BlogmyQuery – BMQ

One powerful outlet that many designers have been turning to over the recent years, which in turn has allowed for a further evolution of the design community and conversation, is podcasting. This completely accessible, and open format for extending the design dialog is proving a viable solution for many seeking to lend their voice to the field in another way altogether. And by actually lending their voice to the process, no longer in just a metaphoric manner.

Image Credit

So how does one go about throwing their proverbial hat into this ring, and just exactly why do they do it? Those are a couple of the questions that we will tackle in this post, which will then end in a showcase of outstanding contributions to the design airwaves. So if you are either a fan of the form or perhaps looking to find your own footing in this continuously burgeoning market for designers then hopefully this post can give some food for thought for the weekend to accompany the new listening material provided.

The Why

There are many reasons that designers have opted for this direction in order to engage the community. However there are three major headers that most design podcasts fall under, when you begin looking into the reasons they cast. It is more than the accessibility it offers, in fact, it tends to be more tied to the community aspect of the field in one way or another.

To Teach

One of the main missions that we see when designers turn to the virtual airwaves, is so that they can educate the masses. So many podcasts are out there to provide the community with another resource that can be tapped when you are working in the field. Whether you are a relative newcomer to the market, or even a seasoned veteran, the design arena is constantly evolving and we have to keep up with those changes. In fact, it is a staple piece of advice within the field, that if you want to make it, then you need to always be learning.

Podcasts have provided yet another means for designers to reach this end, and so we see many moving to this platform in order to teach others what they have learned along the way, techniques that they developed over the years, or even what their guests have to offer. It is one thing to set up a tutorial, but some people learn better with more auditory instruction, and so podcasts can work better for them overall. Not to mention that some lessons that need to be taught are handled better more anecdotally. Just like blogging can achieve this connection and impart these lessons, podcasting can do the same thing in via an auditory presentation.

To Preach

Another powerful motivator that drives designers to the casting side, is to further that engagement that they have through their blogs. They can use this platform to establish themselves as an authority in the field. Be it in a particular niche, or in more general terms , some designers come to these waters because they feel their perspective is a valuable one and they are going to share it. They want to help steer the directions the field might take and they set out on the airwaves to make their mark.

To help guide the community down an alternate path is a mission that brings some to the format. Image Credit

While blogging can help designers to plant their authoritative seeds, podcasting can engage with the community on a much more personal level. With writing it is easy to keep the tone professional and the personality reigned in. However podcasting is a different beast where personality goes a long way. So it does take a slightly different approach than blogging, though the paths are somewhat parallel. And given that both can prove essential with the authority establishing, it is easy to see why many in the field are walking both roads.

To Reach

The third major reason that designers opt for this form, is to help extend their reach with their audience. This needed reach extension could be for helping them to build their following, develop their brand, or simply to offer an added source for revenue. Whatever the purpose they use this reach for, it is often the extra mileage they can attain into the heart of the community that pushes them towards the podcasting outlet. And when they consider how easily one can break into this field it does improve their chances of being found and heard above the horde.

The How

As previously mentioned, podcasting is a very accessible market, which you can dive right into with a small investment of capital or a large one. It really is up to you. Either way you go, the only other investment required on the part of the podcaster is time. This too can vary depending on the style and length of show you are wanting to produce. But one that must be considered nonetheless. And if you have the time to commit, then it can really prove worth your while to try your hand at the casting.

The Gear

First off in order to get started, you are going to need the proper equipment, and again, the amount that you invest in the equipment is really up to you. Most designers already have the computer covered which can be the biggest hurdle on this path. Some sort of microphone is required, as well as some sort of recording software. That is about it. And the great thing is that when it comes to software, there are both free and premium options that rank highly among users. And if your computer is a laptop with a decent built-in microphone, then three of your bases are already covered.

If you plan to add an interview or call in element to your show then naturally things get more complicated, as does the equipment or software necessary to pull it off. Skype is a wonderful free tool for being able to connect with others and have them on the podcast and there are free programs like MP3 Skype Recorder that will do just that. Record your entire call and save it as an .mp3 file. So high priced mixers and attachments are not that necessary for a more modest program. Mac users may find getting started particularly easy if they already have Garageband installed. It even has added sound clips and effects to juice up your program that free apps like Audacity lack.

