Compensation is based on skills and experience. The Archer Group offers excellent benefits, including health, 401k plan, paid time off, and more to all full-time employees.

For immediate consideration, please send your resume to careers@archer-group.com. Please identify this position in the subject line.

A common challenge in supporting both platforms is how to best design native applications for iOS and Android that have similar functionality but are optimized for the interaction design standards and user expectations unique to each platform.

Another of the many other challenges in designing for both platforms is that the iOS platform is much more defined in terms of how various UI components should look and behave compared to the openness of the Android platform. In contrast to the iOS user interface standards defined in the Human Interface Guidelines, Android only provides recommendations for how common application UI elements should look and behave. While this openness can lead to creative design approaches, it can be difficult to design for one platform that is more standardized and another that is more open in regard to interaction design patterns. Therefore, to ground design decisions when creating applications, it’s important to identify the similarities and differences between the patterns that have emerged for Android as well as the standards that guide iOS design.

Below are some of the similarities in how to approach the design of the user experience for both platforms, as well as some of the primary user experience differences to consider when designing native iOS and Android applications.

Primary iOS and Android Native Application UX Similarities:

• Application structure: The basic flow of information can be similar in both iOS and Android platforms. It’s rarely necessary to define completely unique information architecture for each platform.
• List-based navigation: In both platforms, most task-based applications are structured in a hierarchical tree-based format in which the user navigates an application through a series of lists and tables to dive deeper into the app’s information. Each level of the application may have unique interaction patterns, but the idea of navigation via a hierarchical structure is similar in both platforms.
• Wayfinding: Wayfinding is an information architecture term for the ways in which people orient themselves and navigate from place to place. Both iOS and Android applications should have visible screen titles that indicate to the user where they are, as well as an indication of where they came from and where they can go next on each screen.
• Expected functionality of basic UI components: Many UI components, including tabs, sliders, pickers, text fields, checkboxes, switches, and buttons, are very similar across both platforms. The design treatment and placement of the UI components varies between platforms, but their expected functionality is quite similar.
• Gestures: The most basic and common touch gesture controls used in applications are similar in both iOS and Android. The tap, drag, flick, swipe, double tap, and pinch gestures are typically used for similar actions across both platforms. The only gesture that has significantly different usage across platforms is the “tap and hold” gesture, which is much more commonly used in the Android platform to reveal a contextual menu of options or to enter a data selection mode.

Primary iOS and Android Native Application UX Differences:

• Screen sizes and resolutions to consider: iOS smartphones only come in one screen size and two screen resolutions. Android smartphones have three generalized sizes and three generalized screen resolutions (or densities). This primarily impacts the layout choices that need to be considered when designing an application.
• “Back” navigation: “Back” is a UI element in iOS applications, placed in the upper-left hand corner of the navigation bar that navigates backward only within defined screens in an application, never across the entire device. In Android devices, there can be two different “back” actions: “up” and “back”. “Up” was introduced primarily for Android 3.0+ devices without hardware keys and is a UI element represented as an icon on the left-hand side of the top action bar. “Up” navigates back within an application. Android “back”, in contrast, is a button on the physical device that goes back in history across the entire device.
• Tab navigation placement: Tab navigation is typically used to navigate through primary functions in an application. iOS tab navigation is represented through a tab bar at the bottom of the application. Android recommends that tabs be placed at the top of an application. In addition, by iOS standards, only 5 tabs can be displayed at a time. In Android, however, scrollable tabs can be used to display more tabs than can fit in the viewable screen width.
• Changing data views: To switch between views of a single set of data, such as changing sort order or groupings, different components are used. iOS typically uses segmented controls for this purpose. A segmented control is a bar divided into segments, each representing a selectable option. In Android, data views are frequently changed using a UI control called a “spinner”, which is a drop-down menu of options that is often accessible via the application’s action bar at the top of the application.
• Selecting from a list of actions: iOS uses a UI control called an “action sheet” to display a list of actions upon selecting an object on a screen. In Android, a list of actions is displayed using a list of radio buttons presented in a popup dialog box.
• Contextual actions: In iOS applications, contextual actions are either accessed through the use of a toolbar that contains action buttons, through an action button in the upper-right hand side of the navigation bar, or through buttons within the main content area of the interface. In Android applications, it is recommended to display contextual actions using an action bar at the top of the screen. When more actions are required to display than can fit on the action bar, either an action overflow icon appears on the action bar for devices that don’t have a hardware “menu” button, or the user accesses additional actions by pressing a hardware “menu” button on devices where one is present. Actions do not necessarily have to be placed within the action bar and can also appear within the rest of an application’s interface where appropriate.
• Search: In iOS, the standard UI control for searching within an application is a search bar that is placed at the top of a searchable screen. In Android, several different search options are available. A “search dialog” component can be used that is similar to the iOS approach and places a search bar at the top of the screen. However, this bar is hidden until the user presses a search button within the user interface. An alternative search approach in Android 3.0+ is to use a “search widget” that allows search to be placed anywhere within the application interface, typically within the application’s action bar at the top of the screen.

