Life of Man Website is a Communication Arts Pick of the Day

Really proud that the Life of Man website we made for Esquire was the featured Communication Arts WEBpick of the Day on November 5th.

Communication Arts is one of the few design magazines I still make time for - so it's really nice to get the nod.

New Esquire Web App Celebrates The Life of Man

Ever wonder what Derek Jeter is most looking forward to as he turns 40?

What about the best advice Robert Redford has ever gotten in his 77 years?

We're very pleased today to share The Life of Man - a new website we've been working on for Esquire to commemorate the magazine's 80th anniversary.

Users can browse The Life of Man Gallery to see noteworthy men, spanning ages one to eighty, in photographs and video and see what they have to say about their life right now.

If you feel inspired to add your own story, submit your portrait to the Interactive Gallery and join a living exhibit of men from across the country in 2013.
 
We designed The Life of Man as a responsive website that adapts to a wide variety of web browser scenarios, from super wide windows to mobile devices, to ensure every user has the optimal interactive experience.

So go on - be a man and check it out.

We're pretty proud of it.

The Life of Man

Follow the Cuban Missile Crisis on JFK50.org

JFK50.org remains one of my favorite website projects, first because it's JFK!

And we got to work with the good folks at ESI Design and the JFK Library to come up with an award winning website to share the legacy of JFK.

I'm especially fond of the graphic novel treatment we designed to underline watershed events from the Kennedy administration in the History Now section of the site.

You can skim the watershed pages to get a feel for events, or (if you have Flash) dive into individual panels for more story and media.

Most of the events on the JFK timeline are one or two pages, each with 8-10 panels of deeper story.

The Cuban Missile Crisis spans 13 action-packed pages, so not only is it one of the standout watershed moments from the JFK presidency, it was also a major production milestone for us. 

Take a moment...
  
Imagine our nation on the brink of nuclear war.

Follow 13 increasingly tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, beginning today, as it unfolds...

Nukes in Cuba! Oct 16-28, 1962

The Jekyll and Hyde of App Review - Part I

Today is a good day.

We've successfully launched the app trio of Ticker Quiz, Word Cracker, and Roman Backgammon for eoz games.

We're working on interesting website projects.

And I stayed up last night, testing our next homegrown education app and I'm really impressed with the gameplay.

When I got out of bed this morning, there was a distinct bounce in my step and a genuine eagerness in my work commute as I considered the day ahead with hope and excitement.

But last week at this time was an entirely different story.

I shudder to think of the nightmare my waking life had become.

Heed this, my fellow developers, as a cautionary tale that dives into the deepest pit of darkness, before hope...is restored.

You too, can survive the mad science of Apple's App Review.

I know this, because I did just that.

And along the way, I met two very different characters.

Rewind.

Two weeks ago, we submitted a minor update to the App Store to fix a broken link for both Ticker Quiz and Word Cracker.

We also wrapped and submitted Roman Backgammon 1.0.

I was happy.

Eoz games was happy.

And love was in the air, along with various marketing efforts, including press releases and active app reviews.

We've developed many apps for ourselves, and for others, and we know the routine - app approvals and updates typically take a full week from the time they are submitted to the actual review and approval, so I kicked my feet up and set my cruise control.

At the time, I didn't even consider that anything could go wrong with Ticker Quiz and Word Cracker - my only concern with eoz games was Roman Backgammon because the first approval is always a bit uncertain.

A week passed, and I got notice from eoz games that Ticker Quiz and Word Cracker had passed review and both updates were available for sale in the App Store.

All according to plan, or so I thought.

I approached work the next day with only Roman Backgammon on my mind.

And then came the call from eoz:

"The Word Cracker update is crashing."

"No way" I thought, but I said (calmly) "Let me have a look and I'll call you back."

I hadn't even downloaded the update from the App Store yet - but I did.

And sure enough, the app crashed in Solo mode, upon completion of a game - every single time.

My first thought struck like a poison dart - we're going to have to live with this app crashing in the App Store for an entire week while Apple reviews it.

