The Lazy Designer's Guide to Success

Great tips from designer, Michael Bierut.

Typophile Film Festival 5 Opening Titles

my style personality

Surprisingly accurate! Take the quiz for yourself here.
via how about orange

Seriously AWESOME business card

AR Business Card from James Alliban on Vimeo.

Internet Explorer 8

This is hilarious...Firefox is still superior!!!

How to Stay Friends with a Graphic Designer

your logo makes me barf

barfness abounds
via the lovely fly

Spec in the real world

Dreams

WORD.
via xkcd

Thought...

via design is mine

so bright!

via ssc

Newborn Nephew Elias has arrived

Baby Elias first visit
Originally uploaded by partfilipino

So this is what has been eating up my time lately!

It's alive!

For the whole world to see...
my website!

So fresh and new but already I have some adjustments to make...
Here's the to do list:
1. crop shadow off top of logo so it properly bleeds from the top edge.
2. make circles 20% smaller and full size images larger within styled lightbox
3. revise and condense all content to one page (who needs navigation?)
4. create "galleries" of work? Need to figure this one out.
5. implement and style new contact form
6. finish mlog styling!!! (this is going to be a challenge!)

this is just a short list...I'm sure I will find more to do!

Portfolio Progress

SELF-EVALUATION So I've been making very slow progress with my final portfolio site since "life" seems to always be getting in my way but I'm happy with where's its heading. It will be great to finally get a fully fledged site published and one I can easily manage and update myself!!! I tried to make the design reflect my unique design "hand" and sensibilities while keeping it simple and letting the work shine. I can't wait to get my lightbox up and working! I'm a little nervous about the technical road blocks I have yet to cross but either way I've gained a lot of web knowledge in this course and am confident that it will all come together in the end as planned.

invite delight

via studio on fire

WORD!

my day in a nutshell

via jacob heftmann

email layout

This is a little something that I built a little while ago with my new css web skills!

Passion Pit-The Reeling

this video is f*n awesome!
via blackeiffel

Janine Rewell

Love her illustration style.

who said web page layout was so different from print?

Great tips for web site design:
1 spacing
2 perfect pixel detail
3 well thought out typography
4 organization of elements
5 restraint and subtlety
6 using color to it's full potential
7 doing something that no one else has done

Many of these items are also considerations that make great print page layout!

Read the full article here.

Just lovely...

I wish I could say that I designed this! Sadly, I don't recall who the designer is...

Portfolio Inspiration

As I'm working on the development of my website I have collected some sites that I admire and some nice postings about portfolio development that I think are worth noting here.

I like the design of the following sites:
wilson minor Beautiful simplicity, nice use of color and great modern logo.
mr. diggles I like how the about functions on this site.
giant creative I like the "sliding" portfolio pages.
frank chimero I like the simplicity of the navigation and the content of his pages.

I like how type is handled in the following links:
jon tangerine I like the footer design here as well.
matt bango I like how the thumbs are presented.

Liking the "feel" of these sites:
100 layer cake
ray's blog
arc90
louise fili

Great articles on portfolio design:
Creating a Successful Online Portfolio
Astheria
Fuel Your Creativity
Art of Self-Branding by Lea Alcantara

Current color and web trends for 2009 and beyond:
Color Trends
Web Trends

Seeing droplets everywhere...

Ever since I "updated" my personal logo I've been catching the "wave" of droplet shapes being used everywhere! This package is beautiful. via lovely package

Notes to Self- A Great Tumblr log from Jack Cheng

I came across this image via SwissMiss and I love this idea...I guess I now have some direction for my own blog content!

One Drop– Spread the Awareness

ONE DROP marks World Water Day from One Drop Foundation on Vimeo.

I pledged to stop buying bottled water. Reuse what you have!

Everthing is a...

by Helen Friel via design*sponge

I like this idea

buy it here

It happens... in the least expected places!

a great image (TGIF) from Sean Tubridy

Ok, fifth time is the charm...

So I've been going back and forth about this design...and possibly asked too many people what they've thought but I finally think I've arrived at a layout that I'm pleased with!

"Mortgage" by Jota Castro

a reflection of our tumultuous economic climate! via designboom

72.8% Water

via ssc

I heart tea!

This is just bloody brilliant. Designer: Jonas Trampedach. via Design Crush

Procrastination

I would be very successful if this were my job...LOL :D

via SwissMiss

Mor Cosmetics

I love the design of this line of cosmetics... the dieline is the best!

Biting footer that is hilarious!

Check out the footer of this page. Made me laugh inside hard!
get me a pulled pork sandwich!

Homework: Mlog Layouts

Above are two layouts that I have created to customize this blogger template. I'm leaning towards the layout with more white space since it's simple and less stylized. If you're curious a "mlog" is "my blog" as in, made by Michelle :D

One of those weeks...

