Posts from — December 2006

I saw this great photo done by Laura Levine today and had to share it. I love how lost you can get in a great photo.

“He was dramatic to the end – dying on Christmas Day,” the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Brown’s since 1955, told the AP. “Almost a dramatic, poetic moment. He’ll be all over the news all over the world today. He would have it no other way.”

Tweet This Post 

It seems like everyone is re-designing their sites these days. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Gives me a little job security for the future. Ask.com is trying to get in on some of the search engine market share by drawing in users with its new interface. It’s recently launched Askx.com, obviously copying the giant in the industry with their simiple interface.

Now Microsoft is taking a stab at a redesign for their home page as well.

Less clutter is best in my opinion. The more things you throw at the user the more likely they are to get flustered and look for something simpler.

Tweet This Post 

I’m sure everyone has started working on their goals for 2007, right? Well, one of my goals is to learn photography. I’ve taken some of the necessary steps already. I’ve enrolled in an associates program for photography. I’ll be assisting a local photographer on her shoots. And now i’ve decided to accept a new challenge for my goal.

I will take a picture every day

If you really want to improve your photo skills and put together a well-documented year-in-pictures, this seems like something to be a part of. The idea of the Project is that you take at least one photo every day for an entire year. The photo should be of something unique each day, and by the end of the year you’ll not only have a great collection of photos documenting your year, but you’ll also have vastly improved your photog skills (or at least that’s the idea).

Some tips from Photojoj are:

I’m sure as the year goes on i’ll post some up here as well as on my personal pictures site. Good luck to everyone else with their 2007 goals/challenges. I know mine’s going to be keeping me busy.

Tweet This Post 

First off I’d like to say Happy Birthday to Flash. They are 10 years old today, and I can’t believe how far they’ve come. I remember when I first started using flash and how confusing it was just to do a fade in and out with photos. I can’t wait to see how far they go next year when I get Flash Professional 9.

Check out the BBC’s take on the birthday:
Ten years ago, it was just a way to present animated graphics on a web browser - but people are now experimenting with it in many other ways, for example with mobile phones.

Then you’ve got Photoshop Beta CS3 launching today! I hope I don’t spend too much time this weekend checking out the new features. They don’t release the finalized version until next year but this way you can give feedback on their updates and new features.

I think the ultimate will be when the applications are integrated together more. Now that they are under the same parent company I’m sure they’ve got some great features they’ll be rolling out on this field.

Tweet This Post 

There’s been talk that Google copied Yahoo!, and then talk that Yahoo! copied Google with the launch of IE7.

Jeremy Zawodny (Yahoo!) points out how Google copied Yahoo’s promo page for Internet Explorer 7. Suggesting that they googlified it.

Matt Cutts (Google) gives an appolgy if one is in fact due, well sort of. Then points out how Yahoo! copied the way Google displayed ads not too long ago. Suggesting that Yahoo! shouldn’t be pointing a finger unless they’re willing to point it back at themselves.

Take a look and see what you think (IE7):

Without knowing all the facts I would say, sure there has probably been some copying of ideas between Google and Yahoo!, but in design it happens more then you’d think. Other people’s designs can really spark your creative ideas or process. However, it’s one thing too use others designs as a springboard for your own creations, and quite another to copy them outright. The problem with copying is that you’re taking credit for someone else’s ideas (simple enough right). You’re also not flexing your own creative muscles. With anything, they need to be stretched. If you’re copying someone else’s designs all the time you lose your ability to design. A designer is only as good as their ideas; it’s what makes them great at what they do. Nothing cuts more then seeing someone else taking credit for your ideas or designs. It’s fine to look at others designs to flex your creative muscles, but think twice before copying someone else’s work. I think every designer has experienced someone else taking credit for their work. Some have even had the displeasure of watching others do it right in front of them. Please, give credit where credit is due, because as they say “What goes around comes around.”

Tweet This Post