Before I could even mobilize the team to formulate a plan of action, I got an email from eoz:

"Roman Backgammon 1.0 - REJECTED!"

To Be Continued... 

Read Part II

Happy Holidays! From Artgig Studio

You:

Damn!

Know what I forgot?

A card!

Us:

Don't worry - we've got your back, with the Artgig Holiday Card Generator.

Now you can make your own custom e-card, featuring the cute and quirky characters from our Alien Buddies App!

And you can do it in your browser or, on your iPad.

Look here - no Flash up our sleeve.

Sweet!

You:
(Standing there, mouth agape, amazed)

Us:

So, Happy Holidays from us, to you.

You:
(Drooling a little)

Us:

Okay then...er...have fun!

The Artgig Holiday Card Generator!

The Alien Buddies Have Landed – On Cafe Press!

This Just In:

The Alien Buddies have landed on Cafe Press!

That's right, we're having so much fun with our cute and quirky App Store friends, we decided to open a store to share and wear them!

Have a "New and Noteworthy" baby to shop for?

No problem!

Or maybe you just want your BFF on a shirt!

If you're looking for your favorite Alien Buddies on a plethora of products, we've got you covered!

Just look for Artgig on Cafe Press and follow the signs.

And it's 20% off right now with coupon code NOEL20.

As our Alien Buddies are fond of saying...

Sweet!

Artgig Cafe Press Store

Alien Buddies - The Movie

SPOILER ALERT - This app is fun and educational and your kids will love it!

As Steve is busy trying to squeeze all the Alien Buddies goodness into a download-anywhere under 20MB package so we can submit to Apple later today, I thought I'd share the brand new video trailer with you.

We looked at lots of options for video capture using the iOS Simulator but we were getting weird gradient banding in the background art, so Lis went off on her own for a few days and came back with this.

Enjoy!

alien-buddies.com

Artgig Wins Gold For JFK50.org Website

Very pleased to be part of the team that won a W3 Gold Award for JFK50.org!

There's more to come from the dynamic duo of ESI Design and Artgig...

W3 Awards Winners Gallery

Lots Shakin' at Artgig Apps!

I was going to say it's a bit of a stew today at Artgig Apps but a stew isn't nearly fast or exciting enough - it's more of a salad, one that is tossed together quickly but expertly, and comes together with just the right balance of complimentary flavors.

And avocados.

I love avocados.

As lunch quickly approaches, we're buzzing, making final launch preparations for our new Pre-K and Kindergarten educational app, Alien Buddies.

The Final build goes out to testers tonight and we're planning to submit to Apple next week so  (fingers crossed) we can be in the App Store by the end of the month!

Speaking of testers, we've got some really good kids, parents, and teachers working this app over and giving us great feedback and ideas, and I cannot thank them enough.

This app has been a lot of fun to build because it hits a sweet spot for lots of little kids I know and the testing gives us great confidence that we've got something special to share with you and your children.

And let's not forget about our other apps - Shake-a-Phrase and Being Benny were both updated last week!

We love tinkering with Shake-a-Phrase - every time we crack the hood we can't help refining and improving the vocabulary for the best possible user experience.

We also added some slick new sharing features, so you can share your favorite phrases by SMS or take advantage of the iOS 5 Twitter integration to tweet all about it.

And we're not done tinkering!

The chefs at Artgig Apps added an extra dash of holiday sprinkles to the Fairytale theme for some festive fun with phrases, and we'll be pushing yet another Shake update this week (v. 1.3) - so stay tuned!

We really want to hear from you, so please drop by our Facebook page and/or leave an app review for us in iTunes - all of our apps have a direct review link to tell us what you think.

Some of the changes we just made to Shake-a-Phrase are a direct result of user feedback!

We've also been hearing from a lot of teachers about using Shake-a-Phrase in the classroom for creative writing exercises, so we're serving up some stories to inspire your own school lessons!

