Web Standardistas

ESAD Web Talks

2012-05-29T07:26:04Z

Should you happen to be in the neighbourhood of Porto in Portugal over the next few days we hope to perchance make your acquaintance. We’ll be in the city as part of the lineup for ESAD Web Talks:

Four great talks on what design on the web means today, as a profession, a medium, an industry and a community.

We’ll be running a paper prototyping workshop – ‘Good Ideas Grow on Paper’ – for the ESAD students on Wednesday, followed by a presentation – ‘You Are A Channel’ – on Thursday, where we’ll be joining a great lineup that comprises Andy McMillan, Simon Collison and Robbie Manson.

Should you be in the locale, we hope to see you there.

Meet Elena

2012-05-28T12:46:24Z

With an increasing emphasis being placed on easing the reading process (as summarised eloquently by Mr Zeldman) there’s a growing need for beautifully designed typefaces aimed principally at improving legibility and readability. If you’re working on a project with, “text that’s meant to be read,” – and, after all, shouldn’t that be every project? – the fine folks at Process Type Foundry have you covered.

Elena, designed by Nicole Dotin (who developed the typeface while studying on the University of Reading’s prestigious MA Typeface Design) is designed for extended reading. As Dotin puts it:

The design of a new serif typeface meant for extended reading is an exercise in subtlety and restraint. Elena is a manipulation of these subtleties in a direct and unaffected way to create a modern serif typeface quietly balancing warmth with a crisp, tailored tone.

The result is a typeface that, “heeds the lessons of the past while taking advantage of formal possibilities no matter their origin,” resulting in a wonderful balance and elegance. If you’re working on a text heavy project where reading is a primary goal, look no further and - as is often the case with Process Type Foundry’s work - a web font version is available.

blacknegative

2012-05-28T12:25:21Z

If you’re seeking a spot of inspiration, take a look at blacknegative. With it’s wonderful ‘drag to browse’ interface and it’s fascinating mix of audio visual inspiration it’s well worth a bookmark.

The Art of the iOS Icon

2012-05-28T12:17:34Z

If iOS development’s your thing, you’ll appreciate the importance of a well-crafted iOS icon - it is, after all, the first thing your users see. Helpfully Murat Mutlu, a freelance creative strategist based in London, has gathered together some of the finest icons money can buy in The Art of the iOS Icon. The quality on offer is nothing short of spectacular.

RubyMonk

2012-05-14T06:34:01Z

The landscape of learning is changing, with a plethora of resources pushing web based learning much further than merely replicating the style and methodology of the printed textbook.

RubyMonk is but one example, although with an endorsement like this, from no-one but Yukihiro Matsumoto, the creator of Ruby himself, who could resist taking the plunge:

I am having fun learning Ruby at http://rubymonk.com — I like this type of lessens ;-)

If you’re in the field of education, or if you just want to learn, studying resources like RubyMonk, or indeed Codecademy is becoming essential.

FF Chartwell

2012-05-11T09:05:05Z

Courtesy of the talented Travis Kochel, FF Chartwell is, “a tool for easily creating graphs in both web and print environments.” Neatly packaged in the form of a font, it allows for the swift creation of beautifully minimal charts and graphs. As Mr Kochel puts it:

Using OpenType features, simple strings of numbers are automatically transformed into charts. The visualized data remains editable, allowing for hassle-free updates and styling.

In this day and age of Retina displays and multi device resolutions, FF Chartwell looks just the ticket for creating scalable charts and graphs that work seamlessly from device to device, whilst remaining easily editable.

NeonMob

2012-05-11T08:09:59Z

NeonMob promises to enable you to, “buy, trade and sell digital collectibles with your friends.” Sounds interesting.

[Via Mr Millar.]

Sketchnotes

2012-05-08T13:34:52Z

Last year, whilst speaking at FRONTEND 2011, we had the welcome opportunity to witness the extremely talented Ms Eva-Lotta Lamm speak about (and demonstrate) the power of Sketchnotes - Combining the Power of Words and Visuals.

Ms Lamm’s presentation was fascinating, showcasing a fantastic method for, as she put it, “Capturing ideas in an engaging and visual way by combining the power of sketching and writing.” By introducing the power of visual note taking and outlining a number of core sketchnoting skills, Lamm showcased how powerful sketchnoting can be as a means of capturing a presentation in a rich and dynamic form that triggers the imagination and memory.

Good news. Ms Lamm’s released a new book, Sketchnotes, which captures over 100 talks by inspiring speakers and panelists. Coupled with, “ten of her favourite sketchnoters,” the book not only provides a window into a fascinating cross-section of presentations (captured in a variety of styles), but also highlights some sketchnoting best practices.

We’d urge you to pick up a copy, we’re sure you won’t be disappointed, and – should you follow Ms Lamm’s advice – we’re sure it will change your note taking style for the better.

[Via Ms Hische.]

Crafted Credit

2012-05-08T13:12:42Z

If you’re looking for beautifully crafted, hand drawn credit card icons, Louis Harboe’s lovely little Credit Card Icon Pack has you covered: Visa, Maestro, American Express, PayPal, Google, Amazon and more…. Great work.

