Original link: http://www.zarinmedia.com/n_letter_Apr02.html
Hello,
Welcome to the Zarinmedia quarterly newsletter highlighting the latest news, movements, information and technologies that have been brewing at our studio.
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Issue highlights:
1. A note from the team
2. What's new
3. Our services in context
1. A note from the team
In the past 3 months, Zarinmedia has enjoyed various forms of professional recognition, and we love it! As a result, this issue of the newsletter welcomes many new readers.
What is on our minds these days? Exploration & experimentation into the structure of "cognitive" Flash websites.
We are interested in how we can use the current body of knowledge in web usability, information architecture/flow, cognitive theory, psychology and marketing to create smarter sites and web applications that take the current user experience practices to the next level.
The next level being adaptive rich media user experiences that learn over time to progressively deliver the best information, navigation, and usability for each user.
2. What's new
2.1 New Zarinmedia site (v2.5) announced, and we need your feedback
It has already been 8 months since our launch of the Zarinmedia (v2) site!
In the fast paced internet world, its time about time for a redo.
In our new site all the information broadcast is contained in one quick loading page, creating elegance through simplicity. Fluid motions, create an unusual, yet intuitive navigation system that "reads your mind", and presents information to you with movements of your mouse.
Before we officially launch this new version, we would like your opinions and critical feedback. Please take the time to check our beta test site, and send us your comments.
You can view the beta test version of the site at http://www.zarinmedia.com/zv25
2.2 Zarinmedia wins Macromedia award
As many of you have probably heard, we have won the 2002 Macromedia Flash/Coldfusion intergration award for our work on the Art Gallery of Ontario Website.
-Press Release: http://www.zarinmedia.com/p_release_feb02b.html
-Article: March 2002 issue of Toronto Computes Can be viewed at: http://www.zarinmedia.com/news_archive_3.html
2.3 Zarinmedia's experimental piece "Fractal Consciousness" a great success
It is through regular and systematic research and development that we position ourselves uniquely in the newmedia industry. Our latest experimental effort was titled: "Zarinmedia: Fractal Consciousness". In this experiment, we challenge the conventional paradigm of the fourth dimension being time, with the notion that group consciousness can be perceived as an interface to the fourth dimension.
- Main feature on: http://www.120seconds.com/ for the week of: Mon, 18 Feb 2002, and now as part of archives.
- Featured as "new voices in web space" at the DigiFest 2002 digital media festival: http://www.dxnet.net/digifest/program.htm, http://207.228.248.181/zarinmedia_v2/news_archive_5.html
- Listed on art experimental site: http://rhizome.org/
- Now magazine site of the week: http://www.zarinmedia.com/news_archive_4.html
- Reviewed at Mind Jack "the beat of the digital culture": http://www.mindjack.com/events/digifest.html
2.4 Flash MX released
The release of Flash MX, to be followed by a family of other MX internet development tools, is part of Macromedia's new strategy. We are quite excited about the new possibilities that this brings our industry, and certainly see the start of a new era of "web-ware" computing.
More information: http://www.macromedia.com/resources/business/solutions/
user_centric/customer/customer_app.pdf
2.5 Zarinmedia on Macromedia Coldfusion MX beta testing team
Its starting to look like the next release of Coldfusion will be one of the most significant releases in quite some time.
More information: http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/proom/
pr/2002/flash_mx_apps.html
2.6 List of recent Zarinmedia speaking events
Speaker: Ru Zarin
Event: Jan 23, 2002 : IMAT Flash Special Interest Group : http://www.imat.ca/
Topic: Example discussion of Flash/Quicktime based non-linear interactive video piece titled "a day with the Dick"
Speaker: Ru Zarin
Event: Jan 29, 2002 : Flash in To Users Group : http://www.flashinto.com/
Topic: Deconstruction and explanation of Zarinmedia's "Funky Face" realtime image manuplulation tutorial
Speaker: Zoubin Zarin
Event: March 22, 2002 : Digifest Digital Media Festival:
http://www.dxnet.net/digifest/program.htm , http://207.228.248.181/zarinmedia_v2/news_archive_5.html
Topic: Presentation & description of the experimental Flash exploration into the fourth dimension titled "Fractal Consciousness"
Speaker: Zoubin Zarin
Event: April 16, 2002 : IMAT Skills Special Interest Group : http://www.imat.ca/
Topic: Titled "New Media Skills Development: What have we learned and what do we need ?" The focus of this informal, highly interactive session was on Internet/New Media industry labor market issues and trends.
3. Our services in context
In this section we keep an eye on information and links that put the application of our services into perspective.
3.1 Article: "Flash Forward: A year Later" by Sean Carton
A reflection on the Flash industry from a marketers' perspective. We find Sean right on the money.
Click here to view http://www.clickz.com/tech/lead_edge/article.php/997021
3.2 Flash usability book sightings
A We've spotted two recently released usability texts dealing specifically with Flash.
Flash 99% Good: A Guide to Macromedia Flash Usability by Kevin Airgid, Stephanie Reindel, ISBN: 0072222875
Skip Intro: Flash Usability and Interface Designby Duncan McAlester, Michelangelo Capraro, ISBN: 073571178X
3.3 Current Zarinmedia bookmarks
We're always on the lookout for interesting richmedia sites that explore new possibilities in web-design and user experiences. Here's a small sample of our current bookmark list.
http://www.lt2.fr/
http://lavertue.com/beta/
http://www.miniml.com/
http://www.milla.de/
http://www.sixty-five.com/
http://www.stevebonini.com/
http://www.richardprescott.com/
http://www.gucci.com/
This message was extended by http://www.zarinmedia.com/
Zoubin Zarin
My thoughts and reactions to the world of marketing, business, strategy, project management, design, technology, and photography mostly as it relates to my newmedia business.