The most important thing to keep in mind when designing both iOS and Android versions of an application is that the interface elements of both platforms are not the same and cannot be designed using a “one-size-fits-all” mindset. Adapting an application’s design to the unique platform design patterns and standards is critical to making an application match the expectations users have for how iOS and Android applications should look and behave, ultimately making the application more usable and successful.

Archer designed, developed, and launched an online marketing campaign that promoted a rich offer, “Make the Switch to AmeriGas, and get $100 savings.” Archer created and placed media variations that drove to a relevant landing page to continue to the conversation and connect with an Amerigas representative. Archer provided maximum reach to the target audience through publishers like Facebook, Yahoo!, Weather.com, and CNN.com.

We came up with a simple way to specify regular and ”double” resolution images (similar to how iOS apps work). All you need to do is put your images on the page like this, setting the ”retina” class and adding the ”image-x1” and “image-x2” attributes.

<img class="retina" height="768" width="1024" src="" image-x1="assets/Andromeda-Galaxy.png" image-x2="assets/Andromeda-Galaxy@2x.png">
...
<script>
$(function() {
    var dpr = 1;
    if(window.devicePixelRatio !== undefined) dpr = window.devicePixelRatio;
    $(".retina").each( function() {
        var imgStr = $(this).attr('image-x' + dpr);
        if(!imgStr )
            imgStr  = $(this).attr('image-x1’);	// fallback to 1x
        $(this).attr('src',  imgStr);
    });
});
</script>

This code snipped peeks at the ”devicePixelRatio” variable, which is set in Safari on iOS devices. For retina devices this is 2. Otherwise it’s 1 (until Apple releases that 4x super retina display – wink wink). Notice we leave ”src” empty in the html to avoid downloading unnecessary images. As always, I recommend using this sparingly. Using large images can quickly bloat your page’s k weight.

We sent Matt Wakeman, our Director of Analytics, to debate attribution with a panel of thought leaders from across the advertising industry, including a few former Yahoo! veterans. Several different perspectives were well represented, from third-party data aggregators (MediaBank) to startup real-time DSPs (RocketFuel). The event even mixed in two agencies (Archer and Havas Digital), as well as Dachis Group’s social perspective.

The panel covered the hot issues in digital advertising attribution. Conference attendees learned about data quality issues that everyone faces, the tools that different groups use, and where we are in terms of overall attribution. At the end, each panelist predicted a winner — or loser — in the attribution war.

The panelists weren’t the only ones to speak up. Several client-side representatives stepped forward with really insightful questions, such as how to start the process and what pitfalls to avoid. After the panel ended, a few individuals came up to ask more about case studies and the tradeoffs involved in the different approaches.

While digital advertising is still in the early stages of solving the attribution problem, Archer is excited to help the industry answer the question: "I know half of my advertising is wasted — I just don’t know which half?"

To see Matt provide input to the OMMA panel, watch the recorded broadcast.

Employers review student portfolios and choose which students they’d like to meet with for a round of one-on-one discussions, each timed at 15 minutes. During these discussions, employers provide feedback about the portfolios, tips on improving them, and general career and industry advice.

There is also an open networking portion during which students can talk with employers who’ve piqued their interest.

For more information about DesignExpo 2012, visit:
www.philau.edu/career/students/DesignExpo.htm

Personalization Panel

If you’ve worked with previous versions of Sitecore, the first thing you’ll notice is a new concept of personalizing a component. Sitecore has moved the OMS personalization that was within the “Edit” panel of a Control, to its own panel called “Personalize”. Below is a screenshot of the Personalization panel that shows a component with multiple rendering conditions.