[Via Mr Rice.]

Lore

2012-05-07T22:54:17Z

Anyone involved in education, as a student or an educator, knows that online tools branded with the word learning have a reputation for being expensive, hard to use, and burdened with a design aesthetic sadly reminiscent of Microsoft Office.

The initial impression of Lore is very different. With a design lead approach, and a mission statement, “to connect the world’s learners and educators”, Lore sets out to, “reshape education for the internet age.”

By combining course management with social networking, Lore is aiming to build a platform defined as, “a global network of students, educators, and content.”

It’s an interesting and worthy endeavour and one which we’ll be keeping a close eye on.

Sign Up in Seconds, Then…?

2012-05-02T08:14:25Z

Over at Signal vs. Noise, Ryan Singer explores sign up patterns, suggesting that designers widen their focus from the ‘sign up in seconds’ part of the onboarding equation to include the ‘what happens next’ part of the process. As he puts it:

I’ll bet that the time-to-signup isn’t an important anxiety factor. When’s the last time you shopped for a software product under intense time pressure, where every second counts? When I evaluate web products I often feel uncertain about what will happen after the quick signup. Sure it takes seconds to create an account, but then what?

I had an idea to address this uncertainty. You could preview the workflow steps that come after the signup so it’s clear how much of a gap there is between signing up and getting value out of the product.

It’s a good point and, like the rest of Signal vs. Noise, it’s well worth a read.

Just My Type

2012-05-02T08:11:30Z

If you’re seeking a spot of type pairing inspiration, Just My Type has you covered. Another thing by Daniel Eden, it’s a very nicely designed series of native web type samples, inspired by Typestacks and using fonts from Typekit. Lovely.

On Skeuomorphism and Storytelling

2012-05-01T08:14:13Z

If you haven’t read it already, set aside a few moments and read Tobias Ahlin’s well written and focused piece on the benefits of skeuomorphism, Skeuomorphism and Storytelling. Ahlin’s side-by-side comparison of Apple’s Garageband for iPad and a redesigned version sans skeuomorphic cues, makes a compelling case for how - when handled with care and with clear intention - a skeuomorphic approach can aid a product to comunicate its purpose clearly.

With reference to the non-skeuomorphic version of Garageband for iPad he creates to explore and contrast a non-skeuomorphic approach, he states:

While this may be more functional, more clean, and more true to the functions of the interface, it’s not fun. I could as well be creating music in Excel. Apple’s Garageband interface not only presents features in a clear and understandable way, it adds to a beautiful, fun and memorable experience.

The skeurmorphism debate arouses heated opinions on both sides of the divide, Ahlin’s piece makes a case for skeurmorphism as a powerful tool, just be sure to use it with thought.

A Dozen Questions for Mr Koczon

2012-04-30T18:49:49Z

Cameron Koczon builds things, organises things and writes things (and, of particular appeal to our passion for gentlemanly pursuits, smokes an impressive variety of pipes). He lives and works in Brooklyn.

Mr Koczon is the co-creator (with Swiss Miss) of Teux Deux, a lean to-do list manager. He is also the co-founder (with Chris Shiflett) of Brooklyn Beta, one of the web’s most enjoyable conferences encapsulated neatly in its strapline: ‘Make Something You Love’. When he’s not busy building things or organising things he also writes, of particular note a superb and thought-provoking article on Orbital Content for A List Apart No. 326 (one of our favourite ALA articles of 2011).

We asked Mr Koczon a dozen questions.

Where did you learn your craft?

I guess my craft is building products and the only way I’ve found to learn about that is to start building products. You don’t really understand what goes into it until you’ve shipped a product and had people start using it. You learn so much by just going through that process. Our team has done this a few times now and I can feel us getting better. That’s an exciting feeling. We’ve got a strong product foundation now so I’m hoping to learn a lot more this year.

Who inspires you?

Lots. I’m just gonna start typing things ‘til I run out of juice: Disney, Pixar, Miyazaki, Hitchcock, Eisner, McCloud, Rams, Glaser, Hickman, Holmes, Dantes, Protagonist, d’Anconia, Jobs, Franklin, Edison, Lincoln, Hemingway, Rand, Stephensen, Gibson, Sturges, Coen, Coen, Anderson, Anderson, Day-Lewis, Hara, Theory11, Burt, Grove, Wallace, Wallace, McCarthy, Tufte, Bringhurst, King, Seth, Drooker, Miller, Busiek, Ross, Brubaker, Rachleff, Andreessen, Roth Eisenberg, Brown, Danzico, Santa Maria, Hische, Moll, Legend, Gutierrez, Oak, Weychert, Hunter, Johns, Bolt, Blankenship, Smith, Miner, Chimero, Pieratt, Desandro, Cole, Cheng, Brewer, Bondsy, Girl Walk, Clash, Withers, McKenzie, Park, Galpert, Zayan, Fadell, King, Rousso, Cederholm, Dhanaliwala, Krieger, Kickstarter, Airbnb, Square, Workshop, Paravel, Weightshift, OKFocus, betaworks, Less, Svpply, Build, Hyperakt, NY Mag, DIY, C.K., Henson, Rogers, Larson, Publick, Watterson, Hammer, Ward, Edlund, Tartakovsky, Franchi, Jaar, Murphy, Murphy, Persson, Laphroaig, Coates, Rios, Finkler, Battaglia, Collison, Wood, Howell, Tan, Perras, Birkebæk, Haas, Shiflett, Mincey, assorted McMahons and assorted Koczons. There are many others.

