Value-Based Web Presence by Nathaniel Adam Briggs

What is your web presence doing for your business? - Is it producing financial reward? ROI?

I’ve been in this business for over 15 years, and throughout that time I’ve seen a lot of snake oil sales, and empty promises when it comes to “internet solutions”.  Keywords, Search Engine Rankings, Guaranteed Hits, SEO – yadda yadda.  I’ve seen & heard it all.

Let me let you in on a secret no one will tell you. If your Web Presence is created properly, much of the above should be included.

So what is a Web Presence? (how’s this different from a Web Site?)

“Web Presence” is the proper manner in which to review your integration within the Internet. Your “Web Site” is simply a core component, and it can take many different shapes depending on your businesses required needs at the time.

• Are you building strong ties with your customers?

• Is your Web Presence providing value or is it simply another bill you pay each month?

A Web Presence is a holistic / high-level view of how your company is integrated with the ENTIRE INTERNET.  It is defined by the manner in which you connect with Customers.  How you build Brand Loyalty.  How you are viewed.  How you gain New Customers.
It is a whole host of different components that all are custom fit, and managed to create VALUE for your business.
Simply Put.  “If you build it, they will come” does NOT work.

If your Web Services provider didn’t review your business model, business plan, advise you on it in terms of the web, or by default include integration with Social Media / Networking Platforms (Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Hi5, Yelp, Google, Twitter…), then you likely got sold a web site, and now you’re sitting on a nice (hopefully) piece of eDesign that likely will provide you will nothing more than a place to send people on the web.

Web Site design houses are all over the place.  Some create design looking sites.  But do they provide Return On Investment?  I’m not here to talk bad about anyone, I’m just a realist with over 15 years in the business of seeing every pitch you can imagine.  I’ve never sat down with a client that with all things set equal, chose “pretty” over “performance”.

Unless your Web Presence is value-based, and crafted with ROI in mind with specific milestones / goals.  Then you are basically getting fit with a wooden clog when readying for a 10K run.  The shoe does not fit.  The solution does not fit.  You are MISSING bottom line value.  Period.

syntheticMagic Advanced Business Services provides full consulting starting from the base level of what your business is, what it does, where it plans to go, and devises custom fit solutions that build your Web Presence…not just a Web Site.  Anyone can build you a “Web Site” – it takes strategy, and experience to build Value-Based Web Presence.

At syntheticMagic Advanced Business Services, we’re actively seeking Phoenix, Arizona companies needing Web Design, Development, Social Media Integration, and most importantly – a Value Based Web Presence.
I want to talk to you!  I’ve been known to give free expert advise… so call me on the horn.

Contact me Directly:

Nathaniel Adam Briggs 
Direct: 602.795.2289
eMail: contact@syntheticmagic.com
syntheticMagic Advanced Business Services
Scottsdale, Arizona

How To Make a Zombie by Nathaniel Adam Briggs - InstaZombie

Have you found yourself with that burning desire to become one with the dead? I mean... at in fashion only.

Well look no further future zombie.. here is how.

First... take a decent photo of yourself - See below

Second... in Photoshop from the drop down menu go to: Image > Adjustments > Black & White...

Third.. without exiting the tool, slide the Reds to the left..

InstaZombie!

Play with the Reds, Yellows and other channels are create your zombie today!

Nathaniel Adam Briggs, InstaZombie

Social Marketing & Web Presence by Nathaniel Adam Briggs

Social Networking. We’ve all heard about it, but what is it really, and how does it relate to you?

Social Networking in basic form is the concept of Internet powered social inter-connectivity.  Platforms like MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Imeem, Hi5, Classmates, and
a very long list of others comprise a large population of daily users that meet to connect, learn, and explore with one another.  Users utilize communication methods
like Instant messaging, eMail, Wall Sharing, and Comments to communicate, and of course there is the “Friending” (the networking portion).

“Friending” is when you ask to be “friends” with someone else (or they ask you).  On acceptance, your personal social network has just been increased.  Now imagine 500 contacts/friends, or 10,000.  If you post information on your wall, you have a potential maximum audience of all those users within your contact/friends list.

At a high-level, Social Networking allows individuals or corporations to grow close ties to their customers, and build new ones.  Building ties with customers via standard off-line methods can be costly, and time consuming.  Social Networking using the web today evens the playing field in many respects – cost being one of them.

