This post was originally posted on November 15, 2016 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
4 steps to simplifying URLs
I was behind a truck in traffic yesterday with an URL boldly printed across the back. And since traffic was moving slowly, I got a nice long look at it:
Okay. I may have changed the address to protect the innocent. But it was a really long address. And it looked really awkward.
I see addresses like this all the time and I’m not sure why designers don’t instinctively take steps to make these addresses more readable and easier to remember. I’m guessing that designers are simply using the addresses that are provided to them by copywriters and clients, but it really is easy to clean up.
Step one, get rid of the protocol.
You really don’t need to put ““ at the beginning of a URL. It’s called the protocol identifier and if you type the address into a web browser without it, the browser will add it for you. So all it adds is clutter.
Most websites don’t need the “www” to take you to the proper address. Again, unnecessary clutter. If your web site does require the www for the URL to resolve properly, you have two options: leave the www. in the address; or contact the person who set it up and have them fix it.
reallylongwebaddress.com/home
Definitely better. But can we make it easier to read?
Step three, do you really need that specific page?
Sometimes, you need to direct someone to a specific page on a site — a landing page or specific bit of content. But if it’s just “/home” or “/index” you can usually drop it:
reallylongwebaddress.com
Just make sure the shortened address takes you to the desired location.
And finally, can you improve it with intercapping or some other design treatment?
Web addresses sometimes have hidden words. And that’s not always good. For example, a reader may not see “Really Long Web Address,” but may instead see “ Really Long We Bad Dress.” Same letters, but completely different. Sometimes, you can insert capital letters into the middle of the URL to help the viewer read the address as intended. Or use color and type weight to make the address read correctly. For example:
ReallyLongWebAddress.com
URLs are not typically case sensitive so the capitalization doesn’t alter the address in any way. It’s just easier to read.
The bottom line: Use the shortest URL possible that takes the viewer where you want them to go.
Bob Wertz is a creative director, type designer, Ph.D. student and researcher living in Columbia, South Carolina. His blogging journey started in 2008 with a Squarespace hosted blog.
What would happen if Twitter disappeared tomorrow?
This post was originally posted on November 9, 2016 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
I’ve been on Twitter since 2007. It’s part of my daily routine and probably my most vital social media channel for finding and sharing news. But Twitter has had some lingering financial issues and when they recently tried to sell the company, no one stepped up to make an appropriate offer.1
Also, a couple of social media experiments have crashed and burned lately. Twitter announced that they were closing Vine.2 Talkshow had a bunch of potential but didn’t make it six months. And while Twitter is much larger, it’s not immune from financial reality.
Which got me thinking, what if we woke up one morning and Twitter was gone. Or more likely, what if Twitter changed so radically, that it was unusable? How would that change the way I get things done?
I’d lose a bunch of contacts. I follow a large number of designers, brands and local experts on Twitter — and no where else. If Twitter disappeared, I’d lose all those contacts and have to try and reconstruct the network on another channel. Not an easy task.
I’d change how I watch live events. During the World Series, I kept an eye on Twitter. During the presidential debates, I followed along on Twitter. During the University of South Carolina’s football game last weekend, I kept up with the score on Twitter. During election night coverage, sigh. Twitter is the perfect companion to a live event and I’d miss seeing what my friends and family think in real time.
I’d have to rethink how I find articles and stories. I find lots of inspirational links and content on Twitter. If Twitter goes away, I’m using RSS and Feedly much more aggressively.
I’d have to rethink how I share content. I share most of my blog posts through Twitter. If Twitter were gone, I’d have to share them somewhere else like Facebook or Medium.
I’d change the way I use Facebook. I use Facebook for family pictures and connecting with people I know and have met. If Twitter disappeared, I’d probably use Facebook more to connect with a wider audience. Maybe I’d invest more time into building the Sketchbook B page on Facebook. Post more links to articles on my Facebook feed. If Twitter goes away, my Facebook experience changes radically.
I’d spend more time on Instagram. Because I love Instagram, almost as much as I love Twitter. And I’m going to have some free time if there is no Twitter.
I’d try to find a replacement. If Twitter disappeared, I imagine several companies would rush to unveil a replacement. Or modify their social product to attract Twitter refugees. You know Google would retool and rebrand Google Plus, Linked In might try to be less of a train wreck. Even Snapchat might try to appeal to former Twitter users. Startups would start, and fail. Someone would try to resurrect App.net. I’d try them all, but I’m not sure there can truly be a replacement for Twitter.
But… reality.
So I don’t think Twitter will just shut down. At some point, the price to purchase the company gets so low, that someone will take a chance on them. I’m more concerned that Twitter, or a company that buys Twitter, will change it so completely, that it becomes useless.
This exercise had forced me, though, to start evaluating areas where I am too reliant on Twitter. I’m going to start connecting to designers and thought leaders on other channels. I’m looking for new avenues to find and share content. I’ll evaluate how I use channels like Facebook, Instagram, Dribbble, YouTube and Medium.
Twitter might not disappear, but it’s still best not to keep your eggs in one basket.
Bob Wertz is a creative director, type designer, Ph.D. student and researcher living in Columbia, South Carolina. He’s been blogging since 2008.
This was compounded by the fact that few established companies — like Disney — wanted to take on Twitter while abusive rhetoric is rampant. Let’s face it, Twitter has been a dumpster fire during this election season. ↩︎
This post was originally posted on October 31, 2016 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
95 reasons to reform the church! (#15 changes everything!)
Almost 500 years ago today, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church in Wittenburg in Germany. This act, intended to provoke discussion and debate, sparked the Reformation and fragmented the Christian church.