More Tools and Resources

• TalkShoe is a web based service that allows you to create calls and have podcast participants join in on the show.
• Propaganda Podcasting Software is a relatively inexpensive program for windows users for recording their shows.
• Adobe Audition CS5.5 is Adobe’s premium recording solution.
• Podcasting Tools is a site that can help point you in the right direction with any of your podcasting needs.

The Grind

Like with anything, there is a fair amount of work involved with putting a podcast together that also needs to be considered in this discussion. The grind is still fairly easy in comparison to most, however there are a couple of areas where you are going to need a little guidance. For example, in order to get started delivering your podcast to your audience, you are going to need to consider, coordinate, and implement a delivery system. The web is full of services to help you connect your podcast with an audience, iTunes, Podcast Alley, and so many more. WordPress users can also take advantage of various plugins that help in this area as well.

One of the most important elements to this delivery system, especially if you intend for users to be able to subscribe to your feed, or to set up that feed through these various sites and services, is to create and manage an .xml file for your podcast. Also when you begin trying to calculate how much time you must invest into the show, you have to account for not only the recording time, but also the time it takes to edit the show together, adjust your .xml file, create a blog entry for the new episode (if applicable), and the time it takes to convert and upload the necessary files. So it can become quite a project depending on the scope you have taken with it.

• Podcast Generator allows you to auto generate your xml and get started quickly with this open source solution for podcasters.
• Podcasting Plugin by TSG
• podPress Plugin

The Gab

Before when we mentioned the personality that the format carries with it, that was to highlight how important it is you bring some of this to the show yourself. If you want your show to connect with the audience, then the host tends to have to be somewhat personable, relatable, or otherwise bring something vibrant and exciting to the table. The gift of the gab is a common phrase that does apply in this context. In order for your podcast to rise among the rabble then you need to be able to engage your audience, and it tends to take a bit of that gift to make this happen.

The Bar

Below are some active design based podcasts that come highly recommended, and are certainly worth checking out. Especially if you are considering starting a podcast of your own, the bar has been set by these fantastic design related casts that have come before you, so you might want to give them a listen to see what is already being done, and how.

Workers of the Web

Web Workers, UNITE! Witness the molten glow of pixels as they strike your screen-burned face. Now raise your calloused, carpal tunnel twisted fist into the air and scream, “I. AM. A WEB WORKER!”

TEDTalks

Each year, the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference hosts some of the world’s most fascinating people: Trusted voices, and convention-breaking mavericks, icons and geniuses. These podcasts capture the most extraordinary presentations delivered from the TED stage.

SitePoint Podcast

News, opinion, and fresh thinking for web developers and designers. The official podcast of sitepoint.com.

Think Vitamin Radio

Think Vitamin Radio is a bi-weekly podcast, typically around 20 minutes in length. Topics will include web design, web development, and web applications as well as news and views from host Keir Whitaker with Ryan Carson and Mike Kus.

37signals Podcast

A look at the world of 37signals, the Chicago-based web application company. Discussions about business, design, experience, simplicity, and more. Featuring Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson.

The Boagworld Show

Boagworld is a podcast for all those involved in designing, developing or running a website on a daily basis. The show is divided into seasons consisting of 6 episodes. Each season covers a particular topic and is accompanied by an associated ebook. They also interview leading figures in the world of web design including people like Jeffrey Zeldman, Jeremy Keith and Andy Clarke.

Designer Roundtable Podcast

The Designer Roundtable Podcast is a podcast about design, business and freelance. Come chat with us!

Design Matters with Debbie Millman: 2009-2011

Design Matter with debbie Millman is a thought-provoking internet podcast, which profiles industry-leading graphic designers, change agents, artists, writers and educators.

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As we move forward leaving our history behind us, time takes its toll upon that which we have left there. For centuries people have been building structures that have weathered and ruined over time, and in those ruins is more than a rich reminder of our past. There lies an abundance of inspiration just waiting there to be tapped by anyone who happens upon them.

With so many classic examples of solid, pristine structures evolving into grunge ridden ruins holding attitudes and tones they once failed to possess. All imparted by the degradation time has inflicted upon them. That is what we find ourselves in search of today. That attitude and tone that grunge can impart for our design works.

