Web Design Blog - Web Designer Ramblings

Jiffy Lube Scam

Web Design Portfolio — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:36:00 +0000

Have you had your car serviced at Jiffy Lube? There is a fascinating video on YouTube of a Jiffy Lube Scam that appears to start at the corporate level. A string of Jiffy Lube locations in California were caught charging customers for services that were never done. What's worse, it appears to be a systemic problem in the chain. A classic case of corporate theft?

To Allergy Sufferers . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:41:00 +0000

This topic does not have much to do with web designers specifically, yet I am sure it affects many of us! This is allergy season. Here in the southwestern United States the pollen counts are at an all time high because of the last rainy winter. I have found a little aid that can help allergy sufferers (like myself). Because I am sneezing and blowing my nose continually it can get quite reddened and raw. Plus, regular tissues simply do not hold up under use. In fact, they may aggravate allergies because of the dryness and lint. I started using pre-packed moistened baby wipes for my nose with great success. They are moist and do not irritate the nose. Plus, they are heavier than normal tissues and do a better job of cleaning the nose. Try them if you have allergies! The store brands are usually the cheapest. Be sure to get the moistened baby wipes with a neutral scent unless you want to smell like baby powder all day!

A Design With a Smile . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:32:00 +0000

I found an article in a recent issue of Scientific American MIND magazine that reminded me of an observation I have received from more than one new web design client. Many new clients say that one of the things that most appeal to them about my web design are the appealing smiles of the models used in many of the web sites. I found it curious that something as seemingly insignificant as a smile would be a significant factor in attracting new web design clients. Now there seems to be scientific evidence that a smile can be a powerful memory aid!

In the April/May 2008 issue of MIND magazine, researchers at Duke University have found that the mind is better at remembering a person's face and name (whether in person or in a photo) if that face has a smile! It seems that a smiling face activates an area of the brain involved in reward processing. One researcher commented on the implications of this research: "We want to remember people who were kind to us, in case we interact with them in the future."

The lesson that we as web designers can take from this is that if we want people to remember our websites, make sure it has a warm smile in the design!

Designer's Food . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Only a web designer who loves letterforms and typography could fully appreciate the humor (and skill) that produces a whimsical item such as this! I would love to have one on my desk! See more illustrated fruit on Sarah King's web page.

A New Web Design Is Born!

Web Design Portfolio — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:11:00 +0000

We have just finished a new web design in record time! In less than three weeks from start to finish we developed an e-commerce website that I consider some of our finest work yet. It is a web design for premium quality organic textile products. This was a tough challenge. Fortunately, we came up with a great concept for the design from the first draft that was quickly approved by the client. Without such a fast approval it would be impossible to get this website completed within three weeks! Visit our latest web design and send us your comments!

Web Design 2.0?

Web Design Portfolio — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:02:00 +0000

I am fascinated at how the the fads and trendiness that typically afflict fashion and pop music have also affected the technology of web design. "Web Design 2.0" is the new buzzword. If you're hip and trendy, then your website has all the latest Web Design 2.0 gimmickry. Like fashion trends, there are also visual trends common to Web Design 2.0. You've seen the look. Flat, airy pages with large "plastic" style buttons and clean blocky layouts. The problem is that all the Web Design 2.0 websites are starting to look alike. They're blogs on steroids. I am not saying that there is not some good design in the mix. There is. The problem is that every other designer is copying it. Plus, I am not so sure that the public is fawning over the visual Web Design 2.0 look as much as designers are. To my eye, much of it misses the warm human element that carries far more persuasive power than the cool, sterile look that characterizes Web Design 2.0. What do you think? Maybe I'm just a bit old fashioned . . .

Spring Web Design Contest

Web Design Portfolio — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:51:00 +0000

Aaaah, Spring . . . In the spring a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of . . . web design? If you enjoy web design and would do it even if no one paid you for it . . . Why not enter the Second Open Source Web Design Contest. The top prize is $1,000.00. That's a pretty measly sum by US standards. Yet, this contest is international. So, in many countries that will be considered a hefty prize. I will not participate but will check in to see what international web designers are up to when it is over.

Web Design and Great Photography

Web Design Portfolio — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:00:00 +0000

As a web designer, few things are more frustrating than being given a handful of bad photos and poorly designed graphics and told to create a wonderful web design from them. Sometimes, we can make a "silk purse from a sow's ear." However, more often than not, the design is compomised by poor photography and logo design. However, good photography is one of the best ingredients in great web design! Here is a website we are completing this week that sells luxury 100% organic blanquettes. The photographer created a wonderful image that provided all the inspiration we needed to create a compelling, complimentary web design. Be on the lookout for the completed design--it will be added to our web design portfolio very soon!

