Ryan O'Connell

I've spoken to some of the top design agencies/studios globally and across Australia. Here's 3 big insights that I can share with other agency designers or those looking to work agency side. Creativity is super important to them, but what does that mean? 1️⃣ Future state thinking (strategic design skills) 2️⃣ Strong craft skills (UI skills) 3️⃣ Being able to deliver quickly and efficiently Why is this? Well established design agencies/consultancies are exploring new ventures and need people that can think future state as well as have the UI skills to craft beautiful things. Smaller design studios/agencies are building themselves out so need designers that can help them compete with the larger companies. Is there anything else I've missed? #latitudeit #uxui #designagency

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Doing a landscape review of the content approach on some digital agency websites and loving the Ira Aotearoa website. A few things stood out in this fairly crowded market: The approach to te reo Māori throughout the website (the mobile nav interaction is great). Beautiful! The animation in the headings, which capture the facts and the essence behind everything Ira do (stories, culture, community, strategy) 👏 👏 👏 to whoever designed the interaction and wrote the copy. Those images 😍 love the way they tell the story of what's important to Ira as well as the awesome mahi they evidently do for their clients. The copy - mīharo! It is so good to see a website clearly show what an agency cares about and values in their people and their work - whilst also sounding like real humans. Check it out if you're looking for some inspiration - or just to enjoy a website experience done beautifully well.

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Your digital agency or dev team may not be good enough. Woah, big call I know, but hear me out 👇 Did you know that over 60% of Australian businesses are unhappy with their web design and development agencies? Many businesses invest significant time and money, only to find the results pretty meh, with their website sitting idle, leading to frustration and so many lost opportunities. In our latest blog post (which is a bit spicy 🌶️) we dive into the common reasons why digital agencies often fail to deliver the expected results. From misaligned goals to poor execution, we explore the critical shortcomings that hinder company success and provide actionable steps to improve your digital outcomes. Transparency is the best policy: we've recently made some adjustments to our internal processes to make sure we continue to deliver.  Check out the post here: https://lnkd.in/gSzWrzHu

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The new Gold Coast SUNS rebrand is one of the great modern misfires in the space. And, when you dig a little deeper into this article, the reason becomes immediately clear why. "However, the feedback – particularly from a passionate fan base – might not always be constructive, which Burgess said was a major lesson for the marketing team. “It’s all subjective – the scale of liking and hating a color or a logo. For me, I have quite a scientific data background, so I really leant into the quantitative research we did around the focus groups and the consulting,” Burgess told host Neil Griffiths." A rebrand executed by an internal marketing team with one graphic designer, lead by the Head of Data, which specifically flags that the rebrand was a process of deciphering layers of data to satisfy stakeholder interests. The data-led, systematic approach to rebrands has killed more companies than poor product or culture. Brands are hopes and dreams, they're subversive, they're communicative, they're curious. Data needs to support the strength of the message, not create the message itself. Such an amazing opportunity to create something eye catching for a club and an area of the AFL ecosystem that desperately needed a shot in the arm, and they've fumbled it like crazy. EDIT: Bonus jumpscare for any corporate legal teams in the comments 😱

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This is a great comparison of how Videreo could easily improve the storytelling of a destination with short-form videos and a map. Reach out if you are interested in embedding location videos on your site. 📫 #traveltech #generativeai #reels

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Two different ways that data is driving the cloud FinOps conversation - ChannelLife Australia: By consolidating data, improving data quality, and enabling data-driven decision-making, data platforms empower organisations to optimise cloud ...

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Unhappy with your digital agency or development team? Learn why they're not delivering results 👇 Over 60% of Australian businesses are dissatisfied with their web design and development agencies. The root of the problem is usually lies in misaligned goals and poor execution. This leads to stagnant digital platforms, frustration, and missed opportunities. Want to know more about why this happens and how to fix it? Click the link: https://lnkd.in/gsGfMwMD

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I'm talking at this weeks A11y Bytes for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) on making product tiles more accessible for screen reader users. HTML landmarks are seldom used. Beyond <nav>, <main> and <footer> they rarely get more than a passing glance. But can landmark elements be used more effectively to describe product tiles? yes! I'll show how tweaks to product tiles from real ecommerce sites can improve navigation for screen reader users. And it's this approach which provides the user a further choice with their preferred browsing habits. Potentially making it easier to find product information on special. #A11yBytes #a11y #accessibility https://lnkd.in/gwA4hcve

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RANT Looking at Anaconda Group Pty Ltd Delivery page it completely talked me out of purchasing a medium priced ($1000) bike. The caveats, cover-my-a$$ unfriendly tone is so offputting. Lack of clarity on delivery - "2-5 business days unless we are busy" - was the gist. Oh and if we try to deliver and you don't answer the door (or we can't be bothered getting out of the truck to see if you are home so we'll put a "not at home note" in the letter box) you can collect it from a depot. Which is the one I am ordering it from. Because I can't collect it in person. So it will just sit there? Whats the point? They are basically saying "ring us" to see if we will take care of you after we take care of ourselves. But you can't ring them - no number. And I can't use the form under "Contact Us" as I do not yet have a purchase order or club number. I think I'd rather buy from someone that doesn't do delivery and pay the hundred bucks to have it delivered in a suitable manner. But not #Anaconda. What do you think? Business as normal or poor customer service? UPDATE: I called Anaconda (number not on website but google maps had it) and they blamed Australia Post the bane of all small online businesses. Nightmare!

