Many applicants have images saved on their computer as “print ready” files, which means they are huge … way too huge for any online submission process. Most people who have Photoshop know how to shrink their images, however many do not have Photoshop. So, this post is a resource to those who are on PC (not Mac), and their computer runs on Windows XP. There is a great little program you can download from Microsoft called “Image Resizer.” It will allow you to right click on any image and define a new image size, simple!

You can download it here.

And there is an instruction guide here.

Great post by John Keehler, author of Random Culture. He draws concrete advice from this NY times article about how Facebook is rendering Alumni associations obsolete. He offers three simple solutions for universities:

1. Create an official Facebook Page for Alumni
This provides a single point of contact for alumni to connect in Facebook. Also, pages have advantages over groups, such as more flexibility with content and better “badging” of fans on their own profile pages.

2. Create a Facebook application for donations
Applications such as Facebook Causes are doing it, why not alumni organizations? Soliciting smaller donations can allow rabid fans with less financial means the ability to contribute. What’s more, an application like this can enlist alumni to spread the word to other alums.

3. Provide assets to help them show their pride
They’re already creating assets themselves, but empower them with better assets. For example, a widget that counts down to football games. Assets will turn alumni into advocates.

What does this have to do with SlideRoom? Well, not much. Except that we are web advocates, and often offer consulting to universities on various online issues.

We have also been considering creating a new product for organizations to have an artist registry online. I believe universities could use an artist registry as a tool for alumni (in addition to Facebook). If networking were the only goal, Facebook might be enough. But I don’t think organizations should neglect their own sites because they have Facebook. I believe Facebook is a great “bonus,” but not a replacement for investing in your own website.

City of Austin: Art in Public Places

SlideRoom is happy to announce the above organizations have created accounts this week. The online system is being used differently in each case: Admissions … Public Art … juried shows. We happy to be of service to these prestigious organizations who are helping their community by allowing online portfolio submissions.

SlideRoom is happy to announce several new features launching this weekend. In addition to a variety of back-end upgrades, we will be launching a new “description” field for labeling individual portfolio items. If an item is labelled, reviewers can choose to open a window with this extended description about each item. This is particularly helpful for situations when the artwork involves more than just the image: installations, performances, etc … Also launching, will be our new scalable video player.

21st Annual Conference
April 30 - May 3, 2008
Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center
Denver, Colorado

SlideRoom will have a booth in the exhibitor area. We hope to see you there!

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SlideRoom will be launching a new & improved website with greater focus on description of features and video tours (Summer 08). We are taking this opportunity to improve our logo as well. This process has begun with choosing a typeface that helps tell our story and communicate mood. The above slide show displays some of the initial options we were looking at, with a history of the typeface displayed below. We have chosen to move forward with Garamond Bold, which is based on a very old typeface, but communicates elegance and reliability. (The colors are just placeholder). To view the slide show full size, click on the icon in the bottom right corner which will take you to a new screen, then choose “full.”

NAGAP recently posted an interesting survey about how and why schools recuit. Above is a chart from one section of the report, click to enlarge. Here is an excerpt from their section discussing the application process:

“The survey results show that admissions offices are in a transition phase caught between technology and the paper chase. We’re no longer in the infant stages of using technology, as we’ve enthusiastically embraced online applications and e-mail.

On the other hand we’ve been slower to take advantage of other technologies that promise to make the application process easier and more efficient. We haven’t given up our traditional processes in some cases, even when they are duplicative, and for the most part we haven’t been able to address new process issues created by technology, with technology. The survey results also show that despite fears to the contrary, the application process still is personal and service-oriented.”

The part I feel is missing from the whole report is the qualitative “ease” of the application process. Many applicants begin the process, but back out once they see how cumbersome everything is. This is particularly true of submitting creative materials. Most universities are almost impossible to apply to.  As a side note, universities wanting to really help their visibility should check out this advice from Matt Herzberger.

Even your organization already has some sort of home made system, I challenge to you take the “taste test,” and try out the SlideRoom demo. I can guarantee you will prefer its simplicity and power for both applicants and administrators.