Blog | O'Neill Communications

iPad – I’m Finding It Hard to Fall in Love with You.

I’m an Apple junkie, I’ll admit it. Just try to pry my beloved iPhone from my hands. I dare you! But I’m not exactly ready to drink more of Apple’s punch when it comes to the iPad. And according to Crimson Hexagon who analyzed the content of more than half a million tweets after the iPad announcement, I am not alone. Just over half of the tweeters seemed disappointed in Apple’s unveiling of the iPad.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing device and I really, really want to love it. It’s sleek and beautiful and I’d wrap one up in my arms in mere seconds if given the chance. But I’m just not convinced that I NEED the iPad. If I already have a laptop and an iPhone, is there really a need for me to have one? Here’s the quick list of the features that have me drooling, but somehow still hesitant to whip out my credit card and order one: Continue Reading »

An Open Letter to Facebook

(Author’s note: I’ve loved and have been a member of Facebook since June 2005. Facebook is an excellent way to keep up with friends and network with professionals. It’s also a great tool for businesses to use to communicate with several target audiences at one time. But I haven’t been happy with Facebook’s swift change in stance toward privacy and security, and that is what this letter details. I also explain how you can set your privacy settings after the break.)

Dear Facebook,

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook. What happened to you? What’s happened to us? When I first started seeing you, I was still in college. You promised me exclusivity, and in return I shared important information and intriguing facts about me that hardly anyone knew at the time, including the fact that I truly believe “The Great Gatsby” and “Confessions of a Shopaholic” are two of the greatest books of all time.

After some time of that, you began sneaking around. My friends told me that you were flirting with the idea of letting high school students join us. What?!? These were high school students. I thought you and I were beyond that. But you let high school students on, and I eventually became used to that fact. I still loved you, no matter how you treated me.

Once I got used to that (and almost forgot about it, actually), you threw another curveball my way. I was told that you were going to see anyone over the age of 13. Anyone. What happened to the exclusivity? I felt like you were changing, yet I had stayed the same. I tried to break up with you then, but you lured me back. We had so many mutual friends, and you always managed to come up in conversations. How could I not stay away from you? Continue Reading »

GAPA Leads the Way with New Video Project

Author’s note, this was posted by Brandon on behalf of Carmel Hearn

They say that seeing is believing. And that’s why we believe a video is a GREAT way to get your message across to your target audience. So, in 2009, we were excited the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants asked O’Neill Communications to produce a new video for the organization about the great benefits GAPA offers. We had previously produced their first membership video in 2007, and it had served the association well, but it was time for something new. We took advantage of the opportunity to shoot interviews and footage at their summer conference in July on Hilton Head Island, and edited the footage into four 2-minute videos that were chaptered into a DVD and mailed to more than 4,000 PAs across Georgia in December. “GAPA – Leading the Way for Georgia PAs” illustrates that a membership in the Association is one of the best investments that PAs and their employers can make to ensure their professional development. It shows what really happens at a GAPA conference, from the continuing medical education courses to the fun activities that conference attendees and their families can enjoy. The interviews with GAPA members show the passion they have for the organization that represents them well at the legislative level.

Video after the jump. Continue Reading »

Author: Brandon
Tags: Association Promotion | GAPA | Membership | video
Posted in video | No Comments »

How to Prepare for a Meeting with a Graphic Designer

So you scheduled an appointment to meet with a graphic designer? Lucky! I don’t know anyone who’s a fan of long, drawn out meetings, so I’ve come up with a list of suggestions to help ensure the meeting goes smoothly and that everyone benefits. Continue Reading »

Criticizing Copy

I can be a very narcissistic person, so it’s difficult for me to accept and utilize criticism – however, as a writer, I know constructive criticism and honest feedback of my work will only help my writing become stronger.

I also find it difficult to critique other people’s work at times, but I realize that they are probably just like me and want to strengthen their writing as well.

After the break, learn what steps I use to critique various writing projects. Continue Reading »

Best New Features of LinkedIn

LinkedIn, the popular social network for businesses, has gone through some big changes recently. It’s still one of the only social networks to go against Facebook and hold it’s own. While many of LinkedIn’s recent improvements bare strikingly similar properties to features on Facebook, some of them do not and are quite innovative. We’re going to look at seven of my favorite recent new features in this article. All of these were implemented within the last quarter. Pretty impressive! Continue Reading »

CES 2010

The 2010 Consumers Electronic Show is currently happening – and there are several gadgets that are being unveiled that I simply can’t wait to see, primarily the iSlate. But even though Apple may overshadow many of the big ticket items at this year’s CES with the iSlate, there are several other pieces of technology to look forward to. Continue Reading »

Useful Free Icons for Web Development

When developing and designing websites, handy icons can be a real life saver. Instead of designing commonly used elements from scratch every single time you need them, having some good, classic sets on file can allow you to focus on the big picture of your project, like the overall design, usability or functionality. Below are links to some of my favorite free sets that I think you’ll enjoy! Continue Reading »

Author: Brandon
Posted in brandon | design | websites | No Comments »

Challenge Yourself with Some Professional Resolutions.

Confession time! How many of you make New Year’s resolutions? Guilty – I make them every year. And no, I’m not the jerk who buys a gym membership on January 1 only to crowd the gym along with all the other wannabes for a few weeks and then never shows my face in there again. I’m the realistic type who aims to conquer simple things like learning to keep a plant alive for longer than a month, keeping my home office organized, and learning to bake (mainly so I can be included in the holiday cookie exchanges at work again – you mess up no-bake cookies two years in a row and they show you the door around here). Continue Reading »