The Woodhouse Group nears completion of the University of Waterloo's “Velocity Centre” located in the Communitech Hub @ 151 Charles St W. Kitchener Ontario.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Mayor John Tory promises to back new taxes this fall
Tory talks taxes, transit, pedestrian deaths and Black Lives Matter with the Star's editorial board
The Power of Emojis in Marketing and How to Use Them Efficiently With These Little-Known Keyboard Shortcuts
Did you know: Over 6 billion emojis are shared every day!
Clearly, using emojis within messages, tweets, and all kinds of communication has become very popular over recent years, particularly on mobile devices where emoji buttons and keyboards have become quite ubiquitous.
But what if you're working from a desktop and hoping to add an emoji or two to a message?
We've got a little-known emoji tip just for you - one that is easy to remember and quick to use. In this post, we'll cover the little-known shortcuts to share emojis from Mac and Windows desktop as well as sharing how to use emojis to boost your social media posts.
Get ready for some fun!
The little-known shortcut for adding emojis on Mac and Windows
How to add emojis on Mac (keyboard shortcut): CTRL + CMD + Space
1. Click on any text field
Position your cursor in any text field where you'd like to add an emoji. For example, you can do this in a Buffer post:
2. Press Command + Control + Space
Press the Command and Control keys on your Mac keyboard and then press Space:
3. Choose your emoji from the list
You'll now see the emoji keyboard palette launch within your screen:
You can scroll through all the available emojis and categories (People, Nature, Food & Drink, Celebration, Activity, Travel & Places, and Objects & Symbols) or search the full list of emoji from the search box at the top of the window.
4. Click to add the emoji to your text
Once you've found the emoji you'd like to add, click on it and it'll appear in your text box to the left of the cursor:
How to add emojis on Windows: Touch keyboard
1. Open the Touch Keyboard
Click on the Touch Keyboard icon in the bottom right corner of your screen:
If you don't see the Touch Keyboard option on your desktop, this guide will help you to enable it.
2. Click on the smiley face emoji icon
One the keyboard window has opened up, click on the smiley face icon next to the Control button.
3. Choose your emoji
Your keyboard will now switch to an emoji keyboard and you can select the emoji you'd like to add to your text field:
How emojis can impact your social media content
Emojis are incredibly fun, and they can also help increase the reach of your social media posts and boost engagement.
For example, internet marketer Larry Kim ran a quick experiment where he split-tested the same promoted post with and without emojis to the same targeting group at the same time. The results of this experiment were pretty impressive. The emoji version had 25.4% higher engagement (11.06 percent vs. 8.82 percent) and a 22.2 percent lower cost per engagement ($0.18 vs. $0.14)
3 simple-yet-effective ways to use emojis in your marketing
1. As a response
Emojis can be a great way to respond to people on social media. Instead of simply 'liking' or 'favoriting' a post, an emoji can convey a specific emotion. For example, if something made you laugh, the :joy: emoji could be a great one to react with 
Windows A/Cs with automatic (not manual) dehumidification?
Does there exist a window or portable A/C that will go into dehumidify while in cooling mode if the compressor is not running? The units I have seen have a separate dehumidify mode which then precludes cooling and vice versa. I want one that will dry the air if the a/c is slightly oversized, which causes the compressor to not run enough to dry the air.
I Will Say This About Hillary....
She should consider herself very lucky that she is running against Trump....
Cruz, Rubio...... even Jeb....... If that cheeto toned clown had not bashed all the decent people out of the way..... I believe Hillary would be in a fight for her life in this race....
Everyone was quick to dump Cruz..... I just dont get it....
Cruz, Rubio...... even Jeb....... If that cheeto toned clown had not bashed all the decent people out of the way..... I believe Hillary would be in a fight for her life in this race....
Everyone was quick to dump Cruz..... I just dont get it....
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Hanging very heavy carriage doors
Hi - I was lucky enough to find a great Amish builder who made me two pairs of solid mahogany carriage doors for my garage. Each opening is 8x7 and my contractor added additional studs for extra support. The builder estimates them at 130lbs each but it took 4 guys to get each door off the truck and I can barely lift a door a few inches.
My GC is a bit nervous about getting the install right since its hung on hinges that are lag bolted to the underlying structure. The frames aren't perfectly square so he will need to do some shimming to get it just right. The issue is that he can't shim the jambs because the lag screws go deep into the supporting frame. So I suggested that he build a temp support to hold the doors in the exact closed position he wants it and then use that to line up the hinges.
Anyone try anything like this before? Given the weight we are worried that they will shift a bit and then will be out of alignment. Or over time they will sag. The lags have a out a 1/32 of an inch of play within the hole of the hinge. Plus the hinges are mounted on the face of the building frame so he can't shim it horizontally.
My GC is a bit nervous about getting the install right since its hung on hinges that are lag bolted to the underlying structure. The frames aren't perfectly square so he will need to do some shimming to get it just right. The issue is that he can't shim the jambs because the lag screws go deep into the supporting frame. So I suggested that he build a temp support to hold the doors in the exact closed position he wants it and then use that to line up the hinges.
Anyone try anything like this before? Given the weight we are worried that they will shift a bit and then will be out of alignment. Or over time they will sag. The lags have a out a 1/32 of an inch of play within the hole of the hinge. Plus the hinges are mounted on the face of the building frame so he can't shim it horizontally.
TXV Woes
Ok I had a no cool call the other day that has been giving me trouble. I found a bad condenser fan motor and a dirty evaporator coil. Cleaned the coil and replaced the motor. Turned the unit on and it purred like a kitten. pressures where spot on. The unit was cooling great. I leave and go to two more calls, and the shop calls me and tells me the customer called and the unit quit cooling. I finish the call im on and head back over there the compressor wasn't running. I ohm it out and all is good so I turn it on and it is running. I notice that the suction line is not sweating now and reach down and feel of it and the liquid line and they feel to be about the same temp. I go to the truck and get my gauges hook them up and I have a very low suction about 38# and the liquid line pressure is about 184# which was standing pressure for the current outdoor ambient of 96 degrees. next thing I know the compressor starts bypassing and then trips on overload. My first thought was a compressor valve issue. I cooled the compressor off tapped on the top of the compressor a bit and turned it back on. Pressures where the same so I jarred the condenser a little, and the pressures went back to normal. So now im definitely thinking compressor valves. I inform the customer that if it happens again we may have to replace the condenser since it is r22 unit. Another tech and a helper go out there a few days later and he checks to see if he can get it to pump down and he determines that the problem is a bad txv so he goes and gets an r22 valve and replaces it. This was friday and as far as i know the unit is still running. My problem is that I have never seen a closed down txv that didn't have a high liquid line pressure an low suction and I havent seen one make the compressor over heat. Freeze the Evap. coil yes. and never one that would work intermittently. The liquid line pressure not changing is what led me to believe that the problem was the compressor and not the txv. Can someone explain to me what is going on. Thank you
Poor sealing fridge door gasket.
Might there be a tradesman's trick for getting aftermarket gaskets to seal properly. I have a fridge that I'm told had this gasket replaced about 5 years ago. Even at that time the gasket fit was as you see it in the attached images. They've made no previous attempt to get a better fit. I just looked at it and the installation looks proper -- The gasket simply seems like it has no extension (accordion effect) at the two corners.
