miércoles, 30 de diciembre de 2009
martes, 15 de diciembre de 2009
put permanent metadata in your site
I am sure you have heard all about the importance of include keyword tags in your blog posts. It's a great way to get those search engines to bring more readers to your site.
When you create your blog in WordPress or Blogger, it creates metadata with your title and tag line. This is good, but put a lot of importance on that tagline. It throws out all those witty quips you wanted to use.
Now you can do both with a simple code embedded in your template. A little copy and paste will help you add common keywords that relate to you. Change the italicized and keep everything else.
<META NAME="description" CONTENT="slacker stay-at-home mom">
<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="stay at home mom, special needs children">
<META NAME="Content-language" CONTENT="en">
<META NAME="author" CONTENT="mamikaze">
<META NAME="creation_date" CONTENT="November 19, 2006 21:09:01">
<META NAME="robots" CONTENT="all, index, follow">
<META name="copyright" content="© 2006-2010 mamikaze">
Wordpress (self-hosted)
Go to Appearance > Editor > header.php > Insert the code before the tag
Blogger:
Go to Layout > edit html > insert the code before the tag
When you create your blog in WordPress or Blogger, it creates metadata with your title and tag line. This is good, but put a lot of importance on that tagline. It throws out all those witty quips you wanted to use.
Now you can do both with a simple code embedded in your template. A little copy and paste will help you add common keywords that relate to you. Change the italicized and keep everything else.
<META NAME="description" CONTENT="slacker stay-at-home mom">
<META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="stay at home mom, special needs children">
<META NAME="Content-language" CONTENT="en">
<META NAME="author" CONTENT="mamikaze">
<META NAME="creation_date" CONTENT="November 19, 2006 21:09:01">
<META NAME="robots" CONTENT="all, index, follow">
<META name="copyright" content="© 2006-2010 mamikaze">
Wordpress (self-hosted)
Go to Appearance > Editor > header.php > Insert the code before the tag
Blogger:
Go to Layout > edit html > insert the code before the tag
lunes, 14 de diciembre de 2009
getElementByClass
You can use javascript to getElementByTag or getElementById, but what about class?
Like most plastic surgeons at this time of year, we are currently doing some development work on one of our client's back-ends! This involves some nipping and tucking of various code including the need to update the currency displayed in various fields should the end-user decide to change it.
If the currency was being displayed in just one field, we could apply an id and use the innerHTML property. However, in this case there are multiple fields that all display the currency.
As such, a span element was applied with the class "currency" and the following javascript function (based on this one) was used:
function currency_switch(currency){
var allHTMLTags=document.getElementsByTagName("span");
for (i=0; i
allHTMLTags.innerHTML = currency;
}
}
}
Like most plastic surgeons at this time of year, we are currently doing some development work on one of our client's back-ends! This involves some nipping and tucking of various code including the need to update the currency displayed in various fields should the end-user decide to change it.
If the currency was being displayed in just one field, we could apply an id and use the innerHTML property. However, in this case there are multiple fields that all display the currency.
As such, a span element was applied with the class "currency" and the following javascript function (based on this one) was used:
function currency_switch(currency){
var allHTMLTags=document.getElementsByTagName("span");
for (i=0; i
allHTMLTags.innerHTML = currency;
}
}
}
martes, 1 de diciembre de 2009
Convert Text into PNG Image using PHP
We are currently working on a Wordpress MU theme that requires logos to be generated on the fly.
Fortunately the logos will just make use of a simple script font, but we still need some means of auto-generating them. We started with a great tutorial at Vision Master Designs and tweaked it slightly to fit in with Wordpress and the specification of the client.
Firstly, and fortunately, the name of each of the WPMU blogs would be the name required in the logo. This meant that we could pass "bloginfo('name')" in the text variable:
" />
Secondly, all the site names would be two words and these needed to be spread over two lines. This required a small addition to the code that simply replaces the whitespace between the two words with a PHP_EOL (end of line) call.
if (isset($_GET)):
$helloworld = $_GET;
$helloworld = str_replace(' ', PHP_EOL.' ', $helloworld);
else :
$helloworld = "Lifetime
Experiences";
endif;
With those two additions, we now have a theme that automatically generates logos on the fly. Perfect for a client who needs to be able to publish sites quickly and easily.
