EightShapes Unify :: Wireframes Preview
Here’s another interesting wireframing tool that is apparently free and works within InDesign.
Cool Tool for Mockups
I just got referred to this product from Molly B. It looks like a great tool to create those quick and dirty “sketches” without having to sketch. It keeps the visual form “loose” or “wiggly” so people don’t think the ideas are locked down. How this will compare and compete with SketchFlow in Blend? We’ll have to wait and see. www.balsamiq.com
Learn yourself some good stuff
If you’re looking for a great summation of how to design and/or what contributes to design, then you’d do yourself a favor by heading over to: http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/web/50-totally-free-lessons-in-graphic-design-theory/.
Let me know what you think.
Your very own font!
So this could be super cool or a downright flop. Good fonts are good for the reason that they’ve been well crafted and vetted. Your ol’ reliable chicken scratch handwriting might be cute but, if it’s like mine, might just anger too many people. Fun to try…limited use…why not if it’s free? www.yourfonts.com
March Dev/Design Mtg
If you’ve never heard of Mix, go check out the site. Then, plan on coming to the next SeattleD2iG Developer/Designer meetup to hear some first hand accounts from people who were there. I’m looking forward to hearing what the big buzz was since I don’t get a chance to go to these. Wednesday, March 25th, 7:00 – 8:30 pm.
Again, this is a casual meeting of designers and developers with the objective of fostering communication about the designer/developer relationship and emerging technologies that keep us all wired. See you there!
Zune vs. iTunes
Are we similar in our honest assessment that, by default, we think Apple outdoes Microsoft for design?
My expectations were recently changed.
I was blown away the other day when I had my first introduction to Zune’s approach. They’ve busted out of the old SW windows look by pushing graphics to the bleed, intergrating motion UI and providing a truly immersive experience in music and artist discovery. If you’ve not tried Zune’s “Marketplace” software (parrallel function to Apple’s iTunes), then you’d do yourself a favor by checking it out.
So, I was reading an article at Spoonfed Design about the superiority of Apple’s usablity. Honing in on point #2, “Clean and Flowing Grid-Based Layout”, quoting the article, “Any website (or any design layout for that matter) starts out as a simple grid. Grids are the foundation to any layout and the content is built upon that grid. Apple uses very clean and well-spaced grids on each page, which makes for a very pleasing experience.” This isn’t wholly inaccurate but it sure doesn’t encompass all great design!
I was left feeling a bummed I’d taken a bite from the forbidden fruit and was left stuck with an outdated interface framed in archaic sw look and feel. Anyone remember the old bumper sticker reading “Windows 95 = Macintosh 89″. Now the tables have turned.
UPDATE: Design & Developer Meetup
2/19/09: The meeting was a lot fun. Thanks to everyone who showed up! Brent Christian’s presentation of JavaFX was very informative and drew lots of questions from the group. A lively discussion ensued about the technology’s capabilities and comparative advantages and disadvantages to design/development for iPhone, Flash/Flex and WPF/Blend.
Basics: JavaFX emphasizes continuity of usage of standard design tools (Photoshop/Illustrator) by offering a plugin that exports the code. As long as naming conventions are defined, the process looks fairly smooth. Some bugs: animation isn’t streamlined and feedback loops within the tool from dev to design are unclear. David Kelley commented that, compared to the iPhone tool, this is a much better structure. Compared to Flash and Silverlight, it seems that the next rev would be looked forward to.
NEXT MEETING: Due to conflicts with Mix, the next meeting will be pushed out to the 4th week of March. I’ll keep you posted on that.
We’ll be discussing Sun’s JavaFX technology which is a framework web 2.0 experiences inline with Flash and Silverlight user experiences. With our group’s focus being UX, we’ll be investigating how this technology will provide options for designers and developers to create a compelling UX story together, how it might relate or not to other technologies and how that ties in with developer’s requirements for system structure and optimization. With the goal of bridging ties between design and development, show up ready to probe and investigate how this technology might benefit you and your clients while developing a better understanding via the group dialogue.
Cool Color Themes on iPhone
Take a picture on your phone, convert it into a color palette. Or not. But very nice concept and execution. www.cliqcliq.com
Community Involvment
Went to Seattle Central this morning to hear an old connection, Chris Edwards, and his business partner/fellow grad talk about design and life after college. They’re working on their own (www.lftrt.com) after hours while both pulling down full-time jobs doing some pretty heavy-hitting design/UX work.
Chris kept harping on the importance of community involvement and how it’s proved essential to the success of their business. And what I was getting in between what he was saying was that it’s more than just showing up to meetings. It’s about being involved and developing relationships. It was a great reminder on how important people are to the whole equation.
Is it Photoshop’d or Virgin?
Gregor Jamroski loves to tote his plastic Diana camera laden with tape to patch the light cracks. He said it used to be a give-away at Shakey’s Pizza and gas stations but he loves its simplicity. Check out his great work: http://jamroskiphoto.info/
