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harryvann

About harryvann

https://www.harryvann.co.uk

Posts by Harry Vann:

Wunderlist – Using A To-Do List App Properly

Wunderlist – Using A To-Do List App Properly

Photo: Montgo, 2018
Photo: Montgo, 2018

How to organise your life with Wunderlist

I love being unnecessarily organised, it helps with everything!

My journey to becoming organised has been through various different phases. From colour coordinated school files (cool, right?), to beautifully categorised Dropbox folders, and now – my To-Do List App. 

Over the years I tried several different ways of managing my To-Do List. From the trusty pen and paper, to the notes app on my iPhone. I had tried and tested several apps too, without one of them sticking! 

However it was 2018, that I gave one app another chance, and it is called Wunderlist. 

Why is Wunderlist so great? 

In addition to this app being completely FREE, it is also completely amazing! You can have it on multiple devices, it syncs all together and has the following fabulous features: 

\"Wunderlist

  1. Grouped T0-Do Lists 
  2. Sub To-Do\’s within each To-Do (it sounds confusing but keep reading…) 
  3. Notes within a To-Do
  4. Shared To-Do Lists
  5. Reminders
  6. Due dates

All of these things really get me going in the morning, and it allows my brain to breathe. Some say that using a To-Do list actually reduces your brain power. Really? I would rather that than forget something super important and look like an idiot to be honest! 

How I use Wunderlist

You can use this app for both work and personal matters. I have categories for my business, a shared one with my partner, one for random ideas, one for books to read… the list goes on! The great thing about these categories is that everything isn\’t just lumped into one long list.

My favourite Wunderlist list category has to be \’Things to watch\”. You know when you\’re out with friends or socialising with people at a party, and they tell you about this amazing film you have to see. Oh wait, you don\’t remember the name because you didn\’t write it down… Now I always remember,  because it\’s in my \”Things to watch\” category! 

When it comes to my business, I always have a To-Do for each client, which includes all the things I have to do for that project. My favourite thing to use is the notes section, here I put the hex code for each colour in their brand palette. Oh my is this useful when you need to access this 1000 times per day.

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Wunderlist was incredibly useful when I was designing the website for Janet Boddy. Due to the huge number of art pieces that I had to sort through, having an accurate way of checking them off when edited/uploaded was essential. 

One thing that I don\’t use at the moment is the Inbox, Today and Week categories. These are built in, but I haven\’t found a reason to use them right now.

Using Wunderlist on my Mac

For those that know me I am a cold blooded Apple Mac user. Over the years I have honed and tweaked how I use it for maximum productivity. 

I wanted to share my setup with Wunderlist, for those that might want to use it like I do! \"Mac

On the left, I have my mail app in full screen, in the middle is my desktop, and on the right is Franz and Wunderlist half & half. 

This means that with a quick gesture I can access my email, messages and To-Do list. 

Hope you found this useful, and as always, send me a message if you have any questions! 

Thanks,

Harry

Download The App
How to write website conent

How to write website conent

Photo: Heaton Road Telephone, 2018
Photo: Heaton Road Telephone, 2018

Website copy: 3 ways to get it right.

If you are selling a product or service on a website (or even promoting yourself), do the following to get your website copy right!

Your potential customers need to be convinced in the first 5 seconds of landing on your site. There are several things that you can do to keep them there, improve readability and maximise SEO. If you are reading this sentence, you\’re over the 5 second limit 😉

Keep going, I promise you will learn something interesting.

1. Keep sentences short: no longer than 20 words each

Long sentences lose people.

Now that everyone stares at their phone walking down the street, you have to write short so you don\’t lose them. Break your paragraphs down as well, because no one likes a long paragraph unless you\’re reading a novel.

If you\’re using a CMS system like Wordpress, Magento or Typo 3, I would really recommend downloading the plugin Yoast SEO. It helps you with writing as you do it, giving you a readability score and offering suggestions.

2. Don\’t over use \”we\”. We don\’t like it

\”We\”, This is a word that people don\’t connect with (in most uses). Yet so many businesses make the mistake of repeating it over and over in their website copy.

We are the best Italian restaurant in London and we know what works for our customers.

No.