By browsing through these fantastic photographs of ruined remains, we hope that you can find all the inspiration you need to get your grunge ridden design project on its proverbial feet and running! With so many amazing textures and corrupted compositions displayed through the hands of decay, inspiration should be flowing freely for you in no time.

The Ruins

Ruins by Eldar Vagapov

Ruins by blathlean

Ruins of a Muslim haveli in an Oudh qasbah by Indscribe

Ruined by Erich Ferdinand

Ruins by Diricia De Wet

Ruins of the Church of St. Paul by Edwin Lee

Ruins by Maciej Lewandowski

Ruin of an arsenal on Tomogashima Island by Kazue Asano

Ruins of Gede by Filip Lachowski

Ruined croft above Ardvreck Castle by Shandchem

Mine Ruins by Steve Parker

The Ruins of Leiston Abbey by Martin Pettitt

Ruins of the Schmidt/McDonald Ranch bunkhouse & barn by Samat Jain

Ruins at Angkor by kangotraveler

Ruins in Nizwa by Mary Paulose

Gatineau MW – Ruins by Gordon Bell

Ruin by Christian Kadluba

Ruins IR – Holliday Park, Indy by Serge Melki

Ruins in Tulum by Christopher Aloi

Ruins of Castle of Pontaningen by Lukas Mathis

Ruins of the Old Cathedral, Coventry by Steve Cadman

ruins 9 by Þorgils Völundarson

Aztec Ruins, NM by Claudia Zimmer

Dundonald House Ruins by Sascha Wenninger

Palace Ruins by upyernoz

Harper’s Ferry Church Ruins by Mr. T in DC

Ruined KTV in Taichung by Vick the Viking

Abbey Ruins by Uli Harder

Plesse Ruins by sonderzeichen

Roman Ruins by Tambako the Jaguar

Via Appia ruins by ZeroOne

Convento Ruins with Santa Rita Mountains by Ken Bosma

Byblos – Jbeil ruins by Serge Melki

Church Ruin by John Kavanagh

The Ruined Arch, Kew Gardens, London by Jim Linwood

Greek Temple Ruins by Phil Hollman

Jungle Ruins by Alastair Rae

Hrad Devin ruins by Gabriele

Fountains Abbey Ruins by Dave Wild

The Windsor Ruins Revisited by Natalie Maynor

Aztec Ruins, NM by Claudia Zimmer

Dunfermline Abbey ruins by Phil Hollman

Barboursville Ruins by Mr. T in DC

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Whenever we are working on a design, facing a deadline, it is of the utmost importance that we stay on track and power through til the end. Doing whatever is necessary to keep us walking with progress over stalling with digression.

All too often, we find ourselves facing a project that is somewhat hampered by our inability to become properly motivated and dive in to the design without looking back. We allow ourselves to become distracted and we linger there. Placed on pause by this distraction or sense of procrastination. It is here that we find ourselves struggling for a way to kickstart our motivation and work our way free from those hands that are holding us back.

We need to find ways to stave off the call of those pitfalls to our design progress. Image Credit

Enter today’s post. Here we are going to examine a few different ways that we can attempt to keep ourselves focused and driven during a design project, so that we do not end up falling behind. So below are the distraction management techniques that we felt could assist any designer feeling the pull of procrastination or the digressive distractions that creep up in our path of productivity. If you follow the tips and implement them into your design process, then you are less likely to be pulled off topic and find yourself facing this problem.

Consider Some of Our Previous Posts

• 25 Free Mac Apps That Will Boost Your Productivity is a post from the Smashing vaults that will further aid any Mac user in keeping focused and productive.
• Productivity Boost: Key Stroke Launchers is a post aimed more at our Windows users for a little productivity push of their own.

Project Breakdown

Often there are times when we first begin a new design project that we end up feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the entire scope and size of the project. And we let this overwhelmed sensation keep us from getting started. However, if we breakdown the project in the beginning into assignments of dedicated focus to tackled individually, it can feel less bewildering. Because you are not attempting to take on the entire project at once, instead you take all of those pieces and allow yourself to focus on one piece at a time. This focus can not only keep you from procrastinating any longer, but it can also help your mind keep on track and from wandering off topic and potentially off course.