Speak to A Live Human . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:02:00 +0000

One of the great annoyances often experienced with large commercial web sites and businesses is the rarity of encountering a human voice when calling customer service. Usually you must navigate through a maze of choices being recited by a recording, coupled with a healthy dose of waiting time. Do you want to avoid the maze and speak to a real person within seconds of calling? This brilliantly conceived website, GetHuman.com can help you to do so! It provides a growing list of companies with instructions on how to get a human using their customer service numbers. This volunteer run website has a growing list of utilities, and major corporations we all do business with, along with customer service ratings. You must bookmark this website!

A New Photo Blog and Gallery

Web Design Portfolio — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 09:57:00 +0000

My continuing love affair with the Southwestern United States is currently expressed in my new Arizona and New Mexico Photo Gallery and Blog. You may enjoy viewing the photos and reading my observations of my new home!

Well Designed Water . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:03:00 +0000

Living as I now do in the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States, means paying attention to my body's need for hydration. As a result, I am conscious of keeping water as a constant companion as I design web sites. I normally do not get excited about water. However, I found a new flavored water at my local green grocer that I consider exceptional. Metromint offers a selection of waters flavored with peppermint, spearmint and other mint extracts. There are no artificial flavors, sweeteners, sugar or other ingredients. Just water and mint. Refreshing! Look for it in your local grocer. Good stuff!

There's One Born Every Minute . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:04:00 +0000

Computer viruses, that is. . . or so it seems! The latest Web borne danger is a malicious exploit that attacks individuals viewing Adobe PDF format files in the Internet Explorer 7 browser on Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. The virus installs a series of files that allows hackers to steal sensitive data from your computer. Adobe has provided a downloadable update to Adobe PDF viewer to protect against the exploit.

Masters of Design 2007

Web Design Portfolio — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:51:00 +0000

Nowadays, it is rare to see any manufacturer producing a bad product. The quality differences between the best and the worst in any market are slimmer than ever. What does distinguish a standout product is design. This is especially so in web design, where design plus content equals product. Fast Company, one of my favorite business magazines (click here to preview), provides an annual Masters of Design issue that explores the impact of design on business. The 2007 issue explores the best examples of interactive web design, and interviews current design masters.. A worthy read for any web designer and those who employ them!

Web Designer Ramblings Photo of the Day

Web Design Portfolio — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:20:00 +0000

A scene from a trail horse stable near South Mountain, Phoenix Arizona. South Mountain is a ruggedly beautiful park / preserve that is part of the Sonoran Desert. See more photos of this beautiful attraction here.

The Value of Textual Links . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:55:00 +0000

Web design and search engine optimization go hand in hand. Perhaps one of the easiest search engine optimization techniques is often the most overlooked: Textual links. What are textual links and how can they improve your search engine ranking? An excellent article on this basic SEO technique can be found here.

The Optimistic Web Designer . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:02:00 +0000

Is an optimistic web designer a healthier web designer? Yes! In a 30-year study of over 800 patients by the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, scientists found that optimists had better health and lived significantly longer than others. The researchers also noted that optimists coped better with stress and were less likely to develop depression.

One of the suggestions given for increasing optimism is to find joy in your work. No matter what kind of job it is, find some aspect that’s personally satisfying. Persons who enjoy their work are more productive and derive more satisfaction from it. Personally, I love what I do for a living!

Web Designer Ramblings Photo of the Day

Web Design Portfolio — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:52:00 +0000

Landscape photography sensitizes a person to the beauty and fragility of our planet. How long will it survive? There is mounting evidence of how global warming and climate change, caused by man, now threatens our existence. We face the peril of ruining our global home unless drastic and timely changes are made. Are we up to the task of doing so? Probably not. World leaders and business moguls are dominated by self-interest, showing little desire to make the changes needed to save the planet. Only God himself can force mans' hand to save the planets' ecosystems for future generations.

This photo shows a fishing lagoon in Papago Park, Phoenix Arizona reflecting the brilliant colors of a late September sunset.

