As I thought about the destruction in Haiti, it reminded me of some really impactful advertising I’ve seen that leaves the audience with more to think about then their next purchase. In a world where we have become almost desensitized to the troubles of the world, I think it is refreshing to see other agencies serving the non-profit sector of the world in a big, well thought out way. For example:
Fads. None of us are immune to them all the time, it’s just that some are easier to resist than others.
For instance, brown was never the “New Black” for me, it was just brown. Chickens, on the other hand, now those were a fad I just couldn’t pass up.
Fluffy Yellow Chicks? I’ll take 5 of those Silver Laced Wyandotte’s please! We’re allowed to have 3 hens, but I figured there might be some natural attrition. I also allowed for human error that 1 or 2 might turn out to be Roosters. We watched in awe as the chicks went from fluffy, to gawky to beautiful. Well, all but one of them. I would stand out by the run watching them, the sun glinting magically off their iridescent tail feathers and remark to my partner “Baby, they’re so pretty! Except that one, why is she so ugly?” And then, one day, we heard a tentative, garbled Rrrrr-rrrrr-rrrrr. The ugly one, it turned out was our only hen. (more…)
With the new year in full swing, now is a great time to run down the list of passwords you use on a daily basis, and give them a complete audit. Stop using the same semi-secure password(s) on everything, and lay down some solid security for your personal information.
The general rules we’ve all heard since receiving our first email accounts:
1) Minimum of 6 characters (minimum of 8 is better)
2) Use at least one lowercase and one uppercase letter
3) Use at least one number
4) Use at least one non-alphanumeric character (typically: ! @ # $ * | etc.)
5) Avoid using words from the dictionary (“LightSpeed!” could be much more secure as “L|ghtSp33d!”, for example) (more…)
Oversized footers have been around for awhile, but will become even more amplified in 2010. Footers are gaining more importance in webdesign, breaking away from the norm of having a single line of information and copyright info. The bottom of a page is no longer an after-thought and the larger footer size is now optimized for multiple links. The footers of 2010 include sitemap links, full sitemaps, about and contact information, simple contact forms, social media links, polls, Flickr feeds, and back to top links.
Footers are starting to become a more important part of the look and feel of a site, helping to enhance the layout and design. For example, Smashing Magazine uses fun illustrations within their oversized footer, acting as a way to incorporate the site design and also doubling as a link to their “about us” page. The enlarged footers not only look cool, but can also help to promote links, encourage user click and visit duration, and save reader’s time. Check out a few great examples of how this trend is already in use:
Smashing Magazine
Bush Theatre
Carsonified Blog
Digg
Drupalcon
I Love Your T-Shirt
Apple
Nettuts
The Things We Make
Chumby One running Pandora internet radio
007-crazy 3D stripes
In response to Tweedle C’s post about Smashing Magazine’s Design Something Every Day challenge, I have accepted and am recording my progress in my blog, Holodek 365. So far, so good! I have managed to take some time out of each day (seven whole days so far!) and create something. I have heard that a 1000 mile journey begins with a single step or seven. Anyway, the idea is to keep your design time to under a half hour per day but sometimes I get carried away. I do, however, find myself looking forward to it each day. I can’t wait to make something and I especially can’t wait to see what other people have done. It is truly inspirational to see others progress, commitment and creativity from blog layouts to simple sketches to photography to type treatment, etc. They are all searchable on Twitter with #daily365.
It was recommended to go with a theme for your designs. Maybe for one month, try to design something retro. For another month try typographic posters. The possibilities are endless. I have decided to keep it simple and vector in the beginning and follow some Adobe Illustrator tutorials. I run across them all the time while doing research for projects at work but never have time to try them. Now I a just add them to my list as I come across them.
Just before the holiday break, Zoom took part in a pretty neat tradition. We have a giant stocking that is filled to the brim with holiday cheer (small toys, candy, blinking things, other awesome stuff) and if you’ve been good, you get to reach into the bag and pull out a prize. It’s a fun little bonus at the end of each day and this year there was a twist. Inside the stocking were 6 paper wrapped prizes that came along with a little something extra.
I was one lucky boy that fateful day when I reached into the stocking and got a little wrapped item with a big X written on it. That meant that I couldn’t trade the item with anyone and wouldn’t know what was inside until after everyone else had pulled out their prizes. Kris, one of the other developers here at Zoom reached in and got the matching prize, so at the end of the day, Leisa told me and Kris that we were now the lucky winners of a pedicure at Midas Nail Salon.
Yesterday was the day that the little something extra was awarded to us, and Lisa and Robin decided to join us. It was fantastic, and I’ve attached some photos for your viewing pleasure.
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I’ve always admired Jessica Hische’s daily dose of drop caps. So, I was excited to see this challenge from Smashing Magazine. I love this idea! But everyday? Its a little daunting, but I think I can do it. Practice does make perfect. And the idea of designing something for my own personal enjoyment and/or technical/creative growth is exciting. As Greg so graciously pointed out, I am already 5 days late. So I better get going if I want to catch up with him!
If you’re interested you can search for designers that are taking this challenge on Twitter using #design365. Make sure to share your work with us if you decide to take the challenge.
I love Nan Russell’s columns and this one, regarding resolutions, is entirely appropriate. Happy New Year everyone!
Assessing Your Progress
I’m not a big fan of New Years resolutions. Sure I’ve made dozens of them, all with good intentions and a bit of magical thinking, believing this time the resolution will stick. Maybe a few have, but generally these wishful self-promises end up broken. And when that happens my self-esteem suffers.
You see, every time you break a self-promise, your self-trust is weakened. Every time you give up on your commitments your self-confidence takes a hit. And every time you look back on broken resolutions, your self-assessment hurts, not helps, your performance future.
By contrast, I am a huge fan of goals or dreams or aspirations or targeted focus. Call it what you like. Mine come in a variety of forms, anything from a life-to-do-list to aspirational dreams. But their achievement hinges on the same element – incremental action. I learned in twenty years of management the power behind small steps. (more…)
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