Why Website Designers Need to Create Visual Dashboards for Their Clients

Post pobrano z: Why Website Designers Need to Create Visual Dashboards for Their Clients

Website design clients need visuals to fully understand results. The most obvious example of this is that you can’t just tell a client their website has been built and it looks great – they need to see it for themselves.

When you’re helping web clients get results with marketing, sales, and SEO, looking at raw data won’t tell them much. Your web clients rely on you to tell them what the information means.

Raw data is useless without context

Raw data is important, but it doesn’t mean anything until it gets processed and analyzed within a specific context. One way to help clients see the meaning of data is to design a visual dashboard for their project.

With a visual dashboard, you can display information through helpful charts, graphs, and other visual elements. Everything the client sees will have already been processed and presented in a specific context.

For example, one graph might display their conversion rate as a percentage, which is derived from their visitor count and sales. Knowing their conversion rate makes it easy to set a goal to increase their conversions.

If you just tell your clients how many sales and visitors they get each month, they’ll struggle to create a worthwhile goal.

Giving clients raw data can move them in the wrong direction

Do you give clients reports with raw numbers pulled from all their accounts? Sometimes creating reports with a bunch of numbers seems like the right thing to do. Clients deserve to know everything about their progress, right?

While clients do need to know where they stand, raw data isn’t going to tell them where they stand for several reasons.

The complexity of raw data can be overwhelming for clients. No matter how much information a client wants, they won’t get that information from raw data. All raw data needs to be processed into useful information and interpreted.

Some clients won’t know what to do with raw data, but others might start making the wrong moves. For instance, when a client sees raw traffic data, they might start trying to generate more traffic when they really just need to convert more of their existing traffic.

In light of a low conversion rate, many people mistakenly believe they need more traffic. However, most of the time, conversion rates are low because the target audience is wrong or the sales copy needs work. The solution is to generate targeted traffic, not generate more traffic.

A visual dashboard will communicate what’s important

When you’re dealing with traffic, many clients become fixated on inflating traffic numbers. Ultimately, traffic doesn’t matter – conversions matter. If they’re not converting at 100%, traffic isn’t their problem.

It’s better to display a conversion rate alongside traffic and sales stats. When a client knows their conversion rate is 5%, and they’re generating 10,000 visitors per month, it will be clear that 95% of their visitors aren’t buying. This will help them see the value in increasing their conversion rate.

Visual dashboards are highly customizable

Visual dashboards can be customized however you want and can be as simple or complex as you’d like. Most dashboard applications come with pre-made templates that you can modify by swapping out or eliminating widgets. Or, you can use a drag-and-drop feature to build your own dashboard from scratch.

Visual dashboards can be simple, yet useful

Sometimes clients don’t want to know all of the details. When they’ve hired other people to do the work, they just want to know progress is being made. For these clients, a simplified visual dashboard is ideal.

For clients with simple needs, you can skip displaying minutia like daily/weekly/monthly email signups, various PPC stats like cost-per-click, and new Facebook fans.

Instead, construct a basic dashboard to display broad, important figures like daily/monthly/weekly/yearly revenue, returns, and SEO rankings for their top 10 keywords.

Remember to secure your clients’ dashboards

However you create your clients’ dashboards, remember to secure them from public view. If you use an application to build a dashboard, make full use of their security features.

If you create your own dashboards by embedding data, make sure you password-protect the directory where the dashboard is located. Better yet, add another layer of security by requiring a username and password to access the webpage.

Give clients what they need through visual dashboards

Your clients deserve to see their most important stats in an easy-to-use visual interface. If you haven’t yet, start creating visual dashboards to help your web clients set and achieve important goals.

Valuable Heritage: How to Care for Vintage Photographic Collections

Post pobrano z: Valuable Heritage: How to Care for Vintage Photographic Collections

Do you have old photos of your loved ones that you would like to store in good condition for years? Well, of course you do. Everybody has photographs they cherish. This especially applies to older, vintage photos from our childhood, or the childhood of our parents. Relatives and family friends who have passed away can be remembered through these images. Unfortunately, old paper photos can be easily damaged. But there are certain ways to help them shine for years. This article discusses the most effective methods to prolong the lives of precious memories.

The delicate nature of vintage photographs

Print photos are easily susceptible to damage. They are responsive to many physical conditions.

Damage can occur to your vintage photos regardless of whether they are antique Victorian shots, or family images from the 1980s and 1990s. All photos developed on traditional photographic paper will deteriorate with time. What can be done to prevent this deterioration?

