This Friday we are launching our first video contest on the Twideo Contest platform. We are giving away an Apple iMac, iPod touch and an iPod Nano for 1st, 2nd 3rd place respectively. The goal of this contest it to find some really cool new viral videos out there, so that’s why we have come up with the title ‘Best Video Wins’. Videos that are submitted can be any category, funny, bloopers, artistic, creative…. it doesn’t matter really, as long as people like them. We also just want to test out our platform.

Now the reason, I say this is a groundbreaking video contest, and not like any others you have ever seen or entered, is because it is. I’m serious. We have developed a unique technology that allows us to use the top 3 social sites in the world right now: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We were tired of all the same video contests that just said ‘hey vote for this video by clicking this button’, and then you are done. No interaction. No real social functionality. And adding a Facebook share button or a Tweetmeme button just so people can share it is not hard to do. I hope you understand the difference.

For months and months, I thought how can we utilize social media as a voting platform… I came up with the idea that we would use Twitter as a way to vote for the video you like. So when you click the vote button, a tweet would be auto-generated from your account, and tweeted out to your followers as something along the lines of “Just voted for @joeblow to win the super sweet video contest. Click here to check out his video [link to video]“. That way, its much more viral and interactive. We named the platform Twideo Contest.

We have also integrated Facebook share. The platform will allow for voting on Facebook the same way we are utilizing Twitter. It’s AWESOME! By posting your friends video on your wall, you have gained a vote for them. That wall post will be scene by your friends, and will allow them to share it, and their friends, and their friends and so on. Completely viral. Soon we will also be releasing a photo contest platform and Facebook Connect integration as well. It’s exciting times on the Purple Raincloud front.

Twideo Contest will be available soon for companies to utilize. But for now, we just want to have fun and blow everyone away with the launch of the ‘Best Video Wins’ contest!

So if you are good with a video camera, make sure you submit a video to the Best Video Wins contest launching this Friday. Make sure to stay tuned to our Twitter or Facebook accounts to know when we go live with the contest. For more about the Video Contest Platform go to TwideoContest.com

The fortunate side to this is that my Dad is tough and won’t go down without a fight. The other side is that I wont let that happen either so Purple Raincloud is assisting my Dad in his new venture by creating the identity, branding, print and web development for his new venture.

The new business is called Live Life Retreat and it’s a 10 day all-inclusive fitness retreat that launches in January. I think it’s going to do really well and it’s fun to see my dad get really excited about it.

Here is the initial logo identity that we have come up with:

There will be much more to come as we move further into helping build a brand from start to finish so stay tuned!

Curios to see how image uploading works so here is a photo of a massive loaded baked potatoe I had at Jason’s deli the other night with a friend of mine. It was good stuff!

I am speechless.

Check out this awesome short clip by Lico, featuring Gonja Sufi’s music and presumably a track named ‘Stardustin’. At only a minute-and-a-quarter long, once again Gonja Sufi has drawn us in with the ‘less is more’ approach. Thanks to Lifelounge for the find.

“The Facebook Facelift is a self initiated project to challenge the form and functionality of Facebook. It’s streamlined, structured, linear interface is more comprehendible, enhancing the user experience and absorbability of content.

The home page features many new benefits: the publisher toolbar enables users to post content from any page within Facebook, saving time in navigating needlessly through profiles; the streams’ two-tiered filter (content type & content contributers) also creates a more coherent structure with the core elements retaining their position throughout most of the site; and the live feed displays a constant stream of all content posted in a users network, which expands upon mouse over.

Profiles also integrate with the system more seamlessly. Just as friend lists filter the stream by a select number of people, user profiles simply filter content to a single person, creating a clearer and more comprehendible layout.”

This is just rad and would love to see Facebook redesigned this way. Hate to see all this hard work go to waste. Follow the creators of this magnificent concoction on Twitter at http://twitter.com/wearetol

The Purple Crew is amping on this one because we have been longtime abduzeedo readers ourselves. We are honored that our very own site was put in with all these other amazing designed sites.

(SIDE NOTE) All these awards and features lately have got me thinking. It’s funny to see what your true capabilities are when you do you own work, or when your clients put enough trust in you to do what you want to do, and what you feel will benefit them as a brand. Too many times, clients, which are mostly not designers or anything close to it, try and give you there assesment on design and it ends up not looking as great as it could. It’s a shame. If you pay someone to be an expert, let them be an expert.

Thanks again to abduzeedo. We love you guys.

We all use Twitter right? Whether it’s for business or for personal reasons, it’s an exciting platform. Well what happens when you want to take Twitter to the next level and you are a marketing director trying to reach out to potential customers, or you are a CEO that wants the 411 on who is saying what about your brand. We have had the awesome opportunity to work with Twitjump, a new all-in-one solution for businesses who use Twitter as a marketing too and legit channel to drive new business to your brand.

We have been working closely with Twitjump to add clean design, really unique functionality, and useful tools to their existing site. One of those, being their weekly digest email pictured above. Twitjump knows you are a numbers guru and they feed you what you want — straight to your inbox each week. Well the Purple Raincloud crew got together and said, lets take it one step further and make these numbers sexy… and POOOOOF! We did it.

http://twitjump.com

One of our favorite sites for inspirational website designs is Unmatchedstyle. We were completely amped to find out today that they are featuring Purple Raincloud! They had this to say:

“Great typography, design elements and coloring used in this site design across the board. I love the straight forward nature of the layout and it still manages to pack in tons of links and info. The footer area is probably my favorite part of this design. The portfolio is also quite nice, I love the large sections with the screen shots worked in like this. Great site here.”

Thanks for the great review! We can’t wait to see more great sites featured on Unmatchedstyle.