I guess there isn’t much sense in leading into this article with elaborate lead up to a big announcement, as my title has thrown off the covers. We are excited to announce that our full API is being released to all those who have been patiently waiting on it.

ConceptShare API link 

http://api.conceptshare.com/API/API_V2.asmx

The release of the ConceptShare API signals a new era in our company history. We want to enable our clients large and small to leverage our platform to further improve their projects. The API will allow users to customize the ConceptShare experience for their organizations, teams and clients. 

Implementation

An early API implementations include automated workspace generation from a web form. Our client wanted to create an automated way to get their customers to submit projects via the website. We worked with them using the API to build this functionality. The system allowed customers to setup new project spaces from a public web form on the corporate website. Customers submit a project brief via web-form and upload associated project files. The system automatically creates a new workspace for the customer project. Information from the project brief is presented as the first concept and associated files are saved into the workspace. The system will then bring the proper people into the project space and notify them. 

This system reduced: time spent getting projects setup, missed opportunities and communication problems throughout the project. This resulted in increased project capacity, happier customers, reduced time between design iterations, and over all better project flow.      

Support 

We are here to work with you and support your development and integration projects. We will be providing support for the API via our webforums as well as direct support at our (support at conceptshare dot com) email address. 

I look forward to hearing about the ways that people would like to work with this. A big thanks to our faithful users who have supported ConceptShare since our inception. We appreciate all the people we have talked to about this, we have listened to what you wanted and put it in the very comprehensive API. Thank you for the support that you continue to give to us as we grow.

If you have a question call us. If you have a suggestion tell us. If you want to talk about how this can help your organization call me. 

Show us what you can do!

Cheers 

Scott 

 

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Posted in ConceptShare, Development, Innovation, Tools ~ 7 Comments
Written by Scott

Corel released CorelDRAW X4 today, with over 50 new features for designers. We’re happy to say that CorelDRAWConceptShare integration is one of them, we even got a mention in the promo video about CorelDRAW X4. I guess that says both companies are pretty excited about bringing web based collaboration right into desktop software.

We’ll have more news soon about how the integration works. If you just can’t wait to see for yourself, take a spin with a 15 day full featured free trial of CorelDRAW X4.

We’re super proud of our partners at Corel for launching CorelDRAW X4. Having worked in the desktop software world myself at Flock, I know how many months of hard work that goes into each release. We web companies have it easy by comparison.

Posted in ConceptShare, Design , Technology, Tools ~ 3 Comments
Written by Admin

ConceptShare has been nominated for the Webware 100. What is the Webware 100 you ask ?

“What are the best Web 2.0 services? We don’t know. But you do.

Here’s how to share your knowledge and your preferences with the world: check out our ten Webware 100 categories. There are 25 services listed on each. Vote for one service in each category. The 10 services per category that receive the most votes will be the Webware 100. Simple.”

So how do you vote ? Visit the Webware100 page. ConceptShare is located in the Productivity Group.

Want to read a bit more about us from the folks over at Webware ? Check out these articles by Rafe and his Webware team.

• Get clear feedback on creative work with ConceptShare
• Top 5 Under the Radar companies

Thanks for all your support! It is always appreciated !

Cheers

Scott

Posted in ConceptShare, Tools ~ No Comments
Written by Scott

When we set out to create ConceptShare we understood the pain, it needed to be fixed.

The three of us had all worked with each other in different roles previous to our lives as ConceptShare. All of which required us to communicate back and forth on elements of design centric projects. This allowed us to come at CS with a real understanding of how the process was broken when it came to communication over visuals. It was far too laborious.

• Scott’s company designed for Bernie’s company
• Graphic Design
• Print Layout
• Production
• Bernie has been a contractor for Scott’s company
• 3D animation
• Web Design
• Chris and Bernie worked together in PM<>Lead Developer way
• Interface design
• Web Design
• Scott and Chris have worked together -Account Exec >creative director<>Programmer
• Web Design
• Multimedia

Understand that we did this took place over a number of years and we never really identified it until we started encountering the problem between the three of us at the same time. We started to look at the inefficient work flows that we had created to cover for the lack of suitable alternatives. We would carry on conversations regarding designs over a number of different channels, Email, Instant Messenger, Web project services. Since describing changes to a visual design are pretty hard to communicate in text. We often found ourselves adding to the work flow as we would go into other products to mark up the visual, save and forward. We wanted to create a place for conversations over project visuals that evolve over the life of the project. We are continually hearing about how this pain is relevant in so many industries and in so many countries. Albeit in many different languages and many different types of visuals. It seems that our message has gotten out and around the world.

