Please understand that I love and respect the time everyone takes to make a comment on this site and I do not make this decision lightly. Although all the old content is still viewable, it does not fit in with the current template. Not every page will be brought in, just my favorites so not too much stuff will be regurgitated.

Hope you don’t mind.

Originally posted on May 3, 2005 @ 1:29 am

Now with the blog it was really interesting because almost immediately I could see how people looked at a company differently than an up and coming freelancer. Hell, I even started to receive resumes from college grads looking for work. What made this even more interesting is that not once did I ever post my name on the site, but instead used two nicknames: The Scholar and The Dunce. Now it really wasn’t difficult to know that it was me running the site if you knew me back then, but for total strangers I learned a lot about what people can expect from a clean layout and a company voicing their opinion on design.

Eventually I let the site stagnate and I haven’t touched it in over 15 months…until now.

Simpl(e)y Done

Simpl(e)y Done is a site that I have rejuvenated for one simple purpose and that is to take me back to my roots both in design and in life. I have always designed simple and liked to live a simple life (eat, sleep, party), but found as of late that I have ventured away from these trends. I was complicating a lot of things. Even though the sites still remain graphic-free, I was too busy trying to figure out ways to increase the revenue of them with more ads and affiliate marketing instead of putting the focus on the content. Last week I began to think to myself that I could more than likely make the same amount of money, if not more, if I simplified things and took a different approach to how I run my sites.

Yesterday’s conversation on Breaking All the Rules occurred because I realized that many times if we look for a better way to design our sites, we might also be making them easier to use for our readers. However, saying that logos shouldn’t be at the top because it makes reading the content harder might not be the best way to go.

Simpl(e)y Done will not only focus on web design, but also on product design and the design of our lives. It’s just a site about making things easier and in turn making our lives better.

The Design

Close to as simple as one can get. I wanted the readers to view the content and not worry about anything else. On the homepage you only get one entry. I know that we are use to seeing more than one entry on a page (a couple of sites have broken that trend as of late), so coming across an one entry site is a bit deceiving. Some people have been trained to think that they need more information on the page, but seeing how none of the entries on Simpl(e)y Done will be just links to other sites it’s important to make sure the reader focuses on the content on the page and not what’s coming next.

As for the navigation, let me first say that I hate thinking about it when designing a site. It’s almost an afterthought and a part of the site that I try to get out of the way as quickly as possible. In all honesty I wish I could get rid of navigation altogether, but that would make a multi-page site practically useless. Instead, of treating the navigation of the site with dread, I tried to make it as fun and interesting as possible.

The traditional navigation scheme for a site consists of these elements:

• Home
• About
• Archives
• Contact

The site has all of these elements, but I didn’t want an about page because users coming from search engines or external links shouldn’t have to click a link to know what this simple site is about. Other sites with longer ‘about’ content definitely warrant having their own pages, but this site did not so I wasn’t going to force the issue. So I figured it would be best to have a paragraph at the top describing what the site consists of and within that about paragraph I stuck the archive links.

I do wonder what will happen if I decide to add new categories, but realize that doing so would only complicate matters because I am beginning to broaden the site to a capacity I can’t handle. For example, Forever Geek is the hardest site for me to write for because there are just too many options. Weird huh?

So I was able to take care of all 4 site elements without the use of a traditional navigation scheme. Home link is the logo and the contact is the email in the footer. Easier to use and navigate? The jury is still out on that one, but I do know that reading one entry at a time without distraction has definitely become easier.

Many of the elements seen on the site have been in my head forever, but I must thank Garrett Dimon (design-wise) and Johnnie Manzari (content-wise) for bringing these ideas out of me. This is also my first WordPress blog on my own so bear with me if you find any quirks.

Originally posted on May 12, 2005 @ 1:51 pm

Only request information that is needed.

I always wondered why some websites ask for and sometimes even require that I provide my home address so that I may access their services. It does not make sense, especially when I know they are not going to mail me anything and they supposedly state that they are not going to sell my personal information to another company. If you really do not need the information do not ask for it simply just to ask for it.

