Marketing Design Tips and Trends For Success

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description:

With website design impacting 94% of first impressions, one of the main factors impacting if a user will stay on your website or not is your design and its elements.

An ideal website design is simple, functional, and also consistent with the branding of your business. Most good-looking websites use a grid-based layout to make content aligned, they have short load times, are mobile-friendly, and use inviting copy.

Use these website design hacks and trends to make informed decisions for your website in 2021.

Keep Design Clean and Simple

Use minimalistic elements, simple fonts, easy colors, and compelling copy to create a clean website design.

A rising trend in 2021 is comfortable colors. We suggest thinking outside of the box and avoiding the classic black and white. While these can work for certain industries, we suggest using soft color palettes to create a calm and relaxing environment for your visitors.

Use Stunning Visuals

No matter if it’s for your product pages, blog posts, or about us page, always use high-quality images and videos (of course while, at the same time, keeping in mind size limitations).

In 2021, 3D graphics and parallax animation are increasingly popular among web designers and website owners. That will help you stand out from your competitors and keep your users engaged and longer on your website (which also brings benefits in terms of SEO and conversions)

Make Your Web Design Responsive

All the pages on your website need to be responsive and render well on all devices and screen sizes.

To stay updated with the latest industry trends, you can try using vector graphics. These are points on a vector map that web designers use to resize images without losing quality. That ensures your site is responsive without compromising the quality of your visual assets.

Make Your Website Engaging

No matter which industry you’re in, your website shouldn’t be boring. Try to capture the attention of your readers by using elements of interactivity.

In 2021, we’ve seen a rising trend in 360-degree views, as well as micro-interaction elements. These, again, engage users and also keep them on your site longer.

Create a Simple Navigation Experience

The structure of your content should be easy to understand and your website easy to navigate through.

A growing trend in web design is infinite scroll technology, which makes it a seamless experience for users to navigate your website, especially on mobile devices.

As you’ve seen there are some marketing design tips you can take advantage of to create a stunning website.

However, you should adapt your layout to the type of content you share. The design of your website will vary depending on the industry you’re in and the content you share. Because of that, you must find inspiration from some of the best-designed websites on the internet.

Website Design Examples:

1. Avoriaz 1800 – Visite Virtuelle

This website uses animation, 360-degree technology, storytelling, and stunning visual assets to make users feel like they’re part of the experience. Definitely consider creating something like this if you’re in the travel and hospitality industry.

Technologies Used: CSS3, HTML5, Apache

2. Playbook

This cloud storage platform for designers website uses clean design, stunning photography, and an innovative UI experience that captures the user’s attention. The website also uses interactive design elements to create a personalized and engaging experience. Make sure your web design is clean and simple, especially if you’re a technology company targeting designers.

Technologies Used: Ruby, GraphQL, React

3. Animus Studios

This video agency uses animation, videos, and lots of colors to stand out from competitors and also show the company’s capabilities in terms of videos. Try using a similar web design if you’re a creative business agency that wants to make work more fun.

Technologies Used: Craft CMS

4. PUBLIC DOMAIN

This website, founded by Virgil Abloh to show his collections and to tease upcoming product launches, uses big background images, a horizontal menu, and innovative content architecture

Technologies Used: JavaScript, HTML5

5. Globalance World

Globalance World is an investment platform that creates an interactive experience for users to make investment decisions by looking at economic, societal, and environmental factors. To do this, the website designers used interactivity, a fully responsive design, and 3D data visualization.

Technologies Used: next.js, CSS3, Three.js, React, D3, GraphQL

6. UXPERT

This website chose to use elements like animation, clean design, graphic design assets, and an innovative user interface. For example, on the homepage, users can play a showreel to learn everything about the brand.

Technologies Used: WordPress, CSS3, HTML5

7. MAD

MAD is a creative digital design website taking a creative approach to interactivity. The result is an unusual design that surely captures the attention of users, who can play with the logo, move objects, and more. By using experimental and unusual design, transition elements, filters and effects, an innovative user interface, and micro-interactions, this website creates interest and curiosity.

8. Glob

Do you own an eCommerce website? This is the example you’re looking for. Glob sells reusable bags for a plastic-free lifestyle. On their website, they use filters and effects creatively to grab the users’ attention and making web design elements entertaining. For example, users can move their mouse around and interact with designs with a liquify effect.

