinking about building a mobile app.

Aaron Forth, VP of Prod. mint.com., intuit.com

As always, we must keep the user in mind. When picking which platform to support, Forth used the following criteria and held each mobile platform up against this list:

  1. Device Adoption – Which mobile platform would reach the most people?
  2. Apps Direct to Consumers – Which platform made it easy to get the app into consumers’ hands?
  3. SDK and Support – Which mobile platform was easiest to build on and support?
  4. Low Fragmentation – Which platform had the least amount of different OS versions floating about?

For them the iPhone was the first choice. Obviously, other platforms such as Android, win on some of these points, but personally, number three weighs in pretty heavy as a developer. I want a platform where I can spend more time developing and less time supporting and learning the platform. In fact, during Q&A, someone asked if the optimum plan would be to design on some platforms simultaneously. Of course that would be ideal, but if your development team is small or has limited resources, you need to start somewhere. So it is good to weigh your choices based on criteria like these.

Are you planning on having a mobile app built? What criteria are most important to you?

The audio of this session is available here.

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Lessons From a “South by” Newbie

Posted on March 22, 2011 by Len Mason

Well, that was interesting. I fully intended to blog daily about the courses and my observations while in Austin at the South by Southwest Interactive conference for the first time. I had no idea about the strenuous schedule and routine I would be putting myself through. I should have known by looking at the intensive session schedule, but my experience at other conferences got the better of me. “There will be plenty of down time to write,” I thought. “Surely between sessions I can sum up the general thoughts and heck, even during sessions, I can write.”

I was not prepared for the magnitude of this event. The number of people. The number of venues. The number of pizza places. (Wait. I’ll get back to that.)

The sessions went all day and into the early evening. Sessions were held in the Austin Convention Center and surrounding hotels in the downtown Austin area. The Convention center is over six city blocks in size. But even a venue this large is not room enough to contain all the sessions. Hotels as afar away as nine blocks were holding sessions. So, planning your day was like trying to hit as many Disneyworld parks as you can in one day.

Needless to say, I got my exercise.

Then, after a full day of that, the evening parties began. Why not just skip them? Because as you might have heard, it is very true: while the sessions are great, nothing compares to being able to meet others in your field and glean their experience. I may have learned as much or more from meeting fellow geeks than had I just gone to the sessions.

Quick story. I was having an issue uploading my recent iPhone app up to Apple for review. For some reason my files weren’t authenticating and matching with the licenses. I had searched all over the internet for an answer with no luck. A guy I met at a party was an app developer and had an answer! Sure enough, I got back to the computer, and it worked!

So, the takeaway here is

  1. Go to “South by” next year. It is so worth it.
  2. Make sure you meet people. Don’t stay in your hotel room.
  3. Wear comfortable shoes.

Oh, yeah– Pizza. Everywhere. Looking for a good meal was tough, especially with the shortage of time. Texas may be known for Tex-Mex and BBQ, but Austin has a pizza joint on EVERY corner.

(Stay tuned for notes from my sessions. Coming soon.)

South By Southwest Festival 2011 – Interactive

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Len Mason

Seth Priebatsch is the Chief Ninja of the Boston-based startup SCVNGR. Credit: John Galt

“Interactive” is the title of this group of sessions from March 11-15, here at South by Southwest, or SXSW, as it is usually written. This yearly get-together in Austin is a creative festival that includes Music, Film, and Interactive paths. The Interactive sessions are what I am here for.

From the SXSW website:

The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery.

I hope to gather some useful information on work we do at the Lutheran Center, hear about fresh ideas on the technological horizon, and be challenged by mighty thinkers, movers and shakers of our time.

I plan to report back to you all any useful info I learn on Web Development. I am excited to be surrounded by such creative individuals!