Audio-based Image Distortion Effects with WebGL

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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tympanus/~3/i6_NN9VRgWA/

We’ve covered in the past how we can read data from Audio, using the p5.sound library and how we can use that data, to draw things in the canvas, using p5.js.

Well, what if instead of drawing a sketch, we used audio to distort an image? Today we want to show you some demos that play around that idea.

We’ve created some experiments using the theme of movie trailers where the background image of the movie poster is being distorted using a sound sample. It kind of adds some drama to an otherwise static image in this case.

Here’s a short video of the beginning of one of the effects:

How it works

We analyze the sound and map the range of frequencies, to some uniforms we pass in our fragment shader. Then depending on the effect/distortion we have, we can tweak different parameters, using the audio frequencies which constantly change overtime.

In our first demo, we create a simple sinewave in our fragment shader, by using the bass frequencies of the audio track to control its frequency and the mid frequencies to control its amplitude. Then we add the distortion in both axes (x & y) of our uv and add that distortion to the initial texture coordinates.

It looks like this:

float wave = sin(uv.y * u_bass + u_time) * u_mid;
vec2 d = vec2(wave); // could be vec2(wave, 0.0) or vec2(0.0, wave) for distortion only in 1 axis.
vec4 image = texture2D(u_texture, uv + d);
gl_FragColor = image;

The possibilities are endless if you want to play around that idea, it’s just a matter of what effect you’re after. Make sure you’re mapping values to your uniforms, that are within a range that can distort your visual, and you can always use some generic uniforms like u_time, that can put some ‘overdrive’ to your distortion.

Head over to the demos and check out the variations we’ve made.

Hope you’ll have fun with this one and be sure to share any of your own versions!

Reference & Credits

p5.jsp5.soundp5jsShaderExamples

Audio-based Image Distortion Effects with WebGL was written by Yannis Yannakopoulos and published on Codrops.

3 Strategies to Follow When Your Site is Failing

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Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2020/02/3-strategies-to-follow-when-your-site-is-failing/

Here are 3 strategies you should consider if your website is struggling. We’ll cover:

Web analytics and split testing
In-person testing
Simplifying your sales process

If possible, implement these strategies ahead of time before you run into any issues. I’m going to cover why these strategies are effective and what they are good at resolving.

1. Analytics and Split Testing

If you don’t know when or where your users are leaving, then you’re missing ou; this is extremely unhelpful if you are selling something.

Analytics will let you see the average amount of time spent per page, and which page your customers are exiting your website from.

If a user views your website and leaves after visiting your homepage without going any further, then you know exactly what to change. If they are spending an excessive amount of time navigating through simple parts of your sales process, then you know something may be wrong, and you should address it.

AB split testing…is particularly good at resolving weak points on your website where visitors are…changing their minds

Depending on which page of your website they are on, you may want them spending more or less time on it. An abnormally high amount of users abandoning their shopping cart might mean your checkout isn’t providing the user with a positive experience.

AB split testing refers to displaying different versions of the same page to different visitors. It is particularly good at resolving weak points on your website where visitors are leaving or changing their minds about going ahead with what you want them to (e.g. buying a product).

Let’s say we have 2000 page visitors, and 70% are leaving immediately from the landing page, and 600 are proceeding forward (30% click-through rate). Instead of presenting one landing page to all visitors, we display two landing pages and show one landing page to half the visitors, and the second landing page to the other half.

We make some changes to the original landing page and send some of the users to the new version and some to the original version. We do this to see if the new landing page will have a better click-through than the original, 30%.

A quick example for a skydiving company: Group A visitors see ‘Book’ in a smaller sized button, whereas Group B visitors see ‘Skydive NOW!’ in a larger sized button. If the ‘Skydive NOW!’ button improves the number of bookings the site receives, we could consider using Group B as the new control and further work on optimising the booking page, perhaps by creating a modification in which ‘Skydive NOW!’ has a different color scheme or is placed in a different position on the page.

This could be a minor re-design, such as changing the color of a button, to something more enticing, or a major re-design.

You can also display more than two versions of a page simultaneously, making multiple modifications, displaying three or more versions to different users. In this case, we would have the original version, A, and two or more modified pages B, C … so on. This can make split testing quicker by immediately testing multiple possibilities but it adds complexity to the process.

2. In-Person Testing

In-person, or remote testing, is a strategy in which you recruit a user to test your website by undertaking various tasks e.g., Buy a specific product and ship it to your home, or find some specific information on your website.

This should be done regularly during the web building process as by doing so when you launch your website, you might uncover major or recurring problems that could have been prevented. If you do it in early development stages, you can use the information from the test to plan before you start building things that don’t work!

If your website is already live and you overlooked testing beforehand, it’s not too late

If your website is already live and you overlooked testing beforehand, it’s not too late. You can still employ a handful of individuals to test it now.

In-person testing is typically done where you supervise an individual and instruct them to carry out certain tasks and take note of how they are navigating your website by seeing the way they browse the page and/or move their mouse. Ask them to think out loud. You should also ask them why they selected that option over another, what they liked about a particular feature, etc. 



If you already know which areas of your website need to be worked on, but you’re unsure of how to improve on it, you could ask your tester for specific insight.

I typically choose three users for testing, as it’s quick, easy, cheap, and manages to uncover lots of flaws I may have overlooked. Having more users testing the website can be beneficial, but typically most users end up pointing out the same weaknesses.