I can't remember where I found this image but it's been one of those weeks! TGIF and March I can't wait to meet you!

10 Commandments of Good Design

1 Good design is innovative.
2 Good design makes a product useful.
3 Good design is aesthetic.
4 Good design helps a product to be understood.
5 Good design is unobtrusive.
6 Good design is honest.
7 Good design is durable.
8 Good design is thorough to the last detail.
9 Good design is concerned with the environment.
10 Good design is a little design as possible.

Dieter Rams

In Class Website Crits

Jennifer— (Studio Iphestos II )For a first website I think that you met the challenge with nice graphic simplicity and function. E-commerce sites tend to be complex because of the needed functionality. I think it would beneficial for you to choose an e-commerce site to model your site after if you would like to seriously publish this site for your mother's business. It's a great first start, but once you look at other sites, I think that you will find that you will have to approach your layout differently. Plus, you'd have to kick your coding skills up a notch! Nice work!

Marina— (35millimoser) Your first site is a nice effort considering the amount of divs! I would re-evaluate your color choices for your site if you plan on using it as a portfolio site. I also wish I was certain how your navigation would function. If your other pages fill in the main shape, then I would make sure that horizontal and landscape images will look nice in this shape. Nice work, considering the challenge it was to learn all this coding!

Blogs I Like

As per our assignment, please see my BLOG ROLL in the right column for some of my faves.

Green Dream Site Project

Go to Green Dream Site

SELF-EVALUATION I had trouble again uploading my site...I can't tell if I did everything right since I'm uploading remotely. Overall I think that the look/feel of my site is appropriate and engaging. I'm looking forward to refining my typography as I continue to pick up more CSS. I would like to add additional content; possibly a photo gallery and forms (which I haven't learned to create yet) for further usability.

Assignment 4: Lime Web Page

view it live here

SELF-EVALUATION Getting used to the fact that I actually need to mind the details of exact pixel measures otherwise the browser will not display the columns properly. Still have a lot to learn as far as typography for the web goes...Notice the awkward header spacing!

Lovin this

via DesignMilk

Four Pillars

Here are the four pillars of smart growth manifesto:

1. Outcomes, not income
2. Connections, not transactions
3. People, not product
4. Creativity, not productivity

via SwissMiss

Wil Lindsay: Breathprints

Went to an opening at Payne Gallery last night during class called Re-generate, Re-image, Re-focus: New Directions in Photography and I was really impressed with these prints in the show. I would recommend that if you're in Bethlehem to check it out.

Damian Aquiles

Love the rich color palette and textures. via ssc

Assignment 3: Greendreamlawntreecare.com mock-up

SELF-EVALUATION I created this mock-up to serve as an informative landing place for my brother's landscaping business. I approached it from the perspective of what new or prospective customers would want to see and learn about the business. Overall I think that the look and feel is clean, modern, and young. I created three options for the layout and believe that the top one is the strongest.

Vin Diagram

vindiagram
Originally uploaded by iambarefoot

I've been working on a report that features several venn diagrams...This just made me laugh.

Book Love

Found via Swiss Miss by Thomas Keeley

Assignment 2: Print to Web

TRANSLATION OF ABOVE PRINT POSTER

SELF-EVALUATION The poster had to be re-set using browser safe fonts, however I believe it's just as plausible to typeset the poster in the original Swiss face and slice the entire page up. However, updating "image" based typography would pose to be more work than it's worth, especially when information is likely to change as on the web. Overall I think the solution, still makes the information easy to read and maintains the original impact of the imagery.

Assignment 1: Web Site Critique

1) book cover archive 2) covers 3) design21 4) design can change 5) magcloud
6) monocle 7) uppercase 8) whitehouse 9) juliebayard 10) fullsingle

In the interest in gaining greater understanding of elements of web page design that I admire and would like to emulate possibly for the final project, I have selected the following sites for consideration and review. I feel the overall presentation of each of the following sites are strong in terms of pleasing aesthetics, use of typography, white space and ease with which the content can be absorbed.

1) book cover archive

OVERALL PRESENTATION– This website is the newer of the two sites I have posted here that function as a visual archive and gallery for book cover designs. The stylized page title in the header is well executed in a clean, classic vintage type treatment. The careful consideration of the type on the site and use of rules fits the “printed” subject of this sites content.
USABILITY– As a gallery the grided layout of the books allows the reader to quickly absorb the contents of an entire page easily. The top navigation features an icon that takes the user back to the “front” home page as they navigate through the pages. A drop down menu of categories allows the user to filter their viewing experience with ease. External page links are highlighted or underlined with rollovers. Images use standard alt tags and copy can be easily scanned and read because of appropriate type styling and hierarchy.
ORGANIZATION– Clean, simple and unobtrusive layout with great use of white space (padding) and rules to seperate out content sections.

