New Animation Series for WWF-Canada

I have the great pleasure to continue to use my motion graphic and illustration skills for WWF-Canada. I’m working on a 4 part animation series for several of the conservation sections. At the moment I’m still using Adobe Illustrator to flush out the illustrations, you can see a sample here…

WWF International Species Tracker Uses Google Maps

[UPDATE PROJECT IS NOW LIVE HERE!]

We are currently developing a new species tracker for WWF International that will enable WWF to show the public the various species they track around the world. The project consists of downloading satellite data and then converting it to work and display with Google Maps. We are creating a custom interface to interact with the tracking data. When the project is complete users will be able to not only see the up-to-date status of animals such as Gorillas and Polar Bears but they will also be able to see images, videos and read about the animals right from within the Google Map interface. This project will be complete near the end of this summer, it’s coming to a browser and an iPad near you soon. You can view some of our finalized interface designs below.

World View of Different Species (click to view)

Species View (click to view)

Pop Up Video View (click to view)

WWF Animation and Design Sneak Peek

Design Work

We are currently working on some really cool animation and design work for WWF-Canada. We recently finished redesigning the conservation sections of wwf.ca to achieve the following: better design, easier to use navigation, better social networking visibility and more integrated video.

NXNE Speaking Success

They always say do what you love and success is sure to follow.  I always find when I prepare to give a talk it forces me to research things that are always valuable for my business, but it also gives me the ability to learn when the audience asks questions. The act of speaking at conferences like FITC and NXNE is like an exercise that forces me to think and document the processes that make my business successful. (I often talk on business tracks!) This effort to create an engaging presentation forces me to think about what I would want to hear. The whole process is very useful for everyone involved. This year the audience feedback was even better than in years past. I felt like I was on fire when I got up there, and the audience feedback shows that. I feel lucky to be involved in the process. You can see some of the reader comments here.

From Apple to Windows, My Journey to the Dark Side

I started my design career with a used Macintosh Plus with a monochrome screen and a funny external hard drive that made gurgling noises. From there, I continued my journey with a Mac II SI followed by so many other Macs I’ve lost track. I preface with this to illustrate that I am a long-time Mac user, not some Windows IT nerd. I am an interactive designer with a degree in visual arts, so I am by nature drawn to the beauty of the Apple design ethos. (Continue reading over at Applied Arts Magazine)

TSN Play of the Year Project – Adobe Flash still adds value

Recently TSN engaged us to produce a Play of the Year NHL video voting system. In years past TSN would produce this Play of the Year voting system with traditional HTML and a simple Flash video player. The new system takes advantage of Flash to make the experience much more engaging than simple text and a video player ….

Does being featured in Communication Arts mean instant Cash? An interview with Jonathan Clark

This week I am interviewing Jonathan Clark a well-established professional photographer. Jonathan was recently featured with a two page spread in Communication Arts Annual Photography issue.  Communication Arts is the “grand daddy” of all advertising publications. Being featured in this publication is the equivalent of winning an Oscar.  Many photographers, art directors and other creative types who have been featured in high caliber magazines such as this go on to lead very lucrative careers in their perspective fields.

Talk to Crona Phone Counseling Site

I recently launched my wife’s new private counseling practice talktocrona.com It has been so long since I’ve worked on starting a business from scratch I forgot about all the little details that can bog down individuals as they try to attempt to become self employed. When I started Airgid Media Inc. almost 10 years ago all I did was post a simple portfolio site and then started calling clients for business.

Is it good to force a mobile website on your users?

As the mobile space starts to build to critical mass web developers are starting to develop standards around how and when a mobile version of a website is used.  Many companies force feed a mobile site to you as if they are honoring you with all their “cool hard work”….