Technologies Used: WebGL

9. Gucci Beauty Foundation

This website offers a quiz game, shades palettes, and interactive video tutorials to allow users to discover the uses in an entertaining way. Consider creating a subdomain or subfolder of your website, similar to this example, to present a product you offer and create a buzz.

Technologies Used: CSS3, HTML5, React, Anime.js

10. Mario Russo Archive

Using features like responsive design, appealing typography, and storytelling, artist Mario Russo’s archive offers a simple way of showing creative work online. More specifically, typography (font style, appearance, and structure) is an extremely important factor when it comes to improving the user experience.

Technologies Used: CSS3, HTML5, jQuery, Typekit

11. Yusuke Fukunaga

Yusuke Fukunaga’s portfolio uses infinite scroll, parallax, scrolling, and various filters and effects for a simple yet innovative design. Consider experimenting with something similar if you’re a creative professional and want to showcase your portfolio.

Technologies Used: WebGL, GSAP Animation, Three.js

12. IdeaRocket

IdeaRocket is an animation studio making its website popular for its uncommon user experience work presentation. Design features that stand out here include animation, video, scrolling, and great use of storytelling.

Technologies Used: WordPress, CSS3, HTML5. GSAP Animation

13. Omega Funds

Are you in the B2B space? We suggest taking a look at the way this website uses animation features, transition elements, and micro interactions to communicate information in a fun way without distracting users. This is perfect for inspiration especially if you have a corporate website.

Technologies Used: WordPress, CSS3, GSAP Animation, Three.js, Matter.js

14. Low Five Brewing

Single page, uncommon navigation, and responsive design are the features that stand out when users enter this website. Low Five Brewing is one of the best single-page websites on the internet. This technology includes all the content on one page, with no menu at all. As a result, navigation is simple and the website is fast and responsive.

Technologies Used: Vue.js, Nuxt.js

15. Swissdent

Swissdent created a website that uses photography, animated visuals, clean design, minimalistic elements, and parallax technology to tell a story. The minimalistic and clean web design creates a simple and fun shopping experience for visitors.

Technologies Used: WordPress, CSS3, HTML5, GSAP Animation, PHP

16. Goodfight

Using a horizontal menu and layout, responsive design, transition elements, and fun filters and effects, this website creates a more interactive experience for users who want to learn about the brand.

17. Hanwag – 100 Years

Experimental and retro design. This is what users think of when looking at this website. The entire site consists of a single page, which details the history of the Hanwag shoe brand from the first shoemaker’s shop in 1921 to 2021.

18. Vintageria

Definitely, get inspired by this website if you’re looking for a retro web design for your eCommerce store. The website is colorful and uses fun storytelling elements and an innovative user interface to stand out from other clothing brands.

Technologies Used: Node.js, GSAP Animation, PixiJS, Webpack, Vue.js, Nuxt.js

19. Fabulatorij

Take a look at this event agency’s website if you’re planning to use vector graphics for your website design. It uses geometric shapes to create high-quality images that render well on all devices.

Technologies Used: GSAP Animation, VideoJS, Vue.js, Nuxt.js, Netlify

20. BURGER & SAUCE

What elements stand out on this website? Big background images, vector graphics, and responsive design. This restaurants chain focuses on these elements on its website to picture its handmade burgers, with an impressive and memorable user experience.

Technologies Used: WordPress, SVG, Cloudflare

Conclusion:

If you’re launching a new website and blog or are looking to redesign your existing one, it’s important you have original and cohesive design elements.

Having said that, the specific characteristics and technologies you’ll include will change based on your industry and your company’s goals. Follow the infographic below to choose the right web design elements for your website.

Source: WebsiteSetup

STAY INSPIRED: Launching a Small Business (and the Tools You'll Need)

Keep up the good work! 😎👍

*by andreascy*

Mobile App Security Threats To Plan For

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Mobile apps continue to grow with technology. There are countless ways that apps make our lives easier—whether it be tracking our fitness progress, or improving our online shopping experience. The rapid growth in app usage around the world means that, a lot of people don’t have experience on how to protect themselves against a possible security attack. 