Sites and Services to Assist

• BaseCampHQ premium project management software that focuses on communication and collaboration.
• ActiveCollab is a premium tool which installs on your server or local network for better project management and collaboration.
• Project HQ is an open source solution to your collaborative project management needs

Set Clear and Achievable Daily Goals

So if we feel overwhelmed by the scope of the project, but we are not too keen on the idea of a full breakdown for the project, then another way to come at it to combat that feeling is to set clearly defined and achievable daily goals. By giving ourselves daily project goals that are completely achievable within a day we effectively lessen the scope that we are dealing with. This makes the project seem less daunting, as we have smaller steps to focus on that will take us to the end. Rather than trying to focus on the overall outcome that seemed so overwhelming from the very start.

Apps to Assist

• Tadalist is a completely free, very popular to do list tool that is easy to use.
• Remember the Milk is an online based to do list with great functionality that is free to use.
• Todo.ly is an intuitive and easy to use online Todo list, and Task Manager.

The Bare Necessities

Now once you get started you have have to keep moving forward, and that is not always easy to do with a workspace built to distract you. So you want to keep your work area neat and refined to the bare necessities as much as we possibly can. The more that you have in your work area to distract you or keep you stalling, the more likely you are to cave to these interlopers of progress and indulge their less than productive ways. So if you are in an office setting, go minimal with your workspace to keep your mind focused on the task at hand. If you are working from home, then this is especially important.

If you have a workspace that is combined with your regular living spaces, then your work environment is more than likely going to be working against you in this respect. So for those designers who have a home office, keep this a space apart from the rest. Sure you want your workspace to be comfortable, but that is not the issue here. Filling that space excessively only feeds that areas ability to keep us from focusing on our work. So we need to be aware of our environment’s effects on our productivity and if necessary, keep it bare.

Scheduling

This can mean everything in aiding your focus. If you work straight through for hours and hours without a break, your tired mind is much more susceptible to distraction. So keep this in mind, and while you are scheduling your time to work on the design project at hand, be sure to include breaktimes in there for yourself. This will do wonders to help keep your mind fresh and focused, and less prone to diversion. Scheduling can also benefit those finding it hard to get started initially. If you have set a schedule for yourself, then you are more likely to follow it and not allow procrastination to rear its ugly head.

Also use this scheduling wisely to keep you better mentally suited and less apt to be distracted by outside influences. If you have regular daily routines try to not schedule your design work against any of the peak times for your daily activities. For instance, if you are a social media hound, and you have particular times that your various streams tend to be full and a majority of those you regularly engage with are online, then do not pick those times to schedule your design work. This way your mind is not constantly being drawn towards that routine you know you are missing out on.

Apps to Assist

• Klok is a personal time tracking app with a free and premium version that can help you get your schedule under control.
• Toggl is a time management app that promises to keep you on track with reports to help. Both free and premium versions are available.
• Rescue Time an automated web-based time management and analytics tool for anyone serious about tracking and managing their time.

Get Specific With Your Schedule

Instead of just scheduling time to design, actually take the breakdown of the project that you have made, and schedule the individual areas of the project to work on. Get specific with your scheduling of the various pieces that you have to tackle and this will further your focus, and keep you less likely to allow digressions back and forth between areas of the project itself. And as you schedule these various project tasks, try to mix up the different times so that you are not working on the same elements or areas back to back. This will also help to keep your thought processes refreshing and uncluttered.

Pomodoro to Assist

• Pomodoro Technique can help you get the most out of your time management and may be just the key for you.
• Focus Booster is a free lightweight Adobe AIR app that was built around the Pomodoro Technique that is simple and elegant.
• Tomato Timer a web based Pomodoro timer that is basic and very straight forward.

Unplugged

This may prove somewhat difficult to do, but for some it is necessary to avoid distraction and delays. That is to stay offline. Even if you run up against barriers that you would normally turn to an online outlet for, hold off. Make notes of the problems you come across so that you may address them later. Move on to another area of the project, or to another area in the same vein that will be unaffected by this unexpected roadblock. But breaking from your flow and getting online can quickly take an unexpected turn, and by the time you look up again, an hour has disappeared. Your flow and focus have been compromised, and that never bodes well for the design.

