isuckatdesign.com

Quick Update

heather — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:05:48 +0000

I know I’ve missed the last two Wizards of the Web, gentle seven readers (and Mom), but I assure you they’re coming this evening. I’ll also be posting about the awesome time that is An Event Apart. Stay tuned!

Also worth reading

Wizards of the Web: May 1, 2009

heather — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:04:59 +0000

jQuery is just one of many Javascript libraries that allow maximum results with minimal coding. The experts have done most of the work for you. While I would never recommend substituting libraries from actually learning Javascript, I will recommend the following links (some recent, some not) that I found most interesting/helpful when using the jQuery library.

1) jQuery, of course. The main site for the library holds an abundance of information. From tutorials to concise documentation and development help, this is the first place any new jQuery user should investigate (as well as the place to download the latest version of the library.).

2) The next step after memorizing the jQuery site would be to head over to LearningjQuery, a great tutorial blog with posts from the beginner to advanced levels. In fact, if you really find yourself wanting the latest and greatest techniques with this library, subscribe to their feed and jump on all the latest knowledge.

3) Here’s a nice collections of links to get you started when you’re ready to create your own jQuery plugin. Once you’ve mastered jQuery’s built in features, you’re naturally going to want to spread your wings and fiddle on your own. LearningjQuery is featured in this list, as well as the always helpful Nettuts. So grab your imagination and start building.

4) ThickBox is a nice plug-in for jQuery and I love how it’s used to “evolve past the tag cloud” in this post. Tags are so successful of methods to pare down posts into manageable bites, but I’ve always found the cloud (especially the default cloud in WordPress) so “2004″. So looking back through saved links tagged jQuery, I discovered this gem and will probably implement it on this site in the near future.

Also worth reading

Cheater cheater pumpkin…oooh pie!

heather — Fri, 01 May 2009 16:33:29 +0000

18 Seriously Helpful Cheat Sheets for Easier Coding is a great resource (and the second of Henry Jones’ cheat sheet posts) that give the aspiring/struggling/overworked coder something to refer too that’s less than 400 pages long. Granted, like all good things, most hints/manuals are just a Google search away, but who has time to type “Expression Engine Ref…” see? I got called away. Anyway, enjoy this post - it’s a good-un!

Also worth reading

Wizards of the Web: April 30, 2009

heather — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:20:01 +0000

Most people like to launch something new on a 1st. First of the month, year, fiscal calendar, etc. Not me. Bass-ackwards as my mother would say. I’ve been trying to find a way to go back to my Daily Inspiration posts, but with a new light.

In an effort to be proactive and positive (see previous post) I’m introducing my Wizards of the Web post - a daily list of semi-related links that I think are pretty awesome and extremely useful.

Then, every Friday (starting May 8th) I’ll crown the “Wizard of the Week” my favorite link/app/article from the previous week. Why? Because there’s just not enough love in the world.

And I’ve gotten all my perscriptions refilled (since the last post).

Today’s loose topic - Neat Apps

1) 13 Website Monitoring Tools To Help Prevent Downtime - while this showcases more than one useful app, there are no reviews in this article, so you’re going to have to do a little research on your own. I currently use the free option over at hyperspin.com for one of my client’s sites. While it did notify me that the site was down, it was 15 minutes after I’d resolved the issue. (The Free Account only monitors the site on an hourly basis.) Luckily, they let me know an hour later that I had been successful. There’s no replacement for positive reinforcement. But, outside of your host’s service (Liquidweb, my host, has nice monitoring), check out these online options to keep you in the loop on what’s going on with your sites.

2) I’m a big fan of mind mapping - though I’m pretty terrible on the follow-through. When I discovered MindMeister, I fell instantly in love with the interface. The free account is pretty generous, giving you six maps to work with, and the interface (and keyboard shortcuts) is very intuitive. If you like to collaboratively brainstorm, or just need to get your world-domination plan out on “paper”, give MindMeister a shot.

3) This is an oldie, but still dead useful. The Link Checker over at W3C has been a huge help for some of those huge-mongous sites some of us have to maintain. While my WordPress sites can utilize the nice Broken Link Checker by Janis Elsts, the W3C version is a good backup.

