DS Buttons - A Great Niche Website
April 19, 2007
Generating money online is all about finding a niche market or creating your own. The brilliant bind at DS Buttons have done both. They tapped into the sub-culture of DS gamers and created a simple product unlike any other on the market.
The business model here is awesome. they have a product thats cheap to make, takes minimal effort to make, and costs next to nothing to ship. At well less than $1 a piece to make, you are talking serious profit. I interviewed the guys at DS Buttons to find out a little bit more about this awesome idea and how it came to be.
This is a great niche idea, how did you come up with it?
Thanks! The idea came together while thinking about the unique ad-hoc wireless gaming abilities of the Nintendo DS, and realizing just how passionate the DS community is about the platform. Nintendo’s decision to let DS players engage in wireless gaming sessions regardless of whether or not all participants own the game being played is really forward thinking. It shows they see social gaming as an integral part of the DS, and we hope to help even more people enjoy that experience. But why buttons? They’re a fun way for DS fans to express their enthusiasm for the platform, and a delightfully low-tech way to open themselves up to the possibility of finding new gaming partners for an impromptu match.
What advice would you give other designers in search of a niche product?
Keep an eye out for a niches with particularly passionate users and don’t be afraid to test the waters to see how your idea will be received. Fortunately my friends and collaborators on this project Sean Madden and Tom Watson provided the nudge that transformed DS Buttons from a neat idea into a real product.
Who does the artwork for the DS buttons?
The illustrations are by the talented Christian Lindemann of Linde Design. We got in touch with him about creating some custom art after seeing his work on iStockphoto.
What does the future hold for DS buttons?
Not sure, really, however the DS continues to be a popular platform with a really awesome community so we’ll have to see what happens down the road.
Who designed the DS button website and how did you come up with it?
I was the point man for putting the site design together, but benefited from many helpful suggestions from Tom and Sean. We started by exploring layout ideas through wireframes, moved on to nailing down the visual design approach and kept iterating until we ended up with how the site looks now. Sean tackled turning the comps into the live site. One of my favorite parts of the design is the product photos we took, which I think do a great job both communicating what the buttons are all about and showing how neat they look in their natural habitat, pinned on bags and backpacks.
What made you choose the one page design?
It felt natural to showcase such a fun and simple product in a simple way. There is a progression from top to bottom: first an introduction to the concept behind the buttons, the middle area really shows off the button art and invites visitors to play with creating their own custom set, and the bottom portion has answers at the ready for people who are thinking about ordering.
What type of marketing do you use to promote the DS Button website?
We’ve been really fortunate to get word-of-mouth (word-of-link?) buzz in video game and web design blog circles, so no paid advertising so far. Many thanks to all who have put up a link sharing DS Buttons with their readers!
The drag and drop order feature is great, who is behind that?
Sean and Tom were advocates for the drag and drop cart, and they were right on! It’s a fun and engaging way to create a custom set of buttons. Sean is the javascript whiz who actually made it happen!
When can we see more designs for the buttons?
No set timetable at this point, but we always enjoy receiving requests for which games we should make buttons for next! Send your suggestions to ideas@dsbuttons.com!
Whats your favorite DS game?
Mario Kart, of course!
Font Cheat Sheet for Web Designers
April 19, 2007
I was browsing the Creative Commons section of Flickr today and came across this cool find. Its pretty much a font cheat sheet for designers. I know there are plenty of times I would have liked to have this handy when doing web design work. I just wanted to share this cool find.
This font cheat sheet photo is compliments of Flickr user absoluteSteven
Download a larger printable version of the font cheat sheet for web designers here.
Do you know any other cool cheat sheets?
Blank Product Templates for Graphic Designers
April 19, 2007
Free Blank Product Templates - A one stop source for blank product templates for designers.
I must have spent hours searching the web for blank product templates such as book covers, DVD cases, billboards, boxes, etc. In all those hours searching the web for blank product templates I never came across a resourceful site. That’s where this post comes into play. I’m working on making a collection of blank product templates for graphic designers. From free resources to ones you have to purchase, I’m going to list as many as I can find.
I also ask you help me make this post as useful as possible. If you know of any blank product templates for designers, please share them. It would also help to get this post dug, so as to get it more exposure and help the list grow. That said, here is my list of blank product templates for graphic designers.