If you are using a schedule to help you stay focused, then use your break times to get online and search for answers that you may need when you return to work. Or even schedule times that are specifically just for plugging into the web. This can sometimes help with curbing the temptation to just pop online for a second. If we know that we will have time for that later, then we can allow the design to remain at the forefront of our focus. This is not to say that designers need to avoid the web to stay productive, however, it can become necessary as the web can be a huge distraction as well as a tool. So staying unplugged and offline at times can work wonders for keeping you locked on target and moving towards the project’s end.

Add-ons to Assist

• Leechblock for Firefox is a simple productivity tool designed to block any time-wasting sites that sap the productivity from your day.
• StayFocusd for Chrome increases your productivity by limiting the amount of time you can spend on any sites you consider time-wasters.

Keep the Project Fresh

The moment we start getting bored with the project and the design, then we are begging for a distraction, or worse we put off the work altogether. Looking for something to engage us and reconnect us with fun. So we have to do all that we can to keep the project feeling fresh, fun, and exciting to hold our focus. Find ways to push the proverbial envelopes and challenge yourself throughout the course of the project so that it continues to hold your interest. Naturally there is a balance to strike here. You want to keep yourself intrigued but you do not want to compromise the design in the process. So find ways to keep yourself captivated by the project however you can, but keep in mind that you still have a goal and a deadline on the horizon. We cannot allow our project to become the distraction.

Reward System

If all else fails and the project seems to be barrelling towards boring, then keep yourself engaged and interested with a sort of personal reward system that you employ while you work. In the vein of video game achievements and the like, establish certain milestones for the project that once you achieve, you get some sort of predetermined prize for yourself. This does not have to be anything major, or even tangible, just whatever works for you personally. Like an extra break in your schedule, or whatever you can think of to keep the project engaging and progressing.

Share Your Progress

One way to keep yourself focused and highly motivated to get your design work handled is to commit to sharing your project progress with others. Be it the client, a close circle of design friends from the community, or even an online audience that you are sharing your ‘dailies’ with. As long as you have promised to share some kind of virtual progress report with someone, you tend to be more driven to actually get the work done and turned in. This also allows for us to get some sort of feedback on our progress, which can always come in handy as we work through the project. Once again, we have to understand that processing and implementing all of the feedback, especially if we are sharing daily, can be just as much as a derail as it can be an aid. Balance is important here as well.

Sites to Assist

• Forrst is a community driven invite site dedicated to providing thoughtful critiques, and sharing knowledge to build better applications and websites, and more.
• Dribbble is another invitation based site for designers to share their work with a sort of game like system that it is built upon.
• Behance is a free online community for designers and more to come together and share their work with others in the community and beyond.
• Concept Feedback is a premium service where members can share their work with other designers and get useful, honest feedback on their projects in progress.

Isolation Equation

There are occasions when just having someone familiar in the vicinity of our workspace can be as much of a distraction to our progress, or even to getting started, so there are instances where we might need to add a little isolation into the equation. Especially those who are working as part of a team, may find it benefiicial, at times, to get away from the other members and work on the project alone. So isolation can be an easy way to keep those accidental acquaintance interruptions from stealing large, productive portions of your work day from you. This tends to be why most designers who work from home, maintain an office area away from the rest of their families. Just like unplugging from the internet, virtually unplugging from the world around you can increase your ability to remain focused.

Keep Healthy and Rested

Finally, one area to keep in mind is our physical and mental well being. If we allow our health to decline, or our mind and body to fatigue then we are more prone to having our focus and drive impacted. So it is important to get enough sleep and exercise, along with a balanced healthy diet to keep our mind sharp and alert. Design is an intricate and at times delicate field, that some would call an art, so keeping both our mind and our body in as peak of a condition as we are able can do wonders for our attention and motivation with regards to our work.

In Conclusion

That wraps up this end of the discussion, but as always, things are just getting started. Now we turn the comment section and the topic over to you. What are your thoughts on staying motivated and focused on your design work. What techniques or processes do you implement and employ to aid you in this? Feel free to leave us your two cents!

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One of the greatest things about the web can also prove to be its deadliest of business snares at the same time. That is the opportunity it provides for growing and expanding your business via the internet. Which is one of the main reasons that the web based business market continues to grow at the rates that it does, as it does in the design and development fields.

