Several weeks ago, I noticed a trend towards users using Real Time Search engines (ranging from Twitter Search to those embedded within the major Social Media sites) when looking for information that was more time sensitive. Things like a review of the new Watchmen movie to reviews of the latest Audi Q5 to what's going on with Andrew Bolt.
 
The sorts of things that are better suited to social media's vast, regularly updated repository of user generated information than traditional search where the information is days, if not weeks out of date in some cases and the content skews more towards those sites that are deemed more authoritative (read into that what you may.)
 
After playing around with some of the Real Time Search sites out there, I decided that I would build one focusing on Australian user generated content for an Australian audience. This project will be hosted at realtimesearch.com.au (domain not yet live.)

During the week I received a proposal (which I have accepted) for the outsourcing of the sites development, earlier today I uploaded a design brief for the logo element to 99Designs.

The brief for this job follows...

Over the past 3 - 6 months, there has been an explosion in interest in 'social search'... more specifically 'right now' search or 'real time' search.
 
In essence, Real Time Search is where the search engine provides search results from what people are saying 'now' about a particular topic as opposed to what was archived by a major search engine yesterday, last week or last month.
 
I wish to develop a simple (to start with) search engine providing real time search results for Australian users.
 
I require a simple design that will work a) alone, b) as the main feature of a search engine front page and c) a top a list of search results.
 
For context, this simple search engine is part of a broader search project (including the eventual development of a US based site.)
 
For now the site will be very basic and will feature real time search results using Twitter's API with a focus on results from Australian Tweeters.
 
Once that basic user experience has been nailed, we will then move to expanding search features and data sources.
 
Wants
 
* Preference for 'Real Time Search' logo to stand alone and not include the full URL (that is I want 'Real Time Search' as a logo... not 'realtimesearch.com.au' as a logo.
* Would like it to be colorful, warm and fun.
* Very fond of many of the logo's/brands that exist in the broader 'Twittersphere'.
* Visually needs to convey difference between 'real time' and (for want of a better term) 'regular' search.
 
Don't Wants
 
* Do not want the logo to look like any existing search or social media brand. As per 'What I Want'... I would like a logo that looks like its DNA is from the broad social media space... but not a copy or something that too closely resembles an existing logo.
 
Payment Methods
 
This contest has been pre-paid with 99designs. The winner will be paid directly by 99designs for the full prize amount, excluding any third party transfer fees.

You can view the design brief/contest in full here... http://99designs.com/contests/19525
 
Setting up the contest was a breeze including paying for it.

The competition has only been online a few hours and already I have had 5 entries. As you will see by my comments on the site, the initial batch of logo designs have not been what I am after, but I am confident that by providing timely feedback as designs are submitted, the quality and 'appropriateness' of the designs will improve.

The design contest runs for 7 days and is binding (that is I have pre-paid the prize and will need to award a winner when the competition closes.) I will update this post when the competition closes.
 
Having a logo or website designed in this way is not for everybody, nor suitable for any and every job.
 
I should point out that I have owned/managed several graphic design, web design and programming businesses. I appreciate more than most quality design and website development and until this particular job I have 'always' used professionals.
 
This job however is a bit of an experiment both in terms of dipping my toes into the Real Time Search space (ie I don't want to spend a lot of money this early in the project) and also in finding within my projects, one appropriate for testing these sorts of services.
 
I will be posting regular updates on Twitter for this and you can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/whodeani if interested.
 
Wish me luck...

*** Update ***

Real Time Search competition now closed.

To view the winning submission go here.

Have also updated my blog with a post titled 'Real Time Search Log Competition - The Results'

Over the past year or so I have been progressively moving from my prior 'life' as a full time employee, working towards managing a portfolio of different ideas, businesses and investments.
 
A good friend of mine (Neville from Best Fit Directors) nick named this concept as being a 'Portfolio Entrepreneur'. I suggested it be termed the 'CEO of Me'. Both descriptions work.
 
As this whole 'shift' has progressed, I have spent considerable time not only selecting and fine tuning the various projects that I would be working on (a partial list of which can be found on my temp Whodeani web site )... but on how I would actually end up working across all of these various interests 'operationally'.
 
This in itself has been quite a challenge.
 
For one, I travel a lot so everything had to be portable.
 
Data security is also critical, made more problematic than it need be by my being out of Australia in aggregate around 6 months of the year and often in countries and/or regions with less than ideal telecommunications infrastructure.
 
Further, as the number of things I wanted to do continued to grow, and those projects I was being 'asked' to do (or be involved with) was also growing, it became apparent that at some point I would need some assistance.
 
So not only did I need to get operational issues sorted for myself, I needed them robust, portable and accessible enough to support 3rd party help. 3rd party help that for the most part would be required 'remotely' (as in, even if they were working for me, we would often be in different countries.)
 
I'm still working on many of these issues but have made considerable progress in the last few weeks.
 
I'm currently in Bali (this week, writing a movie script with a friend) and prior to this particular trip I decided I was going to employ a less ad-hoc method (read: am currently using lots of DVD's) for backing things up.
 
This led to me buying an Apple Timecapsule which in turn led me to signing up for Apple's 'MobileMe' online platform.
 
I have to say that MobileMe has been a revelation, addressing many of the issues outlined above, including those that would be relevant to taking on assistance (or an assistant.)
 
Through MobileMe I now have a basic web presence for 'Whodeani', blog integration, online calendaring, mail, web based syncing to my iPhone and over the last few days, MS office style docs including the ability to share and collaborate online with word processing documents and spreadsheets. (I might do a separate blog post on running a business in the 'cloud' later.)
 
With operational issues now resolved (or at least resolved enough) this brings me back to something I mentioned earlier, namely that if I am to achieve the things I have set out for myself this year (and beyond), I'm going to need some help, an assistant if you will.
 
So I have decided to hire an assistant and not the so called typical 'Executive Assistant' (EA) or 'Personal Assistant' (PA) but something more. I require an Entrepreneur's Assistant.
 
Stay with me.
 
I say Entrepreneur's Assistant as I am after more than simply someone to run errands, manage my diary and look after my business interests.
 
While all of those things are important, and required, I am after more of a right hand person. Someone whom can assist me creatively as well as work together with me on many of my projects (in fact as you will see following the link below, I'm happy for them to have their own projects that we can work on as well.)
 
Earlier today I posted this role on Linked In Jobs.
 
I have also attached the role in PDF form to this post for any of you that might know someone that fits and would be happy to forward it to them.
 
Wish me luck...

Click here to download:

EA Whodeani 110309.pdf (47 KB)

*** Update ***

Am pleased to report that the Entrepreneur's Assistant role has been filled.

Am even more pleased to report that Lindy Waldeck has secured the role and will start working with me in around 4 weeks time (about when I return from Bali.)

For readers of my blog that have known me for some time, you may recall that Lindy was my PA a few years back.

I had tried unsuccessfully to lure Lindy back to the Whodeani fold some time back and she declined.

As luck would have it, likely a combination of the role on offer and Lindy's own personal circumstances, she saw the role shortly after it was posted and applied for it.

Aside from helping me working on my projects, I'm also looking forward to working with Lindy on some of her projects. Am particularly keen on a Travel idea she has that could work both in printed and iPhone app form.

Will post more on that here as things progress.

Linderella and Whodeani... 'Take 2'.