This is an effective strategy because having a handful of people test your website is like having someone read over your writing. You may not pick up on your own mistakes, but someone else will. It’s also important to note that the way (you), a web-designer browses the web is different from how the average person browses the web. You may have a perfect understanding of what is happening on your website because you created it. Still, someone who is using it for the first time won’t have the same knowledge and experience as you and will try to undertake tasks in the simplest, most intuitive way.

Remote testing is the same principle as in-person testing but executed remotely. This may save you the hassle of meeting up, but might mean that you need to use software (such as a camcorder) to monitor their browsing, along with voice or video calling, to discuss the process with them.

3. Simplifying Your Sales Process

Are you taking care of your customers and guiding them through their purchases?

What happens after your user lands on your website? Is there a good value proposition (product, service, or information that is appealing) compelling them to purchase?

Excellent, now you need to make sure the process is transparent and straightforward.

Be upfront about any extra fees or shipping costs. Let them know how long shipping may take. Customers want to feel like they can trust you.

Customers want to feel like they can trust you

Write out an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) addressing common concerns a potential customer may have. E.g., Let’s say I’m buying a dual SIM mobile (two sim cards, one mobile), I want to know which country the product is from, I want to know about the warranty, I may especially want to know details about the phone will store numbers from different cards.

Have an FAQ section addressing general sales questions and a product-specific FAQ. Along with that, address the product specifications and show high-quality photos or videos.

When the customer is satisfied with what they’ve selected, make the checkout process easy. Allow guest checkout if it’s a suitable option for your website. 

Show your customers you care about them and create reasons for them to want to share your website and products. Once you’ve made your sale, send them a follow-up email or little thank you. This will lead to more engagement and a repeat customer. Remember, selling a product isn’t the end goal. Making someone become a lifelong customer is, and you need to facilitate that.

 

Featured image via Unsplash.

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How to Properly Organize Files in Your Codebase & Avoid Mayhem

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Original Source: https://www.sitepoint.com/organize-project-files/?utm_source=rss

How to Properly Organize Files on a Project and Avoid Mayhem

The main library, data, UI, docs and wiki, tests, legacy and third-party components … How do we keep track and maintain order within all of this? Organizing the files in your codebase can become a daunting task.

Relax — we’ve got this! In this article, we’ll review the most common systems for both small and large projects, with some easy-to-follow best practices.

Why Bother?

As with pretty much all of the tasks related to project management — documentation, software commits, deployment — you’ll benefit from taking a conscious, programmatic approach. Not only it will reduce problems now, but it will also save you and your team quality time in the future when you need to quickly access and review things.

You surely can recall function names from the top of your head for whatever is it that you’re coding right now, and quickly find a file you need to edit, and sharply tell what works from what doesn’t — or so you think. But could you say the same about that project you were working on last year?

Let’s admit it: software projects can go on spans of inactivity that last for months, and even years. A simple README file could do a lot for your colleagues or your future self. But let’s think about the other ways you could structure your project, and establish some basic rules to name files, address project documentation, and to some degree organize an effective workflow that would stand the test of time.

Making Sense of Things

We’ll establish a “baseline” for organizing files in a project — a logic that will serve us for a number of situations within the scope of software development.

As with our rules for committing changes to your codebase the right way, none of this is carved in stone, and for what it’s worth, you and your team might come up with different guidelines. In any case, consistency is the name of the game. Be sure you understand (and discuss or dispute) what the rules are, and follow them once you’ve reached a consensus.

The Mandatory Set

This is a reference list of files that nearly every software project should have:

README: this is what GitHub renders for you right under the sourcetree, and it can go a long way to explaining what the project is about, how files are organized, and where to find further information.
CHANGELOG: to list what’s new, modified or discontinued on every version or revision — normally in a reverse chronological order for convenience (last changes first).
COPYING LICENSE: a file containing the full text of the license covering the software, including some additional copyright information, if necessary (such as third-party licenses).
.gitignore: assuming you use Git (you most probably do), this will also be a must to tell what files not to sync with the repository. (See Jump Start Git’s primer on .gitignore and the documentation for more info, and have a look at a collection of useful .gitignore templates for some ideas.)

Supporting Actors

The post How to Properly Organize Files in Your Codebase & Avoid Mayhem appeared first on SitePoint.

Collective #591

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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tympanus/~3/uZWpRlwKcss/

Collective item image

Inspirational Website of the Week: Six N. Five

A very interesting layout with beautiful transitions and great typography. Our pick this week.

Get inspired

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Interactive Toys

A collection of cool interactive demos by Paul Neave.

Check it out

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Styling The Good Ol’ Button Element

In this article, Ahmad Shadeed walks us through the fine details of a button element and how to style it to ensure that it looks good in all browsers.

Read it

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Our Sponsor
Become a successful freelancer

Learn how to develop websites with the most popular WordPress theme in the world and secure your success as a freelancer.

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monica.css

Monica Dinculescu’s super-compact and useful CSS framework.

Check it out

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Fixing memory leaks in web applications

Nolan Lawson shares his experience with fixing memory leaks in web applications, and provides some examples of how to effectively track them down.

Check it out

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Art42

Art42.net showcases an infinite stream of unique AI art from the training of a carefully selected set of cubist art pieces. Based on StyleGAN2. Read some more about it in the HN comments.