Deviant Art - This is the best free resource I have found for blank product templates. Here are some of the best ones on the site:
- DVD Case (Inside)
- T-Shirt
- CD
- 3D Box
- Nintendo DS Game Box
- DVD Case ( front, spine, back )
- iPhone
- Skateboard ( bottom )
- Hoody
- iPod
Stock.Xchng - This website has always been known for some good, free, stock photography. But did you ever think to look for blank product templates here?
- 3 Signs on a Wall
- Large Sign
- Paint Can
- Shampoo Bottle 1
- Lighter
- Lotion Bottle
- Perfume Bottle
- Business Cards
- Open Book
- Blackberry
- Transport Truck
- Signs and Billboards
iStock Photo - These are not free blank product templates, but they are extremly cheap. Only $1 - $5
- City Signage and Billboards
- People with Signs
- Collection of 74 Blank Items
Live Surface Content - This site is far from free, almost expensive. But the good news is that all thier files are Photoshop ready, masked, and divided into layers.
- Signs, products, and more
Free Hi Res Stock Photography
April 19, 2007
Here are some of the latest free stock photos from iStockPhoto.com . They usually have a few free photos and vectors up every week.
I reccomend signing up for the newsletter so you can be in the know about when new free stock photography is up. That said, all
these pictures link to the free photos page, so the images may be different than the ones shown here.
eCards as a Marketing Tool
April 19, 2007
Back in the early days eCards were all the rage. Everyone was sending them. Hell, even my grandmother knew how to send one. Then hype wore off and the interest in eCards seemed to reach a plateau of sorts. eCards may not be as popular as they once were, but thanks to creative animators and companies like Hallmark, the eCard is still alive and kicking.
Think of your eCard as the business card that asexually reproduces.
Who Cares You Ask?
If you haven’t seen a eCard lately, some of them are downright hysterical. Some are still cheesy and lame, but isn’t that cards in general? Check out some of these creative e-cards to get a feel for what Im talking about.
Hoops and Yoyo - Made famous by Hallmark
How to Use eCards for Marketing
Think about it, how many times have you seen something funny on the internet and emailed it to your friends, put in on your blog, or posted to MySpace? That’s the effect you want your eCard to have. The funnier/bizarre/unique your eCard is, the more it will get around the block.
I suppose the creation of a unique eCard is easier if you are a flash designer, but I don’t see why a funny image or animated gif wouldn’t work as well. Perhaps you could use some flash animations from FlashDen.net?
Using Your eCard as a Virtual Business Card
Think of your eCard as the business card that asexually reproduces. You send one to your client as a “thank you” card. He sends it to his partner because its soooo funny. The partner then sends it to his wife…. You see where Im going with this.Novelty eCards
Why not create a few funny and generic eCards and add them to your contact page or your blog? Clients who come to your website might find them interesting and send one toothier friends just for the hell of it. Add a link/watermark to the video and bada-boom bada-bing!
It might not be the most successful marketing campaign, but its cheap and takes little work. What have you got to loose?links for 2007-12-07
April 19, 2007
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Filter Forge - Photoshop Plugin to Create Your Own FiltersA cool photoshop plugin that lets you create your own filters. Lots of free user submitted filters too.
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3D Pool DecorationsSome impressive tile work on the bottom of pools.
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NEURALBRAND - Roceiro Proud™a really cool Illustrator artist who does lots of work for Burton Snowboards and MTV
Web 2.0 Color Cheat Sheet
April 19, 2007
Web 2.0 Colors
I think it’s safe to say that all designers, web or print, are obsessed with color. I mean, who doesn’t like all those pretty colors in icons, chicklets, and well designed logos? I know I do. If you have spent any time browsing the trends that have come with web 2.0 styles, you’re sure to notice the new spectrum of colors emerging around the web.
Now that browsers are able to handle a larger array of colors, designers are definitely taking advantage of it. No longer are we forced to use the most basic and bold of hex colors. Today the web is our pallet and Photoshop our brush.
Among some of my research for web 2.0 inspiration I came across a very useful blog entry from Modern Life. This post showcased a variety of some of the new colors of the web. I decided to take this post a step further and create a Web 2.0 Color Cheat Sheet.Download JPG Here
Enjoy!
Free Photoshop Brushes
April 19, 2007
This is by far one of my favorite and most used photoshop brushes.
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