Web Designer Ramblings - Photo of the Day

Web Design Portfolio — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:15:00 +0000

Well, as time passes my passion for photography grows. That may well be due to being exposed to a wealth of memorable visual delights here in the Southwestern United States. I continue to be fascinated with the rugged beauty of Arizona and New Mexico, and look forward to a continued exploration of all that this part of the country (USA) offers. As a web designer, my geographical location is simply no longer a factor in my work. In fact, I have not met a client face-to-face in over six years. Yet, I can provide world-class design to clients internationally. This is ample testimony to the freedom an Internet based skill-set can provide. I am deeply grateful for that. I am doing work I love and given the chance to live in places I love as well. I highly value that flexibility!

The photo shown above features the red rock of the Jemez Mountains in Central New Mexico. The Jemex Mountain Trail is a scenic 2 hour drive that shows off the best of this under-appreciated mountain area. It is worth a visit if you ever plan to be in either Albuquerque or Santa Fe, New Mexico!

Digital Cameras, Exposed!

Web Design Portfolio — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:09:00 +0000

I find that most graphic designers (web designers included) seem to have a natural affinity for photography as a hobby. Perhaps it's the connection between technology and art. Anyhow, like most budding photographers I have done my share of research in selecting a digital (single lens reflex) camera (DSLR). In doing so, I've discovered a close correlation between the business practices of the automobile and camera industries. For example, most automobile manufacturers may only change the cosmetics of a car model for a period of three to five years along with minor feature additions--the engine and drivetrain are essentially unchanged. This is also quite true of camera manufacturers. The same basic sensor (the heart of the camera that records the digital image) that powered the 6 megapixel DSLR four years ago is still being used in todays 6 DSLR models. For example, the 6meg sensor for the current Nikon D40 model is the same used in the four year old Nikon D100. While there have been minor improvements in the image quality of .jpg images, if you shoot raw (taking the digital "negative" and creating the final .jpg version yourself") the images will look quite similar. For the camera buyer, it means that the need to upgrade is largely marketing driven.

This is true with all camera makers. The same sensor in the four year old Pentax *IstD model also powers the current K100D. The Canon 300D of four year vintage uses the same sensor stuffed with more pixels for the upgraded 350D and 400D models.

Knowing this, I buy digital cameras like I buy a car. Purchase last year's model and avoid paying for costly depreciation. Like cars, cameras start losing their value the moment they leave the showroom. And most of that value is lost in the first year after a new model comes out. Buy last years model and save some big bucks!

I'll share some additional observation in future posts!

I'm A Cable TV Dropout

Web Design Portfolio — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 04:27:00 +0000

I have lost all respect for television. Especially cable TV. Generally, I do little more than channel surf during my free time, rarely watching any program from start to finish. The fact is, television offers little programming that is truly worthwhile anymore. However, the cost of cable programming is creeping towards $1000.00 per year if you include any premium channels. That's too much money to pay for something I derive no satisfaction from. Well, I've decided to do something about it. I've cancelled my cable tv, and become a Netflix subscriber. For about $6.00 per month, I get 2 movies on DVD sent to me by mail and access to one movie online. That's all I have time for. The beauty of it is that I am now seeing the sort of quality movies and documentaries I want to see (and when), and saving big bucks in the process. Saving close to $900 per year has never been so entertaining! Are there any other cable dropouts out there?

Those Were The Days . . .

Web Design Portfolio — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:56:00 +0000

One of the great reasons to visit Phoenix, Arizona this summer was the recent "Curves of Steel" exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum (discussed in a recent blog). This exhibit celebrated the "streamlined" design trend in automobiles of the 1930's. I revisited this show on its final day, to marvel again at the sheer beauty of the automobile designs on display. This was the sort of show where, as a designer, I found myself grinning uncontrollably for the duration of my visit. The sheer depth of style and elegance inherent in these classic automobile designs from the 1930's made me realize that beauty, refinement and style as design principles are losing their significance in modern graphic design. It is a sad loss too. Good taste used to be (and not so long ago) a sign of education and culture. It was something aspired to. Now, our design vocabulary is more often punctuated by words like shock, street, extreme . . . we seem more interested in assaulting public sensibilities with the coarsest elements of our culture. Good taste has suffered a terrible beating and may never recover. It is a trend seen not only in design, but also in music, movies and television programming. Sigh . . . It may well be that truly good design is becoming a thing of the past . . .

CBS News has an online video on the "Curves of Steel" exhibit that gives a nice overview of the event. The photo above shows one of the most beautiful and popular cars of the decade, the 1939 Lincoln Zephyr.