Check out "Shaking Up The Classroom With Shake-a-Phrase," on the Shake website, to read about a 3rd Grade class using the Monster theme to shake up some spooky Halloween tales.

Whew!

I'm starving!

Shaking Up The Classroom With Shake-a-Phrase

How We Roll

What was all that white stuff that blanketed our town and crippled the Artgig command center for nearly the entire week?

It's too soon to say the "s" word out loud, but this week was a trip down Artgig memory lane.

Once upon a time, before Artgig got all fancy with a brick and mortar studio, we all worked from home.

As legend has it, way back in the days before Skype, the Artgig gang would meet around town, alternating between the diner and Jean Jacques, when we all needed to be in the same place to discuss really important things – like becoming a brick and mortar business.

When we arrived for work Monday morning and found a tree had knocked down the building power line, we assumed it would be a minor disruption and it really wasn't so bad taking Halloween off to spend with the kids.

Four days later, it had turned into a beard growing contest between me and Jim (I won), and I was ready to fire my one and a half year old co-worker for continuously ignoring my orders to stop eating my Wacom stylus.

Despite the challenges of work and home lives colliding, amazingly, I am happy to report we reached a new pinnacle of production before power was finally restored yesterday.

It seems with less pressure to do things like shave and bathe, our app output actually increased!

In a few short days we cranked out a nearly-final Alien Buddies app build, a sweet Shake-a-Phrase update with new words and sharing features, and a Being Benny update.

All while juggling client projects and grocery shopping duties!

That's how we roll here at Artgig.

Check out Artgig Apps

We Come In Peace

We're really excited to finally introduce you to some new friends (big image here).

They're not from around here and they need a hand with some things like matching and connecting dots, but we think you and the kids will enjoy helping the quirky little buggers out.

Stay tuned as we get closer to a November launch.

And have a Happy Halloween!

alien-buddies.com

Tease or Treat? A Halloween Invitation From Artgig Apps...

Hmmmm, that's a tough one, do I want to be teased?

Or would I prefer a nice treat?

What if I told you you didn't have to choose.

Because we're gonna tease you anyway, whetting your appetite for our soon-to-be-released (fingers crossed) Educational Kids App.

Then, we're gonna give you a treat by revealing who is hiding behind those masks (big image here).

Check out the the Moms With Apps Halloween Facebook Party this Friday, October 28th, at 1PM EST to find out more!

We'll be there in costume, handing out Shake-a-Phrase promo codes and free advice that could really come in handy this Halloween.

You know, like if your friend or loved one gets bitten by a zombie, sorry, you gotta ditch 'em - just leave.

Go.

Fast.

And don't look back.

Okay, you can look now.

If you're really busy shopping for candy corn Friday, you can also keep an eye on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to see what's cooking (and Like us while you're there!)

See you Friday!

Artgig Apps Facebook

Artgig Launches New Consumer Eyes Website!

We're proud to announce the official launch of the new Consumer Eyes website.

It's quite good looking, don't you think?

We first met with the consumer insight specialists at CE many months ago and found an innovative company who had clearly outgrown their small Flash website and needed help streamlining a disparate set of web properties.

So, we got to work in close collaboration with the CE team to redesign and reimagine what the Consumer Eyes user experience would be.

Fortunately, the CE gang is sharp and motivated and there was no shortage of content.

This is what we came up with:

1. Gotta look good now, and a year from now - Jim's barcode design is a timeless classic. Throw in some of Steve's special JavaScript sauce and this HTML website jumps to life.
2. CMS platform needs to be expandable, modular and user friendly - No programmers, no problem. We built the site using Drupal and a quick tutorial got CE up and running.
3. Manage an expert video library - YouTube!
4. Integrate blog and social media - We picked up their WordPress blog content and moved it to the new site for easy management and a seamless user experience. Ever wonder what deep-fried butter on a stick from the Iowa State Fair tastes like? You got it – right on the site.
5. Take the show on the road - We built the site with a variety of screen sizes in mind to ensure no users are left behind, including those with iPads. We also created a mobile theme for mobile devices.
6. Did I mention eye candy? - Make that a double of Steve's special sauce. There's plenty of interactive goodness sprinkled throughout to dynamically illustrate innovation at work.

