Brad, Lahaina, and Mila are on their way to SXSW 2012! Check back here to catch updates and to see how we are keeping up with our travelers!

API, or application program interface, is a source code base that is released by the developers of an app that allow communication between the platform and third party applications. Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter, to name a few, each have their own APIs that developers can utilize so their apps can communicate with these platforms. The result of this technology is a collaborative atmosphere where information is shared and sometimes even controlled centrally.

Up until recently, I haven’t been exposed a great deal with using APIs. The only APIs I have interacted with are Google Maps and the occasional Facebook commenting system on other websites. Since I’ve become a little more in the know as to what APIs are, and how they can empower an app/service, I’ve become more fond of apps/services that use them.

Path Mobile App

Path, a journal-like, mobile-only software, is an excellent example as to how developers and designers alike are making use of APIs. Path, which is very similar to the popular social media services pointed out above, is actually a hub of sorts. It allows for content published in the app to be pushed to Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Facebook. Path is an interesting step in mobile software. For starters, it is mobile-only, meaning users can only post content from their mobile device. You can still “like” and comment on content in the web version, but only by clicking through a permalink when an update is posted. This facet of the software was a little jarring at first, but what Path has created is an on-the-go social media platform that makes use of these popular services. For me, it made me more willing to trust and engage with the app. Not to mention it’s incredibly well designed.

I’m not necessarily here to plug Path, but I wanted to take a minute and share a service that I enjoy using. Path was an acquired taste, and I think it’s important to note that partnerships with the big players might even help start-ups like Path gain momentum. No one wants to post their content to a service that will die in a few months. With the conceived failure of Google+, I have been left a little exasperated when it comes to the birth of new social media platforms. The fresh approach to Path is they aren’t necessarily introducing something new, rather, they are building on the services we use today. In Path, I am able to check in on Foursquare, push to Twitter, and post pictures and status updates to Facebook. All the while it lives in my Path timeline.

APIs are something a developer or designer (and even client) should consider when starting a project. It is true that APIs are not always viable, but in situations where they are, it creates a more comfortable user experience. In the case of Path, I was at ease using this program as it used the APIs of other services that I have come to know and trust. All of these are important components that factor into the success of an app or service.

Internet users evolve faster than the internet itself. The massive movement of personal data onto the web has triggered the birth and death of many web services. As the internet continues to evolve, with big players like Twitter and Facebook, one can only imagine what happens when those services have failed to keep up with the crowd. In the wake of so many dead web services lie the stale collection of user-generated content. I kind of wish I could take it all back. Problem is not all of it is available in an easy format and the trouble of downloading that content supersedes the sentimental nature of said content. This might be changing as both new and old services begin to see the importance of owning your own content.

When Google+ soft-launched earlier this year, many users worldwide praised its advent; Facebook finally had a competitor. After years of Facebook burnout, I was ready to ditch the social media behemoth for a fresh new service. I found it was easier said than done. The hangup was abandoning years of data; a visual and textual account of my online interactions with people in my life.

I was reading an interview in November’s issue of .net magazine. The interview was with GimmeBar’s founder, Cameron Koczon. GimmeBar is a very promising service, still in beta, that allows for users to collect snippets of text and imagery around the web. It was important for Koczon and the GimmeBar team to allow users to own their curated content. The users of GimmeBar can at any time batch download all their snippets. I can’t describe what a breath of fresh air this idea is. It’s simple, but the implications are profound.

Facebook's new archive feature

Shortly after reading that article, I stumbled upon Facebook’s Archive. I can’t stress how I literally stumbled upon it. This service was launched without much publicity (can you blame them?). This new capability allows for users to download their entire Facebook history. History includes: “your photos, wall posts, messages, and other information” as described in the Account Settings. Both GimmeBar and Facebook provide an archive that is raw data, not a proprietary file structure.

A download capability reflects that users are sharing more sensitive information on platforms that don’t give them complete control. As the web service market continues to expand and evolve, this ability will hopefully be integrated into every service, providing a security and peace of mind to users.