5 ways to preserve vintage photographs for future generations

  1. Controlling humidity in air. The air in which your photographs are stored affects them and how long they last. A high level of moisture can create the growth of mold, make your photos stick to each other causing tearing and damage, or it can cause photographic boards to warp. The lack of humidity can cause brittles and cracks. Try to avoid storing your images in your cellar or attic. These places can be either very damp or very dry. Do not store your photos in a kitchen or bathroom either. Try to avoid hanging them on north facing walls as these are often colder than other walls. Also, do not store them at floor level.
  1. Changes in temperature and storing at a high temperature. Try to store your vintage photos in a cooler part of your home, not in damp areas as stated above. A higher temperature will lead to your photos falling apart, and it also incubates many insects that will happily feast on your images. Try to keep them as cool as possible without leading to damp conditions. This will help preserve your precious photographs.
  1. Digitally scanning and upscaling images. Perhaps the best way to preserve treasured and delicate images for future generations is to create digital copies of the photos. Most all-in-one printers are low-cost and feature a digital photographic scanner. It may take a few hours to digitize a large collection, but the benefits are incredible.

    Not only will you be able to view digital versions, but you will have the ability to post these memories on social media or websites, and use them within any digital or physical design elements you create. By utilizing an online photo upscaler, you can enhance the quality of these old images to be in line with your digital photographs. The flexibility and durability of this method make it an extremely attractive prospect.

    You can use many types of software to digitize your photograph collection, from free apps to more expensive ones. PC Magazine has a whole article dedicated to methods of digitizing your old pictures.

  1. Keep your vintage photos away from direct light. Light, in particular bright sunlight, is a nemesis to old photographs. The original method of creating these photographic prints in the past included light, but prolonged exposure to light can cause the photos to lighten and fade. This slowly destroys photographs.

    Light that is high in the ultraviolet spectrum damages your precious photos more than other types of light. So, it’s better to avoid fluorescent lamps. You can store your photos in boxes, therefore in darkness, or you can also fit ultraviolet filtering glass to your photo frames. Unfortunately, light can make photos brittle, and this damage is irreversible.

  1. Keep away from chemicals and pollutants. A pollutant, in relation to the preservation of photographic images, can be skin cells, hair and fibres, dust, as well as pollen spores that cause abrasion, attract dirt, insects, or mold. They can also be particles from aerosol sprays. Micro-fibre cloths and vacuum cleaners can be extremely effective at removing dust.

Conclusion

Beautiful works of art and priceless family memories can be found in vintage photographs. However, they need to be properly cared for and stored in order for future generations to cherish and appreciate them as much as we do.

Following the advice above will extend the life of your precious photos, and scanning them will also prepare them for a variety of uses . Vintage photography is a tangible connection to the past that needs to be preserved.

How to protect data while using board software?

Post pobrano z: How to protect data while using board software?

When it comes to storing and sharing sensitive data online the topic of security is extremely important.

Paperless meeting solution helps reduce the security risk around the physical loss of documents, and other targeted attacks that aim to get access to sensitive organizational board information.

Recognizing the risks associated with potential data leakage allows the board members to determine whether it’s worth allocating resources for board management software. Before integrating a board portal into your organization, you should first learn about which documents will be shared within the platform and most importantly about security features and certifications the virtual board software should have.

What kind of documents should be protected in the board portal

The virtual board software is a place where you can share different types of documentation depending on which is the most relevant. Here are the main types of documentation that can be uploaded into the board portal:

  • Committee reports and white papers
  • Meeting agendas and resolutions, which may include:
    • Corporate performance
    • Strategy, budgets, and R&D
    • Acquisitions and business portfolio adjustments
    • Executive compensation
    • Regulatory, legal compliance, and government relations and policies, etc
  • Reports with sensitive information and strategic operational plans
  • The results of voting on specific questions and analyst reports
  • Advanced reports with the statistics about all the documents within the board portal
  • Investor presentations
  • Risk management reports
  • Remuneration policies
  • External audit results

The majority of internal documentation shared within board management software should be protected in the most reliable way. Luckily, board portals offer safe solutions where documents can be shared without any fears.

