I have finally got a chance to move my blog to my website, so here it is! As you can tell, there is still a lot of bits to iron out/fix, but it’s all here so have a look around and leave a comment or ten!
Cheers!
‘Rants’
Just a Rant…again
I was talking to a few people that are in the same web based industry and many just ignore basic issues such as accessibilty for the sake of SEO (which seems strange considering, if you code for accessibilty, you generally code SEF).
But to be honest, accessibily goes come a long way in getting sales through the site. If the site has not been made to W3C AA Standards, then ultimatly your side might not be able to be read by blind or partally sighted people. There is part of your audience gone. If its not tested in different browsers/screen sizes, say goodbye to more of  your audience. The list can go on and on. So they might well be about to find your website in google – but they blinking can’t read the thing!
It seems that a lot of people in the industry can only adapt to one thing and drop every other aspect. You either a SEO/Web marketer, a hard core coder (I know CSS like the back of my hand, but these guys are hardcore), a designer, an accessibilty expert – but why not learn some of the rest, even if your not the expert – working in a team of mixed experts, it would help you no end – I know it does me!
I was talking to a few people that are in the same web based industry and many just ignore basic issues such as accessibility for the sake of SEO (which seems strange considering, if you code for accessibilty, you generally code SEF).
But to be honest, accessibility goes come a long way in getting sales through the site. If the site has not been made to W3C AA Standards, then ultimately your side might not be able to be read by blind or partially sighted people. There is part of your audience gone. If it’s not tested in different browsers/screen sizes, say goodbye to more of  your audience. The list can go on and on. So they might well be about to find your website in google – but they blinking can’t read the thing!
It seems that a lot of people in the industry can only adapt to one thing and drop every other aspect. You either a SEO/Web marketer, a hard core coder (I know CSS like the back of my hand, but these guys are hardcore), a designer, an accessibility expert – but why not learn some of the rest, even if your not the expert – working in a team of mixed experts, it would help you no end – I know it does me!
I was talking to a few people that are in the same web based industry and many just ignore basic issues such as accessibilty for the sake of SEO (which seems strange considering, if you code for accessibilty, you generally code SEF).
But to be honest, accessibily goes come a long way in getting sales through the site. If the site has not been made to W3C AA Standards, then ultimatly your side might not be able to be read by blind or partally sighted people. There is part of your audience gone. If its not tested in different browsers/screen sizes, say goodbye to more of  your audience. The list can go on and on. So they might well be about to find your website in google – but they blinking can’t read the thing!
It seems that a lot of people in the industry can only adapt to one thing and drop every other aspect. You either a SEO/Web marketer, a hard core coder (I know CSS like the back of my hand, but these guys are hardcore), a designer, an accessibilty expert – but why not learn some of the rest, even if your not the expert – working in a team of mixed experts, it would help you no end – I know it does me!
I was talking to a few people that are in the same web based industry and many just ignore basic issues such as accessibility for the sake of SEO (which seems strange considering, if you code for accessibilty, you generally code SEF).
But to be honest, accessibility goes come a long way in getting sales through the site. If the site has not been made to W3C AA Standards, then ultimately your side might not be able to be read by blind or partially sighted people. There is part of your audience gone. If it’s not tested in different browsers/screen sizes, say goodbye to more of  your audience. The list can go on and on. So they might well be about to find your website in google – but they blinking can’t read the thing!
It seems that a lot of people in the industry can only adapt to one thing and drop every other aspect. You either a SEO/Web marketer, a hard core coder (I know CSS like the back of my hand, but these guys are hardcore), a designer, an accessibility expert – but why not learn some of the rest, even if your not the expert – working in a team of mixed experts, it would help you no end – I know it does me!
In the SQL jungle
def jungle: if time.tmhour > 20 OR time.tmhour < 5: lion.sleep()
’nuff said.
Another favourite is:
SELECT person WHERE AGE > 12 AND AGE <20 AND SMELLS LIKE ‘%SPIRIT%
def jungle: if time.tmhour > 20 OR time.tmhour < 5: lion.sleep()
’nuff said.
Another favourite is:
SELECT person WHERE AGE > 12 AND AGE <20 AND SMELLS LIKE ‘%SPIRIT%
Take a Layout you like and F**k it up.
Famous words by the legend that is the editor of Wired Magazine Scott Dadish. First I laughed, then relised how true it was. And it scares me.
Recently, I have been working with a few clients who like to take the designers seat, to say the least, and whilst I have been cringing and reciting to myself “the client is alway right, the client is always right” I found that some of thier rule breaking changes to actually work quite well. The rule breaks may not be as noticable as those of Dadish, but the ethics is all the same.
However, I do also think purpose rule breaks have a time and a place. For example, In the context of the “The secret formula which destroyed wall street” cover, then it is design genious. The graphical layout which depicts such the mess of Wall Street, Â is perfect. It creates the atmosphere scrambled confusion – like a classic office laser printer, with a bad alignment error while printing the god for saken annual report. Â But if it was a REAL annual report, then god knows, your office manager would be going bollistic right now!
So there it is, the rule for braking rules. Ironic?
Famous words by the legend that is the editor of Wired Magazine Scott Dadish. First I laughed, then relised how true it was. And it scares me.
Recently, I have been working with a few clients who like to take the designers seat, to say the least, and whilst I have been cringing and reciting to myself “the client is alway right, the client is always right” I found that some of thier rule breaking changes to actually work quite well. The rule breaks may not be as noticable as those of Dadish, but the ethics is all the same.
However, I do also think purpose rule breaks have a time and a place. For example, In the context of the “The secret formula which destroyed wall street” cover, then it is design genious. The graphical layout which depicts such the mess of Wall Street, Â is perfect. It creates the atmosphere scrambled confusion – like a classic office laser printer, with a bad alignment error while printing the god for saken annual report. Â But if it was a REAL annual report, then god knows, your office manager would be going bollistic right now!