The poor seal caused much condensation both inside and out. Unfortunately this is taking its toll in the form of minor isolated corrosion (as seen in pic) along with a constant mildew problem. This Kenmore (#2539768481) is probably 12-15 years old and, while still in otherwise very good condition, I'm not sure investing in a $100+ genuine gasket is worth it.
Any tricks-of-the-trade appreciated.
.
...
...
The poor seal caused much condensation both inside and out. Unfortunately this is taking its toll in the form of minor isolated corrosion (as seen in pic) along with a constant mildew problem. This Kenmore (#2539768481) is probably 12-15 years old and, while still in otherwise very good condition, I'm not sure investing in a $100+ genuine gasket is worth it.
Any tricks-of-the-trade appreciated.
.
...
...
Kairak condensing units
Hey guys I have never worked with a Kairak condensing system before. Its a big condensing unit with like 3 compressors in it. two walk in coolers and a walk in freezer with some cook line equipment share this 'rack' system they call in here in TN. I replaced and expansion valve because of freezing up and low pressure. No luck with the new TXV I checked all 4 evaps in the walk in coolers and they all are running the same. about 0 deg saturation on suction and 90 deg on the head side.404A, Another complaint their having is the walk in freezer with 2 evaps is running about 20 deg. Ive asked my manager if the system could be low on charge he said no the receiver on the condenser is just over40 percent full. Anyone work on these before?
Monday, July 4, 2016
INstalled -- Sq. D
Electrical Protection - at Least on most typical Surges .
I also have a 220 Volt Smoother : Smoother Power - Saves Boards
http://global220volt.com/product/tripp-lite-lr2000/
https://www.zoro.com/square-d-surge-protection-device-1-phase-120240v-hepd80/i/G4618844/
I also have a 220 Volt Smoother : Smoother Power - Saves Boards
http://global220volt.com/product/tripp-lite-lr2000/
https://www.zoro.com/square-d-surge-protection-device-1-phase-120240v-hepd80/i/G4618844/
Building inspection process for a deck?
Hello all, I am in the final stages of designing a deck for my house using the IRC 2012 guide (some changes to 2015 IRC), and am about to submit for permits. This is the first time I have had to deal with a building inspector and permitting process so I am unsure how in depth I should be taking this. I have designed it adhering to code thus far, however I am now seeing areas were the code is a inconvenience. My thoughts are that I may be overestimating the level of scrutiny the inspector with apply, and how much leniency they give to slight inconsistencies. I am in New Jersey, and my district has adopted the 2015 IRC code. I feel as if when I am looking through pictures of decks online, I see so many code violations that would make my life so much easier. Such as...
-After looking through many documents, it appears you are quite limited in the amount of step down you can get from the door to the deck. When adhering to the allowable ledger bolt patterns and the band joist bolts, without completely changing the size of your joists, you are stuck with practically no step down. I am using 2x10 joists for the deck, and house band joist is 2x10, which by code would only allow a .75" step. That is not great for snow in New jersey. Check out link to confirm
2015 IRC Deck Ledger Bolt Placement | ProTradeCraft
-Another area where I wish I has some room was the footings 5ft from the foundation rule. Unless you intend on digging your deck footings to the elevation of your house footings (unrealistic), than you have to space the deck off further than 5ft. This confuses me as the none of the maximum allowable joist overhangs in the code can reach span that 5ft distance. In my case this is not critical, as I am right on the edge of 5ft, however if I could cheat a little I would. Do inspections measure from the footer to the house? Pier to the house? Post to the house? Or, are they quite strict about the footer to the house distance?
-Stairs landing on concrete pads. Code says stairs must land on an area with footings of proper size and below frost. I have seen countless pictures of stairs landing right on concrete slabs, sometimes, just concrete blocks. ?
-How does an inspector, inspect your ledger attachments if he/she cannot access your interior band joist? Obviously, an owner w cannot demolish the floor to access the band joist? How does he very you are attaching the ledger to the right spots on the band joist (edge distances, no drill, no pass zones, esc)?
Thank you guys, I really need some advice here
-After looking through many documents, it appears you are quite limited in the amount of step down you can get from the door to the deck. When adhering to the allowable ledger bolt patterns and the band joist bolts, without completely changing the size of your joists, you are stuck with practically no step down. I am using 2x10 joists for the deck, and house band joist is 2x10, which by code would only allow a .75" step. That is not great for snow in New jersey. Check out link to confirm
2015 IRC Deck Ledger Bolt Placement | ProTradeCraft
-Another area where I wish I has some room was the footings 5ft from the foundation rule. Unless you intend on digging your deck footings to the elevation of your house footings (unrealistic), than you have to space the deck off further than 5ft. This confuses me as the none of the maximum allowable joist overhangs in the code can reach span that 5ft distance. In my case this is not critical, as I am right on the edge of 5ft, however if I could cheat a little I would. Do inspections measure from the footer to the house? Pier to the house? Post to the house? Or, are they quite strict about the footer to the house distance?
-Stairs landing on concrete pads. Code says stairs must land on an area with footings of proper size and below frost. I have seen countless pictures of stairs landing right on concrete slabs, sometimes, just concrete blocks. ?
-How does an inspector, inspect your ledger attachments if he/she cannot access your interior band joist? Obviously, an owner w cannot demolish the floor to access the band joist? How does he very you are attaching the ledger to the right spots on the band joist (edge distances, no drill, no pass zones, esc)?
Thank you guys, I really need some advice here
Toronto board of health approves supervised injection sites
Final approval left to council after emotional board meeting sees overwhelming support for harm reduction measure
Aint No Sheriffs Star.... lol
That Star of David thing..... thats something that also should be setting off alarms in peoples heads.....
Its not the fact that Trump is trying to tie Hillary to jewish cash.... but its the fact that Trump used that image that they got from a white supremacist post...... and reused it....
Do you want someone that dang stupid sitting in the white house ??? The guy is one ignorant sack of doodie.
Trump can say what he wants about the star..... but man... it doesnt take a 3 yr old to fiqure out what they are trying to say with the star and the pile of cash....
Maybe the US can get Mossad to deal with Trump...... in their own special way.... I know if I was in government... I would at least be considering that option.... no matter which side of the table I was sitting on.
Its not the fact that Trump is trying to tie Hillary to jewish cash.... but its the fact that Trump used that image that they got from a white supremacist post...... and reused it....
Do you want someone that dang stupid sitting in the white house ??? The guy is one ignorant sack of doodie.
Trump can say what he wants about the star..... but man... it doesnt take a 3 yr old to fiqure out what they are trying to say with the star and the pile of cash....
Maybe the US can get Mossad to deal with Trump...... in their own special way.... I know if I was in government... I would at least be considering that option.... no matter which side of the table I was sitting on.
Removing / replacing silicone caulk
We have a stainless steel sink (undermount) attached to a granite countertop. Over the years, the silicone caulk no longer creates a tight seal between the sink and the counter...therefore water is able to run down into the cabinet. The sink doesn't feel loose, but it appears to have 'sagged' over the years. Should I remove the old caulk before applying new? I'm guessing the answer to that is yes, but what is the best method to remove the old caulk??