Check it out

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The Theory: A Semantic Color System

The first article in a series about how the YNAB team works with colors in their design system.

Read it

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The Three Graces

Paul Henschel is testing out interactive low-key lighting in this amazing demo. Read more in his tweet and check out the source code.

Check it out

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font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums

Sebastian De Deyne shares why he loves “font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums”.

Check it out

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Don’t touch my clipboard

Alex Ellis writes about how you can (but shouldn’t) change how people copy text from your website.

Read it

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CSS Tutorial: Create Diagonal Layouts Like It’s 2020

Nils Binder shows us how to create layouts with diagonal sections in a couple of steps.

Read it

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Yelloworld

A beautiful web experience by Onetold Stories.

Check it out

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BBC Micro bot

Send a tweet to @bbcmicrobot in BBC BASIC and it will run it on a 1980s 8-bit computer emulation and reply with a GIF.

Check it out

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Let’s Define CSS 4

Read the interesting responses to the idea of officially defining “CSS 4”.

Read it

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When CSS Blocks

Tim Kadlec shows why using an outdated preload/polyfill pattern is problematic.

Read it

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Intimacy

A beautiful interactive poem composed with images, sounds and text.

Check it out

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threejs-nuxt-sample

Misaki Nakano’s geometric Nuxt.js project. Find the source code here.

Check it out

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macOS Catalina 10.15: Setting up a Brand New Mac for Development

Tania Rascia’s great guide on setting up a new Mac for development.

Read it

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Svelte-grid

In case you didn’t stumble upon it yet: A draggable and resizable grid layout with responsive breakpoints, for Svelte.

Check it out

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5 monospaced fonts with cool coding ligatures

Matej Latin explores some nice monospaced fonts suitable for coding.

Read it

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YouTube Rewind 2019

Explore the best YouTube moments of 2019.

Check it out

Collective #591 was written by Pedro Botelho and published on Codrops.

Productive Remote Work (When Your Mental Health Says “No”)

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Original Source: https://www.sitepoint.com/productive-remote-work-when-your-mental-health-says-no/?utm_source=rss

Productive Remote Working

Remote work is not easy. It sounds like a dream (and it honestly is in a lot of ways), but there’s a darker side to remote work that one can’t understand until they’ve done it.

Here’s the deal. People that work remotely often suffer from suboptimal mental health, and so you’re probably wondering, why on earth do they do it? Well, the fact is, while remote working comes with some very unique challenges, so does not working remotely. The difference is that remote work can offer the flexibility you need to build a lifestyle that suits you.

people sitting at table with laptop

Indeed, remote work isn’t a silver bullet for burnout or wanderlust, but if you do happen to try it out and eventually wind up succumbing to loneliness, or a lack of motivation or productivity (as many remote workers do), at least you’ll have the opportunity to change things up and make things better.

In the eyes of many, it’s the lesser of two evils.

That being said, attempting to diagnose what your mind and body needs isn’t that easy. What might work one day might not work on another day, and what might work for one individual might not work for another individual. Humans are complex, and in the case of remote work, everyday productivity tricks often don’t cut it.

Let’s take a look.

“I feel lonely”

Loneliness is a big issue (maybe the biggest?) for freelance remote workers and digital nomads in foreign countries, but it can also affect those that work in distributed teams (especially when some team members aren’t remote, as one can feel like an outsider at work using this setup). Let’s look at the solutions.

Utilize co-working spaces

Co-working spaces aren’t for everyone. If you teach English, it’s obviously a no-no (not because of the noise, but because the noise would be distracting to other remote workers). If you’re only required to dive into the odd video call, though, many co-working spaces include a few hours of “booth time”.

Throw in super-fast Wi-Fi, free coffee, daily events, and a likeminded crowd, joining a co-working space is like joining a community, and some co-working spaces (such as Hubud) and Dojo Bali) are literally famous! Good vibes = a huge motivation boost.

happy co-workers sitting with laptops on comfy chairs

Work from bars and cafés

Cafés and bars work well too. The noise and seating options might be a tad unpredictable, and when going to a new place one has to find the Wi-Fi password, but all in all the experience is very much the same. It’s still fairly easy to meet other people, as it’s likely that you won’t be the only regular customer.

Pro-tip: download Wi-Fi Map app to get the Wi-Fi passwords of networks near you!

My favourite café — October Coffee Gaya, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia)

The post Productive Remote Work (When Your Mental Health Says “No”) appeared first on SitePoint.

The Untold History of Nike Slogan — Just do it — and How to Easily Identify Fonts From Slogans

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Original Source: https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/untold-history-of-nike-slogan/

Nike has a super history about which I highly recommend you to find out more. It is inspiring for everyone, but particularly for people looking to work on their own or entrepreneurs preparing to…

Visit hongkiat.com for full content.

Computer Programming vs. Web Design: What’s the Difference?

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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Designrfix/~3/JxfF_kWOobE/computer-programming-vs-web-design-whats-the-difference

Programming with its terms and field-specific occupations may be difficult for an outsider to understand. In a lot of articles, you can see web designers, web developers, and programmers mixed in one pot. However, there are obvious differences in these fields. It’s important to understand even subtle details, whether you’re a newbie or a student. […]

The post Computer Programming vs. Web Design: What’s the Difference? appeared first on designrfix.com.

