In the process of coming up with a visual layout for a website project I'm currently developing which hopefully I should be blogging about soon, the importance of art direction as part of the design process became re-emphasized. I was having trouble coming up with a satisfying design concept so I started just adding and removing things without much thought. I was frustrated and eventually realized that that just was not going to do. The concept of design with a purpose was one of the first things I learned as a designer.
As far as Art Direction goes, it is a term without a specific definition. The words below help to explain what it is from this excerpt from our good friends at A list apart What is art direction? That’s a hard question to answer. In the movies, art directors are usually responsible for creating the “look and feel” of the film. In advertising and print work, art directors (often teamed up with a copywriter) come up with “concepts,” the creative ideas which communicate with us on a gut level through such devices as theme, metaphor, and symbolism.
One of the first things a designer learns is this - "Good design informs". As I browse the web more and more these days, I get blown away by impressive designs constantly that inspire me to be better at what I do and give me ideas for my own work. Very often though, it is very easy to get caught up in just publishing a website based on a little bit here and a little bit there that you forget to think about what you are doing. Why is that icon there or why did you choose that color? What is the audience supposed to get from the design of the website? How does the design help the overall purpoose of the project?
For now, as I sit back and think for a little bit, part of my design process will involve asking myself - yes, it looks pretty, but why do like the design for a certain website that I want to borrow a concept from? How do I feel when I look at it and how did the designer accomplish that?
A little thought on those questions go a long way to help me build the concept for my designs and ultimately come up with something that isn't just visually appealling, but is aesthetically satisfying.
In terms of visuals, the CSS Reboot has some goodies.
The Ajax phenomenon is everywhere. The buzz is palpable, undeniable,even suffocating sometimes. But undoubtedly, it is a technology that is way overdue. The limit of the web user interface as we know it - html, forms etc - was reached a few years ago and as technology can't be stifled, innovation had to come from somewhere. This is Web 2.0, the web re-inventing itself. It's almost the late 90's again.
I am typically one of the first to learn about new technologies, but I'm definitely not an early adopter. One way or the other though, it catches up with you and you can't help but join them. Here is a list of Ajax libraries and frameworks I've had a brush with recently that seem interesting. As with all web technologies though, caveat emptor (buyer beware)
- Dojo Framework
- Mochikit - not for the faint of heart
- Prototype
- Moo.fx - "The next little thing"
- Spry Framework
- Simple and elegant
In reviewing my blog roll this morning, I ran into a couple of awesome devevlopments that left me totally stocked.
HH0 Gas technology , a replacement for oxyaceteline or propane gas in industrial use which is sure to revolutionalize the world as we know it. Here's the kicker. It's derived from water. Clean, efficient, awesome!
For those looking for performance on the cheap, how does 4.1Ghz P4 at approx $130 sound to you? Yes, you read that right. It's not a hoax. Now close your mouth and let Tom's hardware let you in on the secret.
