With each new update to the Facebook interface it seems removing unwanted data or personal information becomes an even more elaborate process delving page after page deeper into the Facebook abyss. Previously there was a simple link from your side panel to edit applications, then there was an application settings link under the drop down menu “account” on the top right of the page. Today the process of permanently removing applications is hidden 4 pages deep.

After accidentally installing some applications I went on a mission to permanently remove these applications (and any other I no longer used) from my Facebook account. A process which I thought would be relatively easy took me a good 15 minutes to even find the page where I could do this. To save you a bit of time I’ve written a simple step by step guide to permanently removing Facebook applications below;

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It’s a fast paced and dog eat dog world out there. With the advent of the World Wide Web, the world has become an even smaller place to live in than before. Paradoxically however, this convenient little digital world that has glued even the most technically challenged of us to the computer screen and has alienated us from each other. I am sure you know what I am talking about. You must know that situations caused by mixed signals can become very sticky.

The efficiency and productivity of an organization can be measured by the way it treats its clientele. This is why companies usually resort to corporate branding in order to attract potential clients and to advertise their services on the market. This does not mean, however, that they know everything there is to know! What I mean to say is that an organization is as good as the relationship that it has with its clients.

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- Vector vs Raster
- CMYK vs RGB

You’ve no doubt been asked by a graphic designer or a sign maker for a high res image, or a vector file, or maybe they requested the image be in CMYK. The question is, what does this all really mean? And is it really that important?

The answer of course, is yes. Using the wrong type of file will generally create unexpected results, which most of the time aren’t going to be pretty. This will waste your time, result in higher than expected costs and if it goes unnoticed, could cost you a fortune in reprinting.

The good news is that understanding these different file types is easy. By the end of this article you will know:

- The difference between Vector and Raster images.
- When to use a CMYK image and when to use a RGB image.

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Free. It’s a word that’s thrown around a lot these days. Whether its free ebooks on a website, free samples of chewing gum in the mail or a free blueberry muffin at your regular cafe. Free, complimentary, gratis, on the house, it doesn’t matter how you say it, the power of free is not to be underestimated. People like free things, and you as a business should like giving away free things.

There’s one situation however where the real power of free is unleashed. This is when the person receiving the free-ness isn’t expecting it. Sure it’s nice to get every 12th coffee for free when you’re a regular, or to get free peanuts on your 1.5hr flight to Brisbane and from a business point of view it really is great idea, you’re providing incentive for your customers to return and do business with you once again. Yes, that customer loyalty is a great thing. I couldn’t have got my business to the point it is now without my repeat clients. But what’s even better than expecting something for free, is receiving something for free when you weren’t expecting it.

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#TEDxCanberra

On Saturday I had the privilege of attending a brilliant conference named TEDx Canberra. For those of you who don’t know, TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a movement started by the Sapling Foundation in the United States of America. It is now a global set of conferences based around the concept of ‘ideas worth spreading’. Their website www.ted.com features hundreds of talks and presentations by intellectuals all around the world. These talks cover a range of topics including, but not limited to: Technology, Entertainment, Design, Business, Science and Global Issues. If you haven’t already, head straight to their website and start watching, when your mind is as alive with ideas as mine was over the weekend, come back and finish reading this post.

The TEDx Canberra event was hosted at the National Library of Australia. It was an Independently organised TED event run by volunteers supported by kind sponsors throughout Canberra. Steven Collins (@trib) and the rest of the team did an absolutely outstanding job of organising the event: Finding brilliant speakers (including a couple last minute replacements), ensuring the day ran smoothly (even 5 minutes ahead of time at one point, then quickly cursed by computer error at the start of Ash Donaldsons presentation) and ensuring everyone’s bodies and minds were well fuelled to learn.

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The Internet is a fantastic and immensely powerful marketing and informative tool for your business. Over the last 5 years it has developed and excelled due to an increase in software and hardware development driven by consumer interest. What can be achieved today through effective website design and development is marvelous to say the least.

However unlike printed marketing material such as brochures & flyers, there is a basic architecture to the Internet which must be adhered to in order to create web pages which are compatible with all computers and the numerous Internet browsers out there.

Standard Typeface Selection

The information on your website is setup in a way so it is easily found by search engines and can be increased or decreased without any distortion or pixelation. This however limits your choice of fonts or ‘type-faces’ and the way in which these are setup typographically. When designing a website your website designer will setup your font choices with the use of ‘font stacks’.

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I recently had the chance to interview Philip Virgil Jenkinson, a brilliant copy writer and head of a communications consultancy based in Sydney Australia. Below you will find the transcript of the interview, or if you’re not in the mood for reading, you can listen to the audio interview file from the link below.

Interview with Philip Virgil Jenkinson

Luke Hopkins:   With me today is Philip Virgil Jenkinson, founder of The Virgil Corporation, a Marketing Communications Consultancy based in Sydney Australia.  He has recently worked on numerous projects from large multinationals such as Covance Clinical Research Asia Pacific an NEC as well as smaller, tactical assignments for Publishers Australia, VIP Corporate Cars, Young Life Australia, Beauty Booth, Journeys Books, Brodware, Victor Lawncare and Softech Learning.

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• Measures to prevent your project from blowing out.
• Communicating with your design agency.

Using a professional graphic design agency for the first time can be a daunting experience. Many questions will be going through your head, the biggest of them will no doubt be “How much is this all going to cost me”. For all businesses from large multinational corporations to sole traders working from home, money is always on your mind, after all you need your business to be profitable.

Selecting an Agency
When selecting a design agency remember that we are all just businesses like yourself. Call us and have a chat about any problems you have and any questions you may want to ask. Request to see previous examples of their work. Ask if they have any testimonials from existing clients. This will be the biggest indication of the relationships they form with their clients.

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