The Latest Research for Web Designers, February 2020

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Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2020/02/the-latest-research-for-web-designers-february-2020/

In the following roundup of the latest research for web designers, I’ve included reports and surveys that shed light on: The battle between mobile and desktop, Why so many websites keep getting hacked, What’s keeping ecommerce business owners awake at night, and What Google is now saying about mobile-first indexing.

Hootsuite Puts a Spotlight on Mobile

Although Hootsuite is a social media marketing tool, its Digital 2020 report (created in conjunction with We Are Social) reveals much more about the state of marketing as a whole than just social media.

As of January 2020, the total number of users has reached 4.5 billion. That’s a 7% growth from the same period in 2019.

A huge contributor of that growth is the increased adoption of Internet-connected devices all around the world:

This graphic alone demonstrates why it’s crucial for websites to be able to cater to a global user base and not just those in developed nations.

Another telling statistic from this report shows how much more Internet users are coming to rely on their mobile phones:

Between December 2018 and December 2019, there was an 8.6% leap in the amount of mobile web traffic. Laptops and desktops shrunk in popularity during that same timeframe as did tablets, which saw a massive dip in usage.

It’s not just the amount of traffic on mobile vs. web that’s seen changes either. It’s the amount of time users spend on those devices. As a whole, consumers spend 6 hours and 43 minutes online every day; 3 hours and 22 minutes of which is from their mobile devices.

Key Takeaway

If you’re not already building progressive web apps for clients, 2020 may be the perfect time to learn how to do so. Not only do they provide a superior experience for mobile users, but they also are capable of serving users who may not have the best Internet connectivity or live in close proximity to your web servers.

Sucuri Reveals What Was Going on with Hacked Sites in 2019

The Sucuri Hacked Website Threat Report just came out with some interesting data on the state of web security.

Let’s start by looking at the integrity of the content management systems web designers commonly use:

Out of all the infected websites Sucuri found last year, 56% of them had an outdated CMS. As you can see above, some users do a better job of protecting their core by updating their CMS technology. Others… not so much.

It’s not just content management systems that users are failing to update either. More than two-thirds have websites using PHP versions that are no longer supported (i.e. 5.x and 7.0).

Then, there’s the fact that websites with vulnerabilities weren’t just found to have one vulnerability. 44% of vulnerable websites had at least two vulnerable components and 10% had four or more.

Considering this, it’s no surprise that once-infected websites have a tendency to be reinfected.

Key Takeaways

On average, Sucuri cleaned up 147 files and 232 database entries for every malware infection detected. Even if those numbers are improvements from previous years, think about how costly the cleanup is going to be for your clients if or when that happens to them.

So, rather than focus strictly on web design or development in the coming years, start thinking about how you can weave website security into the mix. Whether you want to provide maintenance services for live websites or you want to build security measures into a websites in development, it’s up to you.

But something needs to be done to fix this systemic issue.

A Better Lemonade Stand Shares Results from eCommerce Survey

For those of you working with ecommerce clients (or who want to), this survey from A Better Lemonade Stand is one to pay close attention to.

Right off the bat, the survey reveals that 62.1% of people who want to start an ecommerce business have yet to do so. As for why they haven’t, there are a variety of reasons given:

Pay close attention to these reasons as you can use them to sell your ecommerce design services as a solution:

The monetary investment
A lack of know-how
A lack of time to do so

You can also use survey data from current ecommerce owners to better position your business before prospective clients:

Here you can see what ecommerce business owners report as their biggest struggles. Five of the top ten you can easily help them out with:

Getting traffic
Conversion optimization
Strategy & analytics
Branding & design
Operations & customer service (through the website, at least)

Key Takeaway

You can present ecommerce business owners in the making with a cost-effective done-for-you option as well as proof of how quickly you can get them an ROI (like with a case study) if they’re really worried about cost. They need to see how your expertise will save them time and make them more money in the long run.

The same goes for clients with existing businesses. You now know what their top concerns are. If you see a flailing ecommerce site, use this knowledge to get the conversation started and to pose your own solution. Again, just make sure you have proof to back up what you promise to do.

Google Updates Mobile-First Indexing Best Practices

Think you know all that you need to know to design a mobile-first website? Well, Google just updated its mobile-first indexing best practices.

Here’s a high-level overview of what the new best practices state:

If you’re using the robots metatag, make sure it’s the same for mobile and desktop.
Use the same URLs for your mobile and desktop sites.
Use the same content on mobile as you do on desktop. If you think there should be less content on mobile, just make sure that whatever is desktop-only isn’t critical for Google or visitors to know about as it won’t factor into indexing at all.

In other words, Google is strictly using mobile for the purposes of indexing. If you do anything that compromises what Google can scan on your mobile website, your rank will suffer as a result.

By keeping things consistent between mobile and desktop, you can reduce the chance of any issues arising.

Be sure to check out the full report for all of Google’s new recommendations. There’s information in there about what kinds of image and video formats to use along with information on lazy loading.

Key Takeaway

If you were adhering to Google’s former guidelines, it’s a good time to check back in with what it’s currently recommending. You may need to reconnect with old clients to let them know about the changes and to provide them with an update strategy.

Wrap-Up

There’s always new industry or consumer research that can help you do better work for your clients and make more money in the process. It’s just not always easy to keep your eyes peeled for it when you’re trying to focus on your job.