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Lennox SureLight ICF board replacement issues
Hello. On my Lennox G60UHV-36B-090-07, while in AC mode my furnace fan blows warm air, compressor won't turn on. I replaced the control board (p/n 100870-01) with a new board (p/n 100870-03) ... everybody who sells the board says that the two boards are identical. I turned all power off prior to replacing. I changed 1 connection at a time to ensure that all the leads were terminated identically. I also took pictures of connections prior to removing them, and verified everything was correct afterwards with the picture. I powered on unit from breaker and the board lit up like normal, but the thermostat is 100% dead. No power bring received. I double checked the terminal block several times and the wires are tight and terminated the same as previous when the thermostat worked fine. My house has two systems with 2 identical thermostats, so I brought up the tstat from the other unit and it too was dead when plugged into this unit, but it worked fine again when I returned it to the 2nd system, so I don't think my problem is a blown tstat. Plus the t-stat is only a month old. What is going on with my dead t-stat?
Have I forgotten a step? Is there a reset I missed? Little green LED on board lights like normal, so board is getting power. Just not tstat power.
Wrong board received due to a slightly different part number that every dealer says is right?
Did I blow the board? If so, how? power was off when I swapped boards, and all wires were terminated correctly.
HELP!!!!!
THANKS!!!!
Zach
Have I forgotten a step? Is there a reset I missed? Little green LED on board lights like normal, so board is getting power. Just not tstat power.
Wrong board received due to a slightly different part number that every dealer says is right?
Did I blow the board? If so, how? power was off when I swapped boards, and all wires were terminated correctly.
HELP!!!!!
THANKS!!!!
Zach
Sunday, July 3, 2016
My New GFCI wont reset! Please help
Hi, purchased this home bout year ago. It was built in 2005. Have one GFCI in unfinished basement. I tripped outside outlet that seems like connected to this gfci. Went downstairs and replaced gfci with new one as instructed there is two sets of black, white and bare so i tested the line and put set that gets around 120v in Line slot and no voltage reading on load. As soon as i turnes on breaker again i have red light came on solid. Please help!!
Honest Questions...
Looking for honest answers.
What was the real reason for introducing R410a (for widespread use) and why did it get this far with the high GWP?
To top it off, one of the proposed alternatives is already in R410a, so what caused them to go to all the bother of blending in the first place? I see may have to do with flammability, but the question stands... Why is the safety aspect less important now?
In my field this would be considered a "callback"...
What was the real reason for introducing R410a (for widespread use) and why did it get this far with the high GWP?
To top it off, one of the proposed alternatives is already in R410a, so what caused them to go to all the bother of blending in the first place? I see may have to do with flammability, but the question stands... Why is the safety aspect less important now?
In my field this would be considered a "callback"...
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
What controller is this?
I received a call for tomorrow to check out a FPB (or more) and was sent a pic of this controller that they are connected to. I've never encountered them and would like to get somewhat familiar with it before I head out there. Anyone know who makes them or have any documentation on it? It'd be greatly appreciated
Looks like a service light is on, although there are two LEDs there so I can't really tell what that is.
Looks like a service light is on, although there are two LEDs there so I can't really tell what that is.
55% of Visitors Read Your Articles For 15 Seconds or Less: Why We Should Focus on Attention Not Clicks
Millions of blog posts are published every day.
A small percentage gain traction and attract readers.
And among those readers, 55% will read the blog post for 15 seconds or less.
(If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with this one!)
The internet is a daily battle for attention. Everywhere you turn, people are trying to share the latest marketing hacks with many of the same points echoed repeatedly.
I'm guilty of it myself, and I completely understand why many of us write articles that are a little similar and repetitive. It's because they work. You could argue that content is becoming less art and more science. There are formulas to it - if you find the best keywords and write the correct content, you can build a high-traffic blog (that's almost a guarantee).
But is traffic the goal of content? Or can there be some new and unusual ways of measuring content success? I have some ideas I'd love to share.
Do the surface metrics really matter?
Why pageviews and sessions might be the wrong numbers to chase
Often (and, I'm guilty of this too) you'll hear someone talk about the success of their content by saying something like: “10,000 people read my post” or “60,000 people saw my video on Facebook.”
But I've started to wonder if this is really an accurate measure of successful content?
Even if someone clicks on your article, the likelihood of them taking it all in is very slim. The internet has changed many of our habits. But one thing that hasn't changed in nearly 20 years is the way we consume content online. Most of us still skim and rarely read a full post.
Many publishers have now started to focus on “attention metrics” alongside more traditional measurements like pageviews. Medium's Ev Williams explains their stance on which numbers are meaningful:
We pay more attention to time spent reading than number of visitors at Medium because, in a world of infinite content - where there are a million shiny attention-grabbing objects a touch away and notifications coming in constantly - it's meaningful when someone is actually spending time.
Maybe we need to stop focusing on how we can hack and grow the number of views our content gets. And instead, focus on how we can make each reader care about what we're saying.
I'd argue that you don't build a successful blog by accumulating a huge number of page views. Rather, you build a successful blog by creating something of value.
The only way content will drive results for any business is if it provides value to someone else. It's not necessarily about how many people you reach; it's how many you connect with. Because when people connect with us, they remember us, come back for more, trust what we have to say, and may eventually buy from us.
When you're creating great content, you don't need to live or die by your analytics. Maybe we should let go of our desire to write for everyone in order to skyrocket our pageviews, and instead hone in on sharing what's unusual, valuable, and unique?
How to measure the value of your content
3 under-used metrics to tell you just how valuable your content is
Value is quite subjective and can be hard to measure. In this section, I'd love to share a few ways we're starting to measure the value of our content here at Buffer.
1. Run an NPS survey
A Net Promoter Score (NPS) is commonly used to measure loyalty between a brand and a consumer. It can also be a great way to measure the value that your blog is delivering to readers.
You calculate NPS by asking a simple question: How likely is it that you would recommend our blog to a friend or colleague? (Using a 0-10 scale to answer.)
Respondents to the question are then grouped as follows:
- Promoters (score 9-10) are loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others, fueling growth
- Passives (score 7-8) are satisfied but unenthusiastic customers who are vulnerable to competitive offerings.
- Detractors (score 0-6) are unhappy customers who can damage your brand and impede growth through negative word-of-mouth.
Subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters yields the Net Promoter Score, which can range from a low of -100 (if every customer is a Detractor) to a high of 100 (if every customer is a Promoter).
This handy graphic from the Net Promoter Network highlights the formula:
By running an NPS survey on your blog you can begin to understand how many of your readers truly value the content you're creating and whether they would be happy to share it with their networks.
How to run an NPS Survey
There are plenty of great tools out there to help you run an NPS Survey on your blog and I'd love to share a few below:
- Promotor.io
- SurveyMonkey
- Delighted
- Qualaroo (we use Qualaroo at Buffer)
You can also create your own survey using a tool like Typeform and distribute it to your readers. One thing that feels important to be mindful of is ensuring you reach all kinds of readers with your survey. For example, sending it only to your email subscribers could slightly skew results as they're likely to already be your most engaged readers.
