design archives
Jun
6
2008
pretty pictures
Twitter outages annoy me far more than I’d like to admit — yes, I’ve apparently become that attached to the service — but at least they offer lovely stock illustrations on their error pages. The one at right, by Australia-based…
Twitter outages annoy me far more than I’d like to admit — yes, I’ve apparently become that attached to the service — but at least they offer lovely stock illustrations on their error pages. The one at right, by Australia-based…
Apr
8
2008
adventures in search: photoshop express
Adobe recently released a Web-based, stripped-down version of its popular Photoshop image editing software. Photoshop Express does well enough in the Google rankings, appearing first in the list of search results (under some excerpted news-related results for the keywords) for…
Adobe recently released a Web-based, stripped-down version of its popular Photoshop image editing software. Photoshop Express does well enough in the Google rankings, appearing first in the list of search results (under some excerpted news-related results for the keywords) for…
Mar
24
2008
photoshop find of the day: coloring the artboard
By default, the excess background behind a document in Photoshop is colored gray (#C0C0C0). It’s a neutral enough medium gray, but sometimes a different color — say, black — would contrast better against your project of choice. A few…
By default, the excess background behind a document in Photoshop is colored gray (#C0C0C0). It’s a neutral enough medium gray, but sometimes a different color — say, black — would contrast better against your project of choice. A few…
Mar
12
2008
testing out the google chart api
Google recently released a tool that allows users to quickly create impressively clean dynamic charts and graphs. I played around with it a bit this morning and found it super-easy to use. For example, check out these charts of last…
Google recently released a tool that allows users to quickly create impressively clean dynamic charts and graphs. I played around with it a bit this morning and found it super-easy to use. For example, check out these charts of last…
Feb
21
2008
photo of the day: must to call for
Spotted at 25th and K streets in D.C. This may be one of the most poorly-designed signs I’ve seen in some time. Why would you want the key instructions — "Push Button" — smaller than everything else? And what…
Spotted at 25th and K streets in D.C. This may be one of the most poorly-designed signs I’ve seen in some time. Why would you want the key instructions — "Push Button" — smaller than everything else? And what…
Feb
20
2008
transit map of the world
I came across the book Transit Maps of the World at the National Gallery last November and was instantly (geekily) enamored of it and its large collection of (as the name implies) public transit (train, subway, etc.) maps —…
I came across the book Transit Maps of the World at the National Gallery last November and was instantly (geekily) enamored of it and its large collection of (as the name implies) public transit (train, subway, etc.) maps —…
Feb
1
2008
political caricatures
Illustrator John Kascht has a really cool series of videos about his caricatures of presidential candidates on washingtonpost.com. Kascht talks about the process he goes through in creating a caricature and his impressions of the candidates. Here’s one about Rudy…
Illustrator John Kascht has a really cool series of videos about his caricatures of presidential candidates on washingtonpost.com. Kascht talks about the process he goes through in creating a caricature and his impressions of the candidates. Here’s one about Rudy…
Jan
27
2008
interface niceties
I’ve noticed an interesting bug with Google Calendar when entering new events. When I create an event, Google Calendar tries to take what I’ve typed and turn it into a new calendar item. Usually, it’s pretty smart. However, when an…
I’ve noticed an interesting bug with Google Calendar when entering new events. When I create an event, Google Calendar tries to take what I’ve typed and turn it into a new calendar item. Usually, it’s pretty smart. However, when an…
Jan
16
2008
vote uncommitted
Rob picked me up from work last night, and on the way home we chatted a bit about the night’s primary results. In the Michigan Democratic primary, 40 percent of the vote went to “Uncommitted” — something that prompted Rob…
Rob picked me up from work last night, and on the way home we chatted a bit about the night’s primary results. In the Michigan Democratic primary, 40 percent of the vote went to “Uncommitted” — something that prompted Rob…
Nov
14
2007
msnbc redesign
MSNBC.com just launched a redesign this week, including some personalization / customization functionality on the homepage. From a purely design perspective, though, I like the new look. It’s clean, there’s a clear visual hierarchy and they’ve done a lot…
MSNBC.com just launched a redesign this week, including some personalization / customization functionality on the homepage. From a purely design perspective, though, I like the new look. It’s clean, there’s a clear visual hierarchy and they’ve done a lot…
