The Quest for Universal Content Strategy I recently returned from the Confab content strategy conference in London, and as I sit here listening to the excellent conference playlist that left us all Shazam-ing at the session breaks, I’m plagued by a nagging thought. Content strategy isn’t limited to the web. Oh, sure: the web is where…
Category Archives: writing
New Directions
I’m a writer. Oh sure, I’ve tried other things and scouted out alternative avenues (little known fact: I once owned a yoga and Pilates studio), but the fact of the matter is, I’m a writer. I’ve always been a writer. My husband delights in the ever-so-embarrassing book of haikus that I wrote when I was…
Birthdays and the Mom Gift
To say that my mother made a big deal out of birthdays would be an understatement. Every year for my birthday, she’d put together an enormous feast — homemade meatballs, a roasted turkey, cold cuts, potato salad, a watermelon boat filled with fresh fruit and at least two kinds of cake — all for the…
PowerPoint is Misunderstood
Last month, I was griping about PowerPoint. Honestly, it’s hard not to. But I’m coming to understand that it’s not the software that’s the problem, it’s how we use it. A client asked me to “put together a canned PowerPoint” that they could distribute to a broad audience. This slide deck would require slides (obviously)…
Book Review: The Creative Professional’s Guide to Money
Creative professionals are in a strange, unique and interesting position. We’re not plumbers or electricians who show up with parts and tools to fix your emergency. Nobody has a design or content emergency (not that they know of, anyway). How do you price a service with intangible value? What is your personal philosophy about money,…
How Old is “Too Old?”
Over at the Creative Freelancer Blog, contributor Laurel Black seems to have struck a nerve with her post asking if she was too old to be a designer. 80 comments later (and counting), the merits and disadvantages of age vs. experience are still being debated. What do you think? How old is “too old?” Does…
Strategy For All Content
There’s an endless amount of buzz about content strategy and how it can improve your corporate website. I’m a firm believer in content strategy and the results that it can deliver. Not familiar with content strategy? The idea is that the presentation of information — design, navigation and site structure — should be built around…
A New Kind of Client Issue
Have you ever heard of an over-responsive client? Neither had I until I met this one. Now I have fodder for a new post on the Creative Freelancer Blog. I also recently posted an item about my Friday afternoon victories. What’s not to love about Fridays? Follow this link to read all of my posts…
The Battle Over the Serial Comma
I once had a job interview where I was asked for my position on the serial comma. For those who don’t know one comma from another, allow me to explain. Serial comma: “I met with Bob, Mary, and Sue.” Non-serial comma: “The recipe calls for butter, eggs and flour.” The Chicago Manual of Style is…
The Plan for 2011
What’s your plan for 2011? Are you branching out into new areas? Trying new things? Starting fresh? Or does your 2010 work flow directly into the new year without interruption? I’ve made some plans for change in the coming year. I’ve submitted proposals to be a featured speaker at conferences. This is a big change…