2. Pay attention to the comments
There has been a lot of debate about the state of blog comments. With the rise of social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, readers have a multitude of ways to engage with your content:
- They can share a link to your post on Twitter, Facebook (or any network of their choice)
- They can interact with a post where you've shared a link back to the blog (favoriting a tweet, sending a reply, liking on Facebook)
- They can retweet your tweet sharing the post or share your Facebook post
- And much, much more…
With all these options and ways to interact with content, you could argue that a blog comment is losing its relevancy - or on the contrary, you could see it that the value of a blog comment is rising.
Knowing that people can share and comment on your post anywhere, the fact they're taking the time to respond directly within the post itself could be perceived as the highest form of engagement.
For us, comments are an increasingly important metric and one we're focused on measuring. In Q2 2016, we've had a focus on increasing the average comments on each blog post by 100% from Q1 and here's how we're getting on:
Comments feel like a great measure of the value your content creates. If someone takes the time to spark a discussion on reply to us through a comment then we feel the post must have been useful to them in some way or sparked some curiosity. A great example is our recent social media study post. This one generated over 70 comments with readers sharing their thoughts on the study and also how our findings compare to their own.
3. Monitor mentions and shares
Whenever I publish a post on the Buffer blog, I'll get a few mentions on Twitter or LinkedIn when people share it. As a result of this, I've started to build a slight intuition around how much value each post is generating based on shares and mentions.
When a post really delivers value and goes above and beyond reader expectations, I'll notice a distinct spike in the number of shares it receives and the number of mentions we receive both via the @buffer accounts and my own personal social media accounts.
It's super easy to keep tabs on how many times your content has been shared. Sharing plugins like SumoMe and Social Warfare can provide share counts on your posts and PostReach (full disclosure: this is a tool a few friends and I have built) and Buzzsumo can pull in data about who is sharing each of your posts on Twitter. I also like to pay extra close attention to my mentions on Twitter after a new post goes live so I can gauge how it's doing and see what people are saying.
A quick tip: Promise value in your headline
Headlines are amazingly important to the success of a piece of content. Before we publish a post, we spend a bit of time focusing on how we can craft a headline that gives the content the best chance of being seen. Amazing content behind a weak headline probably won't get seen.
Sometimes we'll create between 20-30 headlines for each post and choose the one that feels best and other times we'll have a quick chat and riff on how we can make the headline stand out. Here are some extracts from a recent conversation between Leo and I:
The original headline we had was:
53 Graphic Design Terms and Definitions for Non-Designers
And the title we decided on when we hit publish is:
Why Every Marketer in 2016 Needs to Be a (Part-Time) Designer: 53 Design Terms and Tips to Level-Up
This post has generated plenty of shares so far and 18 comments (at the time of writing). By focusing on the headline, we were able to promise value: 53 Design Terms and Tips to Level-Up. And also spark a discussion about the role of a marketer: Why Every Marketer in 2016 Needs to Be a (Part-Time) Designer. Without the time spent tweaking this headline, I'm not sure we would have had such success with this post.
What makes an idea worth writing about?
Every blog post begins as an idea, but what makes an idea stand out and how do you know which ideas to act on and publish?
Before choosing a post to write, I tend to ask myself three questions:
- Is this actionable?
- Who will amplify this?
- What makes it unique?
And I'd love to go into detail on each of the three questions below:
1. Is it actionable?
On the Buffer blog, w
We focus on making content actionable because we believe that if someone learns something from one of our posts they're likely to remember us and even share the post with their network as a New York Times study found that content that is practically useful gets shared more than any other content:
2. Who will amplify it?
When creating content, it's important to hone in on your audience and think about who you're writing for. One way I like to frame this is to ask myself “who will amplify this post?” If I can't answer this question then I won't write the post. Normally, this question forces me to focus on a specific area of marketing or a specific role.
(h/t to Rand Fishkin for this one)
3. What makes it unique?
We're surrounded by content nowadays and if you want to stand out, you need to craft content that's unique.
What makes a piece of content unique can vary from post to post. Sometimes it can be timing that makes a post unique, for example, when we published our post on Twitter Polls it was launched shorty after Polls were publicly announced and was one of the first guides on how to use the feature.
Other ways to make your content unique include:
- Sharing your unique perspective: One of the best ways to make a piece of content unique is to create something that only you can by adding in your own perspective and point of view. As Jory McKay explains on the Crew blog: “Everything has been said before, but it's never been said by you.”
- Going deeper on a topic that anyone else: There might be a ton of posts out there about Facebook Ads, for example, but you can create a unique post on this subject by going more in-depth than anyone else has.
Over to you
I believe we can create more value if we pay closer attention to depth than breadth. It's not so much how many people click on our content, it's how many people pay attention to our content. It's how many people we can make an impression on and connect with that really matters.
Measuring the success of blog content is an interesting topic and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
Do you feel we put too much focus on the metrics like page views and sessions? How do you measure the quality and value provided by a blog post? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Fixing breaker overload
Hello.
I have a code violation/ breaker overload I would like to fix.
It is a 15amp (120V) breaker, it serves:
half of the basement, and plug inside a kitchen cabinet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 small living room, 1 fridge (6A), microwave (1200W;10A, located in kitchen cabinet).
What would be the easiest way to fix it to be a little bit more compliant to code?
I have a code violation/ breaker overload I would like to fix.
It is a 15amp (120V) breaker, it serves:
half of the basement, and plug inside a kitchen cabinet; 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 small living room, 1 fridge (6A), microwave (1200W;10A, located in kitchen cabinet).
What would be the easiest way to fix it to be a little bit more compliant to code?
Monday, June 27, 2016
Toronto council's $3 billion choice doesn't inspire trust: James
Reasonable people understand the city may need to raise more revenue. But they're not sure this council will spend their taxes wisely.
Foreigners trying to nab girls
today i'm listening to the radio. (this was NOT a political show)
The main DJ said something almost happened with his daughter ,i didn't hear that story, but he brought the topic up on the radio and all kinds of people started calling in.
-------------------
One girl said 5 years ago, she answered a job posting on Craigslist for a printing job in Camarillo, California. She said she went to the "job interview" and heard her car alarm going off, she went outside and found her car was blocked in.
She started noticing everything was strange so she started sending text messages to her friends that she wanted to get out of there.
They told her to get into the car because she had to go meet the CEOs in Santa Monica, California.
She said when she got the opportunity, she jumped out of the car and ran.
She said, when the police got there the whole building was empty.
--------------------------
Another women called in and said her 18 year old daughter had made plans to attend "free college" in China.
They told them if they wanted to sign up for the "free college" program they need to be at the airport when the plane leaves.
She said her daughter didn't go because they weren't accepting males, and they told her male friend he couldn't go.
--------------------------------
i'm sure our government would tell you, hey! it's only a small percent who get kidnapped never to be seen again, and it's a small price to pay for showing everyone how non-racist we are.
The main DJ said something almost happened with his daughter ,i didn't hear that story, but he brought the topic up on the radio and all kinds of people started calling in.
-------------------
One girl said 5 years ago, she answered a job posting on Craigslist for a printing job in Camarillo, California. She said she went to the "job interview" and heard her car alarm going off, she went outside and found her car was blocked in.
