Transactional Privacy

1. Netflix remembers where you last stopped watching a particular show/movie.
2. Amazon remembers what you had in your cart the last time you logged in.
3. Facebook remembers your login information so that you don't need to login in every time you visit the website.

Content Ownership

Copyright

Fair Dealing

1. Purpose
   • Is the use one of the eight purposes permitted under fair dealing (education, research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, parody, or satire)? If so, it is more likely to be considered fair.
2. Character
   • How is the work being used? Is the work being widely distributed?
   • If a single copy is used for a permitted purpose, it is more likely to be considered fair.
3. Amount
   • How much of the work is being copied?
   • If the amount copied is trivial, the use is more likely to be considered fair. However, it may be possible to deal fairly with an entire work. For example, there may be no other way to criticize or review a photograph or research journal article, unless the whole work is copied.
4. Nature of the work
   • Was the work previously published?
   • If the work is unpublished or confidential, the use is less likely to be considered fair. However, a court of law may also consider whether the copy serves a public interest.
5. Available alternative
   • Is there a suitable alternative to the work that is not protected by copyright? If so, the use is less likely to be considered fair.
6. Effect
   • Is the copy likely to compete with the market of the original? If so, the use is less likely to be considered fair.

Licensing

Creative Commons

Key words here are accessible, equitable, usable and shareable.

There are many ways sharing content can be good for business. Creative commons licenses all include attribution, take a look at Figure 1.2, a compatibility chart which references the licenses and their adaptability "remixing".

Beware of Logical Fallacies

There are many logical fallacies that both writers and readers can fall prey to (see Table 5.2.3). It is important to use data ethically and accurately, and to apply logic correctly and validly to support your ideas.

We all have biases when we write or argue; however, when evaluating sources, you want to be on the look out for bias that is unfair, one-sided, or slanted. Consider whether the author has acknowledged and addressed opposing ideas, potential gaps in the research, or limitations of the data. Look at the kind of language the author uses: is it slanted, strongly connotative, or emotionally manipulative? Is the supporting evidence presented logically, credibly, and ethically? Has the author cherry-picked or misrepresented sources or ideas? Does the author rely heavily on emotional appeal?

Image Description

1. 1. Pre-design Planning
      • Design requirements: identify needs, goals, and objectives.
      • Define one-liner: create context and do research.
      • Determine digital privacy consideration.
   2. Design Development
      • Propose a project (hypothetical or actual).
      • Develop branding materials.
      • Critique and perform market research on similar websites.
      • Create a website content wireframe.
      • Determine key messaging.
   3. Design Implementation
      • Write website content.
      • Create website.
      • Re-evaluate website content and design (on-going).
      • Write a social media marketing plan.
   4. Design Completion
      • Determine needs for lead-generation.
      • Perform an analysis of project file management.
      • On-going website maintenance needs.
      • Share brand/design on social media.

One commonality you will likely find in the images is this: the first step in designing any solution is to fully Discover the problem. Figure 1.1.1 shows a typical design thinking process, from discovery to innovation. Think about the kind of communication and interaction with customers that each step of this process might entail for a business.

Design thinking encourages multiple perspectives and variations at the heart of the issue:  You think about solutions to customers problems until you have a clear empathetic understanding of the problem. This critical first stage of the design process requires investigation, beyond your initial assumptions. Creating this empathetic relationship to the problem allows for deeper understanding; however it cannot be done alone.

For our purposes, we will use Barry Hyman’s Problem Formulation model [footnote]B. Hyman, “Ch. 2: Problem formulation,” in Fundamentals of Engineering Design, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002, pp. 40-54.[/footnote] to clearly define a problem. Hyman’s Problem Formulation model consists of 4 elements:

1. Need Statement: recognizes and describes the need for a solution or improvement to an “unsatisfactory situation.”  It answers the questions, "what is wrong with the way things are currently? What is unsatisfactory about it? What negative effects does this situation cause?" You may need to do research and supply data to quantify the negative effects.
2. Goal Statement:  describes what the improved situation would look like once a solution has been implemented. The goal statement defines the scope of your search for a solution. At this point, do not describe your solution, only the goal that any proposed solution should achieve. The broader you make your goal, the more numerous and varied your solutions can be; a narrowly focused goal limits the number and variety of possible solutions.
3. Objectives:  define measurable, specific outcomes that any feasible solution should optimize (aspects you can use to “grade” the effectiveness of the solution). Objectives provide you with ways to quantifiably measure how well any solution will solve the problem; ideally, they will allow you to compare multiple solutions and figure out which one is most effective (which one gets the highest score on meeting the objectives?).
4. Constraints:  define the limits that any feasible solution must adhere to in order to be acceptable (pass/fail conditions, range limits, etc.). The key word here is must -- constraints are the "go/no go" conditions that determine whether a solution is acceptable or not.  These often include budget and time limits, as well as legal, safety and other regulatory requirements.

