Design Isn't Scary : Brown Wing Studio Blog

Prettify Your Android

2013-02-04T17:19:02-06:00

One of the coolest thing about Android phones is the fact that you can make them look just about any way you want. Here's a screenshot of my current set-up:

I posted my screen on mycolorscreen.com, where I received a question on how to make it. I tried to post a tutorial, encountered some problems with the website, and decided to just write one up and put it here.

The How To

This is all pretty easy. I designed the background and the skin for UCCW, but I've put them online so anyone can download them for free. You'll also need some apps, and the ability to download images and files onto your phone. Some of the apps have a free version, some do not. (The most expensive one is $4.) Here are the steps:

download background from here, and set it as the background for your phone
download and install Nova Launcher Prime
set Nova Launcher desktop grid to 8x4
set Nova Launcher width margin to none, height margin to medium
set Nova Launcher dock to small icons, uncheck "show divider"
download and install Eye in Sky
place Eye in Sky current weather widget on desktop
download and install Battery Widget? Reborn
place battery life widget on desktop, set colors to black and white as shown
download and install Ultimate Custom Widget (UCCW)
download my UCCW skin (uzip file) here, and save it on your Android in an easily accessible place
Place UCCW 3x1 widget on desktop
When prompted, select "import skin"
Navigate to the saved uzip file on your phone and open it, add widget to desktop
download and install RoundGlassBlue icon theme
set Nova Launcher icons to RoundGlassBlue
clean up the desktop, resize and position widgets, etc

There you have it. Your Android is now prettified.

Don't Blame the WYSIWYG Editor

2012-10-05T10:37:46-05:00

It used to be you couldn’t build a website without either a) knowledge of HTML or b) access to expensive software.

That’s not the case anymore.

In the last few years we’ve seen a proliferation of cheap and easy ways to get a website online. Because of this, more and more people are taking on the task of maintaining their websites themselves.

At least once a week I get a call or email from a frustrated client elbow deep in updating their website. They say, “The text won’t line up,” or “The spacing is all wrong.” Then inevitably comes the statement, “This stupid editor thing doesn’t work.”

Here I take offense. Because a WYSIWYG editor (WYSIWYG stands for “What You See Is What You Get”) is anything but stupid.

In human terms, a WYSIWYG editor is a translator. It takes plain old text and turns it into HTML (the language of a web page). This is a complex change, with some elements that don't translate well. Most human translators have accents, so it makes sense a digital one would as well.

While most WYSIWYG editors do a good job converting basic text to HTML, where they tend to lose their edge is text formatting and spacing. But keep this in perspective. Can you get everything in Word to line up exactly the way you want every time, with zero frustration? Or do you end up feverishly using the “undo” key after your two columns somehow split into chaos on the page? Yeah. Me too.

(Something else to keep in mind: you shouldn’t be changing the color of that text anyway.)

Word is a huge, elaborate program able to make use of all your computer’s resources, devoted solely to formatting text.

A WYSIWYG editor is a tiny little program, dialed down to function in your browser, charged with the task of not only converting your text to HTML, but inserting it into the correct place on your webpage. Keep that in mind before you get too critical.

I prefer not to use WYSIWYG editors. This is because I am fluent in HTML, and I can write in that language quickly and accurately without going through an intermediary.

Because here’s the thing. HTML is quite simple. You could learn it yourself. If you invested a few weeks in an online course, you’d save hours of frustrating publishing, editing and republishing of your website. (Just make sure you learn the version of HTML your website is written in.)

If you don’t have the time or inclination to learn HTML, have a little patience with your WYSIWYG editor. It’s doing the best it can.

Why You Care About Color

2012-10-05T10:24:19-05:00

Given a text editor with a color picker, it seems most people can't seem to resist choosing and applying different colors to different parts of their websites or newsletters. The result is reminiscent of what might happen if you left a toddler alone in your living room for two hours with several pots of open finger-paints. Any adult would walk into that living room and cringe. And yet, most people don't see the parallel between slinging paint across their furniture and dropping a fuschia headline into their gray and blue website. When I try to talk to clients about color, one of the most common remarks they make when I encourage them to limit their palette is, "I just want to be creative." They don't realize that most toddlers just want to be creative too, and too much creativity leads to mess and chaos. To think about color correctly, keep a few basic rules in mind.

Color is Mood

Every color invokes a mood. Sometimes we feel blue. Stop signs are red because red commands attention. The same is true of your brand's colors. Think about the emotional experience you want someone to have when they think about your brand, and pick colors accordingly. A good scheme is well-rounded. Make sure you have a dark, legible color for your text, a highlight color that draws the eye, and a mid-range color that can fill a lot of space. You should also have a neutral tone to create breathing room between your colors. If you're stuck, hire a professional graphic designer to help with this. I'm not kidding. Good color choices give you a direct line of influence over your customers' emotions. That's huge.

Color is Specific

"Blue" cannot be part of your pallet. You need one particular blue. For the internet, that means hex codes. #00fcf3 and #001986 are both blue, but they don't look anything alike. Being consistent with your colors is important because people care about color, and people recognize color. If you use one blue on your website, another blue in your newsletter, and yet another blue on your Twitter background, it will take much, much longer for your brand to start to resonate. An average person has to see your brand seven times before they remember it. But if you change your colors around, people won't connect your TV spot to your business card, and you'll never get there.

Color is Brand

Once you have your colors DO NOT USE ANY OTHER COLORS AT ALL, EVER. I'm serious. This applies to everything from your business cards to your sale banner. This is the number one mistake people make in their marketing materials. If you chose your color scheme wisely, you will have all the colors you need for every situation. All it takes is discipline. When you find yourself reaching for that Thanksgiving cornucopia pallet because fall is in the air, STOP, take a deep breath, and resist the impulse. Nothing will dilute your branding message faster than straying from your color scheme.

Color is Recognition

Once people have seen your color scheme a few times, they will recognize it. This is oh so powerful for so many reasons. It means a person can be digging through their purse and see the very corner of your business card. They'll register the colors and your business will pop into their head. They won't need to read your name or see your logo. You won't have to send them a follow-up email. All they'll have to do is glimpse your color scheme, and they will think of you. It's like magic.