She started noticing everything was strange so she started sending text messages to her friends that she wanted to get out of there.
They told her to get into the car because she had to go meet the CEOs in Santa Monica, California.
She said when she got the opportunity, she jumped out of the car and ran.
She said, when the police got there the whole building was empty.
--------------------------
Another women called in and said her 18 year old daughter had made plans to attend "free college" in China.
They told them if they wanted to sign up for the "free college" program they need to be at the airport when the plane leaves.
She said her daughter didn't go because they weren't accepting males, and they told her male friend he couldn't go.
--------------------------------
i'm sure our government would tell you, hey! it's only a small percent who get kidnapped never to be seen again, and it's a small price to pay for showing everyone how non-racist we are.
Tips on how to chisel or notch out a a small section of wood
Hello would anyone tell me how to notch out a small wooden section of about 7/8" x 1" x 1/16" depth ? I'm new to this and could use some points or any how to video for newbies.
Thanks
Thanks
Toronto defers debate on pot regulation until the fall
City licensing committee vote to defer discussion of pot regulation to the fall when licensing staff can report on possible regulatory framework, leaving would-be pot deputants fuming.
Goodman horizontal coil
Hello all! I'm writing to see if anyone has removed a coil from a Goodman horizontal encased coil. The model is #CHPF4860D6DB. Unit was installed a couple weeks ago and is leaking where the coil sits in the pan. I would like to be able to remove just the coil, instead of having to pull the entire air handler down. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks.
Central air shuts down after 5 minutes
Model #HABA-F024SD. All of a sudden my fan wasn't working when I came home from work. I turned the system off and then on again and the fan started up as it should have. After 5 minutes the fan shut down while the system in the house stayed running. I can hear the humming noise still but the fan wouldn't start. I spun the fan with a stick and it started but then stopped again. I have replaced the fan and it still happened so I replaced the capacitor. The problem happened again the same way so I replaced the contactor. At this point the same thing has happened after all of the repairs. I paid a service fee to have a company come out and they checked the freon only to find out that it didn't need charged. They still could not diagnose the problem. Please help!
Sunday, June 26, 2016
What is the name of the window screen clip and how to make the frame?
Hello all,
I would like to know the name of my window screen clip. Is there a way that I can make this kind of frame myself?
Thank you
I would like to know the name of my window screen clip. Is there a way that I can make this kind of frame myself?
Thank you
Lennox HSXB15-036 fan failure question
Came home today to find a very sluggsh fan on the compressor unit outside.
After shutting the unit down I found the fan blade to turn but relatively stiff.
Not frozen binding but certainly not 'free spinning" I know a value judgement a bit but pretty sure the bearings are getting old
being 13 years old and all
Question is. 1)is it still possible to be the run/start capacitor? This was replaced once before.
and 2) how bad is it to run very temporarily w/out the fan.
3)What about a fan, like a box fan as a temporary cooling unit?
One odd educational question:
The shutoff outside that cuts the 220V to the compressor/fan.. Why is there not 110 across each set of fuse contacts?
After shutting the unit down I found the fan blade to turn but relatively stiff.
Not frozen binding but certainly not 'free spinning" I know a value judgement a bit but pretty sure the bearings are getting old
being 13 years old and all
Question is. 1)is it still possible to be the run/start capacitor? This was replaced once before.
and 2) how bad is it to run very temporarily w/out the fan.
3)What about a fan, like a box fan as a temporary cooling unit?
One odd educational question:
The shutoff outside that cuts the 220V to the compressor/fan.. Why is there not 110 across each set of fuse contacts?
Utilitech AC condensate pump not pumping
Hi. I have a Utilitech condensate pump that all of a sudden decided to not pump out the water that collects in the plastic bin underneath. The water overflowed and I'm assuming it's why my downstairs neighbor has water damage on her ceiling. How can I fix this? The white float inside seems to be working because the "run" and "alarm" lights are both coming on when the water reaches a higher level, but I don't see or hear it running and water just sits in the bin. I'm having to manually empty it to run my AC. Any suggestions would be helpful. The image of the pump I have is below. Thanks!
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=...003010.jpg&f=1
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=...003010.jpg&f=1
Xr14 and tam7
Just finished this yesterday for a family friend.
New soundlined return box, lines, filter media, and twisty transition.
Might get better pictures when i go for inspection. It was dark.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
New soundlined return box, lines, filter media, and twisty transition.
Might get better pictures when i go for inspection. It was dark.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Carrier Condenser Fan won't start by itself
Hi all, thanks for checking out my post. I have been having this problem for a week now.
I originally had a service tech out and he let me know the capacitor and fan motor were bad. I opted to replace them both myself. After replacement of both, the condenser fan still won't fire up without a stick push. I have tested the new cap and get the appropriate values (80 & 5, dual run). I've ohm tested the motor and it checks out. I've taken the contactor off and tested the resistance between the low voltages and get 8.1 (normal). What else would prevent my condenser fan from starting up? The only thing I haven't tested is the amp draw. I have tried two brand new motors and caps with the same effect. I have also tested a temp sensor in the unit and get about 1400. Does this sensor have any impact on condenser motormotor start up?
The AC runs fine with condenser fan stick push started, but once target temp is reached, and AC shuts off, the fan won't start again without support.
The motor is a single phase three wire, black is going to line 1, white is going to terminal 2 and brown is going to capacitor.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!
I originally had a service tech out and he let me know the capacitor and fan motor were bad. I opted to replace them both myself. After replacement of both, the condenser fan still won't fire up without a stick push. I have tested the new cap and get the appropriate values (80 & 5, dual run). I've ohm tested the motor and it checks out. I've taken the contactor off and tested the resistance between the low voltages and get 8.1 (normal). What else would prevent my condenser fan from starting up? The only thing I haven't tested is the amp draw. I have tried two brand new motors and caps with the same effect. I have also tested a temp sensor in the unit and get about 1400. Does this sensor have any impact on condenser motormotor start up?
The AC runs fine with condenser fan stick push started, but once target temp is reached, and AC shuts off, the fan won't start again without support.
The motor is a single phase three wire, black is going to line 1, white is going to terminal 2 and brown is going to capacitor.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!
USGS environ/energy lab closed for manipulating results
Environmental and Energy lab closed for manipulating results to get desired outcomes.
Problem was discovered in 2008, but was allowed to continue operations up to 2014.
Results from 1996 thru 2014 have been "adjusted" or "corrected". I find it curious problem was discovered in 2008 but not stopped until 2014.
Gee, what landmark event happened in 2008, that seems to have allowed the problems to be covered up until 2014? And we aren't hearing about it until now? And Rep Bruce Westerman brought it to light (guess party)? How come no Dems were keen on revealing this? from the left ...
I am sure there will be wall-to-wall coverage by ABC, NBC, MSLSD, CeeBS, NYT, WaPO, etc. How long can you hold yer breath?
http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/23/fe...-manipulation/
Quite a crew we have operating in administration, and in the USGS... 😡 💩
Problem was discovered in 2008, but was allowed to continue operations up to 2014.
Results from 1996 thru 2014 have been "adjusted" or "corrected". I find it curious problem was discovered in 2008 but not stopped until 2014.