Over the next few decades, Luther spread his message through a variety of methods, taking advantage of the latest technology, the printing press. He wrote letters, books and sermons. He translated the bible into German to better reach his target audience. He created devotional materials for families. He composed hymns to reach the masses. He gathered his followers together to have discussions which they then shared with other Protestant reformers. His message of reform spread through Europe, inspired followers and provoked discussion.
Martin Luther was the first content strategist.
It’s not hard to imagine Luther using today’s technology to spread his carefully crafted content. Tweeting to his followers.* Retweeting fellow reformers. People live tweeting his sermons. Blogging on the latest topics. Sharing posts on Facebook — “95 reasons to reform the church! #15 changes everything!” Putting music and videos on YouTube. Authoring free ebooks. Sending email newsletters. Podcasting.
Martin Luther used content to change the world — almost five centuries before the creation of the internet. And his lasting impact, 499 years later, is a testament to the power and longevity of powerful and effective messaging.
* I can imagine Martin Luther complaining about how hard it is to get verified on Twitter.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he geeks out about all things historical.
This post was originally posted on October 17, 2016 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
Some classes just stick with you.
I was talking with a friend a couple of weeks ago about influential classes that I took in college – classes that helped shape my world view and approach to life. I noted that it was interesting to look back and see what has stuck with me after two decades.
The more I started to think about it, I realized the same was true for high school and even middle school classes. Some classes just stick with you long after you take them. And decades later, it’s sometimes surprising which classes and teachers shape how you look at the world decades later.
I’m lucky to have had a whole range of amazing teachers at all levels. But a handful stick out in my mind today:
Speech Arts, 8th Grade, Batavia Junior High. I took a speech arts class in eighth grade and was forced to get comfortable with prepared and impromptu speeches in front of crowds. To this day, I think of Mr. McCloud’s class before I make a big presentation.
German, 9th-12th Grade, Aiken High School. I don’t use German as part of my job. I can read German without too much difficulty, but my spoken German is embarrassing because I haven’t really spoken German conversationally in a couple of decades. So if I don’t use German in my career, why was German so influential? Because Herr Lader and Frau Lader1 taught me about another culture and helped me understand things from a more global perspective. And as a bonus, it provided me with an opportunity to spend six weeks in Germany one summer and experience life from a different point of view. Randomly, German class is also where I learned about Bauhaus and Walter Gropius, a couple of my favorite influences from art history. I enjoyed it so much, that I went on to take three more years of German in college and my cognate2 is German.
Media Law, Freshman, University of South Carolina. After spending a semester with Dr. Collins, you look at the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and our legal system in a different way — understanding the balancing act of personal freedoms and necessary governance. A tough class, especially for a freshman.3
Political Psychology, Junior, University of South Carolina. This was an odd little Honors College seminar. A small class with lots of readings and lots of discussions. I learned about why we make the decisions we make and the factors that influence our government and our leaders. I come back to those discussions frequently, especially in today’s political climate.
There are many others, too. A middle school shop class introduced me to woodworking and drafting. High school and college history classes fostered a love of the past. An intro to art class equipped me with many of the tools that I still use today. A class on mysticism in Eastern Orthodox Christianity whose lessons seem to come up at the most random times.
Looking back, many of the classes that I loved and enjoyed were outside my major and outside my career needs. But they are undoubtedly a significant part of who I am.
We force kids to decide on career paths earlier and earlier. I see many students today rushing through school, laser-focused on taking classes that will advanced their specific career needs. And while we want them to be focused, I worry that many of them are missing out on those random classes that might not help them in their chosen career, but might help them become a more well-rounded person.
Bob Wertz is a creative director, type designer, Ph.D. student and researcher living in Columbia, South Carolina. His blogging journey started in 2008 with a Squarespace hosted blog.
Yes. I know I should call you Art and Lisa. It’s just so hard. ↩︎
This post was originally posted on October 7, 2016 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.
A perfect modern, beginner fountain pen
Designer Toolkit is a new weekly series on Sketchbook B that will highlight an analog tool that designers should be using.
Why designers will love the Safari:
Colorful inks. The Lamy Safari is a fountain pen that uses ink cartridges or bottled ink. This means that you can write in an absurdly wide range of ink colors. Find a color that’s close to your favorite Pantone color.
Choose your thickness. The nibs on a Lamy Safari are interchangeable. This means that you can select a thickness that works for you. Like really thin pen strokes? Get an extra fine nib. Want to have some variation in stroke thickness? Buy a 1.1 mm caligraphy nib. Customize the writing experience to be exactly what you want.
Modern look. It’s not a “traditional” looking fountain pen. Most people think of fountain pens as archaic devices with a century old design aestitic. A Lamy Safari has a clean, modern look and comes in a range of colors. It’s definitely not an antique.
Things to know:
Converter. If you want to use bottled inks — and trust me, you do — you’ll need to by a converter. It’s a little plastic cartridge that lets you draw the ink from the bottle and costs about $5.
Taking care of your Lamy. You’ll need to spend some time cleaning your pen when you change the ink. Thankfully, there are many online resources that talk you through the process.
Cartridges and bottles. The pen comes with a blue ink cartridge, but if you want to start with a different color, you’ll need to buy some other ink cartridges or bottles of ink. If the idea of buying bottles of ink is intimidating, I recommend starting with some of the Lamy ink cartridges.
How much?
A Lamy Safari costs about $30, depending on where you buy it. I recommend Pen Chalet or Goulet Pens.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, creative director, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. In his spare time, he endlessly searches for a perfect “Sketchbook B” green ink.