Communication as Solution

This model can apply to a communications task as well as more physical design tasks. Imagine your communications task as something that will solve a problem or improve a situation for a target customer. Reflect back to the one-liner, what visual elements would be required to communicate the solution?

• Understand the Need: consider the discovery and empathy phases of the design thinking process. Does the target audience lack sufficient information, time or money? What is the unsatisfactory situation that needs to be remedied by the business? What specifically is unsatisfactory about it?
  • A potential client lacks sufficient information on whether the solution I have proposed to solve the client's problem will be feasible, affordable, and effective.
• Establish a Goal: define the business' purpose. What do you want your customer to do, think, or know? Do you want your customer to make a decision? Will the business change opinions or behaviours? Follow a course of action? What is the desired outcome? And what form and style of communication will best lead to that outcome?  For example:
  • Provide the customer with visuals showing you understand their needs and have a solution. Keep the information specific, appealing and in a readable format so it makes the business purpose an ideal solution for the problem.
• Define Objectives: consider the specifics of your message and your target audience to determine what criteria you should meet. What form should it take? What content and design elements will you need to include? What kind of research will be required? What information does your audience want/need? What do they already know?
  • Perform market research and a design critique to investigate what similar businesses are doing to meet the objectives.
• Identify Constraints: where are your customers most likely to engage?  Consider your rhetorical situation. What conditions exist that present barriers or challenges to communication? How can you address them? For example,
  • How much time is your target audience willing to give you? How long should you make your reel, one-liner, or website header.
  • What format and style do they expect?
  • How much time do you have to create it?

"Given the challenges in creating and maintaining a successful Google+ that meets our consumer users’ expectations, we decided to sunset the consumer version of Google+. We’re committed to focusing on our enterprise efforts, and will be launching new features purpose-built for businesses. Read the announcement." (Google. 2022)[footnote]Google. (2022). Frequently asked questions about the Google+ shutdown. https://support.google.com/googlecurrents/answer/9217723[/footnote].

• Who is my target audience? Who is the company trying to reach? What are their primary, most primitive needs that this company meets? What actions do I want them to take? (Think of primitive needs such as time, money, reputation, etc.)
• What are my customers' perspectives on this type of business topic? What is my role and relationship to the potential customers?
• What colours are associated with this type of business? For example, blue represents calmness and peace vs. red which represents energy and passion[footnote]Color Psychology. (n.d.) Color Psychology. https://www.colorpsychology.org[/footnote]

C.R.A.P Design Principles

Contrast

Alignment

Repetition

Proximity

EXERCISE 2.2 Business Graphic Logo

A friend has asked you to review their new business logo. What revisions to contrast, alignment, repetition and proximity would you suggest?

Note: This logo was recreated from an outdated logo of a famous hotel chain, can you guess which?

In a business environment, images of current customers enjoying or using actual products and or services, is best. But in reality, photo-shoots are not always easy to set-up or capture - think of an accounting office. Before getting into which image to use when, let's discuss image formats.

Vector v. Raster (Pixel) Image Formats

[caption id="attachment_264" align="aligncenter" width="300"] "Pixelated" 300px width photograph of the portrait: "Mona Lisa"[/caption]	[caption id="attachment_263" align="aligncenter" width="198"] Original 150px width photograph of the portrait: Mona Lisa[/caption]
Originally, the raster image on the left was set to 150px width and then scaled-up to 300px width without going to a larger "pixel density" source file creating a "pixelated" effect. Creative Commons CC0 License

Scale-able Vector Graphic (SVG)

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG or JPG)

Portable Network Graphic (PNG)

• 8-bit index colour: 256 pixels of colour resulting in very small file size
• 24-bit indexed colour: millions of colours like JPEG
• 48-bit indexed colour: high-quality image storage that results in very large image file sizes
• 16-bit grayscale: useful for image storage and not for publication on the web

Images in Context

• "You are using too much insider language
• You are using too many words in the heading
• The call to action buttons use passive language
• The call to action buttons are not repeated down the page
• The images do not relate to the product or back up the words you're using on the page
• The language is cute or clever but not clear
• The site does not promote a lead generator
• You're using a slideshow so the text changes too fast a frustrates potential customers
• The site tells your story rather than inviting customers into a story." (Miller, D. & Peterson, J., 2020)[footnote]Miller, D. & Peterson, J. (2020) Marketing Made Simple. HarperCollins Leadership.[/footnote]

Search Intent

Website Header Space

Call to Action

Make your target audience part of your story

Use Testimonials & Stats to Build Authority

What is HTML & CSS?