Check it out and don't forget to snap the QR contact code to add Consumer eyes to your contacts!

Consumer Eyes Website

Dolphin Tale Movie Strikes Box Office Gold - We Knew Winter When...

So, looks like our favorite bionic dolphin, Winter, is giving Brad Pitt a run for his money according to the weekend box office report.

Dolphin Tale, the feel good hit of the Fall, is just behind Moneyball in a photo finish, pulling in over $20 million and earning a top three spot.

Not bad for a little dolphin from Clearwater, Florida.

We were introduced to Winter and his remarkable story a couple of years ago when we made the Winter's Tail website for Turtle Pond Publications in support of the book.

Not surprisingly, the site is seeing a nice traffic spike with the movie's success.

Always nice to see a highly evolved marine mammal with a bionic tail make good.

Check Out Winter's Tail

JFK50.org: Not Just Sexy – Crazy Sexy

Very pleased to find out last night that JFK50.org won a Gold MUSE Award in the Education/Outreach category from the American Association of Museums. Not only that, one of the judges called the website "crazy sexy."

If you got it, flaunt it, I always say.

Read all about it here.

Now we need to go get a mantle...

Kaplan Workout is Live for Your iPad Viewing Pleasure!

If you're looking to kill some time while you're waiting for our next killer app, Shake-a-Phrase, to clear App Store review, why don't you fire up your iPad with the brand-spanking new Kaplan 20 Minute Workout iPad Edition!

Train your brain for the LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, GRE, DAT, OAT and PCAT exams and show off your cerebrum on the leaderboard!

Go on, get smart!

Kaplan Workout for iPad

Facebook: Apps, Ads, & Adventures in Privacy

Part 2 (of 2)

Jim Bail continues his mission to set up Artgig Facebook business pages and finds it all a little revealing...

Apps:

Who doesn't want a more social experience? That's what FB is all about isn't it? So does this mean that with the default share settings I don't have to do a thing and that shady Estonian warez site that my 13 year old cousin likes to download pirated games from has access to a good chunk of this info? At least they won't know that I'm a Wiccan who is interested in lemur farming. Thank Goddess for that.

Speaking of lemurs...look at what that wholesome PBS Nature app can access after you blithely click “Allow” to view their app – which of course is what 99% of us have become conditioned to do.

Ads:

I love this one. In the future, my friends may see ads with my picture in them. Can't wait for my mother-in-law to see my smiling face in that Valtrex ad a year from now. At least my secret's safe for now.

It depends on what the definition of “is” is:

From Facebook's developer blog: “Facebook has never sold and will never sell user information."

I found it a little interesting that a couple of days after I set up our Facebook pages I started seeing ads for fishing gear appear when I viewed our pages. I had in fact looked at some fishing gear during that time, but not on any FB pages.

I guess serving up targeted ads that companies pay for based on your surfing habits along with who knows what other information from your actual profile (and probably your friends' too) doesn't qualify as selling user information since the ad buyers technically don't know who you are.

Facebook isn't alone in doing this little tap dance around your privacy, plenty of other sites do it as well, but to me it's kind of like saying “we won't divulge your home address to anyone” and then telling the interested party that you “...live in a raised ranch at an undisclosed location between 444 and 448 Main St. and we'll be happy to erect a blazing neon sign with your exciting marketing message directly across the street from said house (who's owner, by the way, is interested in refinancing, according to our data) for a small fee”.

So what was the end result of my little Facebook adventure? I don't think I really discovered anything earth shattering. It was more about seeing first hand how difficult if not impossible it is to manage who sees your profile information. Of course choosing not to share any information at all defeats the purpose of being on Facebook in the first place, but ours was an unusual case.

What was surprising was how many hoops I had to jump through to ostensibly lock things down. I'm still not confident that I was completely successful, but for our purposes it was good enough.

