CSS3, Client questionnaires and awesome new tech!

Using CSS3 Transitions, Transforms and Animation - one to check out again when I get home on a non-IE browser...

For my new web design project, I sent out the questionnaire to the client I developed based on the one from Cotler/Goto's fabulously useful textbook. I've used it before with success as I found it helps the client solidify in their own mind what it is they want, as well as help you create a solid concept of the project's scope. The only problem is, it's a full page of questions which might seem quite daunting and a lot of work, particularly if it's a fairly basic job/assignment. I found this article by Bryan Arnold in which he lists just 10 core questions to ask in order to be able to produce killer designs. The core concepts behind most of them are very similar to those I use in my questionnaire (except for the one where you ask them for a picture/to be their friend on FB!). It's pitched more conversationally so will be a useful guide when I get a new client meeting...

As for cool new tech, Sony have unveiled a super flexible, thinner than a strand of hair OLED
- how awesome is that!? Can you imagine how cool it will be when you can make clothing that continually changes images? That woudl make up for the lack of hover boards in my near future...

No, I haven't fallen off the planet...

Between job hunting, playing with Flash/Actionscript 3 and being sent to work in Brisbane last week, I've been a bit distracted!

After making the most of the free Lynda.com month I recieved when I purchased CS4, I built an AS3/Flash site to present the designs I created as part of the second stage interview for the position of 'Design Guru'.

I've also scanned and started transforming the sketches of the Byron character for the cartoon I'm creating for my nephew. I'm focusing on the face and facial expressions at the moment. There's still a fair bit of work to go (and I still have a few other characters to design/sketch up) but I'll have to start uploading my work in progress to the portfolio site. I forgot how much fun I used to have animating.

Speaking of the portfolio site, I'm bored of it already - I think it's time for a revamp. Hopefully the rest of this week will be slightly quieter and I can spend a bit of time playing with some styles and background images...

Online and offline projects

So I've been refreshing myself, working my way through the Lynda essential training for CS4 (Flash complete, now revising Photoshop). As before, a lot of it is just stuff I already knew - the biggest challenge is trying to stay engaged to catch the bits that are new (or cool tricks I didn't know about!).

I've also started on character design/sketches for the Byron/Otto series. I've pulled out all of my character animation notes to remember the proportions to use for kids (5:1 body:head ratio) and am trying to nail the body/gestural shape before I start on the detail and real face of the character.

Finally getting to do the whole cap & gown thing on Wednesday - it feels an age since I finished up coursework, it will be good to finally get the piece of paper to prove it :-)

Making the most of the freebie...

So I've just been through the entire 4+hrs of Lynda.com training on Flash CS4 Professional Essential Training. The majority was mind numbingly boring as it was stuff I already knew or was very similar to my CS3 experience but I was loathe to skip any of it as there were occasionally nuggets of gold scattered through out in the form of new tools, different methods of use etc. It was also nice to go through the 'Intro to AS3' chapter and not be freaked out by the code (which I recall doing the first time I saw AS3, way back when). I'm actually quite looking forward to playing with Flash again soon! (Although also plan to do at least some Photoshop CS4 and AS3 training in and around my projects. Might have to look at extending this subscription...)

Speaking of projects, I started on the story outline for 'The Adventures of Byron & Otto' this morning (the flash project for my nephew) and was quite happy with the idea I'd developed around a boy and his cat finding a magical key that opened doors to adventures etc. I've just had a chat with my brother and have been told that the story already exists i.e. there is a standard B&O story that starts of the storytelling at bedtime and it's something I can't mess with. *sigh* that's fine, I'm sure all my thought and work on my idea won't be wasted - I'll just have to add it to my ideas folder... Anyway, I've given instructions for the creation of a storyboard, sourcing of photos they might want to use and recording of sound for voice overs etc. so now, like with any client job, it's time to wait for content :-) In the mean time, I've been thinking I might animate the whole thing (or a lot of it), which means I can work on character & expression boards etc. I'm trying to think of what style to go with. The Little Ninja keeps popping into my head :-)

New projects and flash stuff!