What are your influences?

Not sure. If my back was against a wall and I had to pick one person, I’d pick Fergie. We’re trying to do for the web what she did for music.

You work under the moniker Fictive Cameron and you work for a company called Fictive Kin. Why Fictive?

A ‘fictive kin’ is someone who isn’t related to you by blood, but you still think of as family. That describes the people I work with now and the people I want to work with in the future. It’s really the kin part that matters. As it pertains to my own online persona, I just wasn’t able to come up with anything better. My last name, Koczon, is difficult to know how to pronounce/spell so it doesn’t suit me to be Cameron Koczon everywhere.

The Fictive Kin menagerie appears to be growing rapidly. You’ve recruited a whole host of talented people, what are your plans for world domination?

We’re not really in the domination business. We want to build great products and enjoy ourselves doing it. We have a vision for the way the world could be and we’d like to build the kinds of things that nudge it in that direction. If you start talking the adorable, “change the world,” talk, it’s worth remembering that that takes some time. Fictive Kin needs to be in it for the long haul so we spend a fair amount of time thinking of our lifestyles as a product. We’re trying to develop a process and cadence that will enable us to keep learning, keep building, and keep having fun.

There are many content sharing services in existence, what makes Gimme Bar different?

The key difference is that Gimme Bar is not primarily a content sharing service. It’s a content saving service. The difference is subtle (which has caused us quite a few problems), but very important.

It’s important for users to own their content. Apps are fragile. They come and they gowalla (rimshot). People stick around. People are forever. Five years from now there’s a very good chance you’ll be using a completely different set of apps than the ones you are using today. Do you think you’ll still want your photos from the last few years? Probably. Remember. They aren’t instagrams, they’re your photos. They’re not tweets, they’re your status updates.

In aggregate all your content starts to tell some pretty interesting stories about you. Over time, as folks start to put more and more of themselves on the web, owning this aggregate content and keeping it safe is going to be a big deal.

The role designers are, increasingly, playing is changing; moving from mere service provision to shaping ideas from the outset. How does this change - foregrounding a design-lead approach - improve project outcomes and why are we witnessing it now?

Incorporating design improves project outcomes because it is a central ingredient. How does sugar improve cookie outcomes?

As for why we’re seeing all this attention paid to design right now, I think there are a few reasons:

1. Steve Jobs. Apple basically has a reputation as a perfect company and Steve as a perfect leader (if imperfect human). They tout design as their core and they’re about the most valuable company in the world. Hard thing to not notice if you’re an investor.

2. Supply and Demand. There’s a lot of money around these days which means lots of startups. Every one of these companies needs a designer and there simply are not that many competent product designers out there. The number of folks who’ve ever designed and shipped a complete web product is tiny. This may be a fault of design schools or of the past neglect of designers by the tech community or something else I don’t know of because I haven’t spent much time looking into it.

3. Differentiation. There is at least a little bit of concern that when your product is all bits, there is little room for differentiation. Things like design and branding offer opportunities for apps to stand apart even if other apps copy or do the same thing.

You’re visibly passionate about design and its potential to effect positive change. Brooklyn Beta and Brooklyn Beta Summer Camp have widened the frame of reference for design-lead startups. Is the future for startups as catalysts for change, doing good as opposed to evil?

I don’t think ‘design-lead startups’ is the right phrasing. While I certainly think this is an important time for design, it’s more about helping design play catchup to development and other disciplines. Chris and I like to talk about it in terms of ‘designer-developer teams’ or ‘design as a partner’. The following is from my A List Apart article:

It is difficult to rally for designers without making it seem like you are discounting the value of developers. It’s important to remember that what we’re trying to do is evolve the notion of the ideal team. The ideal team includes both design and development, working in tight communication and mutual respect from the beginning. This is an enviable dynamic and surprisingly uncommon.

I think that pretty well describes how I still feel. We want design to be a partner and partnership is a two-way street. If we improve the station of designers at the expense of their relationship with developers, we’re not really doing much of value.

As for the good vs. evil stuff, I’ll leave that to Google.

Meerschaum or Bruyere?

I can’t pick. Here is a picture of the pipes I own.

What’s your favourite typeface?

Tungsten.

What’s your favourite plain text editor?

I don’t really have a favourite, but for notes I use Notational Velocity. I wish it did more, but I love it and I use it every day.

What’s your favourite tea?

I drink black coffee and Scotch whisky.

On the Fundamental Nature of Content

2012-04-25T08:07:47Z

The A List Apart article on Content Modelling is, although rather advanced, at it’s core an important reminder of what should be the fundamental building block for any design process, both from a visual design perspective, and when it comes to choosing a Content Management solution.

Read it together with Tinker, Tailor, Content Strategist for a good analysis of where content strategy is at today.