So there it is, the rule for braking rules. Ironic?
My two cents.
Ok, so I have been putting this off for a while, but I am now finally going to start the summer brief. But before I get to that I would like to have my two cents on the past.
In a way, in the last few months a lot has changed, but in a way, it also hasn’t! Being on the brink of 18 is actually somewhat a weird one for me. Whereas most seem to be just starting their career, it is strange to be already established in the Web and graphic design industry, and furthermore, be in demand as by both a freelancer and a senior member of staff. And I must admit, it is a good feeling. (though the 18 hour working days can be a little long-some and stressful for sure! ).
Some people have questioned my motives as to why I am going back to Glyndwr this is year to carry on my degree, but to be honest, I am still awaiting to be challenged, and by carrying on, I am hoping to be. Granted, I never did maybe as quite as good as I could have done last year, but I had ongoing personal reasons for this, and in situations like this, the real world and my clients takes priority.
However, I must admit, Glyndwr has not made me proud either to be a student there either. The other month, I had a meeting with a Graphic design company in Wrexham, who had interviewed quite a few recently graduated students from glyndwr hoping to find one of the next big icon in graphic design. Instead, they were shocked at the fact that everyone else that they had interviewed did not have the basic skills to complete tasks such as brochure design. They had the design aspects of a designer, to see concepts, and develop ideas, but just not the practical side. I felt so ashamed and actually apologized their behalf. Luckily, I went on to have a wonderful working relationship with them and hope to change their opinions on students – and maybe even pass the work back on to the other students.
There are companies screaming out for a young, fresh and recession beating branding service, and students should be the way to go. But without the skills being passed on from the experienced to the fresh talent, then a whole niche market is lost. Students need real briefs where they actually get REAL feedback straight from the horses mouth and not filtered down through secondary and perhaps biased sources. There is a HUGE market for a local 99designs, so that students can get a real life experience of dealing with clients and deadlines. After all, half the industry is based on good communication between client and designer, and what a good way of getting the practice in! If anyone is interested in developing this, give me a shout out!
I think what makes excited and really passionate about a project, is to see the enthusiasm that a client has with their product or services they offer – and to be part of their success and watch them grow, is something money can’t buy! And this is my play. I eat, sleep, and work graphic/web design, and I love it. Despite this a do have another love, and that is travel, but not quite visiting other countries. I am currently working on getting a private pilots license – there is nothing better than having the complete freedom of space and time – something I only otherwise can achieve on a blank canvas. A challenge in itself.
p.s this will be reskinned as soon as I have 5 mins on the train to work!
Ok, so I have been putting this off for a while, but I am now finally going to start the summer brief. But before I get to that I would like to have my two cents on the past.
In a way, in the last few months a lot has changed, but in a way, it also hasn’t! Being on the brink of 18 is actually somewhat a weird one for me. Whereas most seem to be just starting their career, it is strange to be already established in the Web and graphic design industry, and furthermore, be in demand as by both a freelancer and a senior member of staff. And I must admit, it is a good feeling. (though the 18 hour working days can be a little long-some and stressful for sure! ).
Some people have questioned my motives as to why I am going back to Glyndwr this is year to carry on my degree, but to be honest, I am still awaiting to be challenged, and by carrying on, I am hoping to be. Granted, I never did maybe as quite as good as I could have done last year, but I had ongoing personal reasons for this, and in situations like this, the real world and my clients takes priority.
However, I must admit, Glyndwr has not made me proud either to be a student there either. The other month, I had a meeting with a Graphic design company in Wrexham, who had interviewed quite a few recently graduated students from glyndwr hoping to find one of the next big icon in graphic design. Instead, they were shocked at the fact that everyone else that they had interviewed did not have the basic skills to complete tasks such as brochure design. They had the design aspects of a designer, to see concepts, and develop ideas, but just not the practical side. I felt so ashamed and actually apologized their behalf. Luckily, I went on to have a wonderful working relationship with them and hope to change their opinions on students – and maybe even pass the work back on to the other students.
There are companies screaming out for a young, fresh and recession beating branding service, and students should be the way to go. But without the skills being passed on from the experienced to the fresh talent, then a whole niche market is lost. Students need real briefs where they actually get REAL feedback straight from the horses mouth and not filtered down through secondary and perhaps biased sources. There is a HUGE market for a local 99designs, so that students can get a real life experience of dealing with clients and deadlines. After all, half the industry is based on good communication between client and designer, and what a good way of getting the practice in! If anyone is interested in developing this, give me a shout out!
I think what makes excited and really passionate about a project, is to see the enthusiasm that a client has with their product or services they offer – and to be part of their success and watch them grow, is something money can’t buy! And this is my play. I eat, sleep, and work graphic/web design, and I love it. Despite this a do have another love, and that is travel, but not quite visiting other countries. I am currently working on getting a private pilots license – there is nothing better than having the complete freedom of space and time – something I only otherwise can achieve on a blank canvas. A challenge in itself.
p.s this will be reskinned as soon as I have 5 mins on the train to work!
Updates on the old summer brief
Thought i’d drop by and update where I’m at with the good old summer brief. And the answer is: Nowhere.
However, I have come across some nifty alternatives to spam WHICH is good for research. We all face the trials and tribulations of spam in our daily lives, whether its at work, home or on facebook.
Thought i’d drop by and update where I’m at with the good old summer brief. And the answer is: Nowhere.
However, I have come across some nifty alternatives to spam WHICH is good for research. We all face the trials and tribulations of spam in our daily lives, whether its at work, home or on facebook.