Another irritating item and I think most of us are guilty of is asking for first and last name in separate fields. If there is never going to be a time when you must separate last name from first then do not require your user to. A simple “Name:” field works just fine most of the time anyways. However, if you are unsure about whether you will need separation from first and last name then proceed to separate them.

Let the form guide your users and decide for them what type of data they need to input.

One of the more overlooked aspects of forms are the sizes of the input boxes. For example, in the majority of blogs where you can leave comments the form asks for email address and url address. Make these boxes large enough so that when a user is typing in their email address and url they can see what they are typing without being cutoff. This alone can prevent many typos. If the text box is too small some users may feel they are not typing in the correct data if their input overflows the box. Help your users out.

If it’s required LET IT BE KNOWN

Nothing can be more irritating than filling out a form and receiving an error (no matter how helpful the error is) telling me that I forgot to put in my hair color. Going back to the form I realize that there is nothing telling me that hair color is even required. It would be great if required fields could be highlighted or if this is not possible then at least make the text bolder than non-required fields.

Use the <label> and <fieldset> tags

The label tag helps to distinguish which label goes with which box. This is more helpful for accessibility reasons and if the user is use to clicking on the labels instead of inside the text box to get the cursor as you can do in Windows apps. The fieldset tag helps you group sets of inputs. This helps the reader associate what information relates to each other.

The <legend> tag can also be very useful in identifying different groups of information on a form.

Use the tabindex attribute

One of the greatest overlooked attributes (next to accesskey) is the tabindex attribute. This attribute allows you to control where the next tab press leads the user. Very helpful for users who do not or cannot use mice. Also helpful for web veterans who know that it can be quicker navigating a form by pressing the TAB key than by using the mouse.

Only ask for information at the last possible moment

It is very easy to scare of potential customers of your site by requiring them to fill out forms before they get a chance to see any of your goods. Forms are a pain enough as it is, please do not make me fill out one before I even know what is going on.

These are my major gripes with forms. I am sure there are other improvements that can be made to forms, but if you follow these at the very least you should see more usable forms.

Originally posted on May 2, 2005 @ 3:01 pm

What I am looking for:

• I have a high standard for design so would expect good quality from the designer as well. CSS-based design should be obvious.
• Being on the client-side for once I know this sounds ridiculous, but speed is important to me. I don’t expect a design in 2 days, but I also don’t expect a blog design to take 2 months.
• The first site will be Forever Geek. Most of what you see will continue to be there with some minor additions mostly to the individual entry pages.
• If you are interested shoot me an email at scrivs{AT}9rules.com with your portfolio (or links to your work) along with how much you would charge for redesigning the site.

Why not just do it yourself? Well I have been doing it myself for the past year, but I am in the management position now and understand how much of an impact top-quality design (along with great content) can have on a site. I am looking to take Forever Geek to a higher level and this is step one of that process. Also I have a ton of other issues that need my attention.

Again if you are interested then send me an email: scrivs{AT}9rules.com.

Thanks.

UPDATE: I have received a number of proposals that I need to go over and cannot except anymore because I would like to respond to everyone in a timely manner. Thanks to everyone who showed interest in helping me.

Originally posted on April 13, 2005 @ 9:57 pm

Originally posted on April 29, 2005 @ 9:20 am

Over the past two years we have seen a lot of cool things being done with CSS, but this might be the coolest one to date. It works just like a Windows desktop, but it is done completely in CSS.

What is interesting is to see that most of the positioning was done with unordered and definition lists. The CSS code is clean so this could make an excellent case study for any CSS developers and goes along well with my Learning CSS entry.

The project isn’t complete since Trovster has taken a break from it, but for what he has accomplished so far I must say that I am impressed.

