http://pixelresort.com/blog/photoshoot-wallpaper-video/
Watch the 25yr old graphic designer pull together this photoshoot wallpaper. A nice study in approach to a photoshop image build (and comforting to know this guy is awesome and it took him 6hrs and 1000+ layers to achieve)
24 March 2010
18 March 2010
Articles to review
I've been so busy lately with website redesigning, job hunting, life and most annoyingly, actual work, that I keep coming across articles/resources I'd like to read/review, but don't seem to have a moment to do so. They're getting lost in the twitter stream, so I thought I'd log them somewhere for those down time moments...
http://trentwalton.com/2010/02/18/position-absolute/
Postition absolute - web design opinion pieces
http://searchpatterns.org/library.php
Search patterns library
http://www.absolutetoday.com/blog.net/post/2009/11/10/15-Free-Guides-That-Really-Teach-You-Useful-Stuff.aspx
Free guides that teach you stuff
http://sixrevisions.com/tools/google-analytics-in-depth-goals-and-funnels/
Google analytics in depth
http://randomkeygen.com/
Random password key generator (when mashing the keys just won't do...)
http://trentwalton.com/2010/02/18/position-absolute/
Postition absolute - web design opinion pieces
http://searchpatterns.org/library.php
Search patterns library
http://www.absolutetoday.com/blog.net/post/2009/11/10/15-Free-Guides-That-Really-Teach-You-Useful-Stuff.aspx
Free guides that teach you stuff
http://sixrevisions.com/tools/google-analytics-in-depth-goals-and-funnels/
Google analytics in depth
http://randomkeygen.com/
Random password key generator (when mashing the keys just won't do...)
07 March 2010
960 grid - the plan
So, after reading up on the logic behind the grid system, as well as a couple of other papers/theories re grid design (incl. discussions from Khoi Vinh and Cameron Moll), I'm going to give the 960 grid a go.
I've already had fun downloading the bookmarklet gridder (http://gridder.andreehansson.se/) and applying it to lots of different pages. I think I'm going to realise it's worth more when I start building...
I'm going to try the css and html code generator at http://headless-studios.com/960.ls/# and see what I get...
I've already had fun downloading the bookmarklet gridder (http://gridder.andreehansson.se/) and applying it to lots of different pages. I think I'm going to realise it's worth more when I start building...
I'm going to try the css and html code generator at http://headless-studios.com/960.ls/# and see what I get...
960 grid system - the background
So I found a blog post by the creator of the 960 grid system
http://sonspring.com/journal/960-grid-system
I think I'm going to try using for the LIF2 build for a couple of reasons...
1) It seems to make sense to me
2) It looks 'right' to me re total width of page as well as column division sizes
3) It takes into account accessibility issues and addresses some typographic ideas I didn't know about. e.g. Not having played at all with Linux browsers, I had no idea I should be considering choice of fonts for real cross browser compliance
4) It doesn't apply too much styling - appears to be less than Blueprint (http://www.blueprintcss.org/) so I don't feel like I'm 'cheating' so much using a grid builder
5) It doesn't claim to the best/better than everything else out there. I like the fact that the author just puts this forward as something that works for him, and if you happen to find it works for you, well awesome.
6) It plays well with IE6/7
7) It's free!
It's an experiment anyway, so lets see how it goes...
http://sonspring.com/journal/960-grid-system
I think I'm going to try using for the LIF2 build for a couple of reasons...
1) It seems to make sense to me
2) It looks 'right' to me re total width of page as well as column division sizes
3) It takes into account accessibility issues and addresses some typographic ideas I didn't know about. e.g. Not having played at all with Linux browsers, I had no idea I should be considering choice of fonts for real cross browser compliance
4) It doesn't apply too much styling - appears to be less than Blueprint (http://www.blueprintcss.org/) so I don't feel like I'm 'cheating' so much using a grid builder
5) It doesn't claim to the best/better than everything else out there. I like the fact that the author just puts this forward as something that works for him, and if you happen to find it works for you, well awesome.
6) It plays well with IE6/7
7) It's free!
It's an experiment anyway, so lets see how it goes...
04 March 2010
Launch into fitness Mark II
As discussed yesterday, I plan to give LIF a face lift.
I've roughly mocked up the main pages in the new site using Powerpoint. I've blogged those over on the Planet J@net (www.jugger0.blogspot.com), which I used during the development of the original site, and will do so again for Mark II. I'll keep this blog development free as much as possible...
I've roughly mocked up the main pages in the new site using Powerpoint. I've blogged those over on the Planet J@net (www.jugger0.blogspot.com), which I used during the development of the original site, and will do so again for Mark II. I'll keep this blog development free as much as possible...
03 March 2010
Considering organic design...
I watched Ross Lovegrove's talk on Organic Design this morning on the way to work (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ross_lovegrove_shares_organic_designs.html) and it got me thinking about creativity and design.