In 2018, 71% of fraud transactions came from mobile apps and mobile browsers. In comparison, 29% came from people using the web, which is a 16% increase year over year. Additionally, one out of every 36 mobile devices has high-risk apps installed. 

Savvy hackers don’t rely on one method to gain access to you and your users’ private data. That’s why, you must anticipate their attacks ahead of time, and design your app so that your users won’t have to worry about whether their data will be compromised. In return, this will signal to others that the business or service you provide through your app, is not only high-quality but also safe. 

Mobile App Security Threats

If a hacker can’t gain access to your precious passwords one way, don’t celebrate too early. They have an arsenal of other weapons they have at their disposal. And after they do exploit your personal information, a lot of the times you won’t even notice it until after the damage has been done. 

Here are a handful of ways that hackers will try to catch you off guard:

No Multifactor Authentication 

You’re especially vulnerable to this attack if you’re the kind of person that uses the same password across all your online accounts and apps. If a hacker is able to uncover it from one of your accounts, they will no doubt gain access to related apps you use. 

Adding an extra step to “authenticate” your account doesn’t always mean you must remember two passwords. It can also mean that you must answer a personal question, or access your account using an SMS confirmation code. 

No Proper Encryption 

Like changing the combination of a security lock, encryption puts data into an indecipherable code that can only be viewed after implementing a secure password. But everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes a developer can design an encryption code that is too easy to crack. After a hacker gains access, they can clear the encryption so that your private data is available in plain sight. 

Reverse Engineering

If your code is too easy to figure out, a hacker can take their hacking a step further and learn exactly how your app functions. They’ll know your code inside and out. And if they have a plethora of experience to draw from, they might even know more about your app than you do. 

This means a hacker can not only expose encryption, but they can modify the source code—using their knowledge to build a fake app designed to look like yours. A hacker can use this fake app to inject malware or worse to your misled users. 

Learn From Others

Mobile app hacks result in time-consuming (and expensive) data breaches. Plus, you lose the trust of your potential users as they don’t want to lose their personal data to hackers. 

Unfortunately, every day there are new cases of hackers taking advantage of a growing app or business. Learn from the mistakes of others so you can understand how to shield yourself against a potential attack. 

TimeHop

TimeHop was the victim of an unauthorized attack that led to a privacy breach of over 21 million users. The hack occurred in December of 2017, but it wasn’t uncovered until July 4, 2018. The attack not only led to the exploitation of TimeHop’s users, but it also led to an app crash.

And what was the main reasoning for the attack? TimeHop failed to use multifactor authentication. As a result, the hacker used the security information found from a TimeHop employee, to access the cloud of the company. 

Fortnite 

Fornite originally released its beta version of the game using an invitation-only environment. Hackers saw this as an opportunity to produce fraudulent links to fake clone versions of the game. 

These versions of the game misled fans, because the hackers cleverly used reverse engineering to include the same loading screens, music, and images the real version used. 

It doesn’t matter if the app you use provides a business, service, or is a video game. If the code is simple to break, hackers will take advantage. 

What Can You Do?

Prevent Reverse Engineering With Obfuscation

Reverse Engineering occurs (like the Fortnite example) because of faulty code. But obfuscation and minification make the code less readable—meaning hackers won’t be able to study how your app functions to build their own. 

Validate Inputs

Remember, it’s dangerous to rely on the same password for all the apps and online services you use. A stranger can access your accounts just by knowing a single password, but when you add more validation inputs to follow, you add an additional layer of app security. 

More Tips

Who’s most vulnerable to attack? In 2018, apps in the tools and lifestyle categories made up a combined 54% of malicious mobile apps. But regardless of which category your app resides in, you can’t take your app security lightly.

Remember, some of the top ways hackers gain access to your app is because of a lack of multifactor authentication or lack of encryption practices. But staying on top of these two aspects leads to a safe and trustworthy app for your users. 

Implementing the right security protocols for your app requires intensive collaboration between your design and development team. And it doesn’t stop there, you must envision yourself as if you were in your hacker’s shoes. What other ways would you try to hack your app? If you plan several steps ahead, you can safeguard your app and focus on the success of your business. 