Gee, what landmark event happened in 2008, that seems to have allowed the problems to be covered up until 2014? And we aren't hearing about it until now? And Rep Bruce Westerman brought it to light (guess party)? How come no Dems were keen on revealing this?
I am sure there will be wall-to-wall coverage by ABC, NBC, MSLSD, CeeBS, NYT, WaPO, etc. How long can you hold yer breath?
http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/23/fe...-manipulation/
Quite a crew we have operating in administration, and in the USGS... 😡 💩
A/C Fan Not Turning On
When turning on my A/C, the furnace activates and the vent extract warm air, but the fan does not turn on at all. After looking at some videos, I've pulled out the fuses (pic shown; is it possible that they are blown?), but there's no indication of a blown fuse.
Some of the online videos referenced the compressor and capacitor; however, most videos only appear to show the capacitor and I'm unclear if they are two different things or the same with different terminology.
I attempted to kick start the fan, which seems to rotate freely without any issues.
Should I attempt to replace the fuses, capacitor or both?
Thanks.
Some of the online videos referenced the compressor and capacitor; however, most videos only appear to show the capacitor and I'm unclear if they are two different things or the same with different terminology.
I attempted to kick start the fan, which seems to rotate freely without any issues.
Should I attempt to replace the fuses, capacitor or both?
Thanks.
Can liquid refrigerant boil out when heated
Have a cope 4d 15 ton I think but that's neither here no there. Seldom intermittent oil trips. Oil consistantly runs foamy- all the time. There is plenty of oil pressure and superheat is plenty - 15-20 at the compressor. HGB takes care of low loads. There is an unloader but have done numerous tests and doesn't seem to have an oil return problem from running part load. With compressor off oil in glass is about half/ little less then 3/4 full so I doubt there is oil over charge hitting the crank causing foaming- yes here we go again another thread about foaming. My question is IF a heater had gone out and had been replaced (by others not me) can the oil stay laced with liquid even with the heater up and running after plenty of time? I with compressor off I don't see any foam or bubbling in glass.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Didn't Have The Faith
Motivational speaker Robbins' coal walk burns more than 30 - Houston Chronicle Now what got me was that one report said it happens occasionally but they don't have medical personnel standing by.
This has been posted before... still lots of fun:
Cool video... watch it to the end:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/hLpE1P...policy=3&rel=0
BTW: Think of the work involved in making the video... same guy, multiple recordings, lots of mixing, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/hLpE1P...policy=3&rel=0
BTW: Think of the work involved in making the video... same guy, multiple recordings, lots of mixing, etc.
Help on question about replacing unit!
Right now we've got a 25 year old York 3.5 ton split gas unit. We had two different technicians come out and one said to just replace the condenser and coil and leave the existing furnace and the other recommended replacing the condenser coil and furnace while your at it, he said because it's gonna save money to go ahead and replace it all as opposed to doing the air this year and possibly the furnace next year. I kinda see both sides because the unit is 25 years old, but the other guy is saying nothing is wrong with the furnace so why bother it. Just asking for a few opinions as to what y'all would do. Thanks
No ground wire for new bathroom fan.
Hey guys, my house is an older home.
I removed a bathroom ceiling light and replaced it with a fan/light combo. The old light was only connected by black and white wires, inside a junction box with no ground.
Removed the box, installed the new fan housing to the joist and ran wires into fan housing box.
Now I know to connect the black to black and white to white but where do I run my ground wire to?
Can I self tap it into the fan housing box itself? Or do I even need to ground it to anything since no one will ever touch the fan itself, only the light switch on the wall to control it.
Thanks!
David
I removed a bathroom ceiling light and replaced it with a fan/light combo. The old light was only connected by black and white wires, inside a junction box with no ground.
Removed the box, installed the new fan housing to the joist and ran wires into fan housing box.
Now I know to connect the black to black and white to white but where do I run my ground wire to?
Can I self tap it into the fan housing box itself? Or do I even need to ground it to anything since no one will ever touch the fan itself, only the light switch on the wall to control it.
Thanks!
David
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Intertherm Furnace Experts out there??
Hello, my best friend is selling his house and called me. Old Intertherm furnace cycling burner multiple times. Burner ignites then drops out. Inducer running and pressure switch made. I work on commercial equipment not much exposure to these units. No manual. No schematic. Acts as though not sensing flame. I see no flame sensor. I assume flame is sensed through the ignitor. Cant find any info on Nordyne site m/n G2RC-120A20. I leaning towards pulling burner and cleaning/inspecting. Not sure correct way to check flame signal on this unit. Propane furnace. Any help is appreciated....thanks all!
insulation for concrete basement wall and ceiling
I'm redoing a small reception room that is 50% below grade (it's on a slope outside).
The current insulation was 1 inch Styrofoam but I'm not sure this was enough as the room was always a bit damp and cold.
We were thinking of adding 2 inch Styrofoam but the room is only 50 sq ft of floor space so every inch counts for a bit of extra room.
The walls will have framing/strapping and then paneling on top.
Is there any high density durofoam or something similar that could be put it in to be only 1 to 1.5 inches thick with good insulation?
Don't want it to be too expensive so can't use foam injection or other methods.
The current insulation was 1 inch Styrofoam but I'm not sure this was enough as the room was always a bit damp and cold.
We were thinking of adding 2 inch Styrofoam but the room is only 50 sq ft of floor space so every inch counts for a bit of extra room.
The walls will have framing/strapping and then paneling on top.
Is there any high density durofoam or something similar that could be put it in to be only 1 to 1.5 inches thick with good insulation?
Don't want it to be too expensive so can't use foam injection or other methods.
Torontonians not sold on Expo bid, poll says
Forum poll finds they're somewhat more positive about storefront pot shops and bicycle licensing.
Omar Had A Boyfriend
WARNING !!!
You will want to bleach your eyeballs after reading this..... it is sick sick sick.....
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworl...622-story.html
You will want to bleach your eyeballs after reading this..... it is sick sick sick.....
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworl...622-story.html
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
$1 billion funding gap for Scarborough transit a question of 'priorities'
Chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat says city council now needs to make the tough decisions on an "optimized" plan.
Kenmore wash machine has mind of it's own during spin cycle.
This is Kenmore 70 Series HD ....Model #110.22722.100
For a long time now (year +) I sometimes have to lift and close the lid or push/pull the cycle control knob to get the machine to spin after the wash cycle and/or after the rinse cycle. The machine ALWAYS drains and SOMETIMES completes the cycles on it's own.
So after reading and watching videos, I was convinced the lid switch was bad.
Then the other day, another problem appeared. No spin OR agitation, just a clattering noise, which after some investigation, sounded like the coupler.
So I was now pushed into the repair job.
Got a new coupler and lid switch. Both installations went smooth as silk.
All SEEMED to be fine in a quick test, but as soon as I put the machine into an entire wash cycle, no spin again.
I should mention that once in a great while, my problem mirrored one posted by DyannP who said after washing, the machine just sat there as the clock cycled and did nothing more.
What's really crazy is that if I push the control knob in and pull it back out, or lift the lid slightly and close it again, the spin cycle starts right up which tells me that maybe the lid switch was actually not the problem.