4) Last but not least is BgPatterns -the tiled background designer app. I wasn’t sure about this one when I first discovered it, but it’s grown on me. While the interface is simple, the choices for patterns and textures are limited, it’s easily a good “mind-stirrer” for any designer. Even if you don’t find the pattern you want now - you may discover the one you’ll want later. Plus, it’s just fun to fool around with.

There we are, today’s “Wizards”. Check back tomorrow when I’ll be focusing on jQuery scripts. Happy building.

Also worth reading

Wizards of the Web: May 1, 2009

Awesome Little jQuery trick

heather — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:49:50 +0000

I like using smart icons on a site (not this one) to help the user figure out where they’re going. This nice trick, courtesy of blog.liviuholhos.com makes a smart icon even smarter.

Also worth reading

Wizards of the Web: May 1, 2009

What’s next? “45 Colors Every Designer Needs?”

heather — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:24:09 +0000

Image created in Photoshop, with the gradient tool set on Difference and clicking around until I liked it.

Ok, ok, that’s it! I’m calling bullshit. I’m calling bullshit on the whole thing. I point to my own feeble attempts at a design blog first, but I have to draw the line. It’s obvious we’re all feeding off each other, creating link after link, list after list, plumping ourselves up. And while there are a great number of design blogs out there featuring original, inspirational content, and a great number of “link blogs” giving designers easy access to the best content out there, we have to take a moment to sort out what is truly inspirational, what is truly helpful, from the totally insane.

319 Photoshop Gradient Designer Should Have

I have no fault with izzataziz.com, it’s a fine and resourceful site, nor do I have a quarrel with DesignM.ag, from whence came the link to me, but I do have a problem with a list of gradients being worthy of our attention, or even a blog post.

I tried, pathetically, to compile a list of items that would be useful to designers in my recent Mammoth post and while doing it I realized it takes too much damn time. Half the time when I need a texture, I create it. When I need a shape, I draw it. When I need a font, I use what I have or spend five minutes at dafont.com. I rarely, hardly, almost never go back into the hundreds of bookmarks I have and use any of the resources in any of the lists.

Almost never. Yet I still collect them. I still post about them. I still take time out of my day when I could be designing, or writing, or swinging on a tire swing, to scour the list for useful things for sites I’ll never build and projects I’ll never do because I spend all my time reading lists, and lists about lists, and sites with links of lists about lists from other sites and AAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!

Design blogs: It’s time to start asking yourself if you’re creating posts people dig, or Diggable posts. When did content become less important than the clones of that content? I have stopped pulling out my hair in the attempt to create another design blog like the other blogs just to be part of the whole blog mess that just regurgitates items in an endless circle of tips and tricks. I don’t have the time. I don’t have the patience.

And neither should you.

I remember one night, standing on the roof of the newspaper where I worked, smoking a cigarette and looking at the twilight sky thinking, “I’ll never create a gradient like that.”

But for the life of me, I’ll keep trying. And so should you.

For a good laugh, I’m sure there’s a list link in my “Also worth reading…”

Also worth reading

Even When You Know How…

heather — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:49:56 +0000

Tutorials are more than just instructions, they’re a great source of inspiration. Pro Blog Design has a nice list of UI tutorials that may just help you (read: me) get unstuck from that design block you’re (read: I’m) wrestling with.

Also worth reading

Copy, Copy, Create

heather — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:24:46 +0000

This nice post by elite Chris Coyier over at CSS Tricks is a wonderful tool for those of us who don’t have the right connections between our eyes/mind and our hands. This is a great exercise for your design muscles.

Also worth reading

1500+ Natural Brushes

heather — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:11:44 +0000

It takes a long time to come up with over 1500+ Photoshop brushes and list them, so I’ll let DesignM.ag take care of that this time. They’re so much better at the resources game than I am. And I’m much better at writing the angsty designer posts.

Also worth reading

Stock Photography Links

heather — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:53:56 +0000

Nice little list of stock photo sites, free with some usage restrictions (always read the license). There’s a few here I’ve used for years, and some brand new gems that I’ll add to my bookmarks. Thanks to Web and Designers for the list.