Learn more about the cases you can learn from, as well as how to make sure you’re doing multi-factor authentication or encryption the right way, by reading this infographic from CleverTap.

Source: CleverTap

READ ALSO: How to Protect Your Company’s Email Against Cyberattack

Keep reading my friends! 💗

*by andreascy*

The Most In-Demand Online Marketing Skills for 2017

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

As we approach the end of the year, it helps to take the time to evaluate where you stand in your industry. Whether you are a new online marketer or you are far more experienced, taking the time to comprehend and understand what online marketing skills are going to be most in-demand in 2017 is very useful. Knowing what people are likely to be looking for over the next 12-14 months helps you to start adjusting your skills and your mindset to make sure you arrive for the latest trends ready.

Importantly, as a contemporary marketing assistant or agent it is incremental to know where you should be looking to expand to so that it helps you ensure that 2017 can start as positively as possible, here are some of the most likely in-demand online marketing skills for 2017.

Marketing Demands Are Smaller

One thing to notice is that people aren’t looking for campaign managers, nor are they as obsessed with SEO and SEM at the moment. That isn’t to say they are no longer important because they are still mainstays of the industry, but many companies have their fill or requirement. Even if they don’t, they can probably find someone easily enough locally now due to the massive rise in people offering these particular services.

If your primary skill base is in SEO then you might want to have a little look at branching out. Many other skills are going to become very useful in the near future, which can help you supplement an increasing demand in similar parts of the online marketing industry.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to close your SEO store – there’s no death of SEO on its way. Content will likely always be a constant requirement in marketing, but you should never just presume that the market will stay the same as it is just now. 

People Need Designers

Are you good at designing user interfaces for websites and apps? Then you are the hot property at this moment in time. People are killing to get their hands on a quality user interface designer, meaning that many people will be wanting to interact with your business in 2017. If you are a talented designer looking for a way to get into the world of working in online marketing, then 2017 is the best year to consider making a move into becoming a UI designer.

The role itself allows you to become a central part of many businesses marketing, as a good and effective UI is needed for anyone who wants to see consistent growth and usage from any tools they use.

If you want to make sure that you have reserved your spot in the long-term online marketing world, then it’s time to start considering just how creative you can be when it comes to making user interfaces for as many different things as you can in the industry.

Presentation Really Matters

Data is becoming a major part of business today, and many businesses want to make sure that they are giving people access to data that is easy to take in. Nobody wants to look at massive graphs or huge sums of content just thrown at them all at once.

So, what you should do instead is aim to become the best local online marketer that you can in data presentation. From infographic design to giving people cool and easy to share graphs and PDFs, you can easily make sure that you have a role as someone who can translate data into a classy design.

Mobile Apps Still Rule

Just as UI and data presentation have been around for a while, so will mobile app development. As the years go by, though, mobile development is going to change a lot and give us access to far more intricate designs and possibilities. As an online marketing expert you need to be pretty good at handling mobile app layouts and designs if you wish to make the most of your present situation.

People are going crazy for reliable designers or developers at present, so it’s up to you to get involved and take advantage.

Statistical Analysis is Needed

Just as companies need to present data in an easy to take in way, they need to see that data in the first place in a way that they understand. If you can manage stats and you don’t mind being able to draw accurate conclusions from the information, then you can use your skills as a data analyst to thrive in 2017.

People are going to be pushing that extra mile to make sure they can greatly improve overall statistical analysis. If you have a knack for reading and understanding key data, then you should be offering your services out.

Those who can interpret and offer recommendations from statistics and data are invaluable in the modern era. People are far more secure and comfortable in talking about stats today, and this extra analysis makes that simple.

Smart Storage Systems and Management Teams Are Vital

Businesses today are dying to get in people who they can trust to help them securely manage and store data for the long-term. If you are a storage systems expert or manager, and you want to maximize your chances of being a genuine success, then this is a role that is going to become increasingly in-demand as 2017 goes on.

People need to have access to storage to keep all of the vast information and data they need to run accurate analytics and business performance. Your role, then, is to be the individual who they turn to in 2017 for appropriate assistance.

Summarizing

Using all of this information you can easily begin to make the right calls regarding what your next step in online marketing will be. As the demand change and expertise required alters, a path will likely open up for you to exploit in the future – will you be ready to do so?