So, I just had a lovely long weekend in project limbo - still awaiting client sign off pre-live launch for the LIF2 site, so made the most of being slothful as with the new week comes new projects!

I've had an email from an ex-colleague who is in the process of setting up her own company and asked if I might be interested in designing/building her site - yay! Might be paid work, but also gives me a good chance to start from scratch and work in all the stuff I've learned along the way. I'm going to do it 'properly' and follow good user centred design process, so I'll be fishing out the old client questionnaire this week.

I've also had an idea for a couple of Flash projects. One is animating the Ashtanga yoga primary series, including a voice over with the names of the poses and breathing. I want to do it to help me learn it (as I'm still getting stuck on parts in the 6am Mysore classes), I haven't found anything like that out on the net and I think it would actually be really challenging from an animation perspective (might be more challenging than I expect, like the dance sequence in my uni project...). I think it would be a good way to try out the bones tool in CS4 which looks rather interesting!

I also had a call from my 6yr old nephew asking me to create cartoons starring him and his cat, having Batman-esque adventures. I've created short animations for him before, starring the family, occasionally with his voice over added in, so I think he's after something along those lines. I think this is something I might be able to include some level of interactivity into (and AS3!) so I might investigate this first. Although it means coming up with a story to animate...have to to away and be inspired, like I used to at uni. Speaking of inspiration, really enjoyed reading this article on the Myth of Inspiration - it got me thinking about what original ideas and design, mean...

I purchased CS4 Design Premium the other week and Adobe kindly threw in a 30 day Lynda.com subscription (I assume to make me feel better for just missing CS5?), so I've been scanning some of the early Flash tutorials just to refamiliarise myself with the software. It's been quite handy actually, learned about a couple of tools I haven't used much and keen to give them a test run...

But for now, I have to run - I've actually got an interview with an agency dude - I'm looking forward to having a chat with him to try to work out why people aren't thinking I want a junior role...

Prepping photoshop file for devs

http://www.noupe.com/photoshop/preparing-photoshop-files-for-web-developers.html

Great article for newbies on best determined practice for prepping a photoshop file for developers

Version control

I used Subversion (with TortioseSVN and RapidSVN) when I was building Strine (including installing it on the team's machines and training them how to use it) and completely loved it.

Good version control on a project has always been important in my eyes after years of working in desktop publishing roles, where you go through any number of iterations and edits on a document.

I created my own version control system, where I label all of my documents with date, series label and owner initials, and sometimes time (e.g. File name 310310JTa 1745.ppt). I will save a new version any time I'm about to make a new set of significant changes (especially deleting), because you are guaranteed to have someone want that [page, chart, section] back right at the last minute. In a deadline driven environment, you don't want to have to recreate things.

Anyway, this system, although useful meant I chewed through space on my USB keys and after enough iterations on a project, it was a pain to scan through loads of files to look for the change you wanted to undo. When I started using SVN, it was like a dream come true - my OCD need for versioning could be satisfied easily! And across a whole team of people! Awesome tool.

Anyway, now I'm back to working on a solo project (LIF site redesign), I've reverted back to filling up my USB keys with versions of files. I don't like this system - I feel like I've flown business class and now I'm being forced to sit back in Economy again.

I was talking about SVN at the Web Blast evening last week with a gentleman named Sam, who told me all about other version control systems out there, as well as options for remote hosting. He suggested if I want to get into developing that this would be a good idea to set one of these up, as it would be an easy way to show people in interviews what my code actually looked like. I just liked the idea because I could work on my site build anywhere (including at work) and upload changes regularly - and save my usb keys!

Stack overflow had a useful thread on this exact topic. Tomorrow I'm planning to check out Unfuddle and Beanstalk and see which free hosting plan suits me best. They both also support Git, a different VCS. I think I'd like to try something else new, to add another feather in the cap.