Anyway it's brand new now, so I know this one's good. So what can be causing the spin problem? When it spins, it spins fast so I know it's not the clutch.
Could this be in the timer control knob? or a wiring problem???
I need HELP!
For a long time now (year +) I sometimes have to lift and close the lid or push/pull the cycle control knob to get the machine to spin after the wash cycle and/or after the rinse cycle. The machine ALWAYS drains and SOMETIMES completes the cycles on it's own.
So after reading and watching videos, I was convinced the lid switch was bad.
Then the other day, another problem appeared. No spin OR agitation, just a clattering noise, which after some investigation, sounded like the coupler.
So I was now pushed into the repair job.
Got a new coupler and lid switch. Both installations went smooth as silk.
All SEEMED to be fine in a quick test, but as soon as I put the machine into an entire wash cycle, no spin again.
I should mention that once in a great while, my problem mirrored one posted by DyannP who said after washing, the machine just sat there as the clock cycled and did nothing more.
What's really crazy is that if I push the control knob in and pull it back out, or lift the lid slightly and close it again, the spin cycle starts right up which tells me that maybe the lid switch was actually not the problem.
Anyway it's brand new now, so I know this one's good. So what can be causing the spin problem? When it spins, it spins fast so I know it's not the clutch.
Could this be in the timer control knob? or a wiring problem???
I need HELP!
Appion TEZ8
Quick question for someone who owns this unit
If you hook up your vacuum gauge directly off the unit with all the other caps on, should it pull down to 50 microns or below rather quickly like I think it should?
Testing a unit I bought on Fleabay which the unit looks barely used but came with some mystery oil. I have run the unit through several purge cycles but still cannot get it below 5000 microns. All the seals are in the original Appion caps.
Fresh oil getting a little cloudy in short order which makes me think there are still contaminates in the unit.
Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk
If you hook up your vacuum gauge directly off the unit with all the other caps on, should it pull down to 50 microns or below rather quickly like I think it should?
Testing a unit I bought on Fleabay which the unit looks barely used but came with some mystery oil. I have run the unit through several purge cycles but still cannot get it below 5000 microns. All the seals are in the original Appion caps.
Fresh oil getting a little cloudy in short order which makes me think there are still contaminates in the unit.
Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk
Why Every Marketer in 2016 Needs to Be a (Part-Time) Designer: 53 Design Terms and Tips to Level-Up
When I first started out in marketing, I didn't quite predict that I'd be a part-time designer, too.
Now, in 2016, visual content is more than 40X more likely to get shared on social media than other types of content and it's become obvious and even necessary for all of us marketers to have some at least basic design knowledge.
Thankfully, we live in a wonderful world where anyone can make the jump from novice to intermediate and create well-designed images for social media. There are tools like Pablo and Canva that make this design work achievable (and beautiful).
However, tools aside, if you want to take your marketing skills to the next level, improving your understanding of design is essential.
Have you ever wondered what might be possible with just a little extra design knowledge in your back pocket?
Turns out, to take your social media images from good to great, is a reasonable leap. And it all starts with a good foundation and understanding of some key design terms and principles.
If you're looking to take your social media images to the next level and become a better marketer, check out this design dictionary for a crash course on how to better understand design.
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53 design terms explained for marketers
1. Golden ratio
The golden ratio occurs with two objects which, once you divide the larger by the smaller, result in the number 1.6180 (or thereabouts). The most famous golden ratio is the golden rectangle, which can be split into a perfect square and a rectangle the same aspect ratio as the original rectangle. You might see this in image composition or website design and grid layout.
(via)
By using the golden ratio you can ensure your images are eye-catching and beautifully formatted. Here's an example of the golden ratio being used to divide space between the body of a website and the sidebar:
Below is another example where the key elements of the design all fit within a different section of the Golden Ratio:
2. Rule of thirds
You can apply the rule of thirds by imagining a 3×3 grid lying on top of your image and then aligning the subject of the image with the guide lines and their intersection points (e.g. placing the horizon on the top or bottom line) or allowing the elements of the picture to easily flow from section to section.
(via)
Once you have your grid in place, the spots where the lines intersect each other indicate the prime focal areas within your design:
Typography, text, and font terms
3. Typography
“Typography is the visual component of the written word,” Practical Typography beautifully explains. All visually displayed text, whether on paper, screen or billboard, involves typography.
4. Serif
A serif is the little extra stroke or curves, at the ends of letters.
5. Sans-serif
“Sans” literally means “without”, and a sans serif font does not include any extra stroke at the ends of the letters.
Though there are no set rules for when to use a serif or sans serif font, it's suggested that sans serif fonts should be used for online body text and serif fonts for headlines and print.
6. Script
Script typefaces are fonts or type based upon historical or modern handwriting styles and are more fluid than traditional typefaces.
A couple of example script fonts include:
And, Grand Hotel:
7. Slab serif
Slab serif fonts feature geometric feel than traditional serif fonts and feature serifs that square and larger, bolder.
An excellent example of a slab serif font is Museo Slab:
8. Monospace
A monospaced font, (also known as a fixed-pitch, fixed-width, or non-proportional font) is a font whose letters and characters each occupies the same amount of horizontal space.
9. Hierarchy
Typographic hierarchy is an essential part of any design or layout and even if you're not familiar with the term, you'll be sure to have seen hierarchy in action on any website, newspaper or magazine.
Typographic hierarchy is a system for organizing type that establishes an order of importance within the data, allowing the reader to easily find what they are looking for and navigate the content. It helps guide the reader's eye to where a section begins and ends, whilst enabling the user to isolate certain information based on the consistent use of style throughout a body of text.
Here's an example to illustrate the importance of hierarchy:
10. Kerning
Kerning refers to the space between two specific letters (or other characters: numbers, punctuation, etc.) and the process of adjusting that space improves legibility.
11. Leading
Leading determines how text is spaced vertically in lines. Leading is used when content that has multiple lines of readable text and ensures the distance from the bottom of the words above to the top of the words below has appropriate spacing to make them legible.
12. Tracking
Tracking is similar to kerning in that it refers to the spacing between letters or characters. However, instead of focusing on the spacing between individual letters (kerning), tracking measures space between groups of letters.
13. X-height
The x-height refers to the distance between the baseline and the mean line of lower-case letters in a typeface.
14. Ascender / Descender
The ascender is the portion of a lowercase letter that extends above the mean line of a font (the x-height). On the other hand, the descender is the portion of a letter that extends below the baseline of a font.
15. Orphans / Widows
Widows and Orphans are lines of text that appear at the beginning or end of a paragraph, which are left alone at the top or bottom of a line. There is some debate about the exact definitions of these terms but as a rule of thumb:
- Orphan: A is a single word or very short line, that appears at the end of a paragraph or the beginning of a column or a page, separated from the rest of the text.
- Widow: A paragraph-ending line that falls at the beginning of the following page or column, thus separated from the rest of the text. Or the beginning of a new paragraph that starts at the bottom of a column or page.
16. Lorum Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text used by the design industry. It's used as placeholder text and has a more-or-less average distribution of letters, making it look like readable English, as opposed to using 'Add content here, add content here' within designs when the copy isn't quite ready.