THERE IS MORE: Top 3 Tech Tools for Managers That Mean Business

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*by andreascy*

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership: The Importance of Leading by Emotions

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

"A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them." - M. D. Arnold

Effective leaders share their own unique qualities. Emotional intelligence (EQ or EI) holds a prominent place out of them. In fact, emotional intelligence has been identified as one of the prerequisites for business success in the 21st century.

What Exactly is Emotional Intelligence? 

The term introduced in 1990 by Salovey and Mayer refers to the “accurate appraisal and expression of emotions in oneself and others and the regulation of emotion in a way that enhances living” (Mayer, DiPaolo & Salovey, 1990, p. 772). In other words emotional intelligence is defined as the act of understanding, knowing, overcoming stress in the moment, responding to emotions and being aware of how your actions or words affect others. This sort of qualities would assist you to perceptive in tune with your emotions and developing is crucial for understanding, empathize and negotiate with other people.

When it comes to leadership, emotional intelligence can be described in five different attributes. They include effective communication, relationship management, empathy, self-management and self-awareness. Natural born leaders are thought to share these attributes whilst aspiring leaders should pay special attention towards the aforementioned attributes if they are to develop a sufficient level of emotional intelligence. 

It is critical for leaders to tackle EQ since a leader who lacks emotional intelligence will have difficulty to gauge the needs of employees and the public in an effective manner. Furthermore, leaders who act without emotional intelligence would run into hassle in the long run. For example, some leaders tend to spontaneously react to different situations in life without filtering their emotions. Such a stance can create serious issues in relationships and negotiations which can prevent from closing deals. Therefore, it is extremely important for the great leaders to be self-aware about themselves. They need to have a clear understanding about their verbal as well as non-verbal communication and attitude. This approach could create a tremendous impact on their lives in the long run. 

In order to understand the core of emotional intelligence that is required for effective leadership, the below elements are crucial. 

1. Effective Communication 

Effective communication can be considered as one of the key elements of emotional intelligence. If you are a leader, you should know how to appropriately communicate with whoever you deal with. Lack of effective communication can often lead to misunderstandings. Effective communication is not just focusing on your words. Recent studies have indicated that only 7% of effective communication comes from words. The remaining 93% comes from body language and tone. 

Misunderstandings can be considered as one of the major reasons behind issues that take place among individuals. For example, if you fail to communicate effectively at your workplace, you would have to experience confusion among employees along with bitterness and frustration. On the other hand, effective communication has the potential to strengthen the relationships at your workplace. When the employees have a clear understanding about their specific role within the company, they would stick to their job description. It could benefit the company at the end of the day. 

2. Relationship Management 

If you are distracted, it will most likely be a hard task to establish deep connections with other people. Almost all employees will have their own families as well as other obligations. However, it is important to maintain productive and healthy relationships in order to achieve higher emotional intelligence at the end of the day. In other words, leaders should have the ability to manage relationships properly to move a team forward in the desired direction. 

3. Compassion and Empathy 

Empathy can simply be defined as the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Then you will be able to get a better understanding on how others feel. You will even manage to predict how others react in different situations. When a leader has empathy, he/she would be able to open up the capacity to feel compassion. This can create the desire within leaders to help others. In other words, leaders with compassion and empathy will be able to relate to others in an effective manner. 

4. Self-Regulation 

Self-regulation can be considered as another important element that leaders should have in order to gain a high level of emotional intelligence. Self-regulation is simply defined as discipline. This involves redirecting or controlling all your disruptive emotions which in return will allow to adapt accordingly to different circumstances and guide your team in the right direction. As a result, you end up with positive results at the end of the day. Leaders do not afford to lose their coolness under any circumstance. Instead, they should remain calm and act completely natural in such instances. This will allow to communicate the company objectives to relevant team members in a clear manner. Concurrently, it is a strategy that will help to ease things and contribute to stay away from frustration. 