If you stay tuned to WebDesigner Depot each month, though, you’ll get a roundup of the latest research for web designers to give you a hand.

 

Featured image via Unsplash.

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10 Amazing Web Design Showcases

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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/1stwebdesigner/~3/kXQ36J6hxp4/

Web design is an amazingly versatile way to convey information. While many websites are standardized and follow a specific template, others break the mold and offering something a bit different. No matter what design choices are made, the message you want your site to get across still needs to come through. Looking at excellent examples of web design can serve as a source of inspiration before pursuing your next project. Here, we’ve put together a solid collection of web design showcases, each of which features hundreds of examples of web designs that innovate, educate, and inspire.

Your Web Designer Toolbox

Unlimited Downloads: 500,000+ Web Templates, Icon Sets, Themes & Design Assets


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Awwwards – Website Awards – Best Web Design Trends

Awwwards - web design showcases

Awwwards is a web design award website that features some of the most innovative and creative designs from all over the web. The sites featured are always changing, so it’s a great place to bookmark and revisit.

CSS Design Awards

CSS Design Awards - web design showcases

This site is another web design award website. It’s primary focus is showcasing how CSS can be utilized more creatively. It’s a well-spring of inspiration.

Site Inspire

Site Inspire - web design showcases

Here’s another site that features interesting web designs that you could draw inspiration from.

One Page Love

One Page Love - web design showcases

As its name would suggest, One Page Love shines a light on one-page websites and the innovative designs that can be created within this format.

Designmodo

Designmodo

Designmodo is a popular site that features information about all aspects of web design. However, they do have many dedicated articles for web design showcases and inspiration. Checking them out will give you plenty of ideas.

Dribbble

Dribbble

Dribbble is a site where designers can showcase their work and get hired for their work. However, you can use it for strictly browsing as well. Checking out the showcase of the latest designs uploaded is sure to inspire.

CSS Nectar

CSS Nectar - web design

Here’s another collection of web designs that emphasize the different ways CSS can be used in your work.

Web Design Showcases

Web Design Showcases

Now this site is simply a collection of web design showcases. Each highlights a different design style or design element.

Web Design Inspiration

Web Design Inspiration

As its name suggests, this site is all about the web design inspiration. Feature after feature of stunning designs are certain to leave you with a new perspective about how to approach your work.

 ZURB Foundation Showcase

ZURB Foundation Showcase

The Zurb Foundation showcase includes over 250 websites that are built on the Foundation framework. If Foundation is your jam, this collection will leave you flush with ideas.

Get Inspired

If you’re looking for web design inspiration, take some time out of your day to browse the web design showcases featured here. If something catches your eye, see how you can incorporate it into your work. Be sure to have a look at our own web design inspiration articles for even more finds!

Cover photo courtesy of ShotStash


What To Do If People Hate Your Brand Mascot

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Original Source: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2020/02/people-hate-brand-mascot-guide/

What To Do If People Hate Your Brand Mascot

What To Do If People Hate Your Brand Mascot

Suzanne Scacca

2020-02-17T13:00:00+00:00
2020-02-17T21:38:41+00:00

There are a number of reasons why businesses decide to use mascots to represent their brands:

They want there to be a friendly and reliable face to welcome visitors to the site.
They know they need something more than an inventory of products to make an emotional connection with shoppers.
They want a strong and recognizable personality that can tie all of their marketing channels together.

While it’s clear that mascots can be invaluable for the business-consumer connection, there’s a very thin line between mascots turning customers into loyal advocates and sending prospects running away in fear.

If you’re struggling to get traction on an existing website and fear the mascot might have something to do with it, this post is for you. You should also keep reading if you’re designing a mascot from-scratch and aren’t sure how to create something your audience will fall in love with.

There’s a very thin line between brand mascots turning customers into loyal advocates and sending prospects running away in fear.

“

Things You Can Do to Create a Brand Mascot People Love

Not everyone is going to get as lucky as TinyPNG, which has had the same brand mascot for years.

This was the mascot that sat at the top of the page in 2014:

TinyPNG website 2014

A snapshot of the TinyPNG website in 2014 with its panda mascot. (Image source: TinyPNG) (Large preview)

Here it is again in 2017, only it’s a bit brighter and larger in size:

TinyPNG website 2017

A snapshot of the TinyPNG website in 2017 with its panda mascot. (Image source: TinyPNG) (Large preview)

The mascot also started appearing with a crown on the bottom right. This callout encouraged users to subscribe to the Pro tool.

To this day, the website continues to use the mascot in this manner (and with nearly the same layout and content):

TinyPNG website 2020

A snapshot of the TinyPNG website in 2020 with its panda mascot. (Image source: TinyPNG) (Large preview)

The panda mascot works for a number of reasons. It looks very happy, for one. Also, it’s got a welcoming presence, like “Hey, I’m just chilling here, eating my bamboo. Feel free to upload your images whenever.” And it’s downright adorable.

But not every seemingly happy, friendly or cute brand mascot works out this well. Mascots are a subjective thing. It’s like they always say: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So, if your audience doesn’t interpret the attractiveness, humor or personality of the mascot as the original creators did, it’s going to be a problem for the business as a whole.

Let’s take a look at what your options are if you suspect that your client’s brand mascot isn’t as adored as they hoped it would be.