Oct
18
2007
colors
It’s not quite as mesmerizing as their earlier bouncing balls ad, but this new Sony Bravia ad with plasticine bunnies is really well-done: (If you can’t see the video above, it’s available on YouTube.) According to Wikipedia, this ad only…
It’s not quite as mesmerizing as their earlier bouncing balls ad, but this new Sony Bravia ad with plasticine bunnies is really well-done: (If you can’t see the video above, it’s available on YouTube.) According to Wikipedia, this ad only…
Oct
11
2007
photo of the day: mr. brooks
Words can’t express the utter adorableness of these little handmade felt owls by Lauren Alane. Mini Barn Owl may have some new friends one of these days. (Link found via the Flickr Blog.)…
Words can’t express the utter adorableness of these little handmade felt owls by Lauren Alane. Mini Barn Owl may have some new friends one of these days. (Link found via the Flickr Blog.)…
Sep
25
2007
it's gotta scream "awesome"
It’s a constant challenge on content-heavy sites to balance the twin goals of promoting new content and offering a clean user experience, devoid of extraneous clutter. If someone has put a ton of work into a new feature that users…
It’s a constant challenge on content-heavy sites to balance the twin goals of promoting new content and offering a clean user experience, devoid of extraneous clutter. If someone has put a ton of work into a new feature that users…
Sep
19
2007
chicago 2016
Chicago has unveiled a new logo for its bid to host the 2016 Olympics: The original logo had to be scrapped because it violated the International Olympic Committee’s rules against bid cities’ logos including Olympic-related imagery, such as the rings…
Chicago has unveiled a new logo for its bid to host the 2016 Olympics: The original logo had to be scrapped because it violated the International Olympic Committee’s rules against bid cities’ logos including Olympic-related imagery, such as the rings…
Sep
9
2007
lovebirds
Best wishes to Doug and Mele, who are getting married today (and, it should be noted, had the most creative wedding invitations I’ve seen, in the form of origami birds on custom-printed paper). Updated, 11:02 p.m. - Photos from…
Best wishes to Doug and Mele, who are getting married today (and, it should be noted, had the most creative wedding invitations I’ve seen, in the form of origami birds on custom-printed paper). Updated, 11:02 p.m. - Photos from…
Sep
5
2007
design nerdity at the movies
Design blogger swissmiss pointed out earlier this week that someone took the intro and closing credits from the movie Stranger Than Fiction and posted them to YouTube. I adored all the little infographics that popped up during the introduction of…
Design blogger swissmiss pointed out earlier this week that someone took the intro and closing credits from the movie Stranger Than Fiction and posted them to YouTube. I adored all the little infographics that popped up during the introduction of…
Aug
23
2007
pants on fire
I’m generally not a huge fan of animated gifs — except when they’re done well. And this “Pants on Fire” graphic, part of the “Truth-o-Meter” at PolitiFact.com, is near-genius. I love the attitude and sheer ballsiness of it — especially…
I’m generally not a huge fan of animated gifs — except when they’re done well. And this “Pants on Fire” graphic, part of the “Truth-o-Meter” at PolitiFact.com, is near-genius. I love the attitude and sheer ballsiness of it — especially…
Jul
27
2007
form help
The other day, Rob sent me an invitation to join the Django-based file / information-sharing site Pownce. I thought their sign-up form was really well done, with instructive contextual help bubbles that pop up for each item on the form…
The other day, Rob sent me an invitation to join the Django-based file / information-sharing site Pownce. I thought their sign-up form was really well done, with instructive contextual help bubbles that pop up for each item on the form…
Jul
19
2007
newspaper web site redesigns
Three newspaper Web sites have launched or previewed redesigns recently: MaineToday.com this month launched a redesign homepage. (Pointed out on Poynter’s Online-News listerv.) The Baltimore Sun this week introduced a new look. The design is pretty clean and straightforward, and…
Three newspaper Web sites have launched or previewed redesigns recently: MaineToday.com this month launched a redesign homepage. (Pointed out on Poynter’s Online-News listerv.) The Baltimore Sun this week introduced a new look. The design is pretty clean and straightforward, and…
logorama
Yesterday, while reheating leftovers for lunch, the logo for the Capital Area Food Bank caught my eye. My office is holding a food drive this month, and there are large donation bins on every floor. While I certainly can’t quibble…
Yesterday, while reheating leftovers for lunch, the logo for the Capital Area Food Bank caught my eye. My office is holding a food drive this month, and there are large donation bins on every floor. While I certainly can’t quibble…
Jul
12
2007
embedded fonts