We see so many of our colleagues rushing out to grow their virtual empires. But this becomes a pitfall in our paths when we neglect to note that while the growth potential can be near limitless, managing said growth is a completely different story.

If we do not manage the growth properly, then it can get out of hand, and be damaging to our construct rather than helpful. Image Credit

This is when many designers and developers end up over their heads drowning in good intentions. It is that other side of the coin that many fail to consider when they see how easily they can build on their web based business. And with the number of design and development focused sites still on the rise, it is understandable that many would want to try and carve out a little corner of the market that is theirs to rule over. But like with all things in life, it is easy to bite off more than we can chew, and in this case that could spell stress for us, and trouble for the brand that we are trying to build.

If we are unable to manage that growth then it is going to fall far short of its desired effect of stabilizing and expanding our empire. In some rather extreme cases, it could effectively mean the undoing of it. So below are some considerations that we should make and some questions that we can ask to ensure that our growth is done at a reasonable, sustainable rate, rather than taking us far ahead of ourselves, into deeper waters than we are ready to tread.

Consider This!

Now below are a few of the points that you are really going to want to focus on and look after in order to keep your growth reigned in and from spiraling out of your control. Naturally, none of these are guarantors of success, but they are ways in which we can hope to strengthen our plans for expansion and get things started down the right path. Here are a few that we would recommend you mind.

The Consistency Ratio

First things first. When one seeks to expand their brand online, they tend to have already gotten some sort of foundation fashioned to build on. Most empires do not just spring up out of nowhere, and so it is this foundation that we must keep in mind as seek to expand our business’ reach. There is already an established level of expectation from our followers, readers, clients, etc, and if we cannot manage to maintain and meet those expectations as, or more importantly, after we expand then our brand is going to be in trouble.

The proverbial bar has been set, and if we cannot meet those expectations then this expansion has cost us our ability to compete. Image Credit

If this expansion impedes with your ability to deliver with the same ratio of excellence and frequency as you have before, then your expansion efforts may be all for not as you might find some of your online audience has abandoned you. Find the right people and bring them onto the team, so that you can keep your growth managed and from ultimately costing you and your business. Once our business begins to outgrow our solo efforts, then assembling the right team to help you continue on your path is essential to being able to keep up your consistency.

Keep Your Finger on the Pulse

Another must for managing the online growth of your business is to keep track of your brand’s impact among the online audiences that you already are, or that you are seeking to be tapped into. Keeping your finger firmly on the proverbial pulse of the online public offers you an important insight into how your business should proceed down this path of expansion. After all, what good is growing your virtual empire if you are cluelessly driving away the very audience you need to make this expansion a true success? So you have to monitor the mood of the masses and regularly connect with them in order to keep your brand’s growth in check.

Not only can this sort of a constant ear to the ground approach help ensure that your growth happens at a controlled rate, it can also be the instigator to the expansion. By keeping up with those your brand is serving online, you can spot trends which can offer you more valuable avenues of reach to your audience, and see which routes for growth you have taken that have worked and which have not. Through this outreach of sorts your brand can find currents to more smoothly navigate these expansive waters. Social media can prove invaluable in this aspect, so having a steady and consistent presence throughout the various networks, being maintained by someone who knows how to harness them correctly is a near must for managing growth.

As you grow, your business needs to keep in touch with your intended audience each step of the way, not only to keep them informed of what is happening, but also for the information you can gain to aid your business. This feedback can clue you in on when to keep pushing forward or even when to back off, so keeping up with it is a step in this process that should never be underestimated or overlooked.

Know the Limits of Your Reach

Another important consideration that has to be examined fully to ensure for proper online growth of your brand, is the limitations of your reach. For years we have heard countless people saying that knowing your limits is a sign of strength, and the same basically applies in this case as well. As your empire reaches out from its foundation, if you do not know how far you can comfortably take this growth and keep it successfully managed, then you risk overextending your brand and you find yourself unable to meet the demands being placed on your business. If you reach too far, not only can you effectively lose your grip on your growth and your business, but you can also lose your way back and be unable to recover.

