Design Tips for Programmers
The line between back-end and front-end programming is not always distinct. Many times programmers have to make design decisions on the fly. This guide is intended to help avoid the worst transgressions. As with all rules, there are exceptions—but leave those up to the professional designers.
Spotlight on Paula Scher
Do you recognize this album cover? In Make It Bigger, Paula Scher describes the design process that she oversaw as art director at CBS Records. She thought the idea of a guitar-shaped spaceship was “idiotic.” After a lot of back and forth with the band, the product manager, and the illustrator, the hit album of […]
How Do You Choose a Restaurant?
I’m good at picking restaurants. Long before Yelp I used my own method of choosing a restaurant based on its typography. My husband and I don’t like chains, even though you can be assured of consistency. In our travels, we’d rather throw the dice on a one-of-a-kind restaurant. When I find good typography on the […]
Why Use WordPress?
WordPress is the premier open-source content management system (CMS). WordPress allows web developers of any skill level to build a website with database functionality, making frequent updating, archiving, and blogging simple and easy. WordPress powers over 25% of all websites, including those of top companies like Time Magazine, Google, Facebook, CNN, and eBay.
Web Fonts
When HTML first hit the scene in the early 1990s, web developers had no control over the fonts used on their pages. The web browser was entirely responsible for selecting fonts. Netscape introduced the <font> tag in 1995, giving developers the opportunity to choose their own fonts for the first time; the tag was incorporated […]
Pecha Kucha: Beautiful Typography
The more people learn about typography, the more they appreciate it. Watch my Pecha Kucha presentation on YouTube to learn a little about type history, get some professional tips, and see inspiring examples.
Creative Process
“Think about it . . . deeply. Then forget it. And and idea will jump up in your face.” —Don Draper, Mad Men The creative process can be used to achieve any goal, whether business or personal. Once you have a clearly defined goal or problem follow these steps:
Design Strategy
design: to form or conceive in the mind for a definite purpose strategy: a plan for obtaining a specific goal or result More and more companies are using design strategy as a business tool. Design is more than making something look nice superficially. It is a creative process that has a clear goal in mind, and […]
Spotlight on Massimo Vignelli
A few years back I had the sublime pleasure of seeing Massimo Vignelli speak at a design conference. I snapped this photo with my phone when his definition of graphic design came up on the screen. Vignelli passed away this year, so it’s a good time to reflect on his career. You have seen his […]
SEO 101
Everyone involved in creating a website should understand the basics of search engine optimization, including the designer. That being said, SEO is not some secret sauce you pour on your website that will make you rich. All it does is help people find you. I like to work with organizations that are honest and truthful […]