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"Wish it had been longer! Very very good. Thank You." - Previous audience member. Our highly rated 'Branding Without the Bullshit' talk is coming to Sydney for NSW Small Business Month. If you want to make your brand your secret weapon for success, join us tomorrow. 📅 Thursday 24th October  ⏱️ 9.30am - 10.30am  🖥️ Online Reserve a spot here: https://lnkd.in/dTu2RA9c Heres what previous attendees say: “LOVE the delivery. Very simple and hits the spot without any fluff.” “Crisp, practical, engaging. Examples were very helpful.” “I like the 'no bullshit' approach, the concise presentation.” “Great presentation. Engaging + interactive session 10/10” “Excellent crash course which I believe is worth paying for” “Excellent & very well focused & delivered content ” “It was easy to follow, adaptable to any business & very engaging ” “Very clear delivery, Interesting Content ”

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TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT❗❗❗ There are still a very small amount tickets left - so if you're working in the CBD today and you're curious to learn more about how you can future-proof your software career or engineering team in this new age then definitely come along 😎 The link to the event is in the comments 🔗 #Community #AI #PanelEvent #Networking

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Feeling the crunch as May 7 draws near? It's not just you — many Kiwi businesses are challenged with cash flow during provisional tax periods. I am stoked to be working on the UX and web design for a business that is helping SMEs with cashflow using the SMEs existing prov tax. If you're interested, learn more here www.gotaxi.co.nz #gotaxi #business #cashflow #provisionaltax #lovework

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How did we design Brieff? Through well over 100 hours of customer interviews… …really!! 🤯 We spent 6 months working with the Early Adopters Hub to deeply understand the pain points and workflows of accounting firms in Aus & NZ that deliver advisory services before we even considered building a product.  And boy, did that ingrain in us the importance of customer interviews… and how to conduct them properly – we are forever grateful, Jack Thiel and Yohan Trougouboff! 🙏 Feedback from our users is THE most important thing! 🙋‍♀️ It dictates our product roadmap and informs us what features are valuable / not valuable.📍Along with our Slack group and open office hours, we pick a few firms each month to do in-depth product feedback calls with. We always walk away with golden nuggets to make Brieff better! 💡 Because of these conversations, we have some VERY cool features coming soon... 👀 Here are just a few snippets from our customer conversations! #Advisory #Accountingtech #accounting

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Exciting times for apartment purchasers in NSW! The development landscape is showing promising signs of long-term trustworthiness through Resilience LDI. David Chandler OAM explains that there are now issued Resilience LDI 10-year warranty insurance policies with more projects currently being drawn up. Trustworthy credentials are becoming essential for lenders, governments agencies and consumers alike. This shift promises increased buyer confidence in the construction and real estate market. #LDI #ResilienceInsurance #TrustworthyDevelopers #BuyerConfidence

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1) Patel's Client Understanding Framework This completely changed the way I thought about client needs. digifix.com.au/frameworks 2) Kim's Targeted Content Framework Hang this up in your room—and stare at it every day. digifix.com.au/frameworks 3) Smith's Engagement Strategy Framework I consider this the Bible of audience engagement. digifix.com.au/frameworks 4) Jones's Visibility Booster Framework Struggling with online presence? Read this: digifix.com.au/frameworks 5) Lee's Conversion Optimization Framework Every marketer should read this: digifix.com.au/frameworks 👉 Want to dive deeper into digital marketing success? Visit our website: digifix.com.au #DigitalMarketing #ClientCentric #GrowthHacking #digitalmarketing #digifixaus

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Reflecting on the invaluable advice that has guided me through life's ups and downs. Words of wisdom are timeless treasures. Visit www.keepconnected.com.au #KeepConnected #Organized #Innovation #TechStartup #EntrepreneurialJourney #CentralizedInfo #StreamlineFlow #ProductivityBoost #AdviceToLiveBy

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Fonts are more than just letters on a page—they’re the unsung heroes of brand personality. Just ask Hulsbosch, the Aussie branding maestros behind icons like Coles and Virgin Australia. Their secret weapon? Monotype Fonts. Creative Director Mikey Hart swears by it, likening the discovery to a "Hallelujah moment." With access to over 150,000 fonts, their team is empowered to experiment freely and effortlessly, impressing clients and winning awards along the way. This isn’t just about fonts—it’s about buying back precious creative time and always staying ahead of the trend curve. #CreativeTools #BrandingMagic #MonotypeFonts #DesignInnovation

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It's Techweek NZ, my favourite week of the whole year! Check out all the fantastic events happening around Aotearoa: https://lnkd.in/gMNGi4WJ My goal for this week is to learn more about AI best practices and policies to implement for clients. This is a topic concerning most businesses presently, and I want to improve on my consulting skills in this area. How are you hoping to grow this week? #techweeknz2024 #AI

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🌐 Accelerate Your Cloud Journey with API Connects! The cloud revolution is here, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) is leading the charge with unparalleled scalability, agility, and cost-efficiency. For businesses in New Zealand, navigating AWS can be complex, which is why API Connects partners with enterprises to design, implement, and manage the best cloud solutions. ✨ Our AWS Cloud Services: AWS Security 🔒: Protect your data with top-tier security solutions tailored to the AWS environment. AWS Cloud Migration 🚀: Smooth, secure transitions to the cloud, minimizing downtime. Managed Cloud Services 🛠: Ongoing optimization, maintenance, and support to keep operations seamless. AWS Database Migration 💾: Reliable, secure database migration across platforms. DevOps Automation ⚙️: Automate workflows for faster, efficient development and deployment. Ready to transform your cloud journey? Partner with API Connects and harness the true potential of AWS cloud technology. https://lnkd.in/gwZhr-rU  #cloudcomputing #AWS #cloudmigration #DevOps #digitalinnovation  #NewZealandBusiness #cloudsolutions #newzealand

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