5. Self-Assessment 

Self-assessment is the ability to figure out your own values, weaknesses, strengths, emotions and drivers. It also rotates around the ability to understand how those values can create an impact on others around. Therefore, leaders with emotional intelligence should have this quality. Without the ability for self-reflection, we would not be able to figure out who we are. In addition, we would not have been able to realize where we fall short, what we are good at and why we make certain decisions in life. In order to achieve your maximum potential, you need to be confident about who you are. As a leader, you need to have a clear idea about your good and bad qualities. Then you will be able to use them accordingly in your day to day life, especially when dealing with other people and constantly having to make important decisions. 

As it appears from the previous, it is important for a leader to have innate highly developed emotional intelligence. The aforementioned can directly contribute towards the emotional intelligence of a leader which in turn can contribute to eliminate mistrust among team members, and maximize productivity in the workplace. If you do not feel you naturally exhibit high levels of emotional intelligence, you should not despair since there are ways to improve your emotional intelligence. Unfortunately, emotional intelligence is so complex that it cannot be simply acquired through reading a book or attending a seminar. However, when put on a practical basis, within a rapidly demanding daily routine such as is the case in a fast-paced growing company, for a person to learn EI requires: team-based learning, practice, and accountability. 

The following infographic draws on the work of Gordon Tredgold and provides with some further practical tips on how to improve your emotional intelligence and become a better leader.

 

Source: Inc.com

Conclusively, building on your emotional intelligence is considered as an excellent investment done towards the future of your business. It is incremental to strive for empathetic, thoughtful, responsive and reflexive leadership, be open to conversation and listening to others’ needs as well as be willing to present yourself as vulnerable and put yourself in others’ shoes. Such attitude will lead to a positive environment where employees will be inspired to bring out their best self.

DON'T MISS THIS READ: How to Dress for Success

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*by andreascy*

The Potential of Blended Learning for Steering Education

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description: 

Think about all of the ways that technology has influenced and infiltrated nearly every aspect of your life. Paying by check? You can do that online or just with your phone. Making a reservation at a restaurant? No need to call - an app will do it for you. Want to turn off the lights and lock your door? Your smart devices can help connect you.

That technological influence extends to our learning environments, too. Classrooms have undergone a centuries-long change that’s only been speed up with the advent of technology. What used to be one-room schoolhouses in the late 1800s are now redesigned spaces which invite students and teachers to engage in learning using tablets, whiteboards, and more.

One of the most prominent ways in which technology is changing classrooms is through impact on what we think of as the traditional learning environment. One classroom with one teacher standing in front of multiple students as an authoritative figure has given way to a concept known as blended learning. The latter is an instructional approach that capitalizes on the best of both worlds - education and tech. 

Blended learning, is a learning trend driving education which in some form, is currently available in nearly every state. In a nutshell, this strategy or approach to teaching and learning involves the student learning through at least partial online delivery of content. In this sense, it offers both traditional instruction - a teacher in front of students - and digital or online content that’s accessible at any time. 

The conceptualizations behind blended learning adhere to the notion that students are not uniform, and learning shouldn’t be either. Based on learning theories such as Gardner’s on multiple intelligences, and multiliteracies pedagogy, it is considered that students have different learning styles and come for culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds which should be taken into consideration when planning a lesson. In this respect, it is suggested that enhancing students’ learning through digital content can be a personalized response to students’ needs and desires, allowing them to learn at their own pace through means that are relevant to their lives.

In relation to the different strategies for undertaking a blended learning approach, six models have been proposed for its implementation: Face-to-Face Driver Model, Rotation Model, Flex Model, Online Lab Model, Self-Blend Model and Online Driver Model. More recently, other alternative blended learning models have been brought to the surface of educational cycles: 

a) The traditional brick-and-mortar blended learning model:

An approach where the instructor uses online platforms to add resources, assign and gather homework, as well as encourage online discussions and other asynchronous learning activities beyond classroom hours

b) The hybrid learning model:

Students attend live events physically or online (for example webinars) while also work in virtual online environments. There could be an arranged schedule where some days students attend the class and others are optional however students must attend online.

c) The flipped learning model:

Teachers and other instructors record their online lectures and students are obliged to watch them before class. During the lesson, they can work on different tasks and in this sense the teacher has more time to work with challenging topics and addresses students’ difficulties. 