Fortunately the logos will just make use of a simple script font, but we still need some means of auto-generating them. We started with a great tutorial at Vision Master Designs and tweaked it slightly to fit in with Wordpress and the specification of the client.
Firstly, and fortunately, the name of each of the WPMU blogs would be the name required in the logo. This meant that we could pass "bloginfo('name')" in the text variable:
" />
Secondly, all the site names would be two words and these needed to be spread over two lines. This required a small addition to the code that simply replaces the whitespace between the two words with a PHP_EOL (end of line) call.
if (isset($_GET)):
$helloworld = $_GET;
$helloworld = str_replace(' ', PHP_EOL.' ', $helloworld);
else :
$helloworld = "Lifetime
Experiences";
endif;
With those two additions, we now have a theme that automatically generates logos on the fly. Perfect for a client who needs to be able to publish sites quickly and easily.
Exclude categories from Wordpress RSS
The Haycroft Media website uses a category for the flashy portfolio on the home page, which we want to hide from the Wordpress RSS feed
There are various options for doing this all detailed in a nice simple tutorial at Web-Kreation.com. We opted for option 2: Exclude categories in your template’s functions.php file, which simply involved the addition of a few lines of code to the functions.php file (just change the category id to that of the one you wish to omit):
function myFeedExcluder($query) {
if ($query is_feed) {
$query set('cat','-12');
}
return $query;
}
add_filter('pre_get_posts','myFeedExcluder');
There are various options for doing this all detailed in a nice simple tutorial at Web-Kreation.com. We opted for option 2: Exclude categories in your template’s functions.php file, which simply involved the addition of a few lines of code to the functions.php file (just change the category id to that of the one you wish to omit):
function myFeedExcluder($query) {
if ($query is_feed) {
$query set('cat','-12');
}
return $query;
}
add_filter('pre_get_posts','myFeedExcluder');
Strip wp_head in Wordpress
The wp_head() call in the header of most themes is an invitation for Wordpress to start inserting code into your nice tidy head.
However, we are of the opinon that if you don't need it, get rid of it. If you view the source of this site, you will see that we have removed the rsd link, the wml manifest link and the generator link. We're not using them, so we don't need them.
In addition, many Wordpress security blogs recommend removing the generator tag as it reveals the version of Wordpress you are using. So, say the good people at Wordpress discover a major security flaw in version 2.6 and you haven't upgraded to 2.7 yet, anyone with a knowledge of the flaw knows that your site is vulnerable.
So, how do we remove these pesky tags? Simply add the following to your themes functions.php file:
function striphead() {
remove_action('wp_head', 'rsd_link');
remove_action('wp_head', 'wlwmanifest_link');
add_filter('the_generator', 'no_generator');
}
function no_generator() {
return '';
}
add_action('init', 'striphead');
However, we are of the opinon that if you don't need it, get rid of it. If you view the source of this site, you will see that we have removed the rsd link, the wml manifest link and the generator link. We're not using them, so we don't need them.
In addition, many Wordpress security blogs recommend removing the generator tag as it reveals the version of Wordpress you are using. So, say the good people at Wordpress discover a major security flaw in version 2.6 and you haven't upgraded to 2.7 yet, anyone with a knowledge of the flaw knows that your site is vulnerable.
So, how do we remove these pesky tags? Simply add the following to your themes functions.php file:
function striphead() {
remove_action('wp_head', 'rsd_link');
remove_action('wp_head', 'wlwmanifest_link');
add_filter('the_generator', 'no_generator');
}
function no_generator() {
return '';
}
add_action('init', 'striphead');
martes, 17 de noviembre de 2009
Displaying user data in your Wordpress theme
The last time I needed to display user data was for the Press Stick website. For their site, they wanted the user to be greeted with a personalised message on logging in.
The message for the Press Stick site was:
"hi from . welcome back to the press-stick sourcing portal. we look forward to showing you the new and exciting products available to you."
For the purpose's of this site, we tweaked the standard Wordpress user data so that the user's magazine name would be stored in the 'Nickname' field. To return the message above, we simply insert the following:
user_firstname.' '.$current_user user_lastname;
$magazine = $current_user nickname;
echo '';
The message for the Press Stick site was:
"hi from . welcome back to the press-stick sourcing portal. we look forward to showing you the new and exciting products available to you."