How exactly board portals are protecting the user information

It’s crucial to keep the board members informed about the importance of data protection and compliance. It can be challenging, however, it’s worth adding the topic of privacy to the agenda to effectively communicate the organization’s needs to implement a sustainable privacy program. When using an online board meeting platform, it’s important to know the main factors of data protection this software uses:

  • Access management. Board portal software provides various access management features so that the admins of the portal can have full control over the file exchange within the platform.
  • Different access levels for different people. The most secure board management software offers custom-permission settings. Administrators of the board portal can give users access to view, edit, or delete files. Also, only certain individuals can have access to the documents within the portal depending on their roles and existing board structure.
  • Encryption of the data. Data within virtual board software is encrypted using 256-bit SSL/TLS protocol and using RSA 2048-bit keys encryption. Encryption of data ensures that board information remains secure even if it gets to the wrong people. With robust encryption methodologies for the confidentiality of data, documents shared through secure board portals are fully protected by access controls and users’ unique decryption keys.
  • ISO certification. The board management software has to stay on top of constantly changing security regulations and laws, as it serves as a matter of good governance. The ISO 27001 certification shows that a cloud-based or SaaS board portal provider meets the global security standard for managing data security. That includes all data assets that are entrusted to the organization like for example board-related information. Users of the ISO 27001 certified board portal can be assured that they are using a trustworthy provider with the needed infrastructure, systems, and policies to ensure data protection.
  • Remote locking. This is a restriction of access to files after they have been shared. You can also revoke file access permission across all devices users used to sign into the board portal.
  • E-signature. Getting information approved by directors has become much easier with e-signatures. You can send documents for board meetings and get them immediately approved, as directors get an email notification about the request.
  • Multi-factor authentication. It protects user data in the virtual boardroom, as besides a strong password this feature requires a texted code. Multi-factor authentication prevents your data from being accessed by an unauthorized third party, which has access to a password.

With these security practices, you can be sure that with your paperless meeting solution you will be able to effectively manage threats and vulnerabilities and prevent costly data breaches.

Conclusion

Security should always stay a top priority when it comes to managing an organization’s confidential information. That’s why it’s essential that the virtual board software you choose for managing board director meetings follows strict security standards.

The boardroom compliance with data protection and privacy regulations will prevent your organization from data breaches and unexpected leaks of critical information. It’s important to pay attention to data security, as there are many data breach risks you may face. However, by using security features and checking data protection practices that the virtual boardroom offers, you can share your information, be sure that it’s protected, and the risks of data leakage are minimized.

Diagonal Stripes Wipe Animation

Post pobrano z: Diagonal Stripes Wipe Animation

I was playing this game on Apple Arcade the other day called wurdweb. It’s a fun little game! Little touches like the little shape dudes that walk around the screen (but otherwise don’t do anything) give it a lot of character. I kinda want little shape dudes that walk around on websites. But another UI choice caught my eye, the way that transitions between screens have these diagonal lines that grow and fill the screen, like window blinds closing, kinda.

Here’s a quick screencast showing how those wipes work:

I wanted to have a crack at building this.

The first thing that went through my mind is repeating-linear-gradient and how that can be used to build stripes. So say we set up like this:

.gradient {
  background-image:
    repeating-linear-gradient(
      45deg,
      #ff8a00,
      #ff8a00 10px,
      #e52e71 10px,
      #e52e71 20px
    );
}

That would buy us stripes like this:

We can use transparent as a color though. Meaning if we covered the screen with stripes like these, we could see through where that color is. Say like this:

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In that gradient definition, we use 10px as the “start” and 20px as the “end” of the gradient before it repeats. Part of the trick here is keeping that 20px “end” the same and animating the “start” number up to it. When we do that, it actually covers the screen in a solid color. The problem is… how do you animate it? You can’t do this:

Screenshot of a CSS code snippet on a dark gray background with syntax highlighting. An arrow is pointing from the repeating linear gradient on the element to another repeating linear gradient inside keyframes. A note that says not going to animate is displayed in large white letters above a crying emoji.

What we need to do is animate that “start” pixel value number alone. We can use a custom property, but it’s a little tricky because without declaring them, custom properties are just strings, and not animatable lengths. So we’d have to do it like this.

@property --start {
  syntax: "<length>";
  inherits: false;
  initial-value: 10px;
}
#cover {
  position: fixed;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  width: 100%;
  height: 100%;
  background-image: repeating-linear-gradient(
    45deg,
    #ff8a00,
    #ff8a00 var(--start),
    transparent var(--start),
    transparent var(--end, 20px)
  );
  animation: cover 1s linear infinite;
}
@keyframes cover {
  to {
    --start: 20px;
  }
}

We’ve got to use @property here to do this, which I really like but, sadly, has limited browser support. It does work though! I’ve got all that set up, including a quick prefers-reduced-motion media query. I’m using a smidge of JavaScript to change the background halfway through the animation (while the screen is covered) so you can see how it might be used for a screen transition. Again, note that this is only working in Chromium-based browsers at the moment:

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Notice I’ve used CSS custom properties for other things as well, like the angle and size of the stripes and the speed of the animation. They are both very trivial to change! I’ve chucked in knobs so you can adjust things to your liking. Knobs? Yeah, they are cool:

Like and subscribe

This whole thing started as a tweet. In this case, I’m glad I did as Temani Afif chimed in with a way to do it with masks as well, meaning pretty solid support across all browsers:

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I don’t think animating background color stops or a mask position is particularly performant, but since we’re talking “screen wipes” here, one could imagine that the page isn’t likely to be interacted with anymore until the page transition is over, so maybe that’s not the world’s biggest deal.