Colors
17. RGB
RGB color is a model in which red, green, and blue light are added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. RGB tends to be used for on-screen purposes.
18. Hex
A hex is a six-digit number used in HTML, CSS, and design software applications to represent colors.
19. Palette
A color palette comprises of colors that can be utilized for any illustration or design work that represents your brand. The chosen colors should be designed to work harmoniously with each other.
20. Monochrome
Monochrome is used to describe design or photographs in one color or different shades of the single color.
21. Analogous
Analogous color schemes use colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and create serene and comfortable designs.
22. Complementary
Colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel are considered to be complementary colors (example: red and green).
23. Triadic
A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel.
24. CMYK
CMYK is a color model that is used for print purposes. CMYK colors begin as white and then get darker as more colors are combined.
(via)
25. Pantone
The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a standardized color reproduction system. Every hue is given a number, making it easy for people to reference and reproduce the same colors.
26. Warm colors
Warm colors are made with red, orange yellow and various combinations of these colors. They give a friendly, happy, cozy vibe.
27. Cool colors
Cool colors such as blue, green and light purple have the ability to calm and soothe.
28. Color theory
Color theories create a logical structure for color. There are three basic categories of color theory: The color wheel, color harmony, and the context of how colors are used. Understanding how to use different colors to convey meaning is an important part of both design and marketing. Here's a quick guide on how colors affect our brain:
Do you want to learn more about color theory? Check out: Why Facebook Is Blue? The Science of Colors in Marketing.
29. Gradient
A gradient is a gradual change of colors (such as green turning gradually into blue) or a color fading into transparency. There are two common types of gradients: radial and linear.
30. Opacity
Opacity enables us to make an element of a design transparent. The lower the opacity, the more transparent an element is. For example, 100% opacity means an object is solid.
31. Hue
Essentially, a hue is a way to describe a color. And a hue can be any color on the color wheel. For example, red, blue and yellow are all hues.
32. Tint
A tint is a variety of a color. Craftsy explains that Tints are created when you add white to any hue on the color wheel. This lightens and desaturates the hue, making it less intense.
Branding and logos
33. Logotype
A logotype is the name of a company that is designed in a visually unique way for use by that company. Most of the time when people refer to a logo, they're referring to the brand's logotype.
34. Logomark / Brandmark
A logo mark generally does not contain the name of the company and instead more abstractly represents that company using a symbol or mark.
35. Icon
Icons are images used to represent an action or an object. For example, a pen icon could represent someone writing (action) or simply a pen (object). When using, icons think carefully about what you want to signify and how clear it is to your audience.
36. Style guide
A style guide is a set of standards for the design of anything related to your brand, whether it's a website landing page, business card or printed document. The reason to have a style guide is to ensure complete uniformity in style and formatting wherever the brand is used to ensure no dilution of that brand.
As an example, you can check out our Buffer style guide here.
37. Grid
A grid is constructed from evenly divided columns and rows. The point of a grid is to help designers arrange elements in a consistent way. Here's an example of the grid we use at Buffer:
Using the Buffer design grid, a page can be divided into fifths, fourths, thirds and halves – and any combination of these. Each grid row must contain parts that add up to one whole. For example, one-fourth + one-half + one-fourth.
Design Terms and Techniques
38. Scale
In design, scale refers to the size of an object in relationship to another object. Two elements of the same size can be seen as being equal. Whereas elements with a clear variation in size tend to be seen as different.
When putting together a design, think about how you can utilize scale to help you illustrate the meaning behind your image. Take the below example; the larger circle appears to be more influential and important that the smaller one. You could even say the smaller circle may be a little timid or shy.
39. Aspect ratio
An aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the width and height of a rectangle (a rectangle is used because the vast majority of screens are wider than they are tall). An aspect ratio is defined via a mathematical ratio, with two numbers separated by a colon.
- width:height
- This means that 4 inches wide by 3 inches high would be a ratio of 4:3
40. Texture
A texture is defined as the surface characteristics of your image. In design, you can utilize textures such as cloth and brickwork to mirror the visual appearance of the actual texture.
41. Knolling
Knolling is the act of arranging different objects so that they are at 90-degreeee angles from each other, then photographing them from above. This technique creates a very symmetrical look that feels pleasing to the eye. Images that feature knolling tend to be set against a contrasting solid background.
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42. White space
Whitespace, often known as negative space, refers to the area of a design left blank. It's the space between graphic elements, images, copy, and anything else on the page. Even though it's known as white space, it can be any color.
An excellent example of white space is the Google homepage. It's almost filled with whitespace to encourage users to focus on the search bar:
43. Resolution
The resolution of an image determines the quality. As a rule of thumb, the higher the resolution, the higher the quality. A high-resolution image will be clear and crisp whereas a low-resolution image will feel a little pixelated and blurry.
44. Contrast
Contrast occurs when two elements on a page are different. For example, it could be different colors between the text and the background color or dark vs. light colors.
One of the main reasons to use contrast in your designs is to grab attention. For example, the infamous iPod silhouette adverts were so memorable because there is a huge contrast between the white iPod and earphones and the bright background and silhouette.
45. Saturation
Saturation refers to the intensity or purity of a color. The more saturated a color is, the more vivid or brighter it appears. Whereas desaturated colors, appear a little duller.
Highly saturated images tend to stand out and draw attention, therefore giving the appearance of carrying more weight than less saturated images. If you're adding a text layer over a picture and would like it to stand out, using a less saturated background can be a great way to do so.
46. Blur
Blur makes images more unclear or less distinct. Using a blur can be a great way to make text stand out when overlaid onto an image. When you put text over an image, the two elements can form a somewhat competitive relationship (example on the left below), a little blur can make the text stand out more and appear much more readable (on the right below).
47. Crop
When you crop an image, you're cutting away and discarding the unnecessary portions of the image. Cropping allows you to change the emphasis or direction of an image.
48. Pixel
A pixel is a minuscule area of a screen (the word comes from “picture element”). Pixels are the smallest basic unit of programmable color on a computer and images are made up of many individual pixels.
49. Skeumorphism
Skeuomorphism is when a digital element is designed to look like a replica of the physical work. For example, think iPhone's calculator or Apple's newsstand where the bookshelf and magazines look and feel like they do in real life.
50. Flat
Flat design is a minimalistic approach that focuses on simplicity and usability (almost the opposite of Skeuomorphism). It tends to feature plenty of open space, crisp edges, bright colors and two-dimensional illustrations.
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52. Raster
Raster images are made up of a set grid of pixels. This means when you change the size of stretch a raster image it can get a little blurry and lose some clarity.
53. Vector
Vector images a made up of points, lines, and curves. All of the shapes within a vector are calculated using a mathematical equation which means the image can scale in size without losing any quality. Unlike rasters, vectors won't get blurry when scaled.
Over to you
I hope you found this dive into design terms and definitions helpful. It's amazing how fast marketers can pick up tools like Canva and Pablo to create beautiful looking images.
I'm curious to hear if there are any other design terms you hear regularly and would like some clarification on? Feel free to share any questions or thoughts in the comments below.
Further reading:
- 50 Design Terms Explained Simply for Non-Designers from the Canva blog
- 10 Digital Design Terms You Need to Know from Design Shack
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