I’ve come up against a bit of a CSS design quandary. A colleague today suggested that, in lieu of using a graphic for “designed” text, we could use the @font-face CSS rule to embed a non-Web standard font into a…
I’ve come up against a bit of a CSS design quandary. A colleague today suggested that, in lieu of using a graphic for “designed” text, we could use the @font-face CSS rule to embed a non-Web standard font into a…
Jun
20
2007
a love / hate relationship
When I first saw the documentary Helvetica at SXSW, I was given an “I Hate Helvetica” mini-button, which I affixed to the front pocket of my purse. On Saturday, I was able to complete the set, picking up an…
When I first saw the documentary Helvetica at SXSW, I was given an “I Hate Helvetica” mini-button, which I affixed to the front pocket of my purse. On Saturday, I was able to complete the set, picking up an…
Jun
3
2007
women in art
I stumbled across a neat video on YouTube this morning: Someone took a series of famous portraits of women in Western art from the past 500 years and morphed them together. It’s rather mesmerizing. …
I stumbled across a neat video on YouTube this morning: Someone took a series of famous portraits of women in Western art from the past 500 years and morphed them together. It’s rather mesmerizing. …
Jun
1
2007
cnn beta
CNN.com recently debuted a beta version of their forthcoming redesign, and the more I click through it, the more I like it. It’s beautifully lean — clean, simple, easy to navigate and not weighted down by a ton of extraneous…
CNN.com recently debuted a beta version of their forthcoming redesign, and the more I click through it, the more I like it. It’s beautifully lean — clean, simple, easy to navigate and not weighted down by a ton of extraneous…
May
9
2007
i hate helvetica
Looking at my traffic logs, I noticed that today I’ve gotten a surprising amount of traffic from people searching for the phrase “I hate Helvetica” on Google. They all land on my post from March about the SXSW premiere of…
Looking at my traffic logs, I noticed that today I’ve gotten a surprising amount of traffic from people searching for the phrase “I hate Helvetica” on Google. They all land on my post from March about the SXSW premiere of…
May
4
2007
cannibal sea
(Photo by bluetypewriter.) Back in January, Rob and I saw Camera Obscura and The Essex Green play at the 9:30 Club in D.C. At the time, I saw this awesome t-shirt and waffled about whether or not to get…
(Photo by bluetypewriter.) Back in January, Rob and I saw Camera Obscura and The Essex Green play at the 9:30 Club in D.C. At the time, I saw this awesome t-shirt and waffled about whether or not to get…
May
3
2007
subliminal advertising
Dari just passed on this video. A rather fascinating experiment: (If you can’t see the video embedded above, it’s available on YouTube.)…
Dari just passed on this video. A rather fascinating experiment: (If you can’t see the video embedded above, it’s available on YouTube.)…
Apr
27
2007
metro art
This past Saturday, Rob and I took a cool tour of public art at local Metro stations, offered as part of a weekend-long event called WalkingTown DC. It was a great opportunity to check out stations I wouldn’t normally…
This past Saturday, Rob and I took a cool tour of public art at local Metro stations, offered as part of a weekend-long event called WalkingTown DC. It was a great opportunity to check out stations I wouldn’t normally…
hazard
Rob passed along what’s become my new favorite font of the moment. Warning Tables features lots of different warning signs, including a couple of my favorite Stick Figures in Peril. Speaking of SFiP, part of me feels like this shirt…
Rob passed along what’s become my new favorite font of the moment. Warning Tables features lots of different warning signs, including a couple of my favorite Stick Figures in Peril. Speaking of SFiP, part of me feels like this shirt…
Apr
21
2007
design nerd alert
According to the documentary’s Web site, Helvetica will be screened in the D.C. area June 12-17 during the AFI Silverdocs film festival in Silver Spring, Md. I can’t find any more detailed information, but I’d imagine that it’ll be forthcoming…
According to the documentary’s Web site, Helvetica will be screened in the D.C. area June 12-17 during the AFI Silverdocs film festival in Silver Spring, Md. I can’t find any more detailed information, but I’d imagine that it’ll be forthcoming…
Mar
14
2007
helvetica
As expected, I ended up passing up the Will Wright keynote in favor of font nerdity. And I’m really glad I did, because Helvetica was great. (Even though I do hear that Wright’s demo of his upcoming game Spore was…
As expected, I ended up passing up the Will Wright keynote in favor of font nerdity. And I’m really glad I did, because Helvetica was great. (Even though I do hear that Wright’s demo of his upcoming game Spore was…
Mar
11
2007
momentary heartbreak
Rob just told me about a crucial time conflict: Will Wright’s keynote speech on Tuesday overlaps with the screening of the typeface documentary Helvetica. Wright created all the Sim games (Sim City, Sim Earth, etc.), including my favorite, The Sims….