The guidelines below have been curated through usability sessions, design iterations and A/B testing. Before we dive into patterns, we want our website to be usable by all and that starts with adhering to website accessibility standards.

Website Accessibility Standards

Layout patterns

Navigation

• Customizing the style of your navigation can dramatically make your website more user-friendly. Add a "home" button/link and set the logo as a link which returns home. On the left-most side of your menu, people will usually look for a way to get back to your homepage. This link is often called "home", is the businesses logo or the name of the business.
• Navigation items look like a button/link. All links in your navigation should look like a link rather than plain text. WordPress.com will stylize your navigation to stand-out, however, using a specific colour pallet will ensure that your navigation links/buttons have sufficient contrast and "pop" when compared to the content on the rest of the page, is a must.
• Add a hover effect. People often read the web by moving their cursor over the content. When they go to click on a navigation link with their cursor, as opposed to tapping with a finger/thumb, the link is expected to change to indicate that you will be taken to another page.

Active White Space

Active white space is used to create eye-catching space between components on your web page to make them easy to read and aesthetically appealing.

Form layout

Every business website should have a contact form to make it easy for individuals to contact the business.

• For complex forms, not typically of contact forms, break down the form into tasks (i.e. name and personal details, then order of relevant information)
• Put the tasks in a sensible order and use verbs to describe them (i.e. Shipping information)
• Tell users what they need before they start (i.e. documents, time)
• Make the submit button large enough and close enough to the form that it is easy to find.

Strategy, Usability and Style

Past Student Examples

• https://katieconacherphotography.wordpress.com
• https://ciaerialstudios.wordpress.com/

Google Search Console

User research

Competitive Analysis

SEO

1. Does the content include on-page optimization? Are the headings and content related, are non-decorative images provided with alternative text, does the author meta tag have appropriate authority?
2. Does the content satisfy search intent? Does your content speak about the major themes found in search results related to your products, services, topics, etc.
3. Is the content optimized for SERP display? The title and description of each page should be unique and informative. To see the code, verbatim on any website, right-click > view source and look for the HTML meta tags are the top of the HTML document provided by the browser.[footnote]Baggs, R. & Corak, C. (2021). SEO for everyone. A Book Apart[/footnote]

Planning for success

Paid marketing campaigns

For example, if you bid $1.50 maximum on the keyword ‘widgets’, and that’s the highest bid, you’ll probably show up first in line. If 100 people click on your PPC listing, then the search engine or PPC service will charge you a maximum of $150.

Earned or Organic marketing Campaigns

People and companies want to see the personality and authenticity behind a brand. Personal messages and carefully curated content can be a magic combination.

Creating Policies

"Policies that draw clear lines on what employees should and shouldn't say online, whether in company-authorized content or in personal posts, can help you make sure that your company is being represented positively and appropriately in cyberspace." (Guerin, L., 2017, p. 7)[footnote]Guerin, L. (2017). Smart policies for workplace technology. Berkley, CA: Nolo[/footnote]

Social Media Policy

Example of a Social Media Policy

1. Be respectful. When you post about the Company, its products and employees, customers, and competitors, use good judgment. Make sure your posts are professional and respectful. It’s fine to disagree, as long as you do so in a civil way that is not offensive.
2. Add value. We expect you to write about new developments and trends in your area of expertise. Don’t just recycle news or posts; add your perspective and provide useful advice to enable consumers to better use our services.
3. Post often. We want readers to return and see what’s new at our Company, and the best way you can help make that happen is to post at least every other week.
4.  Be part of the conversation. When appropriate, link to other sites, articles, blogs, and media on the same topic. By sharing our partners' content we show that we are part of the Victoria community. And of course, link to our Company website when appropriate.
5. Accuracy counts. Before you publish a blog post or a social media entry, review it for accuracy. When writing about Company business, check with the appropriate people in-house to make sure you’ve got the facts straight. If you later learn that you’ve made a mistake, say so and correct it.
6. Avoid inappropriate topics. We want you to generate interest, but there are many ways to do that without offending readers or placing the Company in the midst of a controversy. All Company policies, including those that prohibit harassment, discrimination, and unprofessional conduct, apply with equal force to your online posts.
7. Respect ownership of intellectual property. Don’t copy or use work by someone else (including text, photos, and video) without proper authorization and, if required, attribution. If you’re referring to a copyrighted story, keep your quotes short; if you want to refer to another’s work, it’s best to link to it in its entirety.
8. Keep the Company’s secrets. Don’t refer to or reveal the Company’s trade secrets and proprietary information. This includes stock offerings, financials, products in development, and other confidential information. If you aren’t sure whether to reveal particular information in your post, speak to your manager.
9. Maintain customer and employee privacy. Do not mention customers by name or identifying details without authorization from your manager. If you want to discuss or mention coworkers in your posts, you must get their written permission first.
10. Ask—and think—before you post. Remember, your posted content represents you and the Company to the public. All of us want that representation to be positive. If you aren’t certain that what you plan to post is appropriate and legal, check with your manager before you post. Your questions are always welcome.

