Target View Size: Mistaken Identity!

Sometimes I'm confused by what I think is really obvious. But what I think is really obvious obviously isn't obvious...

- Michael Stipe

You might be thinking deeply about this statement or might be…well, plain confused. It does happen that the obvious is not actually obvious! There should be no confusion about this statement. As I know that everyone often fails to see the obvious in life.

These words have flowed from my mind for a reason. It was just another sunny day and I read yet another mail that brought with it the same confusion. No, I am no agony aunt out here; I meant it was related to the product - Raptivity Web Expert. Similar kinds of mails over a couple of days prompted me to put my thoughts into words. The common thread was all about an option provided in Raptivity Web Expert. I am talking about ‘Target View Size’.

The Target View Size panel is used to view the interactivity in the required height and width in pixels. When a user makes a change in either of the two, the other is calculated automatically. This is particularly useful to preview the interactivity in a given size. This does not affect the actual size of the interactivity output.

If you require the interactivity to fit into a defined space on your web page, you can make use of this option to preview the interactivity. The Target View Size panel helps you to view how the interactivity will appear in a given size. As correctly labeled, it is “Target View Size” and not “Target Size. The difference in both is that the former is meant only for preview and the latter is about a change in the actual size.

A simple option for a solution…but then, not all things can be really simple! At our end, we will definitely try to make things easier for you! In the meantime, suggestions are welcome…

Trick or Treat?!

It’s October and we all know the kind of celebrations that the month brings in! It’s the time to plan parties and gear up for a lot of celebrations.

It’s no wonder that I am in a festive mood myself. Maybe, that’s why I have decided this week, to keep my blog in the celebration mode as well! October is the time for Halloween celebrations, there is so much to be done right from planning the party themes to all the activities. I am sure many of you are looking to find the right party ideas for your Halloween celebrations. There are many who even prefer to hire professionals for the perfect touch. Even then, there are ways to go about planning the celebrations with creative imagination. I have some interesting thoughts which I would like to share with you on this note. Get into the right Halloween mood with some of these creative ideas displayed in the 3D cube!

The 3Dimensional cube is created with Raptivity Web Expert

Interactivity: An Important Ingredient in Web Design

Creativity should flow effortlessly. This applies to all facets of creative design. When creative ideas are implemented with great ease, the result lies in effortless and attractive design. Website design offers many such avenues for designers to discover their creativity especially with the use of Rapid Interactivity, a new phenomenon.

A basic problem that is seen in website design is the lack of time or knowledge of different packages that is required to create a good website layout. I have seen creative web designers who are unable to translate their ideas into the website. If we search the Internet today, we can find numerous ways through which one can have an attractive website without the need to know complex things about design!

Let us study some simple examples that can give an idea how certain subjects can be presented in an interesting way for users, with the use of a 3Dimensional cube. Give a thought and you will understand how a product feature can be presented in an interesting way. The most common way would be to have a catalogue style or rows of photographs that display the product. This may not necessarily interest users. Take a look at the 3Dimensional cube below to know how it can be used differently for various websites that deal in diverse topics.

This example shows how a 3Dimensional cube can present various angles of a mobile phone. The cube engages the user while presenting information about the product.

A travel website can look interesting when a 3Dimensional cube is used to present the top destinations. This 3Dimensional cube showcases some popular destinations in London.

A movie review site or one that is related to showing the listings can use this cube to present the top movies of 2009! This breaks away the usual trend of listing movies in a tabular format.

What’s the Big Deal about Interactivity? Plenty actually…!

The other day, when someone casually wondered about what are the essential components of a well-designed web site, it set many of us thinking as to how many people really think before they design! Designing a web site is not about finding the most creative elements; it is about providing easy access to the required information to the user and meeting the objectives of the web site owner.

A web site does not increase in its popularity overnight just by sheer luck. It does not follow the protocol “if you build, they will come”. A web site has to ensure it offers information in an easy to access and attractive way to find loyal users who find value in returning back to the site. A web site owner may think of different strategies to grab user attention. Adding freebies or contests, or attempts to make the page visually interesting are some of the options used.

However, what very few people realize is the necessity and importance of the usage of interactivity on web pages. Interactivity is not about adding a form or a button on a web page where people can click. Such kind of basic elements such as radio buttons and tool tips are web interfaces. Interactivity is the next step in the evolution of web interfaces. It is much more engaging with a complete experience in it. With the use of interactivity, users engage better with the web site content and hence stay longer on the page. Few examples of interactivities are a 3D Flip Book or a Poll which causes users to interact with the page wherein the page in turn, responds to the inputs of the user.

Based on this web designers would think that planning and creation of such interactivity involves programming which may be time consuming. It may not always be feasible to use interactivity due to the time factor involved in its creation.

However, with Rapid Interactivity, one can create and use interactivities into web pages very easily. Rapid interactivity is a new paradigm, with the help of which web designers and developers can add interactivity to web sites in minutes without programming.

An apt example for Interactivity would be a 3 Dimensional Flip Book. Users can actually feel the pleasure of flipping a book on a web page. This creates a better visual presentation for showcasing products or to explain any concept. Such an interactive Flip Book can now be created within minutes through easy customization.

Deep and meaningful interactions when added to web pages are like a value-addition to web sites. Interactive ways of communicating a message will ensure that the users who visit a web site will not only be engaged and return back sooner, they will even recommend it to others. It’s all about simplifying issues…!