Rob just told me about a crucial time conflict: Will Wright’s keynote speech on Tuesday overlaps with the screening of the typeface documentary Helvetica. Wright created all the Sim games (Sim City, Sim Earth, etc.), including my favorite, The Sims….
Mar
10
2007
under the sea
I love the Interactive Playpen at SXSW. This year, in addition to Legos, they have coloring sheets. The Playpen has become a defacto mealtime meeting spot for our SXSW “posse,” and while I waited for the rest of the…
I love the Interactive Playpen at SXSW. This year, in addition to Legos, they have coloring sheets. The Playpen has become a defacto mealtime meeting spot for our SXSW “posse,” and while I waited for the rest of the…
design panels
Saturday was a pretty good day for design-related panels. Three were particularly good: A Decade of Style — I didn’t necessarily learn anything new in this panel, in which four CSS gurus reminisced about ten years of CSS, but it…
Saturday was a pretty good day for design-related panels. Three were particularly good: A Decade of Style — I didn’t necessarily learn anything new in this panel, in which four CSS gurus reminisced about ten years of CSS, but it…
random observations
I’ll second Rob’s observation that Arial Rounded (see above) seems to be the It Font of the moment. Hopefully it’s just a temporary diversion. I’d hate to think that MySpace is actually inspiring a design trend. Another observation: Until…
I’ll second Rob’s observation that Arial Rounded (see above) seems to be the It Font of the moment. Hopefully it’s just a temporary diversion. I’d hate to think that MySpace is actually inspiring a design trend. Another observation: Until…
Feb
20
2007
quote of the day: ideas
“I could never have thought of all these things in a million years, and here’s the secret that is no secret at all: I didn’t have to. One of the great advantages to designing book covers is that you don’t…
“I could never have thought of all these things in a million years, and here’s the secret that is no secret at all: I didn’t have to. One of the great advantages to designing book covers is that you don’t…
Feb
17
2007
roadblock
For the past few weeks, I’ve been dealing with a particularly painful case of designer’s block. I pride myself on being able to turn out good work fairly quickly. But when I can’t produce — when my brain’s not…
For the past few weeks, I’ve been dealing with a particularly painful case of designer’s block. I pride myself on being able to turn out good work fairly quickly. But when I can’t produce — when my brain’s not…
Jan
11
2007
parent hacks
The other day, while reading a blog about, I think, personal finance, I came across a badge for a parenting Web site whose text made me giggle: I hack my kids.parenthacks.com So, of course, I had to check it out….
The other day, while reading a blog about, I think, personal finance, I came across a badge for a parenting Web site whose text made me giggle: I hack my kids.parenthacks.com So, of course, I had to check it out….
Dec
8
2006
district map
I recently converted a Post-produced map of all the congressional districts across the United States into something usable (and easily manipulated) in Flash. Here, I use it to display 2006 midterm election results.
I recently converted a Post-produced map of all the congressional districts across the United States into something usable (and easily manipulated) in Flash. Here, I use it to display 2006 midterm election results.