Regardless of which type of blended learning model one chooses to adopt, there are certain misconceptions and considerations needed to be addressed. For instance, people often assume that blended learning equals all education online, but that isn’t true. It might be that the focus is on a technology rich environment, nevertheless, there is ‘hands on’ learning. In addition, unlike it is commonly believed, in blended learning students do not work individually only. The can undertake projects in groups with their peers to produce collaborative work online.

Furthermore, blended learning in contrast to the myth that it requires less work than traditional face to face instruction, doesn’t cut down on the amount of work that needs to be done by either students or educators. In fact, both sides may need to work at a more systematic basis. Instructors still need to prepare and students still need to do the work. But blended learning allows those learners to engage with information more frequently in order to fully grasp concepts that may have been more difficult with just one go-round.

Based on these characteristics of blended learning, in summary, the advantages from engaging in such practice have been identified as being:

- The meaningful combination of interactive face to face instruction and digital content through a differentiated personalized based teaching approach

- The use of digitally mediated content such as digital storytelling that has been found to motivate students’ interest and increase students’ learning and affective outcomes

- Access to the instruction such as an online session many times, with stops and pauses to the discretion of the learner.

- Researchers and practitioners suggest that blended learning can encourage students to continue learning outside the classroom. It can expand beyond the traditional school walls to connect with students’ lives.

- Blended learning can maximize the potential for acquiring 21st century skills.

Despite the promising features of this approach, the excitement about the possibilities of blended learning and the ways that technology can better prepare our students and assist our educators needs to be tempered with some serious questions about the process. It’s not a match for every person or every situation. Students need to know what the physical, in-class requirements are, and instructors need to be upfront and proactive about their availability and roles through digital means. 

For instance, the technology that’s a given in a traditional classroom may not be available in each student’s home, which can impact learning and pacing. Students and instructors must have a shared understanding about assignments and work - what files are usable and which are not. And there should be practice and testing so that everyone understands the accessibility and usability of that particular online environment.

Whilst there is no fixed recipe for meaningful teaching and learning instruction, it appears that technology enhanced learning is the present and future of 21st century education. Blended learning could be a flexible and dynamic approach through the meaningful engagement with technology. 

Whatever the end result, it’s important to understand how blended learning cannot guarantee success. It requires commitment on behalf of the educator and careful use of digital means. And therefore it is important to be aware of its different aspects. This graphic is a good place to start.

Source: Quill.com

Conclusively, it appears that exciting times lay ahead for educators and students all together. Now, more than ever, we are in a position to offer the most engaging form of education that will empower students as dynamic and active learners. Blended learning, as it is proposed in this article, is one powerful approach which could change the education game and will be around for many years to come.

READ NEXT: 8 Ways Digital Storytelling Transforms Learning in 21st Century Education: The Research Evidence

I’m all eyes and ears for your comments.

*by andreascy*

Get HQ Professional PowerPoint Presentation Templates and Diagrams with Powered Template

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Despite the advances in technologies and new tools emerging on a daily basis, when it comes to presentation software, PowerPoint is still the king. Are you puzzled however on ways to enhance your presentation in a way that it would be more visually appealing for your target audience? 

Powered Template provides such customizable solutions that will save you time and effort with a vast array of exceptional professional templates, diagrams, charts, maps, images and infographics among others. 

If you are interested in creative high quality templates that will boost your presentation, Powered Template can help make your presentation stand out from the mass. Search among their huge collection of which you can buy and download your template of choice within minutes.

Impress With Professionally Designed PowerPoint Templates

Key to a compelling presentation is how you manage to get your story across and visual messages are considered one great way to achieve this. In this case, you might want to take advantage of the killer PowerPoint templates by Powered Template to create a stunning presentation. Browse through the gallery of different categories which have been designed with built in layouts and cover any topic, idea or concept that will keep your audience engaged throughout your presentation. 

Each layout is carefully designed by expert professionals paying attention to details like appropriate blend of colors, graphics and ClipArt that give out a world class result that is clear and expressive. You can choose to either download a single template in PowerPoint (PPT) format with 3 master slides: Title Master, Slide Master, and Print Master, or decide to go with the template with additional slides consisting also of 17 additional slides with pre-created shapes, tables, charts, diagrams. All of these backgrounds are provided in separated JPEG files and include 3 or more pre-created palettes.