Option #1: Modernize It

The first thing to think about is whether or not the mascot is worth salvaging. Is there anything good about the mascot or its personality… or should you start over?

Don’t just go based on your gut. Do some market research and throw some user surveys out there. Maybe message old customers of your client or do a poll on Twitter. You need to know why the mascot isn’t hitting the mark.

Is it boring?
Does it look too much like other mascots?
Is it difficult to tell what it is?
Is it inconsistent with the rest of the website’s messaging and vibe?
Does it fail to reflect the target audience well?
Does it look outdated?

Once you’ve nailed down what’s wrong, it’s time to redesign it. Let’s look at some websites that have given their mascots facelifts over the years, starting with HostGator:

HostGator website 2012

A snapshot of the HostGator website from 2012 with its alligator mascot logo and imagery. (Image source: HostGator) (Large preview)

This is what the HostGator website looked like in 2012. The alligator mascot had a heavy presence in the header of the website. His head also appears to be peaking out of the main banner.

Fast forward to 2017 and we see a different side of the HostGator mascot:

HostGator website 2017

A snapshot of the HostGator website from 2017 with its mascot slightly revamped. (Image source: HostGator) (Large preview)

For starters, the alligator in the logo is much smaller, so we can now see the entire body. This gives it a more human-like feeling as opposed to the bottomless gator which more closely resembles a puppet.

The mascot in the main banner is designed the same way it’s always been designed (including the facial expression). However, it’s now donning winter gear for a seasonal touch.

Since then, HostGator has given its mascot a major touchup:

HostGator website 2020

A snapshot of the HostGator website in 2020 with a redesigned alligator mascot. (Image source: HostGator) (Large preview)

Do you know what this redesign looks like to me? It looks like the CGI used in The Irishman.

The Irishman CGI touchup Joe Pesci

Vulture magazine shares a side-by-side look at CGI in the movie The Irishman from Netflix. (Image source: HostGator) (Large preview)

I’m not sure if that was the intention behind HostGator’s mascot redesign, but I’m going to assume that there was some user feedback that suggested that a softer and less intimidating mascot would perform better.

Another website that’s given its well-known mascot a touch-up is Chuck E. Cheese.

This was the Chuck E. Cheese website in 2011:

Chuck E. Cheese website 2011

A snapshot of the Chuck E. Cheese website from 2011 with its cartoon mouse mascot (Image source: Chuck E. Cheese) (Large preview)

Not even a decade ago, the Chuck E. Cheese website and its mascot looked like something out of Nickelodeon. Obviously, a design like this would’ve needed an upgrade no matter what considering how much web design has changed.

This is what the website looks like today:

Chuck E. Cheese website 2020

A snapshot of the Chuck E. Cheese website in 2020 without a mascot. (Image source: Chuck E. Cheese) (Large preview)

Gone are the crazy color palette and illustrations. Today, the website is much more subdued and customer-centric.

That said, the mascot pops up from time-to-time. Obviously, though, it’s undergone a much-needed redesign:

Chuck E. Cheese mascot 2020

The Chuck E. Cheese mascot in 2020. (Image source: Chuck E. Cheese) (Large preview)

The new mascot is still a buck-toothed mouse with a welcoming smile and wave. However, it looks more on par with the kinds of animations you’d see coming out of Pixar than old Saturday morning cartoons.

Even if there’s nothing necessarily wrong with the mascot your website is using, it might be worth looking at upgrading it so it better fits with the times as Chuck E. Cheese has done.

Option #2: Change The Tone Of It

Mascots can be really helpful at getting a brand’s message across — over and over again. However, there may be times when the kind of mascot you’ve chosen (or a lack of one) actually stands in the way of the message you’re trying to convey.

Take the old GEICO mascot: the caveman.

GEICO website 2005 - caveman

A snapshot of the GEICO website in 2005 when it featured the caveman mascot. (Image source: GEICO) (Large preview)

I don’t know that there was anything wrong with the caveman advertisements. They were smart and funny and were lauded for taking on the subject of political correctness.

That said, GEICO’s customer data must’ve told them that a change-up was needed. Maybe the messaging was too serious or the humor went over some people’s heads.

So, they scrapped the caveman mascot for an animated Cockney-accented gecko:

GEICO website 2020 - gecko

A snapshot of the GEICO website in 2020 with its gecko mascot. (Image source: GEICO) (Large preview)

Whereas the cavemen were always offended and storming off whenever someone would say “It’s so easy a caveman could do it”, this anthropomorphic mascot is a much more lighthearted figure in the GEICO landscape. The gecko is always there, ready to provide tips on how to get the most with GEICO.

In other words, it might not be enough to change your mascot to an adorable critter. You might also need to switch up your messaging, too.

While I was writing my last article on mobile storytelling, I did some digging into the alcohol industry. One company, in particular, stood out for its use of a human mascot and storyteller: Aviation Gin.

Now, what I hadn’t covered in that write-up was the fact that Aviation Gin has been around for a while. It was founded in the mid-2000s, long before current co-owner and mascot Ryan Reynolds had anything to do with it.

This was the Aviation Gin website in 2007:

Aviation Gin website 2007

A snapshot of the Aviation Gin website from 2007. (Image source: Aviation Gin) (Large preview)

Granted, these are the early days of the web, so we can’t expect much in the way of design. However, as far as mascots go, there are none to be seen. Unless you count the actual bottle of Aviation Gin.