Dec
5
2006
whee for wii
I had a chance to play with a friend’s new Nintendo Wii this evening, and boy is it fun. It’s a rare thing that I just have fun with a game. We played Wii Sports, sampling the boxing, baseball and…
I had a chance to play with a friend’s new Nintendo Wii this evening, and boy is it fun. It’s a rare thing that I just have fun with a game. We played Wii Sports, sampling the boxing, baseball and…
Dec
2
2006
top fonts
Signal vs. Noise points out a 2004 study of popular typefaces used by American newspapers. The Poynter suite topped the list. We use quite that font quite a lot at the Post and at post.com — particularly Poynter Bold Condensed,…
Signal vs. Noise points out a 2004 study of popular typefaces used by American newspapers. The Poynter suite topped the list. We use quite that font quite a lot at the Post and at post.com — particularly Poynter Bold Condensed,…
Nov
22
2006
quote of the day: wasted
Rob spent some time this evening going through a couple boxes of random papers. On occasion, he would hold a document up and ask if I felt it was worthy of saving. Sometimes, our snobbier judgments about design elements tipped…
Rob spent some time this evening going through a couple boxes of random papers. On occasion, he would hold a document up and ask if I felt it was worthy of saving. Sometimes, our snobbier judgments about design elements tipped…
Nov
19
2006
what i'm reading now: interface culture
I’ve been doing a lot more reading since I started taking the Metro to work every day. In my mind, this can only be a good thing. Right now, I’m reading Interface Culture: How New Technology Transforms the Way We…
I’ve been doing a lot more reading since I started taking the Metro to work every day. In my mind, this can only be a good thing. Right now, I’m reading Interface Culture: How New Technology Transforms the Way We…
Nov
17
2006
ghost map indeed
I just finished reading The Ghost Map, Steven Johnson’s recent book about a 1854 cholera outbreak in London and the research that led to a scientific breakthrough in discovering the origins of the disease (contaminated water) — as well as…
I just finished reading The Ghost Map, Steven Johnson’s recent book about a 1854 cholera outbreak in London and the research that led to a scientific breakthrough in discovering the origins of the disease (contaminated water) — as well as…
Nov
15
2006
in a flash? hardly
I’ve been working on a graphic off and on for the past week, and it’s just killing me. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with the graphic itself or what I plan on doing with it. But Flash has…
I’ve been working on a graphic off and on for the past week, and it’s just killing me. I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with the graphic itself or what I plan on doing with it. But Flash has…
Sep
26
2006
random designy notes
Ragged Right: The New York Times is making a subtle design differentiation between news and opinion content, reports the New York Observer: As of Sept. 20 … The Times has instituted a sweeping but subtle redesign, to emphasize the difference…
Ragged Right: The New York Times is making a subtle design differentiation between news and opinion content, reports the New York Observer: As of Sept. 20 … The Times has instituted a sweeping but subtle redesign, to emphasize the difference…
Sep
22
2006
ohio river ramble
The Ohio River Ramble is a road trip through nine congressional districts along the Ohio River Valley, in which two reporters and a videographer report back on the prevailing political winds in those areas.
The Ohio River Ramble is a road trip through nine congressional districts along the Ohio River Valley, in which two reporters and a videographer report back on the prevailing political winds in those areas.
Sep
8
2006
a case for accessibility
There was a federal court ruling out of California this week in a case about Web accessibility that bears watching. A retailer can be sued for making its Web site inaccessible to the blind, a federal judge in San Francisco…
There was a federal court ruling out of California this week in a case about Web accessibility that bears watching. A retailer can be sued for making its Web site inaccessible to the blind, a federal judge in San Francisco…
Sep
5
2006
sndies
Two projects that I worked on last year were awarded a bronze in the 2006 SND.ies Best of New Media competition, sponsored by the Society for News Design.
