Since the fully-automated message is out, that leaves two other options. A) A semi-automated message where you say your name like a zombie into your phone and let the computers do the rest or B) A fully-custom message. I tried option A a couple times (in private of course) and I never sounded like a real person. Option B it is.

Drafting a message is tough, especially for me since I over-think everything. Do I want to say something funny? Yes. Would that be good for business? Probably not. I also don’t want to sound too business-y and have my friends and relatives feel unwelcome. I decided the simpler the message, the better. “This is Matt. Leave me a message and I’ll call you back.” But wait, why do I need to say the “Leave me a message…” part? It’s 2010. Everyone knows to leave a message after the beep. The beep has been around since answering machines have been invented (The 30′s but not widely distributed in the US until the 60′s. Thanks Google.)

Why do we still say that? I left it in my message because without it all I’m saying is my name. I don’t want to just say “I’ll call you back,” because would really much rather send an email then talk on the phone and I’m not going to call someone back if they don’t leave me a message. I couldn’t figure out a suitable replacement. Anyone have any ideas?

Since they have such a distinct style they wanted to keep, I took a strictly developer role in this project. I turned their mockups into a WordPress template, customized the back-end of WordPress a little bit so that adding to their galleries and referrals pages would be as easy as possible and added some security features. All in all, I think we’re all pretty happy with the product. Click here to view the site.

I don’t remember when it exactly was, late 2006 – early 2007, I stumbled across a video by Hillman Curtis. It was a short documentary on Pentagram, the grossly famous design agency with branches all over the world. I’m not sure exactly what it was about the video, something one of the partners said, but it really affected me. It made me understand that design isn’t just coming up with visuals, it’s not just spitting out a poster or a logo for someone. Design is about solving problems.

Since then, I don’t think I’ve bought a single picture book for myself, although I’ll still look through them if I’m walking around at Barnes and Nobles. I’ve also really followed the work of Pentagram. It’s not the most stylistically edgy work out there, that’s what FFFFound is for, but it’s, to me, the most thoughtful and intelligent work I’ve found.

I decided on creating a WordPress backed website and Big Cartel for the storefront and shopping cart since both of those provide dead simple edibility. I also made the storefront the homepage so that any visitors to the site see the goods right off the bat. Click here to view the site.

1. A good list should be short and concise. You can go into detail later.
2. If you are ranking or comparing things, show a summary at the bottom.
3. If the title of your ‘article’ contains any of the following words, you’re wasting my time: awesome, rocks, best, great, fresh
4. You aren’t doing anyone a favor if you aren’t providing links.
5. Bring something new to the table. Just a list is not enough.
6. You are not the top most resource on the subject. Don’t act like you are. Your post is an opinion.
7. Don’t post about something that you haven’t actually used or affected you. It’s how you separate garbage from quality.
8. No matter what, it’s been done before.
9. You aren’t an author if you’re just curating.
10. It’s usually way too long. I’ve got time for 10 bullet points at the most.
11.  
12.  
13.  
14.  
15.  
16.  
17.  
18.  
19.  
20.  
21.  
22.  
23.  
24.  
25.  
26.  
27.  
28.  
29.  
30.  
31.  
32.  
33.  
34.  
35.  
36.  
37.  
38.  
39.  
40.  
41.  
42.  
43.  
44.  
45.  
46.  
47.  
48.  
49.  
50.  

A homepage should summarize any information that will make the user stay on the site. Using my website as an example, there are two distinct sections of my site that I want people to see. My portfolio and this blog. I also wouldn’t mind more twitter followers so that is the third column but besides that, those two sections are what people are going to be coming to my site for, to see my work or read what I have to say (thanks for reading this by the way.) While I am particularly proud of my about page, I’d have to be pretty popular for people to come to my site and want to know more about me before seeing anything I’m spitting out.

To relate it to print design, a homepage is not the front cover. On the internet, no one has time or cares about the front cover (that’s why you always hit skip on flash animations). It’s about getting in, finding the content you want to see and leaving. The homepage is the table of contents.

If I get linked to a page on a website, and I liked it, I want to be able to hit the home button, figure out what the site is about, quickly decide if I’m interested in it and move on. I don’t want the homepage to be paragraphs of some silly marketing jargon or some long-winded grandiose bio. That doesn’t tell me anything about the website. I want to see what content this website will provide me.

Of course I’m sure there are successful exceptions to this rule. Not everyone has dynamic content flying in all the time (or at all) that they can just feed into the homepage. Not everyone has a blog (although they probably have a Facebook or a Twitter account, which serves the same function.) Some websites are meant for wordy intro paragraphs that don’t really tell me anything, but I guarantee I’m not on those websites for very long.

I’ve been working on this site for the past couple weeks and today it went live. I used a WordPress install as a CMS for them to be able to update their site quickly and easily, without having to dive into the HTML. I also created a simple javascript slider for their gallery images.

They have some great work up on the site so you should go check it out.

I also threw in the runners up, but kept them out of order. It’d be too hard to arrange. I actually also think my runners up are kinda the safe bet, can do no wrong albums.

A little note: This is completely based on what I listened to during the time. This is not what albums I think deserve to be there. That’s too subjective a subject for me to write about. I’ll leave that in the hands of those capable like Pitchfork.

1. Arcade Fire – Funeral
2. Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights
3. Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
4. Russian Circles – Enter
5. Broken Social Scene – S/T
6. Beirut – Gulag Orkestar
7. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
8. Death From Above 1979 – You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
9. Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals
10. The Dodos – Visiter

Runners up (in no order):

• Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
• Battles – Mirrored
• Explosions in the Sky – How Strange, Innocence
• Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days
• Maps & Atlases – Tree, Swallows, Houses
• Radiohead – Kid-A
• Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope
• Sigur Rós – Takk…
• Spoon – Gimme Fiction
• The Shins – Chutes to Narrow

If you notice, I’m kinda biased against music released in the last year or so for this list. Merriweather Post Pavilion, although a completely solid album, I haven’t had a chance to let it settle like everything else has. Same goes for Veckatimest. Great albums, I just can’t tell their lasting factor like these others.