December 21st 2006 / shared
Apparently so. Adobe has announced the new CS3 icon family and it has caused some minor dismay. I’ve yet to read any resounding praise for the icons. However, I’ve read many angry outbursts, some eloquently put criticisms, but mostly just confused indifference.
Why a company as well known for producing creative software, would create an icon family that has a novice visual feel is beyond me. I suppose we could only speculate at Adobe’s motives until they supply an official explanation, but I’d like to believe they have a good reason, and that it’ll all become clear as we get closer to a full launch of CS3.
July 9th 2006 / shared
I’m at this party, I’m not entirely sure how I got here. I think I’ve earned my way in, I think I’m being funny, everyone’s laughing with me, my jokes are flying out, I’ve got to think about them and my lips move while I say them, but my wit is quick and they’re coming rapid fire.
Everyone’s gathered around drinking and laughing.
Then he arrives, Mr. Alan Jax—Mr. Asshole if you ask me. He floats in, transitioning smoothly from person to person telling jokes, stealing glances. His lips don’t move—the jokes are just there. People are beginning to notice him and they’re drawn to him, away from me.
June 22nd 2006 / taught
One of the most annoying things I run across when running a web-site is the theft of bandwidth, my bandwidth. This is most commonly done through the direct—or hot, if you will—linking to images on my server. The perpetrator is usually someone who thinks that all Internet content is free to use as they see fit. Unfortunately for me and you, we get stuck with the bill. There are some very simple ways to prevent this, unfortunately there is no ultimate solution that will prevent it entirely all the time.
May 8th 2006 / taught
Something I take very seriously when it comes to web development and design is the precept of doing something once, and using it over and over. I call this “write once, use twice”. In reality I’ll use it more than twice; it just sounds better than “write once, use it thousands of times”. This theory can be put into practice in every aspect of developing for the web—or even running your business.
February 23rd 2006 / shared
There’s a new way to create and market web-sites and no one told me about it. I didn’t get my invitation to the private beta release party. No one told me that we would be taking old methods and technologies, placing new names on them or groups of them and touting them as brand new. Someone failed to mention that certain design elements were now part of this new and improved web. I suppose the memo never reached my desk.
I’m already tired of Web 2.0, not because of its absolute and powerful inundation into every nook and cranny on the web. Not because some of its components infuriate me as a accessibility supporter. Not even because it’s another trend or catch-phrase or buzz-word.
February 22nd 2006 / shared
In the world of web development and design there’s a strong division of developers who each think that their way is the way, the only way. None of these differing groups are 100% wrong or 100% right. It’s not unlike religion. There are base qualities to each that are identical at the core, but the majority of the philosophies are different. And not unlike religious fanatics, web developers also adamantly defend and preach their way as the one true way. I think this is a horrible way to approach the development of web-sites. My personal philosophy is; if it works, it works. That’s not to say that I feel we should be using (x)html elements in the incorrect way, because it works. It means that I am not going to beat myself (or others) down if I need to use an extra division tag to get my design to function and display correctly in a myriad of browsers.
February 22nd 2006 / shared
Yesterday afternoon, my wife, kids and I went to the local Wal-Mart super-center for our semi-regular, grocery shopping spree. Why we keep putting ourselves in this position is beyond the scope of this article, but just let me say this; shopping with two young boys in a crowded shopping center is just a little less fun than it may seem. The point and scope of this article is the evils of product packaging design. Specifically I want to discuss how a product could so easily lure me into an unwanted purchase based solely on the packaging.
February 15th 2006 / shared
I’m continuing our open-ended discussion on the modern forum GUI with the third installment; topic reading view. This is going to be the most controversial view—I believe—because I’m going to suggest stripping out a large amount of clutter and secondary information that’s unnecessary to the task at hand; reading the topic. Today I want to discuss a little about why it’s important to focus on the topic itself more, and less on the secondary information that often accompanies the modern forum GUI topic reading view.
February 6th 2006 / shared
Last week we began a discussion on the modern message board and its GUI, we talked about ways to improve this common and outdated user interface by making things slimmer, cleaner and more logical. There was extremely good feedback on the article and concepts overall, the only real complaint was that the concept lacked a design logo/brand. I feel a logo is not necessary to the overall software package, some argued that some administrators would want to leave the software as is, but replace the logo/brand with one of their own. My response was “I feel it’s just as easy to add a logo as it is to replace one”. Although, the more I think about it, I think there is a possible solution that would work well as a compromise, without real sacrifice.
February 2nd 2006 / taught
Adobe Photoshop is an extremely powerful program for the graphic designer and photographer alike, another great—although overlooked—way to utilize its power: coloring illustrations. I use Adobe Photoshop to color all of my cartoons; it’s quite easy to do once you understand how. The main issue is being able to color your drawing without losing your line drawing in the process and allowing your custom ink work to shine. In this article I am going to show you the light and dark sides of coloring in Adobe Photoshop.
this dude's a real star
I’ve been working in the web development industry for five years now. For five years I’ve been able to sustain a specific lifestyle, working solo. Working in an industry I both love and admire. I’ve seen designers, programmers, ideas, businesses and so on, come and go, come again then leave once more. I’ve heard just about every conceivable pitch for projects from one page brochures to one-hundred page social networks. I’ve been offered partnerships, equity, free hosting and heard promises of more work to come. Basically I’ve heard it all.
There is one thing I do above all else that keeps my business running and my mind clear. Keeps me riding the karmic bicycle in the right direction if you will.
That thing. That one, simple thing is; Respect.
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I don't need no stinkin' hierarchal organization