Two projects that I worked on last year were awarded a bronze in the 2006 SND.ies Best of New Media competition, sponsored by the Society for News Design.
a seated bow
One of the men who designed the chair I’m sitting on died last week. Bill Stumpf co-created the Aeron chair, which became a hallmark of cutting-edge office furniture during the dotcom boom. Stumpf died last week at the age of…
One of the men who designed the chair I’m sitting on died last week. Bill Stumpf co-created the Aeron chair, which became a hallmark of cutting-edge office furniture during the dotcom boom. Stumpf died last week at the age of…
Aug
10
2006
now hiring
We’re looking to add another designer to the News Design team here at washingtonpost.com. If you have a passion for news and a gift for design, consider giving it a look… News Designer We are currently seeking a skilled designer…
We’re looking to add another designer to the News Design team here at washingtonpost.com. If you have a passion for news and a gift for design, consider giving it a look… News Designer We are currently seeking a skilled designer…
Aug
9
2006
panel picker
The organizers of next year’s SXSW Interactive are looking for some input on the many conference panel proposals they’ve received. There are some interesting proposals in the mix, including one about programmer-journalists, a ten-year CSS retrospective by guru Eric Meyer…
The organizers of next year’s SXSW Interactive are looking for some input on the many conference panel proposals they’ve received. There are some interesting proposals in the mix, including one about programmer-journalists, a ten-year CSS retrospective by guru Eric Meyer…
Jul
18
2006
following the conflict
This afternoon, we launched an interactive map/multimedia feature on washingtonpost.com that takes a different approach to telling the story of what’s going on right now in Israel and Lebanon. The map highlights the day’s flashpoints and summarizes key developments (with…
This afternoon, we launched an interactive map/multimedia feature on washingtonpost.com that takes a different approach to telling the story of what’s going on right now in Israel and Lebanon. The map highlights the day’s flashpoints and summarizes key developments (with…
Jul
11
2006
overlay
Speaking of the New York Times, I really liked one of the graphics they ran today with the story about a man who possibly blew up his home/office building to prevent his soon-to-be-ex-wife from profiting from it in the pending…
Speaking of the New York Times, I really liked one of the graphics they ran today with the story about a man who possibly blew up his home/office building to prevent his soon-to-be-ex-wife from profiting from it in the pending…
Jul
9
2006
photo of the day: army of spider-men
This photo was taken this past March at South by Southwest Interactive, and it’s been — by far — the most popular photo I’ve ever posted to Flickr. At the conference, a group had set up an “Interactive Playpen”…
This photo was taken this past March at South by Southwest Interactive, and it’s been — by far — the most popular photo I’ve ever posted to Flickr. At the conference, a group had set up an “Interactive Playpen”…
Jun
15
2006
soccer brand
German designer Erik Spiekermann doesn’t have very many nice things to say about the branding for this year’s World Cup. First, there are too many messages. The original brief was: we’ve got to fit Germany in there, then 2006, then…
German designer Erik Spiekermann doesn’t have very many nice things to say about the branding for this year’s World Cup. First, there are too many messages. The original brief was: we’ve got to fit Germany in there, then 2006, then…
Apr
3
2006
random things that bring me joy
In no particular order… Animated favorites due on DVD this year: The Venture Bros.: Season One (coming out May 30, according to Amazon.com), Animaniacs: Volume One and Pinky and the Brain (July 25) and maybe even (SPOON!) The Tick. 16…
In no particular order… Animated favorites due on DVD this year: The Venture Bros.: Season One (coming out May 30, according to Amazon.com), Animaniacs: Volume One and Pinky and the Brain (July 25) and maybe even (SPOON!) The Tick. 16…
Mar
2
2006
ff06: day three
I’m a little behind in my recapping… My “monolith” moment of the day came in John Davey’s Flash/MySQL session, where he demonstrated how to hook Flash up to a MySQL database using PHP as an intermediary. It was actually more…
I’m a little behind in my recapping… My “monolith” moment of the day came in John Davey’s Flash/MySQL session, where he demonstrated how to hook Flash up to a MySQL database using PHP as an intermediary. It was actually more…
ff06: flash film festival
Thanks to last night’s Flash Film Festival, I’m now the proud owner of a Flash Forward-branded kazoo. Meanwhile, 16 design groups were the proud winners of large orange rubber arrows recognition of their work from the festival judging panel. There…