We have paying customers in 30 countries worldwide:

USA – Canada – United Kingdom – Mexico – Brazil – Ireland – Scotland – Italy – Sweden – Ukraine – Russia – Italy – Indonesia – Philippines – Australia – Czech Republic – Netherlands – Israel – France – Malaysia – Spain – Denmark – Hong Kong – Belgium – China – Japan – United Arab Emirates – Argentina – Columbia – Venezuela

Quick List of Usage Types

Architecture – Toy Design – Movie Storyboards – Web Design – Graphic Design – Pre-Press and Print – Engineering – Display Design – Landscape Architects – Environmental Design – Logo Design – UI Design, Instructional design, Product Design, Packaging Design ….. there are so many, but you get the idea.
I have had a great time being able to talk to our customers. I love to hear about what they do and how they do it. It is so interesting to hear how different we all think we are in this industry but there is alot of pains that are completely similar …..described differently but the same at the core. I have also come to realize that people are infinitely creative in building ad-hoc systems to handle image related feedback.

An unnamed client
One large corporate client used this method prior to ConceptShare. It was described to me by an account exec as a the merry-go-round from hell. This company is not unique …. there are lots of systems that create as much chaos and pain as this.

• Project Established
• Creative Brief
• Designer Creates
• Shared internally via pdf, typically 10 copies shared with various internal stakeholders
• A comment logs are created in either word or excel with each user sending a different file to the originator
• Comment logs from reviewers compiled into one document
• Comments then forwarded back to the group
• Changes made by designer and the process repeats until done.
• When the project had gone through internal checks the client gets involved
• Once the client has signed of in principle these ideas then get floated past a focus group of clients.

Now with ConceptShare the process is much easier

• Project Established
• Creative Brief
• Create CS Workspace with relevant team members
• Designer Creates
• All designs posted to the CS workspace
• Internal review
• Add more people to the room as applicable

They have found that ConceptShare has allowed them to move projects from the inception to final product faster. There has been an increase in the quality of the feedback. Early idea and mock-up sharing identify issues early on in the design. Over all there has been an over whelming response to it.

We love the great outcomes of companies that are adopting the ConceptShare way. We have a lot of companies that are using ConceptShare across their organizations. They have spread out the system to their entire teams and are now experiencing the benefit as they use it to for all of their projects. We look forward to hearing more stories.
Cheers

Scott

Posted in ConceptShare, Tools ~ No Comments
Written by Scott

We are showing a first look at the video/audio interface we will be opening up shortly. Basically you will have all the functionaility currently available for commenting on visual including the newly added Text Tool, except they will per frame.

Comments can actually fade up a bit early and show for an adjustable length of time. Adjust the handles on either side of the green bar on the timeline to indicate the time the comment shows during play back. Comments will show up as little flags so you can choose navigate the comments in the sequence they appear in the video.

Audio review will work pretty much the same as video, however instead of the video frames you will be able to point out and illustrate on a visual waveform. This way  you can point out audio ‘pops’ and crackles to adjust for example.

This should be rolling out shortly over the next few weeks with Adobe Flash SWF import to follow soon after that.

Have fun!

Bernie

Posted in ConceptShare, Technology, Tools, Video ~ 5 Comments
Written by Bernie

This a neat tool that alot of our users and readers may dig.It’s called Kuler. Here is the description from their site: Kuler is brand new from Adobe labs, kuler helps you explore, create and share color themes for your web pages, design projects and other creative work.

I think this is a nifty tool for your utility belt. I find a lot of designs are looking the same..and a lot of times we don’t even realize it but what separates a good design that gets people’s attention in a positive way, is usually because it involves a new color scheme that people aren’t used to seeing but find aesthetically pleasing.

There are a few other tools that do this to some degree but 2 things make this stand apart. Firstly, with other color scheme sites you have to save the image or record the hex values or use your own eyedropper to use the color scheme. With kuler you can download directly as a swatch to illustrator. Secondly, you can create your own theme and share it with the community. Others can comment on your theme and you can comment on theirs etc.

Sometimes what makes nice photos of nature is the natural use of colors together. I may start taking photos of nice scenes and making a color theme out of what I see.

Find out more at http://kuler.adobe.com/

Have fun,

Bernie

Posted in GUI, Tools ~ 3 Comments
Written by Bernie