Having gone through this exercise, I can't help feeling, as others have pointed out, that Facebook's user interface appears intentionally convoluted and granular to the point of being burdensome when it comes to matters of controlling who sees your data. Settings are a chore to change, if not outright buried. I found myself mumbling “those sneaky bastards...” more than once.

I guess in the end it's a Faustian bargain. If you really must know what your high school chemistry lab partner had for dinner on day three of her Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas, then be prepared for the world to know the truth – that you're not being ironic when you say you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.

This is Jim Bail, signing off.

Face Off With Facebook on Business Pages and Privacy

We coaxed our very own Jim Bail from the comforts of his warm and cozy cave and challenged him to create some Facebook business pages for us. This is his story...

Part 1 (of 2)

I recently spent some time setting up Facebook pages for Artgig and Artgig Apps. Although our original profile predates (I think) Facebook's policy, I discovered that it's an official no-no to set up your company as you would a personal profile. Facebook has “Pages” for that. Being one of the seven non-Facebook users on the planet, it turned out to be an interesting endeavor for me.

As part of the process, I needed to hide our long neglected personal profile. We still do use it from time to time for app development, so despite the fact that the content has little to do with Artgig proper, we needed to keep it around. We have some pretty interesting and entertaining friends, but unfortunately their updates don't make great fodder for a company presence aimed at marketing...so sorry, but you won't be seeing the breaking news on our wall when the Auto-Tune remix of Crazy Badass Honey Badger drops.

Setting up pages was a somewhat confusing process in of itself, which I won't detail here. But for those thinking of setting up a company page, I'll save you 10 minutes of searching for where to do it because it's not obvious: set up Facebook Pages

Once our company pages were in place ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Artgig-Studio/176154829099838 and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Artgig-Apps/183056311741030?ref=ts ) I turned my attention to hiding our original profile. That's where things really got interesting.

General Privacy Settings – Fine Grained Fun:

There are about 20 individual privacy settings available and no way to bulk update them aside from reverting back to Facebook's recommended settings. And it gets better. Not only do you have to set them all one by one, but opting not to share a particular item with anyone requires an extra step, as it's a custom setting. So with a few exceptions, setting each item requires going through two sets of drop down menus to turn sharing off completely i.e. 5 clicks per item. The end result is that 70+ clicks are required to turn off all sharing in your basic privacy settings. Of course you're probably still sharing all kinds of info despite all of that...

Stay Tuned for Part 2: Apps, Ads and Adventure...

Water Safety Games for Home Safety Council

This summer, teach preschool kids to stay safe around pools and water with our just-launched water safety game, Get Wet! or Not Yet!:

Play Get Wet! or Not Yet! on the Home Safety Council website

We also made an interactive activity for parents and caregivers to polish their water safety badges:

Water Safety Search on the Home Safety Council website

It's never too soon to teach safety so pack a towel and get started!

Introducing...Artgig Apps

Do you smell it?

Exhale...

Ah yes, it's the double pleasure of new logo and new website smell.

Allow me to introduce you to our new website, artgigapps.com.

Artgig Apps represents Artgig's commitment to mobile app development and we're really excited by the possibilities for custom development and expanding what we can offer our clients.

The site launches with the recent release of "Being Benny," a children's book app, and "Shake-a-Phrase," a fun language app for kids that is presently in Beta testing.

Coming from a background of educational game development, stretching way back to the good old days of Sunburst Technology, the educational kids apps are obviously a good fit for us.

And most importantly, we like doing it.

And if you're going to bust your ass doing something, it's really best if you like it.

So stay tuned - we've got plenty more up our sleeves and we're feeling inspired to do all kinds of cool things.

Oh, and please take a moment to check out Artgig Apps on Twitter and Facebook – that's where we'll post reviews, news and other insights into the fast paced, high octane world of app development.

Thanks!

And enjoy.

Check out artgigapps.com

@artgigapps on Twitter

Facebook, if that's your thing