Wiggio has a new look for the new year!  Based on your feedback, we’ve made a few aesthetic and functional changes to our site.  Take a look below and see how we’ve improved…

Overall Look and Feel

We’ve redesigned the Wiggio interface to have a slick, modern feel.  All of the tools and applications you have been using are still here — we’ve only rearranged some of our features to make the site easier to navigate.

Application Tabs

Now you can easily transition between your group’s Feed, Folder, and Calendar by clicking on the Application tabs, located above your group content.  Simply click on a tab and you’ll quickly access that application from wherever you are - no backtracking required.

Restructured Toolbar

The toolbar has shifted locations to the right side of the screen, and organized to provide easy access to every tool.  Just click on the name/icon of what you want to do, and begin working.

Groups

Now when you’re working within a specific group, that group will be highlighted in your group listings for easy reference.

Heading

Now, you can easily manage your group settings and personal profile within the newly designed heading. When you are in a group, your header will show that group’s information, as well as the options to make changes to that group.  You’ll also find the option to manage your own profile.

Bonus Feature:  Video Notes

We’re excited to announce the launch of a new Wiggio tool:  Video notes. Personalize communication with your group by recording the message as a video.  Recording videos is incredibly easy — just click on the “video note” icon, record your message, then send to your group.

Questions?  Comments?  Please send to feedback@wiggio.com.

Thank you to all our users for the great feedback —  and keep working in groups!

Hello Wiggio-heads! My name is Charles Gryor DeRupe and I am the newest team member here at Wiggio as the 2012 Spring Intern. We’ve got loads of exciting new plans on the way and I couldn’t have joined the team at a better time. But first, let me introduce myself, survey style:

Name: Charles Gryor Flores DeRupe

Born In: Quezon City, Manila, Philippines

Occupation: Marketing Communications Major at Emerson College with Honors

Hobbies: Graphic Design, Working, Singing, Working, Cultural Advocacy, and oh yeah, did I mention working?

Favorite Color: Orange (but it changes almost every three years or so…)

Favorite Cologne: Chanel Homme Allure Sport

Favorite Beverage: Shirley Temples

Fun Fact: I have an identical twin brother with the same first name!

So that is just a short summary of myself. I’m definitely ready to bring my energetic and spunky personality to Wiggio - and so far, it seems like a perfect fit. So join me and the Wiggio Team in our rapid growth and hopefully, that will lead to having a stronger and meaningful bond with you, our users. Stay tuned and rock on Wiggio-heads!

Signing out,

Charles

Get a head start re-launching your student organization before the semester starts!  You’ll avoid the headaches of accommodating hectic schedules, motivate group members, and allow you to focus on classes when they actually start next week.

First things first — find out when everyone is available. Whether for a weekly executive board meeting or a monthly membership meeting, it is critical that a majority of your members can actually attend meetings. Students’ class schedules have probably changed since last semester, so it’s important to confirm your meeting time and location.  Sending out mass emails and having people respond individually can be messy and confusing. By creating a poll, members can select their top 3 or 4 meeting times that would work with their schedule.  Reaching out now will feel like you’re beating the rush hour traffic.

Next, get a head start on planning events. Put group speakers, field trips, and other events on a shared calendar so that your members know what’s coming up. This will avoid any scheduling conflicts, and you’ll generate excitement for the upcoming semester.

After you’ve established contact with group members, create to-do lists online for executive board members to complete before your first meeting — whether they are booking rooms or brainstorming.  Most students have more free time during winter break, so take advantage of this to get things done prior to the hectic start of the semester.

Before your first meeting or event, send out reminders via text message to your members.  Students always have their phones on them, so sending a text guarantees they’ll get the message. You’ll never have to worry about an unexpected room change or other conflict affecting the start of meeting again.

Do you have any tips for how to be productive before the semester starts?

At Wiggio, we’re all about working in groups — which is why we’re adding to our team. We’re currently on the lookout for a Boston student to come into the office during the spring semester and assist with marketing communications tasks.

Responsibilities include:

• Manage social media presence (Facebook, Twitter)
• Update the Wiggio blog
• Market research
• Assist with email marketing campaigns
• Assist with creative campaigns targeting college students

This position requires 15-20 hours of work each week at the Wiggio office (in Fort Point, near Flour Bakery!) and will report to the Marketing Coordinator. Interns will be compensated with a stipend for working expenses at completion of the project, as well as a recommendation for future employers.

We’re a laid back yet hard-working team, and we’re looking for a student that can perform the aforementioned tasks as well as make our CEO laugh and play ping-pong.  This is a great opportunity to get exposure in the Boston start-up community, and to boost your resume with the experience of leading a marketing campaign from start to finish.  If interested, please email a cover letter and resume to shannon@wiggio.com.

About Wiggio:
Wiggio is a free productivity tool that simplifies group communication. Private groups of any size can quickly and easily communicate and share information in real-time via text, email and voice messaging, live phone and video-conferencing, file sharing and editing, group surveys, shared calendars, schedules and discussion topics. Headquartered in Boston, Wiggio secured $2.1 million in a Series A financing led by New Atlantic Ventures in mid-2010. For more information, please visit www.wiggio.com.

Here at Wiggio, we’re all about helping people increase efficiency and organization.  Based off of user feedback and our own experiences, we put together a short list of tips to help you effectively collaborate in 2012.

1. Open up to other modes of communication. Are you used to always sending email messages?  There are many other ways to communicate, and other methods might be more appropriate considering the message recipients.  For example — younger people (especially students) are always on their cell phones.  Instead of sending out an email, send them a quick text message, so they’ll be sure to receive the message in a timely manner.
2. Move your work online. You’ve heard of the enigma that is “the cloud.” There are many benefits of working on the cloud:  you can access information wherever you have Internet connection, and it’s very easy to communicate and share information without sending attachments back and forth.  If you’ve been reluctant to start moving information online, give it a try this new year.  You can start small — uploading a few files at first, then adding more as you go along.  Hosting files online is a great way for your group to backup important information.
3. Create a central location for communication. Many outlets exist for communicating with groups. Instead of using separate applications to send messages, stick to one platform - preferably one that archives messages.  This will reduce time wasted by searching for information, and no one can claim that they didn’t receive a message because they didn’t login to a certain application.
4. Don’t hesitate to communicate. Instead of waiting for the next meeting to have a discussion with your group face-to-face, send messages virtually.  You won’t waste time by pushing things back to be handled at a later time, and you’ll be able to get more accomplished.
5. Schedule important dates. Creating a schedule can help you manage your time wisely, and using virtual calendars allows you to schedule reminders of important dates.  Don’t be afraid to schedule a little time to yourself, as well.  It’s easy to book every minute of your day with meetings, homework, and classes — but don’t forget to leave a little time for you to unwind and recharge.