PPMG Announces Strategic Partnership with Usability Service

Perfect Pixels Media Group (PPMG), a web design agency that focuses on branded user experience on the web, and Psychster, Inc., a social psychology and usability consultancy, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership that will offer their clients a holistic solution to user experience that ensures user stickiness and acceptance.

When building websites and online applications, success is dependent upon user acceptance and adoption. When the user can intuitively interact with the site he or she will have a pleasant experience, get the information needed in a non-stressful way, and not only stay on the site, but return.

There is no lack of websites on the internet. Differentiation is key. PPMG and Psychster offer the keys to making a website stand out. We work hand-in-hand to create the most effective user interface that matches up with the strategic goals of the company. From start to finish these two companies offer expertise founded not only on years of experience but also on solid data and user information.

Psychster provides usability studies through a very cost effective, web-based interface. Usability studies give the opportunity to collect deep, individual interview data. The interviews that we conduct will uncover issues, whereas the surveys will show you how common those issues are. A team of PhD level psychologists conducts the usability studies. This gives an added value of looking at user reactions on cognitive, processing, and social levels. This information is then integrated into all levels of the website build, from branding to information architecture to design, to implementation by the senior level team at PPMG. PPMG is all about user experience – both the client’s and the end-user’s. We have a savvy team of experts who have offered integrated solutions for fortune 100 companies, as well as start-ups.

Both companies are agile, work closely with each other and the client, and have a long track record of client satisfaction. Please contact Kate O’Neil at 800.834.9309 x702 for more information.

Pictures from Hurricane Ike

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6 Sites Proving Color Is Not Dead

Color usage on the web is commonly compromised and subdued. Using vibrancy and high-contrast in a site design are usually difficult for many clients to be willing to take as risks. Here are six sites which stand out as exceptional examples of the chromatic making a bold and strong statement about their brands. 

Radu Ceuca

Refresh the Triangle

WebbliWorld

Breeze
Alisa MTV Russia

Matt Mullenweg

PPMG Announces New UK Design Service

Perfect Pixels Media Group announced today that they are opening a design and production service focused specifically on businesses in the United Kingdom that are looking to cut costs while not compromising quality. Taking advantage of the weak US dollar, UK companies can now partner with an overseas high-end design studio that is still culturally British in style and tone. Mark Knight of Broadgate PR in London put it this way, "Its like champagne quality at beer prices".

We save costs by utilizing overseas resources in the US making it essentially half-priced. Though based across the pond, our founders are from the London design scene, so we are able to create a branded, user-centered design experience bespoken to the style, sensibilities and substance that is uniquely British. PPMG experience includes top UK brands such as Virgin, Alexander McQueen, BetFair, The National Lottery and Landor.

With the success of our pilot programme providing Information Architecture, Branding and Interface Design for Trusted Places, we are now ready to roll it out to the public. The new Trusted Places design is set to launch later this fall.

A new site and call number are now available for our UK clients:
www.perfectpixels.co.uk
020 7193 1921

For inquiries, you can reach us at knockknock@perfectpixels.co.uk

Working in a Virtual Team (Part Two: Remote Resource Management)

Happy Designers makes for happy clients and even happier PMs. When working in a remote studio situation it is important that the Designer’s personality is taken into consideration just as much as his style and skill set when assigning projects. It is also imperative that the Project Manager knows the capabilities, speed, and expertise of each of her reports. Appropriate designer assignment should have input from the Art Director, but the PM must make sure that the job gets done on time so assigning deliverables based on style can’t be the only consideration. The PM’s job becomes easier the longer she works with designers because she knows what to expect in terms of quality and timeliness. She can then meet their needs while managing the other aspects of the project. Her available pool of designers may also become smaller if designers aren’t up to delivering in a virtual studio environment. A PM can’t afford to have designers on her crew who do not deliver quality work in a timely fashion. A lot of trust is involved when you can’t just walk over to someone’s machine and see what they’re working on. Talent isn’t the only critical element in choosing a virtual staff. Many designers thrive in the virtual studio paradigm but some just aren’t cut out for it. The PM will quickly learn who is a fit and who is not.

It’s important to be clear about the PM’s expectations, the project scope, and to open a dialogue with the designer. Regular check-ins, input, and follow-ups are a good idea. It’s also helpful to have your designers on IM when they are on their machines just in case there are some quick questions or an emergency. Regularly scheduled phone or Skype calls are also helpful. Complex projects may require calls to the designer several times a day. If the designer is in a different time zone, it may be required that the designer and/or the PM shift their workday for a while until the difficult portion of the project is complete. It’s important to tailor the method and frequency of the contact to meet the needs of both the project and the designer. The PM must not only stay in touch with the designers as needed for the project but also to keep the designer informed and feeling like he is meeting the correct expectations.

Team meetings are a wonderful tool when running a project and there are collaboration tools that help facilitate this (such as Campfire). Project-based team meetings make sense in the virtual paradigm but status meetings don’t. It is more cost efficient to do one-on-one’s or meet with the multiple designers assigned to a project (thus encouraging their interaction and idea sharing as well as getting everyone on the same page) rather than having the entire virtual staff sitting around listening to different project reports. In-person meetings are very valuable for team building, but the virtual work environment is not conducive to creating a company-wide team of designers.

Again virtual project management tools such as Basecamp are very helpful for collecting hours and monitoring budget and scope. It’s important to be very clear about the maximum number of hours designers can spend on a project before they start. Encourage them to stay in touch especially if they see a problem with meeting that time constraint. Communication on all levels is important. The PM must be flexible, pay attention, and hone the amount of touch and review to meet the projects’ needs and keep her designers in their comfort zone.