Photo from @jennifercparker

What you get is a conversation about where the creative industry is, and where it is going. This week, DC chapter of AIGA, the American Association for Design, is holding DC’s Annual Design Week. A few of Grafik’s creatives attended their event last night, “Download” which consisted of a panelled discussion from some of the top winners of the AIGA 50’s contest last year. Panels included Jefferson Liu of AKQA, Karen Zuckerman of HZDG, Andrew McClellan of Fleishman-Hillard, and Stefan Poulos of Pappas Group. The panel was moderated by Bill Colgrove of Threespot.

The ongoing theme of the night was interactive design. The panelists presented design challenges their studio faced, and how they were able to solve the communication and format challenges. It was a presentation of iPads, motion graphics, videos, mobile apps, and many other components that make up the exciting field of interaction design. To hear from experienced designers and how they made the transition to interactive media was a testament to the versatility that designers must have.

Andrew McClellan of Fleishman-Hillard said, “Ideas drive technology.” This one simple statement sums up the challenges of the design industry today. As technology rapidly advances and things that were awesome yesterday become mundane today, it is imperative that concept remains at the forefront of the design profession. Concept will always be the staple of good design.

To read more of the discussions, check out #DCDesignWeek or follow @AIGA_DC.

The President of the United States (POTUS) reached out to Americans, and the world at large, by calling for questions regarding important topics affecting the United States. The questions were posted by using #AskObama, which allowed for all tweets to be gathered and monitored. The event was sponsored and hosted by Twitter (http://askobama.twitter.com/) and questions were asked live by Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey and answered by POTUS himself at a press conference in the East Room of the White House. Tweets began to pour into the #AskObama hashtag hours before the event even began. Twitter employed the aid of Mass Relevance, an organization who, according to their website:

Creates relevant and real-time content experiences to engage your audience on TV, web, mobile. [source]

The questions were selected at random using curators. The formula is unknown at the time of this post, but according to the Twitter Townhall homepage yesterday:

Retweet questions you support. Seasoned Twitter users with experience discussing the economy will also retweet questions. Twitter Search algorithms identify the most engaged-with Tweets. [source]

This event marked the first time in history that the POTUS live-tweeted during the event. It is worth noting that “- bo” is the signature of tweets posted by the POTUS himself.

What exactly are the implications of this event, besides the POTUS answering questions from his constituents live via Twitter? It isn’t a mystery that Twitter is a medium that is globally utilized by many companies and organizations to facilitate dialogue with their audience(s). I think the echo of this political event powerfully demonstrates the interfacing capabilities that Twitter can afford and signals the potential for another huge shift in the political sphere and perhaps the marketing sphere as well.

CNN posted an observation that struck me:

[Updated at 3:06 p.m.] Another interesting observation from CNN’s Shawna Shepherd: Obama answers at least twice as many questions at twitter @townhall than he usually answers at news conferences in same time frame. [source].

In the age of Twitter, it is easy for a web/mobile service to become obfuscated by varying objectives and mass amounts of users. For the POTUS to take this opportunity to interface with Americans from all walks of life and along both party lines, makes it clear that Twitter is a force to be reckoned with — a place where anyone’s voice can be heard clearly amidst clutter.

Moreover, it is important to consider the implications of the Twitter Townhall event. Is this the new face of townhall meetings? How can brands of all sizes utilize this form of live exchange as a way to reach their communication objectives? This event raises these important questions regarding new media and its effectiveness. For the first time in history, the POTUS was able to answer questions from Americans of all ages and all locations in a manner that was fast, streamlined, and easy-access for all levels of involvement.

At Grafik, we encourage all of our clients to embrace the dialogue opportunities Twitter can help foster (reminds me of Brad’s Twitter customer service blog post). As seen in this event, Twitter can be used not only as platform to distribute information, but also as a powerful tool that allows you to cut through all the noise and directly converse with your audience whether you are an individual, company, organization or governing body.

If you missed yesterday’s press conference, the video is available at whitehouse.gov.