Give Your Home Character with These 4 Interior Design Styles

Post pobrano z: Give Your Home Character with These 4 Interior Design Styles

Adding class and character to your home doesn’t have to cost a fortune or take plenty of time. Actually, the key to creating a space that has its personality and reflects your taste might lay in choosing the right interior design style that suits your needs and preferences.

Bold and flashy elements lovers will find their aesthetic in art-deco, while those who like to make a statement should consider leaning towards luxurious Hollywood glam. Simplicity can be, on the other hand, found in inspirations coming straight from Scandinavian interiors, European classicism, or mid-century modern.

It might sound silly just to throw around these words; however, it might be the perfect start to sprucing up your space and adding a character to your home if you try to visualize them. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, check out our tricks listed below so you, too, can achieve the uniqueness you’ve been craving in your own home.

Scandinavian Flavour

Scandinavian style is all about clean lines paired with natural wood tones. The main idea behind this style is to take everything out of the space that doesn’t serve any purpose. Scandinavian style is all about downsizing and simplifying everything so you can come up with a room that serves its purpose without taking away from the natural beauty of the space.

This means you should think of ways to maximize storage and open spaces while minimizing furniture and accessories. For example, you can opt for multi-functional furniture like ottomans that act as both footrest and storage for pillow duvets, a light blanket, or a weighted throw blanket, popular during the cold winter months, that may require some extra space.

You should also try to stick with one color scheme throughout the entire space so you can maintain simplicity and consistency. Clean lines and modern furniture pieces like clean-lined chairs and tables are also part of this interior design style, so you should ensure they’re present in every room of your home.

Drama and Flash of Hollywood Glam

Hollywood glam may be the interior design style you’d want to put on your home if you’re looking for a more bold and flashy look. This style is all about details, from the furniture to the accessories you place in your space. The décor elements should be a perfect match for each other, and the colors should pop. What makes this style stand out are the luxurious elements that are combined with refined amenities.

Go for glamorous furniture, as settees, chaise lounges, high-backed chairs, and even beds are ideal for this style. Use glass or crystal vases to hold flowers or other decorative elements to add elegance to your space, and try to let go of your fear of color so you can create a room that’s saturated with hues that speak volumes about your personality.

That said, it’s essential that you don’t go overboard with the accessories, or your home will end up looking cluttered instead of stylish.

Art-Deco Musings

Most of us associate art-deco with the 1920s and 1930s as a style that is bold, glamorous, and extravagant. It is often described as a combination of geometric shapes with vivid colors and a lot of ornamentation. It’s not difficult to incorporate this style into your home if you want to create an elegant ambiance, and you just need to start with the right pieces that will help you achieve that look.

You can try to look for furniture that has clean lines and has geometric forms. Furniture made of wood or metal is ideal for giving your space a luxe feel. You don’t want to clutter your room to achieve that look; instead, select only essential furniture items that will complete the room’s overall aesthetic.

Then you can also decorate your walls using artwork inspired by this era. Mirrors are another way to bring art-deco into your home, and you can complement it with an abstract painting or even a sculpture.

A Classic Look

European classicism or mid-century modern styles may be the right choices for those who want to embody old-world charm and timelessness. These styles are often used in creating homes that showcase high ceilings and decorative pieces.

The use of warm colors such as ivory or gold adds to the feeling of luxury in these spaces. To add charm to your home, add some character to its design. Choose one of these interior design styles and see how you can apply it to your space so you can add a unique touch to your home’s interior without breaking the bank.

In Conclusion

These are just some of the interior design styles you can choose from. If you have a thing for a specific aesthetic, look for inspiration from its use in other spaces and incorporate a similar style to your own space. And if you think you’ve seen all there is to see when it comes to interior design, think again.

These interior design styles will give your home a touch of class and character that you’ve been looking for. Each style has its unique elements that can help you add a personal touch to your space. So which one will you choose?