Fall is upon us, and so is a new Viewzi.

Boy, time flies. We haven’t pushed a major release in about 4 months (including views). Why? I’ll spare you the excuses but we’ve been really busy on just about every front. Continue reading...

Ambient Information and Search Results

I’ve been thinking a bit about ambient information, subtle cues that “exist in the periphery of our senses, where they provide continuous information without being distracting.” [source]

These cues can be in the form objects, as with the ambient orbs which communicate stock information through color changes. They could be unique sounds associated with specific subway stops (for more on this, see the Ambient Signifiers article on Boxes and Arrows). Or, in the two examples I want to share, these could be visual cues that may or may not consciously register, but work to facilitate the understanding and processing of information. Continue reading...

INTERNal Reports

Awesome. The “full-timer”s decided to let ME write a blog! You have NO IDEA how long I’ve been waiting to let my voice be heard. I’ve been interning at Viewzi since the end of May, and I just want to say, I was NOT prepared for what I was getting myself into. Most of the people here are giant, towering, bearded GENIUSES....and the few without beards are just as smart. I’m sure if you’re reading this, you may have already read the profiles for each of my co-workers; however, those bios don’t even scratch the surface of these intimidating powerhouses of internets knowledge. Since this is the last day of my summer internship, I'm going to leak the TRUTH about the staff at Viewzi (in no particular order). Continue reading...

Andrew Crow Video Interview - Adaptive Path

Andrew Crow is a senior experience designer, trainer, and speaker at Adaptive Path. He has a passion for developing innovative design solutions for customers' needs. Initially a print and web designer, Andrew moved into information architecture and interaction design to promote holistic user experiences to corporate clients. Andrew has over 12 years of design, technical, and strategic experience in the technology industry. Continue reading...

I Love Designers

Legendary designers are experts at harnessing creative chaos into a disciplined, consistent, productive process, and the rest of us at Viewzi get to benefit from that expertise in the form of an uncluttered feng shui office, coherent and cohesive keynote presentations, and a well partitioned production process. As the paradigm in consumer internet shifts from data to presentation, the composition of small tech start-ups will be more heavily weighted towards design guys. That is a very good thing for the rest of us. Continue reading...

Ninja Turtle Office

Last week, while chomping down burritos at a nearby restaurant, myself and several members of Team Viewzi™ were discussing the concept of super heroes, and what type of work environment would be conducive to various personalities. I must credit my coworker Stephen Anderson for starting us down this line of thinking, with some of the tidbits from a book he’s been working on. Continue reading...

Hallelujah! A Viewzi Conversion Story.

Months ago, when I first got an invite to the closed beta program to take Viewzi for a spin, it still had some wrinkles to iron out (and, admittedly, it still does). I remember thinking, “Well, this is gorgeous and all, but Google is way faster.” And now I work here. Something must have changed my outlook, huh? Continue reading...

6 Things Not To Do With Your Viral Video

Thinking of making a viral video to advertise your company or product? Viral videos are the flavor of the week and can be very successful marketing tools. You have probably heard about what you need to do to make a good viral video, make it funny, keep it short, don’t be boring, and all that jazz. You should also know what not to do or your viral video will never take off. So, what do we take into consideration when we produce & promote viewzi with video? I'm glad you asked. Continue reading...

Photoshop tip: Layer Comps make your life easier.

What are Layer Comps? Simply put, Layer Comps are a 'snapshot' of your Photoshop document (PSD) that you can easily flip between. Read on to learn all about creating and using Layer Comps to maximize your inner Photoshop ninja. Continue reading...

Are You Engaging in Recreational Search?

I’ve long believed even the most ruthlessly task-focused activities can also be emotionally engaging, but my mental model of search is (or has been) that it is a means to an end. The overwhelming response to Viewzi is making me rethink this... People are clearly having fun using Viewzi. And in the process I’m seeing a new form of search begin to emerge, one that is more recreational than utilitarian. Continue reading...