If you are interested in growing your own personal network of friends, then Social Networking (also referred to as social media) may be something of interest to you.

If you are a business seeking to do more business, then Social Networking is most certainly of interest to you.  Less expensive marketing, and customer base increase potential are two very obvious, and value oriented potential paybacks by getting property involved in Social Networking.

Value-Based Web Presence & Social Networking

The Internet boom of the 90s showed a wide range of uses for the internet, however the primary fault, and subsequent reason for the boom turning into bust was because so many developments, and business models were not seated with actual performance.  In basic terms, they didn’t make any money.  They were not value-based.

Today the Internet landscape involves a tremendous amount of inter-connectivity. Connecting an account from one Social Media Platform to another (Facebook to Twitter, etc).  This interconnectivity helps brings together people from the various platforms, and communication delivery methods which if operated properly, can produce a tremendous amount of bottom-line / ROI value.

Each day with our multiple web accounts, social networking pages, and blogs, we all are building what is called “Web Presence”.  A web site for example is simply one component of the Web Presence.

When strategically organized into a direction based effort (leveraging social media), Social Networking / Media, Web Site(s), Reviews, etc all can help build a very powerful Web Presence.

Adding it All Up

Social Media, Social Networking, Web 2.0 – all of these more of less refer to the same movement which is the digitizing of human communication.  There are many flavors, and even more specific features per platform, however they all have a place in value-based web presence creation, and should be explored for individuals, and corporations seeking to gain an edge on their competition, expand customer relations, or just get started with very little marketing capital expense.
At syntheticMagic Advanced Business Services, we’re actively seeking Phoenix, Arizona companies needing Web Design, Development, Social Media Integration, and most importantly – a Value Based Web Presence.

I want to talk to you!  I’ve been known to give free expert advise… so call me on the horn.

Contact me Directly:

Nathaniel Adam Briggs 
Direct: 602.795.2289
eMail: contact@syntheticmagic.com
syntheticMagic Advanced Business Services
Los Angeles, California

How To Select a Contractor 101 by Nathaniel Adam Briggs

Your project is a part of you, it’s your baby! So when evaluating potential contractors look for signs they understand this because that’s an indicator of quality, and customer service.

Cuz, it’s YOUR baby!

No one expects bad results, or poor communication.  We by nature have the best intentions, however if this always was the end result, the world would just be a different place. Right?

So, prepare a basic check list of items when reviewing contractor candidates:

1. Did they ask a full spectrum of Why, When, What, etc?
2. Did they mention Customer Service at all?
3. Did they communicate concisely HOW they can help you AFTER you spill the beans?
4. Did they talk about return customers?
5. Do they have a plan beyond the initial conversation to gain details of your project? Is it concise?

My late grandfather long ago told me, “Son, the biggest problem in the world is communication.”  At the age of 16 it meant very little to me, but at 37 I completely understand the experience, and wisdom that comment embodied.  Communication is required for both you, and the contractor to be on the same page, otherwise your “baby” may come out with three arms or worse, one.

Taking it a step further, the substance of that communication is an indicator of their project handling, and organization.  If they this is not their first rodeo, they have worked out methods of obtaining information concisely to ensure the handling of your project will be as smooth as possible.

You should feel as though the contractor is holding your project with the same care as you do.  Any feeling less than that will certainly be a ripple now that becomes a wave later one.

I want to talk to you! I’ve been known to give free expert advise… so call me on the horn.

Contact me Directly:

Nathaniel Adam Briggs 

Direct: 602.795.2289

eMail: contact@syntheticmagic.com
syntheticMagic Advanced Business Services
Los Angeles, California

