ELDERLUXE Founder Patrick Conboy Speaks at Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition (IRCE) on Monday

Low-cost and free site design tools are there for the asking, panelists say
Strategic thinking, negotiating deals and making smart use of a host of free and low-cost online design resources are some of the keys to "Creating outstanding design on a budget," according to the three panelists who presented yesterday during a session with that title at the Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition`s pre-conference workshop for small retailers in Boston.

Halley Silver, e-commerce director of King Arthur Flour, shared more than half a dozen web sites offering free or nearly free web sites tools that have helped the baking company design an effective e-commerce site using only a very small internal staff. "We do everything in-house with no design budget," Silver told attendees.

Helping Silver achieve that are sites including Colorschemedesigner.com, where users can build color schemes for a site around a selected primary color. The Firefox web developer toolbar, another free tool, allows web developers and designers to visualize how their site looks on different screen sizes.

Silver uses a $10 monthly subscription from a site called Chartbeat that provides free analytics in real time, avoiding what she says can be a lag time of several hours in analyzing customer activity on the site using the free Google Analytics tool. King Arthur also looks to a site called Bittbox for free art, applications and other design elements.

Silver also says King Arthur.com recently has used a free application from a site called IE6update.com to serve up to site visors using Internet Explorer 6--two generations behind the current IE8--the message that they should update their browsers to view the page.

"10% to 12% of our visitors come in on IE6, but our developer spends about 75% of his time trying to make the site look right for IE6," she said.

Patrick Conboy, president of ElderLuxe.com, told attendees that sticking within the budget for site design meant being realistic about expenses upfront. "Don`t underestimate at the beginning, because you may experience real overages later," he said.

Conboy said that to build his site while keeping costs down, he`s used a variety of no-cost approaches such as making use of consumer research available to friends or family with access to it through a university affiliation; and checking out the industry-leading retail sites, summarizing what`s appealing in each and using the top five qualities on that list as a basis for a brief to vendors hired to design or develop the site.

Two other techniques that don`t cost anything also helped Conboy build out ElderLuxe. Networking produced an introduction to Kensium, the search engine optimization firm he still uses, during a conversation at his son`s baseball game; while bartering 500 square feet of his warehouse space to a start-up photography studio has given him a source of quality product and lifestyle photos for the web site. find out more snap36.com

He also uses photography from manufacturers whenever possible.

Conboy said he`s found success with vendors by giving them as much lead time to complete a project for the site as possible, noting that "with my `cheap` mandate, we may not be anybody`s priority."

Chris Pawloski, art director of web design and development firm Solid Cactus, offered a web designer`s perspective. "Great design is invisible, he said. "It`s only when it`s done poorly that it`s noticeable." Pawloski also reminded attendees that an e-commerce site`s design goal should be to facilitate interaction rather than "decorating" the site, and that the sum of a customer`s experience would represent the brand in the consumer`s mind. "Your brand is not your logo," he said.

helpful hints

Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a Knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them Neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for A few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The Wax will fall out.
Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped In baking soda. Comes off with little effort…bring on the grandkids!
Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen Peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.
Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely Light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will Smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels AND linen.
Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 Hours prior to burning.
To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt
To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring In tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's' natural sweetness.
To get rid of itch from mosquito bites , try applying soap on the area And you will experience instant relief.
Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to Tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and Then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
look what you can do with Alka Seltzer........ Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China
Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water And drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.

Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the Jewelry for two minutes.
Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.

CLICK HERE NOW: The Fiery Retiree talks to Patrick Conboy of Elderluxe LIVE Today at 1pm CST

“Aging well” is the philosophy of Elderluxe. Founder Patrick Conboy’s mission is to find fashionable and functional products that improve the aging experience. They search for those innovations best suited to a more sophisticated and educated customer. Check out http://www.elderluxe.com/.

Carol O’Dell, a member of the sandwich generation, portrays the experience of looking after a mother suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson. With three children, she is torn between five people. “Mothering Mother” is her poignant, humorous and heartfelt account of a situation many find themselves in. Your “Fiery Retiree” host is Phyllis May, author of “Refired not Retired…reignite your zest for life”. Whether you’ve retired or are thinking about it, the show provides resources. Listeners can buy the book at $10 and other merchandise at www.refiredretired.com Call in with questions for either Patrick or Carol. The tollfree number is 866-472-5787 or 5788.

NEW Med Management Concept!

Med management is an ongoing issue, especially in the older population. A new concept...the Capshell is an interesting ideas in how it
dispenses individual doses of medicine upon request. These doses are both tracked for study by a doctor at a later date (to see if the patient is taking their medicine) and monitored by a system that will automatically text message a patient that forgets to take their pill.
With a handy slide-out cartridge design it eliminates the pain of turning child-proof caps.
The device is a capsule with pills that you load into the holder. The holder then dispenses the pills with an easy turn of the wrist. The designer, Steven Grech, intends for the device to be able to help doctors understand if their patients condition is due to the fact that the medicine is working, not working, or simply not being taken. The device records when medication is taken, and shows the user the correct intervals programmed by the pharmacist. If not activated at the correct time, the device sends an alert to the users phone via text, or “SMS.” Once in the grip of the user, it opens easily by turning round, revealing the opening corresponding with the time of day. This way of opening is helpful to the elderly, as it eliminates hard-to-open caps. Each day's replacement tube is labeled clearly with text and with Braille numbering.

Construction: Each part aside from the technical package is injection molded using abs. Its light and rigid properties would be a well-suited material to allow the product to be light while maintaining enough strength for durability. via Gizmodo

from the designboom.com competition

name of design : eating exercise
design by : keren rosen from israel

designer's own words:Body image and dieting is a main part of most people's lives.We all want to keep our bodies in shape, be fit and feel we look our best. This project takes a humoristic point of view and offers combining two daily activities in order to save time. By using the knife and fork design,one can work out on his arms while eating therefore achieving the two daily activities simultaneously and saving time.

Cleaner air said to add an average of 5 months to your life.

Nicholas Bakalar reports in the New York Times (Vital Signs/Longevity) that living with cleaner air can add as much as 5 months to your life expectancy. (Read the full article HERE). The study was lead by author C. Arden Pope, a professor of economics at B.Y.U.

ELDERLUXE continues to lead in air purification devices with such names as BlueAir, LightAir, Guardian and VioLight. You can see all of these here, at ELDERLUXE-Air Purification for Life.

Breathe in a better lifetime!

Alongside amazon.com, walmart.com and overstock.com...ELDERLUXE is Named to the INTERNET RETAILER HOT 100 LIST

Respect for eldersElderLuxe.com targets older consumers of means. It offers “luxury for the elite elder,” which includes such products as long-handled grooming tools and scooters for those who have trouble walking.
“We want to make it simple and easy to navigate, but we don’t dumb it down to the point where it’s offensive,” says Patrick Conboy, founder and president of ElderLuxe LLC. “We want to provide a shopping experience that is commensurate with other fine luxury retailers, but not put off our higher-educated clientele.”
Those well-educated and well-heeled customers want information, Conboy has learned since launching the site in November 2006. They want to see every side of an item, which means multiple images. They want to know the exact dimensions of a walker and see ... (TO VIEW MORE CLICK HERE: http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=28560#elderluxe