Nearly 10 years later, Aviation Gin was still rocking the product-centric design:

Aviation Gin website 2016

A snapshot of the Aviation Gin website in 2016. (Image source: Aviation Gin) (Large preview)

It was still very simple in design and the bottle of gin remained the sole focus. Aside from some industry awards, Aviation Gin wasn’t the media darling it is now.

In 2018, Ryan Reynolds bought shares in the company and changed the whole tone of the brand:

Aviation Gin website 2020

A snapshot of the Aviation Gin website in 2020 featuring Ryan Reynolds. (Image source: Aviation Gin) (Large preview)

Today, Ryan Reynolds has become the face of Aviation Gin, pushing it at every turn on his social media. It hasn’t changed the direction of the company itself, but by having a human mascot like Reynolds on its side, the message (and likely the audience, too) has changed.

It’s also opened the brand up to bigger opportunities, like Reynolds’ latest announcement about their partnership with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show:

So, if you have a website that performs just “okay” with its audience, a change of tone and pace might be needed. And if you don’t have a mascot yet or one that’s not a good fit, creating one that’s well-designed for a modern-day audience might be exactly what you need.

Option #3: Minimize Its Presence On The Website

Let’s say the mascot’s design and the message it brings with it isn’t the problem. What you suspect is that it’s the amount of space given to it that’s the problem.

This is easy enough to confirm with A/B testing. You’ll just need to study your heatmaps as well as your user personas to come up with some hypotheses about where your mascot should or should not be on the site.

Let’s use Cats Who Code as an example. This was the website back in 2009:

Cats Who Code website 2009

A snapshot of the Cats Who Code website in 2009 with cat logo and imagery. (Image source: Cats Who Code) (Large preview)

Back then, cats were quite prevalent on the site, from the laptop-using cat in the header to the cats in the blog images. What’s more, the tagline of the site “Learn as fast as I catch mice!” made it perfectly clear that the kind of “cats” referred to here wasn’t referring to hip or cool cats. It really was referring to the furry pet.

Skip ahead to 2014 and the cat mascot and tagline has received a makeover:

Cats Who Code website 2014

A snapshot of the Cats Who Code website from 2014 with a new mascot. (Image source: Cats Who Code) (Large preview)

For starters, the mascot has gone from a small tabby to a large black-and-white cat. In addition, the website’s tagline now reads “100% animal-friendly web development blog”. Those are both pretty significant changes.

Now, let’s look at the website in the present day:

Cats Who Code website 2020

A snapshot of the Cats Who Code website in 2020. (Image source: Cats Who Code) (Large preview)

The cat mascot no longer exists in its previous iterations. Now, it’s relegated to a small cat-like icon with code brackets where its face used to be. The website’s cat-friendly messaging is gone, too.

Whether it’s because the cat imagery was distracting or people didn’t like it, this website has undergone a drastic change. Everything is now very buttoned-up.

Another brand that cut back on the appearance of its mascot is Green Giant.

This was the website in 2013:

Green Giant website 2013

A snapshot of the Green Giant website and its mascot in 2013. (Image source: Green Giant) (Large preview)

The jolly green giant mascot is front-and-center on the home page. This is in addition to all the small appearances it makes in every product featured on the site.

In 2016, however, the giant’s likeness was removed from the hero banner and moved up to the logo:

Green Giant website 2016

A snapshot of the Green Giant website in 2016 with the mascot in the logo. (Image source: Green Giant) (Large preview)

It looks like the company was experimenting here, trying to see if moving the mascot’s face to the logo would give them more room to allow their products to shine.

In 2020, though, there’s barely any trace of the mascot left:

Green Giant website 2020

A snapshot of the Green Giant website in 2020. (Image source: Green Giant) (Large preview)

The mascot is gone from the logo as well as the hero image… sort of. It’s subtle, but the mascot’s shadow remains.

The website now appears to be more focused towards sustainability and its mission to contribute to a better world. In that sense, it’s completely justified why the mascot and even the blatant pushing of its products would be moved out of the way.

So, if you feel like your mascot might be getting in the way of getting your point across or perhaps the brand has evolved in a way where a cartoonish figure no longer fits, test out other ways to keep your mascot but in a very lowkey way.

Option #4: Lean Into The Creepiness/Weirdness/Ugliness

One other option you have is to lean into it.

Obviously, you shouldn’t go this route if customers find the mascot to be offensive or boring. If it’s just not working and there’s no way to turn the situation around, just scrap the mascot altogether. You’ll be better off focusing on strengthening your content and building trust that way than to push an already delicate situation.

That said, if you feel like people are reacting negatively to the mascot because of how novel or different it is, then you might want to go crazy with it and see what happens. Before I show you an example of a website that does this, I’m going to show you a real-world example of a sports mascot that turned haters into the biggest of fans.

I was living outside of Philadelphia around the time the Flyers hockey team introduced their new mascot Gritty. It didn’t go over well — at first.

