Mayfield Digital Blog

Wanted: Freelance web development superheroes

David Cole — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:35:50 +0000

It was always part of the Mayfield plan to work with a killer team of highly skilled colleagues and collaborators rather than on my own, but until now the project workload and fees didn't justify it. That's all changing and I need your help.

Typetoken blog

David Cole — Sun, 08 May 2011 11:19:01 +0000

I was very excited to be approached by Mike Sullivan, Creative Director of Mister, to be a founding partner of typetoken, a blog showcasing and discussing typography, iconography and visual language.

What’s the deal with multi-column layouts on the web?

David Cole — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 11:16:27 +0000

It's a while since I've published an opinion piece on this blog, but a recent article on the subject of column-based layouts on the web by former NY Times Design Director, Khoi Vinh, got me going enough to write an opinionated comment of my own.

New article on Creative Boom: Readers’ studios – Chantal Powell

David Cole — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:04:18 +0000

Readers' Studios is a lot like Readers' Wives, except we're talking about photos of some of the most stimulating creative workspaces instead of... well, you know. Today we're taking a peek at the studio of artist, Chantal Powell.

Training screencast review: Learning ExpressionEngine 2 by Ryan Irelan (Mijingo)

David Cole — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:28:22 +0000

The minute I heard the catchy intro music, I knew I was going to enjoy working through Mijingo's Learning ExpressionEngine 2 screencast. I wasn't disappointed.

New project win: Mora online shop for Eskimo Designs

David Cole — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:08:01 +0000

After a long period of working under seemingly endless non-disclosure agreements I'm feeling somewhat smug to be able to finally tell you about a new project win - and it's a rather good one.

To host or not to host: that is the question

David Cole — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 19:43:38 +0000

I've been humming and hawing over my hosting offering for clients, trying to work out how best to provide the high level of service I feel they deserve. The answer - as with many other aspects of my business - is to take a collaborative approach, but this time it isn't quite in the form I had expected.

Web round up #15: Beautifully crafted iPad cases for the style conscious owner

David Cole — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 12:09:09 +0000

If you care about your iPad, there's no better way to keep it snug and safe than by storing it in one of the lovingly crafted iPad cases featured in this week's web round up special.

New article on Creative Boom: Readers’ studios – Jessie Smith-Larson

David Cole — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:48:27 +0000

New article on Creative Boom: Readers’ studios – Mhairi Wild

David Cole — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:20:08 +0000

Readers’ Studios is a lot like Readers’ Wives, except we’re talking about photos of some of the most stimulating creative workspaces instead of… well, you know. Today we’re taking a peek at the studio of Scottish textile designer, Mhairi Wild.

CMS review: WordPress 3.0 as a content management system

David Cole — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 22:03:53 +0000

With claims that new features in version 3 have turned WordPress into a 'proper' CMS, I was keen to see if the reality lived up to the hype.

New article on Creative Boom: Readers’ studios – Mark Scott-Wood

David Cole — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:31:23 +0000

Web round up #14: Star Wars in wool, how to design – Veerle style, Atlantic Records redesign…

David Cole — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:59:07 +0000

Web Round Up has had a few weeks off due to work commitments, but this week's offering hopefully makes up for that by having one of the most eclectic collections of links yet (yes sci-fi geeks, that really is a crocheted Admiral Ackbar).

New article on Creative Boom: Readers’ studios – BigChinaCrayon

David Cole — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:05:02 +0000

Readers' Studios is a lot like Readers' Wives, except we're talking about photos of some of the most stimulating creative workspaces instead of... well, you know. This week we take a peek at BigChinaCrayon, the rather wonderful studio shared by Brighton-based illustrators Tonwen Jones, Anthony Atkinson and Tilly.

Web round up #13: What people are saying about the HTML5 logo

David Cole — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 17:10:20 +0000

Yes - the resplendent shield you're seeing above is indeed the new logo for HTML5 from the W3C. It has certainly provoked strong feelings, so this Web Round Up special dishes up choice cuts from the controversial conversation.

The best responsive web design examples and resources just got a lot better

David Cole — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 00:48:23 +0000

It's not that I took Smashing Magazine's superb recent overview of responsive web design as a personal affront, but dammit - I want to have the most comprehensive collection of the best responsive web design links on the web. With seventeen stunning new designs and eleven more invaluable resources added I think I've secured the title for a while longer.

Web round up #12: Nike Better World, iPad 2 rumours, Unreal Development Kit…

David Cole — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:41:08 +0000

This week's web pages & resources that tickled my cockles and shivered my barnacles. Arrr!

Blog goes viral, Twitter kills blog, server gets upgraded…

David Cole — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:20:30 +0000

Apologies to anyone who experienced difficulties accessing the Mayfield Digital blog and portfolio over the last 24 hours or so. My article on responsive web design went a wee bit viral and resulted in dramatic server issues, which have now, thankfully, been resolved.

Web round up #11: The best responsive web design examples and resources

David Cole — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 20:59:28 +0000

This week's extended round up takes a look at some superb examples of responsive web design, as well as the best resources to find out more about this new way of designing for a flexible internet experience.

CMS Review: WordPress 3.0 as a blogging platform

David Cole — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:43:56 +0000

Given the overwhelming quantity of positive reviews and peer recommendations I had no doubt Wordpress was the right blogging platform for me, but, after four months of real world use on the Mayfield blog, has it it lived up to expectations?

Book review: CSS3 For Web Designers by Dan Cederholm

David Cole — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 11:04:31 +0000

CSS3 For Web Designers is a brief book for professionals who value concise, focused tuition material and would rather get on with crafting beautiful websites than waste time reading weighty specification documents.

Web round up #10: Great Ormond St. wayfinding, HTML5 periodic table, digital death for charity…

David Cole — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:20:32 +0000

The second of this week's link extravaganza, featuring the websites and online resources that tickled my whiskers over the last seven days.

New article on Creative Boom: Five minutes with… Kerr Vernon, graphic designer

David Cole — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:19:38 +0000

"Five minutes with..." is a series of interviews with the freelancers and small studios driving Scotland's creative industries. This week I'm talking to Glasgow-based graphic designer, Kerr Vernon.

Playing the underdog with Google (Or: Why small creative studios will beat the odds)

David Cole — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:41:07 +0000

Overnight, the Mayfield portfolio website's search engine performance plummeted. Regardless of the reason, it brought home the tenuous position of the small outfit in a tough marketplace, reminding me what it means to be the underdog.