Sitecore’s personalization is extremely simple to understand and utilize in comparison to previous Sitecore releases. The default action for conditions is “Change Data Source” with an option for hiding the component altogether. Conditions are processed in order from top to bottom, and the first matching result will return the personalized data source to be displayed to the end user. The order is something to keep in mind when writing the underlying rules, as there may be overlap across conditions. In that case, the first true condition is the one that will determine the data source of the component.

Improved UI for conditional rendering

One of the challenges with the Sitecore 6.4 personalization was identifying variations within a component/placeholder. Sitecore has done an excellent job of addressing these issues with the 6.5 release by cleaning up the UI and grouping variations within a control/placeholder. Within Sitecore there are two ways to view presentation-level components:

1. Viewing the Presentation Details (Presentation Tab → Details)
   
2. Viewing within Page Editor (Publish Tab → Page Editor), select a Placeholder
   

Notice that Sitecore has added the number of variants for a given control/placeholder within both Presentation Details and Page Editor. Now when editing content within Page Editor, it’s as easy as selecting the variant you want to see. Also worth noting, Sitecore has added a new icon to the control/placeholder details within Page Editor. This allows content editors to click over to a control’s personalization panel and modify the conditional renderings directly from within the Page Editor.

Overall, Sitecore 6.5 has made huge improvements across the board when it comes to easily supporting personalization on a large site. Marketers and content editors will rejoice when they make the upgrade to Sitecore 6.5 for new features such as improved UI and Personalization Panel. Look for upcoming posts where I’ll dive deeper into the guts of the Sitecore DMS, including engagement plans, profiling and patterning, and much more.

We poured our hearts, smarts, and imaginations into this website. When it launched, we knew we had produced something special, but winning the Gold Addy brings it all home.

Now for our big moment. Archer would like to thank…

• Our Creative and Production teams, not only for their design, copy, and development prowess, but also for the long hours and collaborative spirit
• The entire Archer family for their support and for the continued effort of keeping the website fresh with Blog entries, event articles, and so much more (Yep, that’s right. We update the site every week.)
• Philly Ad Club and the American Federation of Advertising for publicly recognizing our efforts so that other creative professionals can be inspired

Congratulations to all the 2012 Addy winners and nominees!

We sent Managing Partner Todd Miller to provide these insights. Todd walked the students through his interesting career, which includes both traditional and digital design. He also recounted how he climbed the ranks from junior designer to owner and managing partner.

A great time was had at McComsey Hall (well, Todd had a great time—we can’t speak for the students). We hope to see some of our inspiration in the students’ portfolios as they cross our desks over the next couple years.

Below you’ll learn what to do to your Page before March 30th to take full advantage of all the new features. The goal is to put brands and Page Admins in the best possible position going forward.