Once you have chosen your presentation template, Powered Template offers a wide variety of images in ClipArt available separated in different categories from which you can select to craft your presentation. Images carry a powerful message and can be used as a visual tool that can further boost your engagement with the audience and deliver the expected results.

Also of interest is how you can complete your presentation by getting professional pre-designed customizable document layouts in MS Word format to match your presentation slides. Each package offered by Powered Template consists of a cover page design, built-in heading and text styles, high-quality graphics (72 dpi images). Once downloaded, you can add your own content to the document, edit and print it for your audience as a take away of your presentation.

Visually Appealing Professional PowerPoint Diagrams and Charts

One of most difficult things to display within the limits of a brief presentation is a wealth of scientific research findings, business and marketing analysis etc. The best way to communicate such complex meaning is through diagrams, charts and infographics. Powered Template offers a diversity of creative diagram and chart templates that can captivate your audience with visually appealing presentation of data. Choose among others between education, flow, graph matrix, pie, organizational and medical charts, as well as process, puzzle and tree diagrams, timelines and inspiring infographics for showing general or comprehensive information in a sharp and refreshing way. 

All diagrams and charts are pre-designed and can be easily placed into your PowerPoint slides. With editable shapes, resizable vector graphics and changeable colors these templates are flexible and can be customized to cater for your individual preferences. Each template pack contains SmartArt graphics, objects, shapes, icons, charts, diagrams, or tables in PowerPoint (PPT/PPTX) format. 

The examples below are characteristic of the many diagram and chart templates available:

Exclusive High Quality PowerPoint Maps

Powered Template provides also with the option to enrich your presentation with location and regional characteristic features by adding exclusive PowerPoint Maps. These pre-made templates in Microsoft PowerPoint are vector graphics which can be downloaded immediately and used in existing slides while with Adobe Illustrator, you can either have the maps as web-ready graphics or incorporated high-end print designs.

These maps come with map layers and are conveniently editable and customizable to suit any presentation requirements with the option of changing size, color, position, remove or even add map features using PowerPoint’s drawing tools. You can easily add, change or delete text, define elements such as territories, regions and locations while assemble objects, diagrams and figures to customize these maps.

Comprehensive Collection of Professional Website Templates

Developing a website can be a hustle which you can easily avoid by using the services provided by Powered Template. Browse through their comprehensive and professionally designed collection of website templates which are easily downloadable and editable to suit your needs in terms of quality and cost. 

The templates have been designed with Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Dreamweaver, paying attention to detail and following international web design trends. To use these templates you will need Adobe Photoshop 7.0 or higher and Macromedia Dreamweaver (Microsoft FrontPage 2003, or Microsoft Expression Web). Powered Templates ensures that these templates are cross browser compatible and therefore you are able to access them regardless of your preferred browser.

If you choose to buy these high quality designs, you should expect to get a website design template package including: Web Design source in Adobe Photoshop format (.PSD), HTML web template (.HTML), and Style sheet file (.CSS). 

Below are some indicative examples of website templates:

Powerful Professional Custom PowerPoint Designs

While there is no fixed recipe, certain design techniques have been proven most effective in getting the audience’ attention during a presentation. If you are looking to optimize the impact of your PowerPoint presentation, you can make use of the Powered Template experts’ knowledge and get a professional custom design that will be eye catching and succeed to sustain your audience’s interest to follow your message. 

Seek for their advice to create a presentation that will both match your needs and be within your budget. You can choose to incorporate different features like your logo, company colors, and any ask for any other specifications that will enhance your presentation and create a memorable outcome characteristic of your business or other purpose. 

Transform Your Presentations From Plain to Superb

Bottom line is, if you are feeling frustrated whenever you want to prepare a presentation, Powered Template is a business and presentation templated provider that promises to help take your presentation to the next level.

AS YOU GO, CHECK OUT MORE: Presentation Prep: Convert PDF to PowerPoint

To benefit from the powerful designs available by Powered Template you can pick among their wide collection of free templates or purchase their products by either proceed to a single buy or subscribe for one of their membership plans. Make the most of the opportunity to transform your presentations from plain to superb by choosing one of their featured templates to enjoy your presentation!

*by andreascy*