Revisiting The Thinkpad

Web Design Portfolio — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:20:00 +0000

For the past four years, we have been doing all our web design work on laptops. I no longer own desktop machines. The convenience of being absolutely mobile is very important to me. One of the very first laptops I ever owned (over six years ago) was the legendary IBM Thinkpad 600. Purchased used (off corporate lease) it was built like a battleship with superb reliability. It wore well, looking brand new even though it was over three years old at the time I purchased it. Well, I have since purchased a number of other brands of new consumer oriented laptops for my business use. Not a good decision. While pretty and gadget filled, they simply don't hold up under heavy business use. Even my treasured Macbook I found too expensive to maintain over the long haul. I needed something that could work 8-15 hours and still look fresh the next day. Recently, after being frustrated when my Acer 2010 laptop suffered a second broken screen hinge, I decided to revisit the IBM (now Lenova) Thinkpad. I purchased two three-year-old refurbished IBM Thinkpad T40's, laptops that are not only beautifully engineered, but perfectly suited for heavy business use. The IBM Thinkpad T40 has a rock solid black magnesium composite case (not plastic) and the best laptop keyboard on the market today. These are the Mercedes of computers, using top components and well thought-out design. With Pentium M processors, they run very cool, and have a battery life of 6 hours or so. They have a full set of ports (not just USB) for connecting old and new peripherals. I purchased these well maintained machines for $450 each. The fit, finish and execution reek quality . . . They should. They cost over $3200 when new. Buying a used Thinkpad is like buying a Mercedes or BMW with 50,000 miles on the odometer--if well maintained they will still provide many years of service. And, you avoid paying the cost of new car depreciation. The top model Thinkpads provide similar value, especially lightly used commercial lease machines that were maintained by IBM.

As the owner of a web design studio, I seek the best value from the technology I purchase. Used or refurbished business class Thinkpads provide years of reliable service, and are easy to repair and obtain parts for. Plus, they keep their good looks for years--something you want to keep in mind if you visit clients and travel with a laptop. Oh, one more thing: Processor speed has become meaningless. Any computer built over the last five years will provide all the speed needed for typical business software. Just be sure to install at least 1024 megabytes of memory.

Secure Your Wireless Connection

Web Design Portfolio — Tue, 15 May 2007 09:58:00 +0000

Free public wireless Internet access and home wireless networks are becoming as common as the cell phone. However, they do pose a security risk. A recent story in the news reports how the credit card numbers of over 47 million customers of the TJ Maxx retail chain were stolen largely through hacking into their computer system by means of wireless access.

There are basic security procedures that laptop users of free wireless services (and paid services) along with home wireless users should implement to deter all but the most sophisticated thieves. CNET.com has an excellent slideshow presentation showing how to secure homes based wireless systems and laptops used on public systems. Read it and use it!

Clothing Sales Surge Online

Web Design Portfolio — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:35:00 +0000

Perhaps one of the most challenging areas of online sales is clothing. However, an article in todays' New York Times, shows that this e-commerce sales of clothing is showing a healthy upward trend. In 2006, revenue from skirts, suits and shoes reached $18.3 billion, surpassing that from PCs, printers and word-processing programs, which totaled $17.2 billion, according to a report to be released today by a major trade group.

The surging popularity of clothing on the Web defies predictions that fashion — which is hard enough to buy in stores, with the aid of sales clerks and fitting rooms — would be difficult, if not impossible, to translate onto the Internet. Read more here.

Designing For Those In Need

Web Design Portfolio — Thu, 10 May 2007 09:51:00 +0000

“The majority of the world’s designers focus all their efforts on developing products and services exclusively for the richest 10% of the world’s customers. Nothing less than a revolution in design is needed to reach the other 90%.”
—Dr. Paul Polak, International Development Enterprises

That quote speaks truth. Web design, like other design disciplines, targets the affluent, those who can afford the products and services we promote. The Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York City has a current exhibition that highlights design with a more benevolent purpose. "Design For the Other 90%" demonstrates how design can be a dynamic force in saving and transforming the lives of poor and disadvantaged people, at home and around the world. Designers, engineers, students and professors, architects, and social entrepreneurs from all over the globe are devising cost-effective ways to increase access to food and water, energy, education, healthcare, revenue-generating activities, and affordable transportation for those who most need them. And an increasing number of initiatives are providing solutions for underserved populations in developed countries such as the United States.

A fascinating exhibit, it shows practical applications of design that benefit the poor. One of my personal favorites is the pot-in-pot cooler design. With the Pot-in-Pot, tomatoes last for twenty-one days, rather than two or three days without this technology. This allows poor farmers to generate more income from their produce in areas where refrigeration is scarce.

Even if you cannot visit the exhibition, the website provides an excellent online virtual tour in itself. Worth your time!