• Design a Cover Photo or Two. The focus of the new Timeline design is all around the 851 x 315 pixel cover photo. Facebook has very strict guidelines around what can be featured in this spot. Currently, you’re not permitted to display promotions, price points, or calls to action, so the emphasis is more on creativity than advertising. Since it is now the introduction to your Page, keep it fresh by hanging up your Cover Photo every month or so.
• Pick a Profile Image That Scales. The 180 x 180 pixel profile image sits nicely as an inset in the lower left of the cover photo. This is the avatar image that accompanies all your posts, so be sure to choose something that clearly identifies your brand, both at its normal size and scaled down to 32 x 32 pixels for the News Feed.
• Properly Fill Out Your “About” Section. The About section isn’t new, but it’s certainly more prominent in Timeline. Only the first three lines of text are visible before a user has to click to view more, translating into about 120 to 180 characters. Clickable URLs can also be included in your About section. I recommend putting a one-sentence summary of your business with a link to your website.
• Design Custom Images for Your Apps. One of the best new features of the Timeline layout is the ability to showcase your apps with a custom 111 x 74 pixel image. The images help you easily display apps and are more eye-catching than the tiny thumbnails that used to identify apps. For your apps showcase, design something that stands out but also communicates the purpose of the app in a way the user can quickly see and understand.
• Take Advantage of the Extra Space in Apps. Your Page’s app width can now be set to either Narrow at 520 pixels or Wide at 810 pixels. Why leave extra space if it’s available? Make sure all your old apps are now updated to 810 pixels, and take advantage of the extra real estate moving forward.
• Properly Order Your Views & Apps. You can now have just 12 custom apps, and only 3 will be displayed nicely on your Page before a user has to click to see more. Since the Photos section can’t be changed, you’ll want to make the most of the other 3 spots that will be showcased. The Like total should definitely be relegated to the “View More” section.
• Pin a Post to the Top of Your Page. While default landing Tabs are now extinct, Page admins do have the ability to pin a post to the top of the Page for up to seven days. While not as impactful as a custom Tab, you can at least control the main post you are featuring on a weekly basis. Therefore, try to always feature a post with a nice visual to really stand out. This is also a great opportunity to direct users to custom apps or promote your current contests or sweepstakes.
• Go Back in Time to Add Milestones & Backdated Posts. Admins can now go back and add Milestones to the brand’s Timeline. These are useful for highlighting the brand’s history or accomplishments through the years. Milestones span both columns of the Timeline layout and can have an 843 x 403 pixel image to accompany the post. If you want to highlight something in the past that is less prestigious, you can also backdate posts. This will give you the freedom to post text, links, videos, single photos, or albums.
• Review Old Posts, and Highlight, Hide, or Delete as Necessary. Since the Timeline design makes it easier for users to browse all your old posts, admins should go through and decide what posts to highlight, hide from the Timeline, or delete completely. Highlighting a post makes it take up both columns. This is especially great for successful past image posts, but make sure the picture scales right when you expand it in the highlighted view. By hovering over a post and clicking the pencil, you can reposition a photo so it fits properly in the larger, highlighted format.
• Closely Monitor Your Competitors’ New Public Page Stats. One new rarely talked about feature allows you to see important stats on your competitors’ Pages. Now you can view their Total Likes and People Talking About This, as well as the Most Popular Week, Most Popular City, and Most Popular Age Group. You can see these by clicking on the Likes box in the Views & Apps section. Some marketers may cringe at the fact that competitors can now see these stats, but it’s nice to see where you stack up against the competition. Make it a priority to check these stats monthly to track how they change over time.
• Evaluate Page Settings & Admins. With the new design comes a revamped Page Settings area that I recommend spending some time on before setting your Timeline live. The Post Visibility section is especially important because it determines how posts from users will show up on your Timeline (previously these were Wall posts). Page admins now have the option to review every post and approve it before it’s visible on the Timeline. Remember, this wasn’t an option before, and most Page admins were perfectly fine with that. I suggest fighting the urge to go “Big Brother” unless your industry is highly regulated and you need the extra approval. This is also a great time to reevaluate who has admin access to your Page.
• Determine How To Handle Private Messages. Any brand using Facebook for customer service will be happy to see the ability for users to send Pages private messages. The new messages will show up in the Admin Panel. Hopefully, with this feature, users will be more likely to take some of the messy customer service problems private instead of posting directly to the Page. You can turn this feature off, but I don’t think any brand should limit users on how they can contact them. It warrants an internal discussion on which employees will handle responses to the private messages.
• Change the Way You Think About Your Editorial Calendar. The new features create a few more things to consider as you create your Facebook editorial calendar. It should be no secret that image posts are better at generating engagement, but the visually dominated Timeline design now makes them even more important. Make sure you are including images with posts wherever you can. Also, create a new column in your calendar that shows which posts you are pinning to the top on a weekly basis and which posts you will want to highlight with the two-column view.
• Get Acquainted with the Admin Panel and Activity Log. The Admin Panel is now your command center for managing your Page directly on Facebook. In this area you will see notifications, private messages, and a high-level look at your Page Insights. The Admin Panel also includes an Activity Log, located under the “Manage” drop-down menu. This is where you can easily see all the posts users put on your Timeline and either allow, hide, highlight, or delete them. Filtering the Activity Log to just show “Spam” will take the place of the old “Hidden Posts” in the old Page layout.

The new design layout and ability to customize the Facebook Page experience create great opportunities for marketers, but it’s still important to remember your overall Facebook strategy. The News Feed is still your main touch point with users and the place where the vast majority of brand interactions are going to take place. If you aren’t posting engaging and valuable content, users might not give your Page a chance and bypass your beautifully designed Page altogether.