This is how they introduced Gritty:

Philadelphia Flyers Gritty mascot

The Philadelphia Flyers introduce their mascot Gritty on Twitter. (Image source: Twitter) (Large preview)

Here are some of the initial responses people had to the creature with the giant beer gut and flaming-orange googly eyes:

@shocks23 speculated about its origins:

Twitter speculation about Gritty mascot

Twitter user @shocks23 suspects the Flyers’ mascot has a seedy past. (Image source: Twitter)

@aclee_clips expressed fear:

Twitter user scared of Gritty

Twitter user @aclee_clips is horrified by the Philadelphia Flyers’ new mascot. (Image source: Twitter)

And, like so many others, @mirtle was shocked and confused:

Twitter user confused about Gritty mascot

Twitter user @mirtle expresses confusion about Philadelphia Flyers’ mascot. (Image source: Twitter)

However, this isn’t a story of a brand mascot that failed.

The city of Philadelphia (along with the rest of the world) eventually fell in love with Gritty after it posed Kim Kardashian-like with a champagne bottle and entered the arena on a wrecking ball Miley Cyrus-style.

Gritty the mascot meme

Flyers mascot Gritty gets cheeky by posing with a champagne glass on his bum. (Image source: Twitter)

Over the past couple of years, Gritty has worked very hard to win the hearts of consumers bringing a fun and lighthearted approach to everything it does both on the ice as well as off. And win the hearts it has.

Take, for instance, an incident that happened earlier this year when Gritty was accused of hitting a child at a game. The accusation was investigated and Gritty was cleared of the charges. Through it all, fans had the mascot’s back.

Twitter users love team mascot Gritty

Twitter users love Gritty even in the face of scandal. (Image source: (Image source: Twitter)

If you can create a mascot with the right kind of personality, message and purpose, your website and brand will be able to experience this kind of die-hard fandom and support.

That said, this is social media we’re talking about. While the Flyers’ have gone all-in on showing off Gritty in the most awkward of situations or while humorously riffing on pop culture, the website itself only has one page where the mascot appears:

Get to Know Gritty fan page

The Get to Know Gritty fan page on the Philadelphia Flyers website. (Image source: Philadelphia Flyers (Large preview)

So, leaning into an awkward/strange/nightmare-inducing mascot might not be right for every site. Here’s one very well-known example where it was the right call:

This is the Mucinex website from 2010:

Mucinex website 2010

A snapshot of the Mucinex website in 2010 featuring its fat, green mucus mascot. (Image source: Mucinex) (Large preview)

If you ask me, this is one of the grossest mascots ever created. It’s literally mucus in human-like form. And yet, it works somehow because it’s done in a humorous manner.

In 2015, Mr. Mucus took on a sweaty and ill-looking appearance:

Mucinex website 2015

A snapshot of the Mucinex website in 2015 with its mucus mascot. (Image source: Mucinex) (Large preview)

This is the only look we get at Mr. Mucus on the website and I’m not sure it worked out very well for the brand. That may be because the mascot resembles Jabba the Hutt instead of a fun-loving mucus ball you want to watch walk down the aisle with Mrs. Mucus.

Nevertheless, the company pushed forward with the mascot, giving it even more airtime. The 2020 version of the website has Mr. Mucus appearing in various states:

Mucinex website 2020 - Mr. Mucus nervous

The Mucinex 2020 website shows off Mr. Mucus in different states. This is the mascot nervous about shipping. (Image source: Mucinex) (Large preview)

This looks similar to the Mr. Mucus we saw in 2015. However, something about the messaging in this banner gives his facial expression and clammy skin a different vibe this time around. It says, “Please don’t order this cold medicine. I don’t want to go away!”

In another banner image, we see Mr. Mucus rocking a dad bod alongside a message about working out:

Mucinex website 2020 - Mr. Mucus dad bod

The Mucinex 2020 website shows off Mr. Mucus in different states. This is the mascot with its dad bod. (Image source: Mucinex) (Large preview)

The mascot is still pretty gross, but there’s no denying how funny this image is. And then you have this banner that’s targeted at cold remedies for kids:

Mucinex website 2020 - Mr. Mucus kid

The Mucinex 2020 website shows off Mr. Mucus in different states. This is the mascot in kid form. (Image source: Mucinex) (Large preview)

I’m not sure if this is supposed to be Mr. Mucus as a kid or the child he had with Mrs. Mucus, but it’s another creative adaptation of the mascot.

According to CBC, Mucinex made a ton of money after launching its Mr. Mucus campaign in 2004, more than doubling its profits. And despite Mr. Mucus being one of the most recognizable mascots, it is also one of the least liked, too.

In this case, being hated was a good thing. Mucinex wanted its customers to be disgusted by Mr. Mucus. The whole purpose of the company is to help people fight off phlegmy throats and stuffed noses.

So, before you throw your hated mascot away, think about where the hate is coming from and if you can make it work to your advantage in another way.

If you can create a mascot with the right kind of personality, message and purpose, your website and brand will be able to experience this kind of die-hard fandom and support.

“

Wrapping Up

If your website could benefit from a little levity, a mascot would be a fantastic way to draw visitors into the content of your website as well as into the brand’s story. That doesn’t mean that every mascot should draw laughs or be shocking. There are plenty of recognizable and well-loved mascots that have subdued personalities. It’s all about working with the personality of your brand and fitting a mascot to it.

Further Reading on SmashingMag:

Transforming Lufthansa’s Brand Strategy: A Case Study
Brand Illustration Systems: Drawing A Strong Visual Identity
Analyzing Your Company’s Social Media Presence With IBM Watson And Node.js
The Case For Brand Systems: Aligning Teams Around A Common Story

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