Presenting: Preparation, Process, and Pizzazz
Posted on Sep 28, 2006 05:29:09 PM
When the organizers of SXSW let me know that my panel proposal was accepted and I was going to be one of the presenters at the largest interactive festival of the year, I was ecstatic. What a great opportunity! But as quickly as the elation rose, so did the nerves. I realized what this all really meant: people attending your panel with a lot of expectations and hopes, ready to judge your presentation skills, your content, and—most of Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Pizzazz, Preparation, Presenting, ProcessCorporate Web Standards
Posted on Sep 27, 2006 03:31:47 PM
We’ve all heard the fairy-tales about the prince kissing the princess, but the story just ends there; they both live happily ever after, riding off into the sunset, never to be seen again. But in real life, that’s just the beginning of the story—after the kiss and the sunset comes the hard work and the real relationship.
It’s a similar situation when getting a large organization on board with web standards. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Corporate, standardsBack to the User: Creating User-Focused Web Sites
Posted on Sep 25, 2006 11:33:13 AM
Web designers can be guilty of designing for themselves alone. We like to think of ourselves as purveyors of good taste, or even of being on the cutting edge of "cool." Sometimes we are guilty of forgetting the purpose of our work entirely. We've scoffed as "usability experts" have scolded us for our excesses. The fact remains, however, that some beautifully designed sites are excruciatingly difficult to use. We even have cautionary tales Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Back, Creating, Focused, Sites, UserMind your phraseology!
Posted on Sep 24, 2006 01:51:13 AM
Many moons ago I waited tables. One day our manager came down to tell us that from now on we were to refer to our customers as "guests." We also were to refer to courses as "first course" and "second course." Our chef was French, and found the American use of "entre" for the main course annoying--in French "entree" means appetizer. This was my first experience with a controlled vocabulary.
English is a complex, flexible, and powerful Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Mind, phraseology, your40 Excellent Web Based Tools to Help You Design from Anywhere
Posted on Sep 22, 2006 10:30:15 AM
In today’s busy world it can be hard to be tied down to one computer. With web based applications becoming so advanced it is now possible to still get work done anywhere there is a computer without installing any software. From image editing to Word documents, you can do it all online.
Here are 40 excellent web based tools to help you design from anywhere:
Online Image Editing
Project Draw Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Anywhere, based, Design, Excellent, from, Help, ToolsResurrect Your Writing, Redeem Your Soul
Posted on Sep 21, 2006 07:05:38 AM
You’ve given in to the corrupting influence of business babble. It’s not your fault, though—you’re not really a writer. You’re the designer, the team lead, the valid-HTML jockey, the smartie who gets things done. But inevitably, working on the Web means writing on the Web.
So you follow all the rules. You “chunk” your text, style your headers, optimize for search terms. You’re happy Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Redeem, Resurrect, Soul, Writing, yourThe CSS Anthology: 101 Essential Tips, Tricks and Hacks
Posted on Sep 11, 2006 03:23:29 PM
I hate CSS
If you've been on any Web design mailing lists or forums in the last year or so, you will have heard (seen?) the anguished cry “I hate CSS!” Most often it’s from an experienced Web designer, frustrated by the lack of cross-browser support for CSS, lamenting the broken rendering of a site’s design.
Is this you? Have you had a brief affair with CSS and fallen out big time? Tempted by the promise of Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Anthology, Essential, Hacks, Tips, TricksUsability: The Site Speaks for Itself
Posted on Sep 11, 2006 10:17:42 AM
As Molly Holzschlag points out in the introduction, "This book exists to help web professionals gain perspective, not from the usability pundits that have popped up like so many mushrooms after rain, but from real practitioners." Since the book warns readers they are entering a pundit-free zone, it makes for a less intimidating and more entertaining way to learn about usability.
What exactly is meant by the term usability? When Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Itself, Site, Speaks, UsabilityBuilding the Business Game Plan
Posted on Sep 11, 2006 09:18:19 AM
Process: either you love it or you hate it.
Rarely do you find those in-the-middle-of-the-road when it comes to process in web design. One-size-fits-all? Some say yes and others say no. ISO9001, CMM (Capability Maturity Model), RUP (Rational Unified Process), and SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability dEtermination) are too big and cost too much to implement. They are often seen as "all-or-nothing," which leads to mindless Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Building, Business, Game, PlanA Recipe for Learning Web Design
Posted on Sep 11, 2006 05:58:20 AM
Web design and its related fields are still relatively young in the grand scheme of things and are still developing. One of the questions I’m often asked is, “how can I become a Web designer?” The answer isn’t simple. There are many different paths one can take to become a professional Web designer, each as different as the individuals that make up the Web design community.
Today, many successful Web professionals Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Design, Learning, Recipe