Looking at his design lab and hearing how he thinks/develops ideas reminded me of the start of each uni semester during the brainstorming stage - the way I'd seek out all manner of random 'cool' things from all over the place to get me thinking/inspire me to start churning out ideas for projects. You become hypersensitive and really see things in different ways. It can really be fun and quite exciting (once you finally come up with an idea that is - it can be a bit nerve wracking before that with deadlines looming and production time still needing to be factored in!)
At one point Ross was marvelling at some dinosaur skeletons in a museum. He remarked how looking at these creatures was daunting, as such amazing design evolved over a very long period of evolution - how on earth was he supposed to create/design new form in a much shorter time frame?
This sentiment is not dissimilar to lots of thoughts I've been having lately re my own design skills. It has been quite daunting for me to look at the portfolios of other designers/developers and think of how mine places (so poorly!) along side them (even though I'm just pitching at a junior/newbie level, I can't help but compare myself to more experienced peeps - I know employers will be as well...)
I think my best tact going forward is to:
1) use other people's experience and design knowledge that has evolved over the web years to bring me up to speed e.g. sites like Smashing Magazine or the Yahoo! pattern library
2) be patient with myself and understand the knowledge/skill will develop in time
I also think a good plan would be to update the design of the Launch into Fitness website. When I built it, I did so mainly as an exercise in learning how to use different types of code. I've learned a bit about design since then, I think I'd be doing myself a favour by showcasing how I've evolved...
Looking at his design lab and hearing how he thinks/develops ideas reminded me of the start of each uni semester during the brainstorming stage - the way I'd seek out all manner of random 'cool' things from all over the place to get me thinking/inspire me to start churning out ideas for projects. You become hypersensitive and really see things in different ways. It can really be fun and quite exciting (once you finally come up with an idea that is - it can be a bit nerve wracking before that with deadlines looming and production time still needing to be factored in!)
At one point Ross was marvelling at some dinosaur skeletons in a museum. He remarked how looking at these creatures was daunting, as such amazing design evolved over a very long period of evolution - how on earth was he supposed to create/design new form in a much shorter time frame?
This sentiment is not dissimilar to lots of thoughts I've been having lately re my own design skills. It has been quite daunting for me to look at the portfolios of other designers/developers and think of how mine places (so poorly!) along side them (even though I'm just pitching at a junior/newbie level, I can't help but compare myself to more experienced peeps - I know employers will be as well...)
I think my best tact going forward is to:
1) use other people's experience and design knowledge that has evolved over the web years to bring me up to speed e.g. sites like Smashing Magazine or the Yahoo! pattern library
2) be patient with myself and understand the knowledge/skill will develop in time
I also think a good plan would be to update the design of the Launch into Fitness website. When I built it, I did so mainly as an exercise in learning how to use different types of code. I've learned a bit about design since then, I think I'd be doing myself a favour by showcasing how I've evolved...
File/New...
OK, so my very good friend Marla did me a massive favour and had a developer at her digital agency (someone that I don't know!) review my academic portfolio. What came out of that exercise was an honest evaluation and constructive feedback, which is exactly what I need right now.
He didn't have a great deal of time to view it and it was interesting to see the sorts of things he picked out to look at (and they weren't necessarily my best work - which isn't what I wanted!). I don't know why I sound surprised - you'd think with all of the awesome success I had with user testing feedback in all of my uni projects, I would have thought to 'user test' before now.
The portfolio, as it stands, shows the work I completed for each subject in my degree, in chronological order. I was hoping it would show how much I evolved/improved over the two years. What I didn't think about was people are more likely to just flick through the site and scan through the work, and the current set up doesn't really suit that. It looks like I'm going to have to create a new (abridged) portfolio site, with just the main pieces that I think best demonstrate my skill set (and somewhere I'll be able to start collecting new things I working on).
I cringe thinking about the agencies I've sent the link to, not to mention the job I applied for (that I was really keen on!!) - people have seen it in it's current sub-optimal state, it's no wonder I haven't heard back from them!! Oh well. I think before I start chasing those up I should probably sort out my online presence...like getting a hair cut pre-interview :-)
He didn't have a great deal of time to view it and it was interesting to see the sorts of things he picked out to look at (and they weren't necessarily my best work - which isn't what I wanted!). I don't know why I sound surprised - you'd think with all of the awesome success I had with user testing feedback in all of my uni projects, I would have thought to 'user test' before now.
The portfolio, as it stands, shows the work I completed for each subject in my degree, in chronological order. I was hoping it would show how much I evolved/improved over the two years. What I didn't think about was people are more likely to just flick through the site and scan through the work, and the current set up doesn't really suit that. It looks like I'm going to have to create a new (abridged) portfolio site, with just the main pieces that I think best demonstrate my skill set (and somewhere I'll be able to start collecting new things I working on).
I cringe thinking about the agencies I've sent the link to, not to mention the job I applied for (that I was really keen on!!) - people have seen it in it's current sub-optimal state, it's no wonder I haven't heard back from them!! Oh well. I think before I start chasing those up I should probably sort out my online presence...like getting a hair cut pre-interview :-)
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