HowStuffWorks.com nominated for SXSW Interactive Award!

Mediabarn is so excited to announce that our client HowStuffWorks.com was chosen as a finalist at the SXSW Interactive Awards! We're really proud to have partnered with them on this redesign. Winners announced March 15th. Crossing fingers!!

Get Ready College Grad's!

Graduation is drawing near and it's almost time to get out there in the job market! Let me guess, you're concerned because the unemployment lines are long and the economy is spiraling out of control, right? Don't fret, you may actually be positioned to have a better chance in these tough times due to shrinking budgets and clients more willing to take risks in order to get their work done!

Although companies in the finance sector (Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch) took a major hit, there are still entry level positions to be had all over. And here's how.

1) Employers are looking to cut corners and are willing to take more chances more than ever with younger talent. So do some research and uncover your worth and price yourself aggressively.

2) Prepare yourself for the face-to-face interview. Since your employment history is limited, identify personal qualities and examples to discuss in how you can make a difference. See previous blog post for pointers.

3) Stand out....in a good way. Consider a well written personalized cover letter to go along with your resume. Consider the color, layout and design of both your cover letter and resume. Don't go over the top, but there's something to be said for a nice well written and nicely laid out resume. Please be sure to spell check.

4) If you're lucky enough to have been one of the few chosen for a face-to-face interview, go the extra mile and wear a suit. It's ALWAYS better to be over dressed then under.

5) If you've played your cards right, you probably have some internship experience. Definitely use that to your advantage. Be sure to highlight any similarities you may have with the job description you're applying for. Those who are already acclimated to the workplace are more likely to have a leg up on the competition.

6) Clean up your online presence (myspace/Facebook/bebo). Most employers will do their research these days and the last thing they want to see is embarrassing pictures from your big frat party the weekend before.

7) Be sure to go beyond the College and University Career Centers. Definitely use it as one of your many vehicles, but don't rely on just one vehicle. Try placement agencies to help find you a jr. position. Even if they can't find you your dream job, they can hopefully find you something within your target industry. The more people you have working for you the better.

8) Tap your parents network. Don't be afraid to use your parents and their friends. Besides you're probably a pro at it by now, so why not use that expertise for a good and rewarding reason for once.

9) There are jobs out there for you, it just may not be in your backyard. So be ready to relocate and don't be shy to search and apply for openings in other cities and keep you options open.

Overall, don't let all of the bad news get you down. Remember, if you're talented, hardworking and persistent, there's a job out there for you. It's just a little harder to find these days, but they're out there!

Good luck and remember to stay positive!

8 Tips for a Successful Negotiation

Regardless of whether you're trying to negotiate through a contract, a fee with a client, or a rate increase, the premise behind my tips are guaranteed to help navigate these sometimes treacherous waters. Since my friends, family and consultants are continuously asking me questions like, "How can I make more money?" or "How do I know I can't be making more?" in this scenario, I'll use the example of negotiating a base salary or increase. If you're already in a job or interviewing for a new one, the following tips should help make your next review or interview an enjoyable and rewarding one!

1) Timing is key. If you're in an interview, don't blurt out your salary requirements, wait until you're asked. Remember, you need to approach this topic cautiously and where possible, practice patience. If you're goal is an increase, don't wait until you've had "enough" before you barge into your managers office demanding a raise. That will never work!

2) Be prepared. The more prepared you are to have this conversation, the less money you'll end up leaving on the table, period. Make sure you take the time to do your homework and come up with a fair benchmark in your mind that you'd be content with. Then think about one that is slightly higher(+/-10k) and be prepared to discuss this figure and keep the lower one as you absolute minimum. Understanding the average salary for your particular job type is crucial in determining your approach. Here are some popular places online to check your worth. I suggest using these sites as a simple check, not as your main determining factor of whether you deserve a raise or not. Everyone's case will be different.

- salary.com
- monster.com
- careerbuilder.com

3) Get to know your manager. Understanding where your manager's stress points lie is pivotal in positioning yourself for a higher base salary. Even if your boss or potential boss seems cool as a cucumber, they're inevitably going to have areas of stress, trouble spots or concerns(hopefully they don't involve you). If you can identify those key areas, then voila, you've just identified your new goals for the next quarter! If for whatever reason you're not positioned to achieve those goals, then figure out other indirect ways in order to achieve a similar result. The idea is to show that you've proactively identified some key areas for improvement and are thinking of ways you can help make an immediate impact. And here's the beauty, coincidentally, they'll just so happen to be aligned with your boss' goals as well!