Sometimes we have gone so far, that we cannot make our way back to where we once where. Image Credit

This is one of the trickier areas to handle when you are growing, and often times we do not know the full limits of our reach until we come to it, and find it tested. But we should always be aware of the potential negative impacts this overreaching can bring. This way, we can hopefully recognize when they are building, soon to be looming in the distance and we can take actions to reel things back in before it becomes too late and we have gone to far. Once we have crossed that line, the trust we have built for our brand with the online masses can become shaken and fragile. Or worse, it can completely shatter. Without that trust in place, managing any kind of growth for your business may become a complete nonissue.

Plan Ahead and Stay Ahead

As with any market, one thing that you have to be able to do in order to stay ahead of the game is to plan ahead. However, the online business market can prove to be somewhat unpredictable, which makes planning ahead that much more difficult. When setting up to grow your business online it is that much more important that you be able to anticipate the trends and read the market, but beyond that you have to expect the unexpected. The web is such an expansive and dynamic place for your business to exist where you can stumble into a viral current and your brand or business could explode overnight.

While it is true that this can effectively be the case with any business regardless of whether they are turning to the digital online landscape or not, the web provides businesses with a much wider international audience in a quicker more compact fashion that you can access for your business unlike any other. So as you start growing in this sort of market you must be ready for that other shoe to drop at any time. Not only that, but you have to also have plans in place for dealing with the viral nature of the interwebs should you suddenly find your business caught in this current. If suddenly tomorrow your brand demanded exponential growth, would you even know where to begin?

So take time to plan for these kinds of occurrences, rare though they may be in the grand scheme of things. It is always better to be prepared, than to be caught off guard. Study the market for similar models that you have seen grow like this for tips on how to tackle it for your own brand should you be faced with it. Also, study those models who have failed in the face of these circumstances and see what lessons can be learned from their examples. If you are ready for anything, then you tend to be able to handle just about everything thrown your way.

Opt for Organic

The final point that we are going to offer up for your consideration to help better control your business’ growth online, is to always opt for a more organic growth. The more naturally your growth occurs, the easier it will be to manage. If you set out trying to force it, then it is often much more likely to blow up in your face. This is where many lose their way and end up on the wrong side of the coin, growing more frustrated and stressed as they lose their grips on their growth. No longer able to keep up with the demands being placed on their brand across the spectrum, multiple areas of the business start to noticeably suffer.

The more naturally we let our growth happen, the better the chances it will strongly root and sustain. Image Credit

So if we allow for our business to flourish along a more natural path of progression, rather than a forced one, we will tend to have a much easier time keeping up with all of the new demands and developments that come with the territory. This also tends to ensure that we do not lose touch with the audience and client base that we hope to grow along with us, which as we discussed already, is itself an important piece of this puzzle.

Question That!

Now that we have gone over a few of the considerations that one should make as they grow in order to keep things on track, we are going to take a brief look at a handful of the pertinent questions that one should ask before they proceed with their expansion plans also. By asking these questions we help prepare ourselves for the road ahead, so that we can manage all that lies there.

What’s the Rush?

As you set your sights on growing your business online, you want to pace yourself at a rate that helps facilitate this growth successfully. So ask yourself, what’s the rush? Are there any pressing outside factors weighing in on your timetable, or do you have a freer, more open schedule to allow for that organic growth we mentioned? It is easy to be spurred on in this manner, but we have to remember to pace ourselves. Are you rushing this expansion out of excitement? Or even maybe out of fear that someone could potentially beat you to filling those niches or gaps you had your eye on? Chance are, if you do rush your expansion efforts, then things are more likely to get overlooked and out of hand, and can quickly become less manageable. Spelling trouble for your business or brand.

How Solid is My Foundation?

Another question to keep in mind before you leap forward embracing this empire expansion, concerns the base on which it is to all be constructed. Ask yourself, how solid is my foundation here? Do you have all of the pieces firmly in place that you can successfully grow on? Because if you don’t then you are risking doing permanent damage to the foundation of your business should your efforts to grow falter. You could risk toppling your potential empire because your base simply wasn’t ready and you tried to prematurely build on it. How many hits can this base take and still be considered safe and sound? If you have any doubts at all about the strength of your foundation, then you should perhaps give it more attention before you set your sights growing beyond it. After all, the better the foundation, the more growth it tends to be able to sustain.

Why Am I Doing This?