We doesn\’t work. It doesn\’t allow your potential customer to imagine being your customer or experiencing your service. Instead, get a testimonial from a previous customer:

Easily my favourite restaurant in London! – Katie, Brockley

Testimonials build trust, which is one of the most important things to achieve with your new customer.

3. Break your text up with headings

A long page of paragraphs looks like a long page of paragraphs.

However, a long page of paragraphs with large headings is easy to navigate, and allows the user to find what they need! You might have a vegan customer, and they definitely don\’t want to know about your amazing butter fried lamb…

Additionally, headings are fantastic for your SEO. Use keywords about each service in each heading, and additionally in the text below that heading.

4. One more thing…!

Be careful using exclamation marks!

Use them sparingly!

Otherwise your otherwise well written content will look silly!

Please bear in mind that this advice is suitable for most businesses and people. However, if you have a very specialised service or something that needs detail then it might not be for you.

If you have any questions about this, or want to some help with writing for your blog or website, get in touch!

Thanks,
Harry

Online Privacy is sexy

Online Privacy is sexy

Photo: Bristol Window Cat, 2017
Photo: Bristol Window Cat, 2017

Privacy is dead, but can it be revived?

Privacy is a topic more and more people are awakening to, especially considering there is basically no online privacy nowadays.

In the UK we have a mass invasion of privacy with the merging of big data and surveillance. More often than not I am seeing those big \’ACCEPT ALL\’ buttons on websites you visit for the first time. It is then incredibly difficult to click through and uncheck those cookie requests.

Yes, GDPR has been a good thing, but already companies are finding ways around it. Most people browsing on their smartphones just want to get to the content as quickly as possible, so will tap accept all. However, the implications of this are massive!

Furthermore, capitalism in the form of the internet has turned each of us into a product to make money from. You may not buy something online, but one of your twitter followers might…

I feel genuinely passionate about educating people into online privacy. You don\’t have to be a computer nerd to understand how large companies are profiting from you every day!

With each new project I take on, ensuring the website is secure and that the client has a basic online privacy understanding is vital to me. Pass on the knowledge and slowly we will take back control of our bord… oops! privacy.

My 5 tips for sexy online privacy

Do the following to fool companies and protect your data:

  1. Don\’t use those \’Login with Google/Facebook/Twitter\’ buttons

    • Each time you use one, it could get your birthday, your friends list… ANYTHING!
    • Instead always register using your email address and a secure password
    • If you have used them already, you can relinquish their access within your privacy settings

  2. If you are presented with an \”ACCEPT ALL\” pop up, dig a little deeper…

    • Click \’Show options\’ or similar and you can often uncheck all of the things they want from you

  3. Make your social media profiles completely locked up

    • Facebook – check the ads section in privacy settings, it\’s a goldmine
    • Instagram – if your profile is public, ANYONE can see your pics on or off the app

  4. Don\’t use public Wi-Fi

    • It is so easy for them to get your data, or for someone to hack you
    • Desperate for internet? Give them false info at their register form. My favourite email to use is I@dont.exist 😉

  5. Use a password manager for secure passwords

    • Secure passwords are VITAL to protecting yourself online
    • I use Lastpass, it\’s free

Thanks for reading,

Harry

Why I deleted Instagram

Why I deleted Instagram

Photo: Brighton Pier, 2018
Photo: Brighton Pier, 2018

Hi, I am an ex-Instagram addict.

I had THREE accounts, and would regularly justify having three.

\”Oh yeah so basically I have my private one for just friends, then I have one for my film photography and then another one to track my progress with life drawing\”

Reading that back just now I realise how ridiculous it sounded! I can share pics on Facebook, build a website for my photos, and attend life drawing classes with real people!

When Instagram first came out I remember thinking \”Why would anyone use something to just share square photos? How ridiculous\”. Two years later I am checking three accounts and spending so much of my time scrolling and tapping.

I must say that I do like how it worked originally. An easy way to document your day-to-day life and share great photos with friends and others. However, my problem now lies with the fact that Facebook owns Instagram. The app is so bloated, swipe left, right, up, down, tap, long tap, double tap, stories, discover… etc.

Total Instagram Users 

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The fact that the original creator of Instagram left the company recently just shows how every last drop of money is being squeezed out of all one billion users (source: Statista). It makes me sad when I see so many people scrolling through the familiar square boxes.