Thanks to last night’s Flash Film Festival, I’m now the proud owner of a Flash Forward-branded kazoo. Meanwhile, 16 design groups were the proud winners of large orange rubber arrows recognition of their work from the festival judging panel. There…
Feb
9
2006
all colbert, all the time
The “truthiness teller” is popping up all over the place these days. Stephen Colbert, host of Daily Show spin-off The Colbert Report, has been getting a ton of press lately, including a profile featured on the cover of this week’s…
The “truthiness teller” is popping up all over the place these days. Stephen Colbert, host of Daily Show spin-off The Colbert Report, has been getting a ton of press lately, including a profile featured on the cover of this week’s…
Feb
5
2006
super bowl sundae
Forget the game: For me, Super Bowl Sunday is all about the new commercials. Sadly, I wasn’t very impressed by the majority of the ads. (Disclaimer: I started watching at about 6:30 p.m., so I missed all the pre-game stuff.)…
Forget the game: For me, Super Bowl Sunday is all about the new commercials. Sadly, I wasn’t very impressed by the majority of the ads. (Disclaimer: I started watching at about 6:30 p.m., so I missed all the pre-game stuff.)…
Feb
2
2006
wired
I have to say, I love the cover of this month’s issue of Wired magazine. Last weekend, I walked down to Whole Foods to get some veggies to go with dinner, and, while waiting in the checkout aisle, I spotted…
I have to say, I love the cover of this month’s issue of Wired magazine. Last weekend, I walked down to Whole Foods to get some veggies to go with dinner, and, while waiting in the checkout aisle, I spotted…
Jan
20
2006
creativity on speed
I meant to post this back in early December, but apparently never hit “publish” … Signals vs. Noise pointed out a really interesting blog post by Kathy Sierra. This passage in particular describes, in a way I’ve never been able…
I meant to post this back in early December, but apparently never hit “publish” … Signals vs. Noise pointed out a really interesting blog post by Kathy Sierra. This passage in particular describes, in a way I’ve never been able…
Jan
11
2006
judge a book by its cover
Covers is a cool weblog/gallery featuring well-designed covers for current popular books. It’s a nice collection of interesting book covers, and the subtle mouseover effect on the thumbnails is rather nifty. It’s interesting to read the comments — like this…
Covers is a cool weblog/gallery featuring well-designed covers for current popular books. It’s a nice collection of interesting book covers, and the subtle mouseover effect on the thumbnails is rather nifty. It’s interesting to read the comments — like this…
kawaii science
The New York Times ran an interesting story last week about the science of “cuteness” — that ineffable quality that makes people “awww” and coo and generally melt in the presence of it. (“The Cute Factor” - 01/03/06) Cute cues…
The New York Times ran an interesting story last week about the science of “cuteness” — that ineffable quality that makes people “awww” and coo and generally melt in the presence of it. (“The Cute Factor” - 01/03/06) Cute cues…
Jan
10
2006
enlarge photo
I came across a cool CSS/JavaScript-based technique for layering an image on top of the existing browser window — sort of like a pop-up window, but without the pop-up — called Lightbox JS. It’s deceptively simple, and, as used in…
I came across a cool CSS/JavaScript-based technique for layering an image on top of the existing browser window — sort of like a pop-up window, but without the pop-up — called Lightbox JS. It’s deceptively simple, and, as used in…
Dec
21
2005
here comes the gunk
So much for simplicity. The New York Times reported yesterday that, as part of its new deal with AOL, Google may start experimenting with graphical ads, a departure from its trademark text-only look. (” AOL Coaxes Google to Try Busier…
So much for simplicity. The New York Times reported yesterday that, as part of its new deal with AOL, Google may start experimenting with graphical ads, a departure from its trademark text-only look. (” AOL Coaxes Google to Try Busier…
Dec
19
2005
yuletide
Random holiday-related tidbits… You know those mailings from charities that you get with the address labels pre-printed with your information on them, along with a solicitation for your information? Not a particularly efficient way of raising money, reports the St….
Random holiday-related tidbits… You know those mailings from charities that you get with the address labels pre-printed with your information on them, along with a solicitation for your information? Not a particularly efficient way of raising money, reports the St….