Maya Collared Cloth Shirts by Nathaniel Adam Briggs

** AUTHORED IN 1999-2000 **

Build the curve cage of co-planar with the vertices snapped to each other respective end. * Expiriment outside of this exercise with different types of curves for more detail and shaping of panels   Build the shirt cage. Note the shirt was built symmetrically so mirroring was a fast process.   Build the collar portion.   Here both are placed together in the scene.   To create panels for the proceeding the garment, we select a nSided cage and select [Create Panel] When starting the seaming process, begin by choose a start panel and select [Create Garment]   Then Seam the panels to one another, creating a seamless mesh * Note: By switching the Surfaces Pick Mask to the off position, selection issues are alleviated.   Complete the seaming of the collar first... Attach to the shirt neck regions. * Note: If you get twisted seams, backup and re-examine your seam work flow.   Here you can see a partial seaming.   The completed garment.   To build the sleeve fringes, enable History and select the cloth edges and execute the crvOnPoly.mel script. Select degree 3 and a curve with history relations to the cloth edges is created. Built a profile spline, translate this to the initial curve point and Extrude with the settings shown.   The completed garment with sleeve and edge fringes.   The final garment shielding "Jackie" from the elements... is motion tested for a look at the deformation Lower resolution version with history driven fringes   Rendering of Cloth garment with cloth shader in RGB|BMP channels. * Note: For Solver, Properties or other Cloth issues, refer to the Maya|Cloth Documentation. Scene File available at n8Dog.com

Maya SoftBody Surface Particles by Nathaniel Adam Briggs

** AUTHORED IN 1999-2000 **

The following concept tutorial will be covering Surface Emitted Particles on SoftBody tenticles to create a spiraling array particle system for futuristic gun blasts or whatever. Anatomy of Concept: A central control object drives the vector and twist of the softbody goals. Particles are emitted from the surface of the softbody objects.   Steps for Creation: Create | Orient | Parent: 1 poly cube, slightly flattened (scale.y). 1 nurb cylinder with 20+ spans & scale.y to elongate it. 1 locator positioned at the top of the cylinder. Parent the locator to the cylinder. Duplicate the loc|cyl so one meets each face of the cube.   SoftBody | Springs: Make each cylinder a softBody. Duplicate, Make Copy Soft | Hide Non-Soft Object | Make Non-Soft a Goal Select the particles of the new softBody and create Springs Hide the Springs.   GoalPP Weights: RMB select 75% of the particles starting from the bottom. Using the Component Editor, Particles | goalPP , change the column to 0.000   Quick Test: Keyframe the control poly cube rot.y over 50 frames and play the timeslider (free playback speed). Your softBody particles should be deforming according to the rotation.   Particle Emission: Select the SoftBody cylinder and then Particles | Emit from Object. Emitter Type SURFACE and use 500 or so.   Adjust Particle Emission: Edit the particleShape node with the following adjustments. .85 Conserve LifeSpan Mode | Random Range | .85 | .35* PLAY TIME - EXPIRIMENT HEAVILY!!!   Finishing Up: Keyframe a rotation of the control box (rot.y) and translation (trans.y) among 100 keyframes or so A Gravity and Radial field to pull down and push out from the central axis on the particles. Hardware renderable MultiStreak | 7.4 Tail Size was used with a gradient in rgbPP Final Comp | Closing: Toy around with different settings, fields, particles etc. Below is a post use of the particles. HAVE FUN AND EXPIRIMENT!!   Scene file available at n8Dog.com

Maya Dynamic Constraints "Star Wars Pods" by Nathaniel Adam Briggs

** AUTHORED IN 1999-2000 **

Anatomy of Concept:

Nulls drive the translation of the spring constraints. 
Spring(s) contraint drives geometry movement.

 

Steps for Creation:

Geometry Construction:

2 cylinders, 1 translated +3 X, 1 translated -3 X
1 cube, tweak as needed, position it along the Z & Y. (see below)

 

Rigging:

Draw joints and create an IK Rotate Plane Solution for each (see below).

Parent each respective Ik Handle to "its" Cylinder. (see below)

 

Parent each respective start joint to the "sled" geometry.
Create a null and make it the parent of the "sled" geometry. (see below)

Spring Constraints:

Create 2 spring contraints for the cube (sled) geometry
Translate 1 spring constraint -4 X and the other +4 X.

 

More Spring Constraints:

Create 2 spring constraints per cylinder and translate one +4Y and one -4Y (for each).
Create a null for both the upper constraints and a null for the lower constraints.
Position the nulls according to the Y axis of their respective spring constraints.
Free translations on the nulls.
Make the corresponding null the parent of the corresponding constraints (upper or lower) (See below)

 

Added Control:

For additional control, add more constraints per your needs. (see below)

 

Animate:

Animate the Null Controllers and playback the scene.


Adjust your springs and see how they enhance your scene.

Forward Springs

Rear Springs

This is a rough quick idea to get you started in the land of dynamic constraints!
* PLAY TIME - EXPIRIMENT HEAVILY!!!

Full Tutorial with Scene Files available at n8Dog.com 

Got complaints?  Please email it to yourself.