Other tidbits about the project:

• If you do http://desktop.trovster.com/desktop/?name=YOURNAME — it’ll change the start-menu name to your input.
• If you do http://desktop.trovster.com/desktop/?email=email@address.com — it’ll change the user icon if the email address is associated with the Gravatar service.
• If you do http://desktop.trovster.com/desktop/?name=anything@gmail.com — it’ll add a Gmail Notifier icon to the system tray area!

Originally posted on May 5, 2005 @ 10:07 pm

Enhancing Customer Loyalty

Giving seniors discounts all year round can really boost their loyalty to a store. Lots of older adults shop regularly, especially for everyday stuff. So, when stores give them steady deals, it builds trust and gratitude.

If businesses offer these savings not just during holiday sales or special events but always, that’s like rolling out the welcome mat. It makes seniors more likely to pick their store over others. What do shops get in return? More visits from happy customers who spread good vibes about the business and help build stronger ties with local communities.

Addressing Financial Challenges for Seniors

Older adults tend to stress about set incomes and rising living costs. Paying for healthcare, housing, and food all piles up quickly. That doesn’t leave a lot of spare change for other stuff.

But what if stores gave discounts all year round? That’s like giving seniors an ongoing helping hand with their finances. It can help them enjoy life more without worrying so much about money.

Stores doing this show they care about people in their community who are struggling financially. They’re saying, “We get it,” and making every day costs less stressful for older adults.

Competitive Advantage in the Market

In a busy market, every business wants to be the one that shines. Offering senior discounts all year round could give them an edge. It’s like a magnet for older adults who love good deals. Retail stores known for being kind to seniors often see more customers from this group. 

These shoppers can turn into big fans of their brand. As competition heats up, giving out these savings helps businesses stand apart and draw in loyal customers who stick with brands that have their back.

Balancing Profit Margins and Customer Care

Sure, giving discounts all year round might make some worry about profits. But selling more stuff could balance out the lower prices.

By shouting out their senior deals, businesses can pull in more shoppers who spend a bit extra each time they visit. Still, stores need to strike a good deal that’s fair for them but still gives seniors real savings.

Finding this sweet spot creates a win-win business model where both making money and looking after customers matter.

Conclusion

To wrap it up, giving seniors discounts all year round could be a good deal for both stores and older adults. It helps build trust with customers, eases money worries, gives businesses an edge in the market, and keeps profits steady. In short, retailers can make life better for seniors while also helping their own businesses thrive.

I think it should be in tables because each data cell represents a specific column in a specific row. That’s my indepth scientific explanation.

If the general consensus is that it isn’t tabular data and I create a CSS skin, I will make sure to release it to the community in case anybody else wishes to use it. However, if it really should be in tables I don’t wish to use a pure CSS layout without tables when it is isn’t needed.

Originally posted on April 20, 2005 @ 1:04 am

Color inspiration and color selection articles are all over the web (there is even one included in the latest issue of Design In-Flight), but sometimes you just want a place to go where you can see different color combinations at work. This is where COLOURlovers comes in.

The site hosts a number of color combinations and even allows you to rate each color and combination. Definitely a site that every designer should have bookmarked. I think I will play with some of the combinations on this site today to change things up a bit.

I’m really feeling this palette. Which one is your favorite?

Originally posted on April 11, 2005 @ 10:50 am

This issue sports a newly redesigned style with brighter colors and new typefaces. It all fits in perfectly with the new Spring season that has fallen upon us. It also introduces two new recurring features: Eye on Type (typography column) and Six-Penny Anthems (comic series). Other articles include:

• The opportunity to change
• Smooth Slide: SlideShowPro
• Choosing color combinations
• Feeling your way around grids
• Who owns your portfolio
• Beyond Portfolios: A fresh look at marketing your skills
• Acing the Interview: Tips and techniques for success
• The more things stay the same, the more they change
• Designers as agents of change

Go check it out and make sure to subscribe if you haven’t done so already. It is well worth the $10/year.

Originally posted on April 11, 2005 @ 12:44 am