What you can do to change things

So I would like to propose that those who do use Instagram, do so with care and attention. It is something that when used correctly, can bring happiness.

Think of sharing how you are really feeling, instead of hiding your difficulties or sadness behind that filter.

  • Vulnerability is beautiful and should be encouraged! 
  • Be present and breathe in the nature rather than adding it to your story
  • Watch and listen to the band at the gig instead of videoing the whole thing (this really grinds my gears)
  • Close your eyes and truly taste the food you\’re eating, it tastes better than the photo you might upload

I can\’t tell you how much better my life has become since I stopped checking it before sleep and as soon as I wake up.

Thanks for reading,

Harry

Managing mental health if you work at a computer

Managing mental health if you work at a computer

Photo: Almeria, 2018
Photo: Almeria, 2018

#MentalHealthAwarenessDay 2018

I have suffered from mental health problems, so this topic has quite a large place in my heart.

My job currently means I am sat in front of a screen for most of the day. This has benefits, but can be a hindrance for mental health.

After a few years of living with mental health problems, I have developed several ways of managing it day by day. Maybe they will help you as well!

Step one.

The first thing to do when you wake up is DON\’T look straight at your phone!

Scrolling through social media or looking at depressing news stories sets a precedent for how you will feel for the rest of the day. Since I have stopped doing this, and instead stretching or doing 10 press ups, my day has become much more productive.

Reducing screen time is becoming more and more important to people, and it has a direct impact with your mental health. So stop taking your phone to the toilet, stop looking at it when walking down the street and enjoy the view instead!

Step two.

If it is available, cycle to work.

Cycling is a great way to get a little bit of exercise every day, and it genuinely makes you happy! If you don\’t believe me, watch this TED talk. I am going to write another blog post about this topic, but it fits well here also.

Step three.

Talk to someone on the phone or in person.

If like me, you are a freelancer,  you might not have a permanent office with regular people you see every day. If this is the case, try working at your local library, chat to the person next to you or the person on reception.

Can\’t find anyone to chat with? Head outside and phone your grandma or a friend you haven\’t spoken to in a while. Having interactions with other humans is built into our nature and makes you feel good!

Step four.

Take regular breaks.

Get up and walk around a bit! It seems obvious, but you will be amazed at how great you feel.

Step five (most important).

Experience some nature! 

Looking at a computer all day may be necessary, but taking a few minutes to be outside in nature is essential.

Feel the sun on your face, the wind in your hair and the beauty of a tree. We were born from nature and in my view it is where you can discover happiness.

[themify_hr border_width=\”2px\” width=\”20%\” color=\”light-gray\”]

So, you probably noticed I didn\’t mention your computer much. There is loads to talk about in relation to this, but I think the easiest way to improve your mental health is everything else!

Thanks,

Harry

6 Tips For Good Website Photography

6 Tips For Good Website Photography

Photo: www.stockfresh.com
Photo: www.stockfresh.com

Getting photography right

Good website photography is essential to make your site look more professional. Full stop.

Whether you are a yoga teacher, a hairdresser or an online shop, making sure you or your product is displayed well makes all the difference online.

Don\’t just google \”Office stock photo\”. Yes, I am looking at you, website that uses such imagery as this:

(bleurgh)

Ensuring good website photography

This is an example of how website photography should be done. Working with Family Tree Health in Melbourne to redesign their existing website, I asked the owner to get in a professional photographer for a shoot.

The results are absolutely perfect. Loads to choose from, great lighting and photos that represent the heart of the clinic: Family.

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Photo: Piccolo Angelo Photography

But… I can\’t afford a photographer!

Don\’t worry! I have a few tips for you to take some photos using your phone or a decent camera. Just do the following:

  1. Take a lot. Doesn\’t matter if you like them all, take loads!
  2. Make sure they are framed well, use the rule of thirds
  3. Use people if you can, and make them smile
  4. Natural light is always a winner, take shots of people outside or near a window
  5. DON\’T USE FLASH.
  6. No really, don\’t use flash!

Your website will look a million times better if you follow these simple rules. No more men in offices presenting to people please!

Thanks for reading,
Harry

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