Dec
14
2005
education of a web designer
I went with a coworker to a student portfolio review today at a local arts college, and I was struck by the balance of professional interests: a lot of print designers and illustrators, a few animators and one Web…
I went with a coworker to a student portfolio review today at a local arts college, and I was struck by the balance of professional interests: a lot of print designers and illustrators, a few animators and one Web…
Dec
9
2005
birth of macrodobia
Monday morning brought an awesome Macromedia site of the day, featuring an interactive kitchens site from IKEA with nifty Matrix-like 360-degree freeze-frame images. Monday also brought some changes to the Macromedia Web site, following the completion of its merger…
Monday morning brought an awesome Macromedia site of the day, featuring an interactive kitchens site from IKEA with nifty Matrix-like 360-degree freeze-frame images. Monday also brought some changes to the Macromedia Web site, following the completion of its merger…
pieces of flair
The Washington Post had an interesting feature yesterday about the evolving decor of T.G.I. Friday’s and Ruby Tuesday and the networks of people who supply the kitch that adorns the restaurants’ walls. Since the dawn of the shopping-mall era, people…
The Washington Post had an interesting feature yesterday about the evolving decor of T.G.I. Friday’s and Ruby Tuesday and the networks of people who supply the kitch that adorns the restaurants’ walls. Since the dawn of the shopping-mall era, people…
Nov
29
2005
quotable: decisions, decisions
“Okay, which design offends you least?” - Rob, asking me to decide between two similarly priced types of Cheer laundry detergent, whose packaging has recently undergone an underwhelming redesign…
“Okay, which design offends you least?” - Rob, asking me to decide between two similarly priced types of Cheer laundry detergent, whose packaging has recently undergone an underwhelming redesign…
Nov
20
2005
joys of flash
Sometimes, getting a Flash piece to work requires a whole lot of voodoo. I don’t mean “voodoo” in the “I’m really good at working my Flash magic” sense. I mean “voodoo” in the “banging my head against the desk because…
Sometimes, getting a Flash piece to work requires a whole lot of voodoo. I don’t mean “voodoo” in the “I’m really good at working my Flash magic” sense. I mean “voodoo” in the “banging my head against the desk because…
Nov
17
2005
delayed launch
Someone told me today that a site I worked on more than four years ago finally launched recently. It was a nightmare of a site. The clients hated my initial comps and kept talking about how much they liked a…
Someone told me today that a site I worked on more than four years ago finally launched recently. It was a nightmare of a site. The clients hated my initial comps and kept talking about how much they liked a…
Nov
9
2005
bring me my graphics
Jon Stewart’s former “incredible exploding title graphics” have claimed another victim: CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Fishbowl NY observes: One interesting point: is it just me, or does the new 360 set look a lot like the Daily Show set? The funniest…
Jon Stewart’s former “incredible exploding title graphics” have claimed another victim: CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Fishbowl NY observes: One interesting point: is it just me, or does the new 360 set look a lot like the Daily Show set? The funniest…
Nov
7
2005
font bad
Here’s a design movement I can get behind: bancomicsans.com. In 1995 Microsoft released the font Comic Sans originally designed for comic book style talk bubbles containing informational help text. Since that time the typeface has been used in countless contexts…
Here’s a design movement I can get behind: bancomicsans.com. In 1995 Microsoft released the font Comic Sans originally designed for comic book style talk bubbles containing informational help text. Since that time the typeface has been used in countless contexts…
Nov
5
2005
random pop culture detritus
Apple has a trailer for the new movie version of The Producers. A movie based on a play based on a movie about a play. And it looks hilarious. A few weeks ago, the Coverville podcast featured an astonishingly good…
Apple has a trailer for the new movie version of The Producers. A movie based on a play based on a movie about a play. And it looks hilarious. A few weeks ago, the Coverville podcast featured an astonishingly good…
Oct
26
2005
before and after
Part of my job involves converting graphics from the paper for use on the Web. If a graphic “calls out” for interactivity — for example, it tells a compelling story, or, as designed, the graphic works in print but not…
Part of my job involves converting graphics from the paper for use on the Web. If a graphic “calls out” for interactivity — for example, it tells a compelling story, or, as designed, the graphic works in print but not…