January 2024

Welcome to the January 2024 Edition of the JUG Team Lightning Letter!  As we step further into the new year, the JUG Team is thrilled to present articles that dive into project management, animation, and digital communication. Our goal is to provide practical insights and spark creativity. Whether you're navigating project stalls or unlocking the potential of QR codes, we aim to inspire. Read on, discover, and share this knowledge with your network. Here's to a year filled with learning, collaboration, and success!

In this issue:

• Navigating Project Stalls: From Grounded to Takeoff
• Project Spotlight: Animating Fire
• Unlocking QR Code Potential: Bridging the Offline and Online Worlds
• Short and Sweet: The World of URL Shortening Services
• Share the Knowledge: Pass It On!

Warm regards,
The JUG Team

Navigating Project Stalls: From Grounded to Takeoff

Embark on a journey with our blog post, "Navigating Project Stalls: From Grounded to Takeoff." Stalled projects are inevitable, and this guide draws from real-world experiences, including a two-year project stall with a nonprofit board. Discover lessons, challenges, and strategies to propel your projects into flight. Learn from our experiences and adapt our strategies to fit your projects.

“This was a challenging project. Nobody had created an animated fire from a burner before so there wasn’t ready made inspiration to draw from. I turned to studying actual flames. I don't know how many hours I spent staring at a candle flame to understand the subtleties of how the flame danced over the wick. Then I had to extrapolate that to what it must be like inside of a burner. In the end I was pretty happy with the product and so was the client. Fun project!”

- Joe Melberg reflecting on making animated fire.

Project Spotlight: Animating Fire

ClearSign Technologies Corporation (ClearSign) is a US-based company that develops emission-control technology. Its products include Duplex Burner Architecture, which the company believes to reduce combustion burner flame length by more than 80-percent, in turn increasing thermal capacity and reducing operating costs. This duplex burner animation was used to explain the technology to various stakeholders. If you can imagine it then we can probably animate it.

Unlocking QR Code Potential: Bridging the Offline and Online Worlds

QR codes are ubiquitous—from ads to trial subscriptions, they provide a quick link between offline and online. However, their true power surfaces when paired with a human-readable link. Inclusivity matters, as not everyone scans. Embrace diversity by offering a human-readable link next to the QR code, ensuring a more accessible and user-friendly experience.

How to Implement:

• Create a Shortened Link: Utilize URL shortening services for a concise, easy-to-read link.
• Place it Adjacent to the QR Code: Feature the human-readable link prominently next to the QR code on your materials.

Users can choose their preferred method—scan the QR code or type the human-readable link. This approach not only boosts engagement but also contributes to a more collaborative and considerate team culture.

Short and Sweet: The World of URL Shortening Services

In the vast internet landscape, brevity reigns supreme, and URL shortening services are the unsung heroes of concise communication. Kevin Gilbertson pioneered this concept in 2002 with TinyURL, aiming to address the hassle of sharing overly long URLs. Since then, over 100 knockoff services have emerged, each offering its unique blend of features and pricing.

The primary reasons to embrace URL shortening services are clear. Whether you're dealing with limited space, counting characters on platforms like Twitter (okay - X), or striving for maximum readability and engagement, these services have your back. In our digital world overflowing with information, sometimes less really is more.

Share the Knowledge: Pass It On!

Found our newsletter valuable? Share it with your colleagues and friends who could benefit from these insights. Together, let's build a community of prepared and empowered individuals. Click "Forward" or share the link - your network will thank you! We thank you.

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