Web Design General

A Simplified New Year

January 2, 2010

Happy New Year! In celebration of 2010 and my resolution to keep this blog up-to-date again, I decided to redo the place. I wanted a fresh new look to go with my fresh new posts.

The Playground Is A Wreck

April 7, 2008

For the past month or so, I've been playing around in my sandbox with an elastic layout. Things were coming along pretty well, when suddenly I threw a fit over the increasing slowness of my web host, DreamHost. I've been with them for about 3 years and we've had our ups and downs, but lately my patience has worn thin.

MAMP Causing Strange Problems in Adium

March 26, 2008

I thought if I started acting like a real developer, maybe it would improve my code. So, I decided to install and start using MAMP on my Mac to develop locally. Mind you, this programming stuff doesn't come naturally to me. I had to ask a few questions now and then of some of my developer friends, but eventually I sort of got it working. Now I've got another problem with MAMP. Somehow it's causing very strange problems in Adium, my IM client.

It's a Makeover!

November 21, 2007

It's way past time this site had a new design, and I finally came up with one I think I can live with for a while. This one feels like it will actually grow and expand and change over time, and that's important to me. I wanted a site that felt, well, roomy and comfortable like a pair of well-worn jeans.

A lot of the new elements are things I've wanted to do for a long time—although the most obvious isn't really new at all...

Going Live

May 1, 2007

New site launch Launching a web site, even a redesign, is a painful experience for me. It's kind of like cramming for final exams, giving birth, and walking out on stage all at the same time...

Dumb Things I Wonder About

April 8, 2007

Just a smidgeon of the dumb things I ponder...

The Brand Gap

March 20, 2007

This slideshow has been around a bit, but I haven't thought of it in a while. Then a friend mentioned it recently in conversation, and I decided to hunt it down. It's just as good the second time around. If you haven't seen it, take a few mintues to click through the slides. You might even want to check out Neumeier's book of the same name.

SXSW Online

March 18, 2007

Missed SXSW this year? Don't despair. You can still view the programs. Over the next few weeks most of the SXSW daytime programs will be posted on the web. There's already quite a few programs listed. So, slap on your Stetson and head over to SXSW Videos and Podcasts for a virtual good time in Austin.

Impressions from SXSW

March 14, 2007

This was my first year at SXSWi, and now that I've experienced four solid days of Geekness, I hope to make it an annual appointment on my calendar. I had a great time...

What's Love Got to Do with It?

February 5, 2007

If we're talking web design, the answer is everything. Don't believe me? Ask Kathy Sierra. She'll tell you there's one way to be successful on the web—create passionate users. And the only way to do that is to be passionate yourself.

Keeping Up In Web Design

September 19, 2006

These days the Web is moving faster than most of us can keep up with. Between work and kids and keeping the family boat afloat, I feel like I'm slipping a bit further behind each day. The list of skills I want to acquire or improve on is a long one...and growing: PHP, graphic design, XML, JavaScript, usability testing, project management, Ruby-- You get the idea. I want to master it all. Perferrably now.

Internet Explorer 7 RC1 Is Here

August 28, 2006

The inevitable has happened. Microsoft released Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 late last week. This is the final step before Microsoft pushes IE7 on an unsuspecting public... I mean, makes IE7 publicly available. No other release candidates are planned.

Wary Applause for Internet Explorer 7 Beta

May 11, 2006

Yes, that's right. Applause. And yes, that crunching sound is me, eating my own words.

I downloaded IE7 Beta this week and, cringing inwardly, viewed a new CSS template from my current project on it. Holy cow and by George!, it actually rendered my design correctly. You could have knocked me down with a feather. (I believe this will be a Cliche Day for me.)

Resting, Back Ends and the Web 2.0

April 20, 2006

Lately I've been having a lot of conversations about the Web 2.0, and I have to tell you that, as a designer, it's starting to make me nervous. Not that I don't like the theories and web applications that are being dubbed "Web 2.0." But I can't help giving a little sigh and muttering, "W-ell, here we go again..." Just when I was getting a teeny bit comfortable with my knowledge level, the web changed on me again. Ha! Comfort as a web designer? Perish the thought.

Resources on University & College Web Design & Development

March 24, 2006

I've been scouring the web lately, looking for good resources on designing university and college web sites. I'm surprised at how little I've been able to dig up. If you know of any others, please share them here—sites, lists, blogs, books, articles, etc.. Thanks to the University Web Developers' list for pointing me in the direction of some of these.

The Emergent Magpie

August 15, 2005

The other day my 5 year old showed me a picture of a totem pole she'd colored. She pointed out various things, then hesitantly confessed she'd copied one part from her older brother's totem pole. She was pretty surprised when I explained this was perfectly all right--that, in fact, I copy bits and pieces from other people all the time in my work. It's the way we learn.

Dreamhost Really Is All It's Cracked Up to Be

April 22, 2005

I just moved my sites to a new host, which is one reason my posts have been sketchy of late.