2) covers

OVERALL PRESENTATION– This website is the older of the two sites I have posted here that function as a visual archive and gallery for book cover designs. I’m drawn to the clean, simplicity of this three column layout. The neutral gray background helps the cover art to pop off the page.
USABILITY– In comparison to the book cover archive site, the left hand column page navigation is simple and easy to use and understand. It would be nice if the search button was on the same page. The overall usability is just as effective as the book cover archive site.
ORGANIZATION– Clean, simple and unobtrusive three column layout with great use of white space.

3) design21

OVERALL PRESENTATION– Design21 is rich with unique content. It’s a social and information driven site with a compelling mix of subject matter and features a slideshow on the home page. The information is presented in clearly delineated sections and clean institutional look and feel.
USABILITY– The navigation is color coded and calls the user to action. Some of the button are a little small and can be easy to miss. However as a social network the interaction is top-notch.
ORGANIZATION– Clean, simple and unobtrusive three column layout with tabbed filtering of center content area.

4) design can change

OVERALL PRESENTATION– This is a highly interactive flash-based experience. The content is presented with strong dominating visuals. The entire page area changes as the user navigates the content. Great use of photography, color, type and information graphics.
USABILITY– As a flash-based site, this poses a bit of a disadvantage if the user doesn't have the latest plug-in. However, the slick bottom bar navigation and left and right page scrolling makes it a fun and memorable user experience which will certainly drawn the audience in.
ORGANIZATION– Clean, simple and unobtrusive drop down bottom fixed menu.

5) magcloud

OVERALL PRESENTATION– The content and very white page layout makes this site attractive and unique. The rollover with caption cover browsing home page presentation is simple yet impactful.
USABILITY– The very vertical (scrolling) page and simple two column layout makes the information easy to scan.
ORGANIZATION– Simple browsing, searching and single page scanning of information.

6) monocle

OVERALL PRESENTATION– The web counterpart to the print magazine is succinctly branded.
USABILITY– The iconic sectioning is brilliantly applied from the print piece to effectively navigate the site. Although, I don't completely agree with knocked out body copy for reading, the magazine has kept the copy to a minimum and replaced the written editorial with engaging video stories for a rich user experience. When you click to strictly magazine content, the pages go to white for readability.
ORGANIZATION– Nice use of space, simple browsing, searching and single page scanning of information with simple drop down menus and horizontal rule division.

7) uppercase

OVERALL PRESENTATION– This is a e-commerce site with a nicely adapted "gallery" look and feel that is whimsical, modern and fresh.
USABILITY– This site utilizes a simple single-page like experience where you can view details of products within a pop-up frame that greys out the background. The user can also sort or find similar content by "tags" which are shown in the left column of the page or view the entire inventory of the store through the drop down menus.
ORGANIZATION– Nice use of space, simple browsing, searching and single page scanning of information with simple drop down menus with a simple color palatte.

8) whitehouse

OVERALL PRESENTATION– A new president in the oval office has brought a fresh, elegant, modern and standards compliant website to life! Features engaging slideshows, video and a blog.
USABILITY– This is the first site that I have review with a specific accessibility page which shows it's commitment to usability and the user experience no matter what their disabilities may be. This site strives to be not only a great public face of the administration but also a wonderful learning tool for students and citizens alike.
ORGANIZATION– Nice use of space, simple browsing, searching and single page scanning of information with simple drop down menus with a complete site menu links featured in the footer.

9) julie bayard

OVERALL PRESENTATION– This is the personal portfolio of French designer Julie Bayard. It features a uniquely patterned gallery layout that is organic and striking. The pieces load "building" before your eyes. The viewer also has the ability to move the entire configuration around on the page as well as highlight and enlarge each thumbnail individually.
USABILITY– Once again since this is a flash-based site, there are some limitations. However, as a showcase of Julie's work it is simple and engaging. The layout is similar to a timeline and moves horizontally instead of vertically (within the widow) thus creating a different experience for the user.
ORGANIZATION– Simple and beautiful.

10) full single

OVERALL PRESENTATION– This site is a collection of user submitted sites that features single page websites which are standards compliant.The simple content follows it's function. The thumbnails are links to the showcased sites and user can scroll through the entire collection page by page only. As a web designer this should be a great place to find layout inspiration.
USABILITY– As with other gallery like sites, this one is so simple that it lacks any filtering, searching, user feedback or detail information on the collection. It's built similar to a portal which just takes you to other sites.
ORGANIZATION– Simple and clean.

A Brand New Day

Nate Williams is one of my favorite illustrators.

Inspiring Words

Created with Wordle using copy from President Barack Obama's inauguration speech.

I got a blog!

So what's up world, I'm officially blogging...This is for an evening class that I'm taking on interactive design!