1. Do not allow the posting of spam, advertisements, or comments that merely link to another website (unless they are responsive to the original post). Delete these posts.
2. Do not allow the posting of any comment that is obscene or offensive. Delete these comments.
3. Do not allow the posting of any comment that reveals trade secrets or proprietary information. For example, if a competitor’s employee reveals that company’s confidential information in a comment, remove it immediately and report it to your manager.
4. Do not remove relevant anti-Company comments simply because they are negative. Do not engage in online arguments or “flame wars” through social media commenting. Talk to your manager about how—and through which medium—to respond appropriately.
5. If you receive a complaint about the company or its products in a comment, immediately notify the Co-Owners, so it can handle the situation directly.

KPIs vary depending on business and industry

• Net profit
• Net promoter score
• Customer engagement
• Customer complaints
• Market share
• Share of voice
• Carbon footprint
• Supply chain miles
• Waste recycling rate
• Employee satisfaction
• Staff churn
• Return on investment (ROI)

Instagram Business Page

Facebook for Business

1. What ad objective makes the most sense for your business?
2. What format would be most effective for the ad objective?
3. Would the target audience be the same for this ad as you identified in your SM plan?

Facebook Community Standards

Moderating Content

Note When logged into Facebook individuals may feel like they are browsing in privacy on their personal computer looking at their emails, other websites, and images. However, interacting with an online application like Facebook leaves you open to being tracked. Cookies are actively tracking any website you go to that has a Facebook "like" button on it.

Written in Pen

Get Verified

Gain traction

Note This list is limited to a few of the possible approaches to ensuring that your organic posts (not paid advertisements) are visible online.

Create a successful Facebook Company Page

Paid vs. Organic Advertising

Beyond Imitation

1. It is your resume online
2. Search of your name puts LinkedIn on the First page of Google results
3. Builds credibility
4. Excellent messaging and networking tool
5. Great publishing tool for getting information to industry professionals

• Title
• A headshot photo that has been professionally taken (not you sipping drinks in your backyard)
• Summary of your professional biography
• Education
• Experience
• Volunteering
• Contact Info
• Get a customized LinkedIn URL to add to your resume and website

Note LinkedIn was more centred on individuals rather than business entities. Now, businesses are joining the conversation. Businesses should be an advocate for their industry by sharing knowledge, insights or perspectives.

LinkedIn No-Nos:

• Don't be boring or too self-specific
• Do not sell
• Do not use any of the automatically created text messages (on any platform) - write a custom message instead when reaching out to new connections
• Do not post content on multiple platforms at the same time - stagger it!
  "Keep it professional and specific for a business audience." -Narges Nirumvala

Personal branding

Example

Consistent messaging

Do the RIGHT thing - Be a better human

Front-end developers

Back-end developers

Marketing/Communications Teams

Bridging Your Website and Social Media Accounts

Evaluating Your Content's Lasting Value

Evergreen Content

Analytics

Securing Your Device

Use Search Engines and Web Browsers Wisely

Email and Instant Messaging

Select Good Passwords and Create Algorithms to Use Them Effectively

• Develop strong (complex) and varied (multiple) passwords for your programs and functions and never write them down at work.
• Use nonsensical (except to you, of course) combinations of letters, numbers and symbols for your passwords. The strongest passwords are typically the longest ones without many repeating characters.
• Think of a passphrase  that is easy to remember such as, DogsGoBark and then vary it by including the service name and special characters.

Choose Internet Applications, Services and Websites Carefully

Read Privacy Policies and User Agreements

Why is Creating and Maintaining an Online Presence Important?

• Creating a marketing one-liner
• Technical privacy policy documents
• Documentation of project scope (i.e., a website development plan)
• Development of branding materials (i.e., logo, header images, photos of staff, etc.)
• Sketching a content wireframe for a website
• Writing and reviewing website content
• Creating a website designed with accessibility and usable design patterns
• Planning social media marketing
• Lead generation
• Sharing on social media

What Does an Online Presence Look Like?