4) Put your game face on. Okay, so you've completed your research and identified some key areas, so now it's go time. Take the initiative and set up a time to meet with your manager. A good way to go about this is to mention that you'd like to sit down and discuss your personal and professional goals together. In your meeting, you may want to start off with expressing your passion regarding your position and role within your organization. Feel free to get creative here. For example, expressing your dedication to the team, overall company or product or service that you offer. The reason I suggest beginning with this type of approach is, you don't want this negotiation to backfire and to somehow be misconstrued as your way of expressing that you're unhappy. Always keep it positive.

5) Keep your cool. If you're anything like me, you tend to start speaking very quickly when things begin to heat up. You need to remember that this is your chance to prove yourself, to assure your boss you're ready to step up, so it's imperative that you act like it. Don't rush through it, because acting nervous or unsure of yourself doesn't exude a sense of confidence! And believe me, if you're giving the impression that you're unsure that you deserve a higher salary, why for one second would you think you'd get it? So take your time and get through all of your points while speaking slowly and clearly. At the same time remember to stay on track and keep your points and responses concise. And at all costs[very important], don't get confrontational, defensive or argumentative. Keep your emotions in check and stay in control at all times. ALWAYS remain professional and positive.

6) Okay, you've got 'em in your sights. Hopefully at this point things are progressing nicely and you've been able to express the desire for an increase. Chances are, one of the following three scenarios will happen, 1) The most likely case is that you've caught your boss off guard and they'll ask what type of money you're looking for, or 2) They're bright and picked up on your hint on why you wanted to meet in the first place and are prepared to offer you something, or 3) for many number of reasons, the door is shut on any possible increases. If #1 occurs, never and I mean NEVER, be the first to throw out a figure. It immediately gives away any and all leverage you may have had. If #2 occurs, never commit or agree right away, even if it meets your goals. Remember that everything is negotiable. However if #3 occurs, don't freak out(see Tip 5). Especially in these difficult economic times, increases are difficult to come by. So if there's no budget for a base increase, use it as leverage to get other perks. Additional vacation, stock options, signing bonuses, expense accounts, profit sharing, and performance raises are only some of the perks that can make up for actual cash compensation.

7) Now we're in business. We're going to go ahead and assume that our fabulous tips have uncovered some extra cash or perks for you. Congratulations! However in some cases, this is where things may start to get a little confusing. Don't feel like you need to sign or commit on the spot because it's perfectly acceptable to redline any employment contracts. Simply ask for time to review it closer and when you get home, feel free to mark that bad boy up to your liking. This is especially the case if your salary goal has not been fully satisfied. Keep in mind that there's always some give and take with any contract. Don't feel like you're ever locked in, just about everything in a contract is negotiable and don't let anyone tell you different.

8) Not seeing eye to eye? If you're following these tips to the tee, you've already mentally set a fair salary goal in mind. However, if things are way off base with your employer's expectations, you have to be prepared to walk away. So make certain you have a backup plan for this scenario. Although this is not ideal, this method can sometimes be rewarding if the employer caves and reconsiders. Regardless of what happens, end things professionally and on a good note. It's a small world and word that you lost your cool can and will travel fast!

Good Luck and feel free to post your own ideas, tips and results from your own experiences!

Scrolling and Ad Blindness

Ad Blindness is a phenomenon commonly found with eye tracking research. Ad blindness also includes “right rail” blindness, a similar occurrence due to the placement of tower and stamp-shaped ads loaded up in the right column of a webpage. Rebeka Sedaca wrote about reclaiming the right rail in 2006.

As seen in many of our tests, right rail blindness can also be linked to user behavior; e.g. the use of the mouse scroll wheel. In a website usability and eye tracking test at mediabarn, we noticed an avoidance of the right rail column. Upon further inspection, what we noticed was a behavioral difference between those who used the scroll wheel on the mouse while scanning the page, and those who used the mouse to move scrollbar of the Web browser. Users who used the scroll wheel remained focused on the main content of the webpage, while users who used the mouse and scrollbar looked away from the main content, scanned to the right, and positioned the cursor on the browser’s scrollbar. Although this action was quick, this change in focus allowed for a greater possibility for these users to notice the content in the right rail. Our test data, although small in sample, showed scrollbar users had more fixations over right rail elements than those who used the scroll wheel. Or, in other words… the scroll wheel was doing its job, making scrolling easier for users and allowing them to stay focused on the content they wanted.

Because these behavioral findings were not the focus of the study, there were no follow up questions with the participants regarding this behavior or whether they noticed the content in the right rail or not. However, it does illustrate that the use of technology (e.g. the scroll wheel on the mouse) can impact how people use and view a webpage. Therefore, as technology advances, new tools and user behaviors are introduced, and as these tools and behaviors become more common place, then page layout design can also be impacted, evolve and change.

Today, many blog layouts have reclaimed the right rail, as Sedaca wrote, by placing local navigation links in the right column of the page. But, how else might technology and user behavior change page design and layout? We look forward to observing what’s ahead.