Another question that you must stay focused on throughout this process, is one of purpose. It may become quite necessary even as you work to make this growth happen for your business, to constantly be asking yourself, why am I doing this? Having an idea of purpose, and carrying this sense of mission through the growth process can often ease the stress and feelings of being overwhelmed as you struggle to wrangle all of this in. Which can have a huge impact on your ability to manage said growth. Do my reasons have merit and substance? As long as we can get behind the motivations driving us forward, then we tend to have less of a problem dealing with all that comes with it. So keeping our mission in mind may be key to keeping things in line and growing smoothly.

Can The Brand Survive if this Expand Fails?

Now the final question that we are going to look at today, is actually the most important to ask before you begin pushing forward with this growth. You need to know if the brand can survive should the proposed expansion fail? Should the plans for growth take the proverbial turn for the worst, will your business be able to recover from the negative repercussions that could follow in its wake? If you are unsure that your business or brand would sustain and come out on the other side, then you should really examine whether or not it is truly worth the risk trying to expand. How long will this negatively reflect on the business, and will it be able to endure? The internet has a long memory, and depending on how badly a turn things take, your brand’s reputation could suffer a blow that sticks around longer than your business is able to.

In Summation

There are many considerations to be made and questions that should be asked so that you are able to more effectively manage the growth of your online design or development business, and as many have bore witness to firsthand, failing to think through any sort of expansion efforts can undo years of hard work and struggling. So making sure to cover as many of your bases as possible before, during, and after you set the balls in motion can help you keep the growth of your online business reasonably within your grasp. What considerations or questions would you add to the list?

Consider Some of Our Previous Posts

• How To Improve Your Branding With Your Content is a post from Smashing’s past with more on strengthening your brand through content.
• The Evolution of The Logo is another helpful post from the vaults that discusses the era of the brand that we are in so you can get a better sense of the playing field.

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In the design world, one type of sought after resource centers around that misty natural special effect called fog or smoke. Look around and you will see numerous textures, brushes, and tutorials all focusing on capturing that vaporesque element in our work. So today we thought we might take this fascination one step further, and take it into the realm of inspiration.

Below is a collection of fabulous photographs that capture this desired design element in its natural habitat, so to speak. From across the globe photographers have kept their engaging eyes on the skies, waiting to find those perfect moments to capture the fog pouring from the atmosphere and sweeping across the landscapes. Armed with various techniques and and styles, from Macro to HDR and beyond, they charge forward lenses at the ready. A sampling of the end result is amassed for all of your inspirational recharging needs. We hope you enjoy.

Gettin’ Foggy With It

Fog Over Istanbul Skyscrapers by John Walker

Sun, Hills & Fog – Marin Headlands by Mike Behnken

Morning Fog by stlasidylko

Winter’s Fog 3 by kubicki

Large Format Study N. 36 by rachel_thecat

Cyclist in Morning Mist by Hartwig HKD

Morning Bromo #2 by Prayoga D. Widyanto

Rinpoche’s Tree by Hartwig HKD

LOST in the MIST (Explored) by Yogendra Joshi

Into the Fog by Jim Crossley

Early Morning Mist by Kasia

Foggy Dreamscape by Mike Behnken

Viaggio a Norcia fog over the tableland Castelluccio by pizzodisevo

Fog without HDR by Fido

Early morning fog by Ron Reiring

Fog over Century City by Marty Bower

Leland River Fog by Andrew MacFarlane

Fog, Golden Gate Bridge by Bev Sykes

Sailboat in the fog by RVWithTito

Fog rolls in by John Haslam

Fog, Mist by Hamish

fog 3 by l’horloger

Fog in Yosemite National Park by Leon Weber

Fog on the James River by Tony Alter

Mt. Tam – Rolling Fog by Brendan Landis

fog by mezuni

Fog by Lorenzo Andrioli

FOG by Tim Patterson

Fog Layers by George Foster

Fog Rolling Over Pampas Grass, Pine Tree by danagraves

Fog – 09/27/2007 Morning by Eric Heath

Fog Over The River by CoreBurn

Fog Downtown by Steve Paluch

Deer Fog by soupstance

Fog by Dani

Fog by Jim Crossley

Seattle Fog by Zach Den Adel

Fog Ocean Sunset by Mike Behnken

Fog falling over mountain slopes by Horia Varlan

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