For the purpose's of this site, we tweaked the standard Wordpress user data so that the user's magazine name would be stored in the 'Nickname' field. To return the message above, we simply insert the following:
user_firstname.' '.$current_user user_lastname;
$magazine = $current_user nickname;
echo '';
List all blogs in a Wordpress MU installation
The African Travel Experts site has two dropdown lists of all the blogs on their WPMU installation sorted into two different categories. Here's how.
The way the site is set up is to have the African Travel Experts site as the main 'umbrella site' with sub-sites for each African country, which act as parent sites to sub-sites relating to the country. For example:
Master site: African Travel Experts
Country sub-site: South Africa
Child-site: Cape Town
Seeing as the standard WPMU installation doesn't provide for classifying blogs/sites in this way, a plugin and a bit of lateral thinking was required. I opted for the Blog Types plugin, which allows you to define your own categories for a blog. Once installed, I defined my categories in the config as follows:
// Blog types
// name and nicename are required
$blog_types = 'South Africa';
$blog_types = 'south_africa';
$blog_types = '';
$blog_types = 'no';
$blog_types = 'Botswana';
$blog_types = 'botswana';
$blog_types = '';
$blog_types = 'no';
//.... etc until all countries are defined
$blog_subtypes = 'Cape Town';
$blog_subtypes = 'cape_town';
$blog_subtypes = 'south_africa';
$blog_subtypes = '';
$blog_subtypes = 'Eastern Cape';
$blog_subtypes = 'eastern_cape';
$blog_subtypes = 'south_africa';
$blog_subtypes = '';
//.... etc until all areas are defined
// Allow users to select one or multiple blog types
// Note: If you allow users to select multiple blog types, they cannot select a subtype
$blog_types_selection = 'single'; //Options: 'single' or 'multiple'
// Allow users to select one or multiple blog subtypes
$blog_subtypes_selection = 'single'; //Options: 'single' or 'multiple'
// Branding singular
$blog_types_branding_singular = __('Country');
$blog_subtypes_branding_singular = __('Area');
// Branding plural
$blog_types_branding_plural = __('Countries');
$blog_subtypes_branding_plural = __('Areas');
// Display admin panel blog types page
$blog_types_display_admin_page = 'yes'; //Options: 'yes' or 'no'
// Display signup form blog types selection
$blog_types_display_signup_form = 'yes'; //Options: 'yes' or 'no'
// Enable subtypes
$blog_types_enable_subtypes = 'yes'; //Options: 'yes' or 'no'
The way the site is set up is to have the African Travel Experts site as the main 'umbrella site' with sub-sites for each African country, which act as parent sites to sub-sites relating to the country. For example:
Master site: African Travel Experts
Country sub-site: South Africa
Child-site: Cape Town
Seeing as the standard WPMU installation doesn't provide for classifying blogs/sites in this way, a plugin and a bit of lateral thinking was required. I opted for the Blog Types plugin, which allows you to define your own categories for a blog. Once installed, I defined my categories in the config as follows:
// Blog types
// name and nicename are required
$blog_types = 'South Africa';
$blog_types = 'south_africa';
$blog_types = '';
$blog_types = 'no';
$blog_types = 'Botswana';
$blog_types = 'botswana';
$blog_types = '';
$blog_types = 'no';
//.... etc until all countries are defined
$blog_subtypes = 'Cape Town';
$blog_subtypes = 'cape_town';
$blog_subtypes = 'south_africa';
$blog_subtypes = '';
$blog_subtypes = 'Eastern Cape';
$blog_subtypes = 'eastern_cape';
$blog_subtypes = 'south_africa';
$blog_subtypes = '';
//.... etc until all areas are defined
// Allow users to select one or multiple blog types
// Note: If you allow users to select multiple blog types, they cannot select a subtype
$blog_types_selection = 'single'; //Options: 'single' or 'multiple'
// Allow users to select one or multiple blog subtypes
$blog_subtypes_selection = 'single'; //Options: 'single' or 'multiple'
// Branding singular
$blog_types_branding_singular = __('Country');
$blog_subtypes_branding_singular = __('Area');
// Branding plural
$blog_types_branding_plural = __('Countries');
$blog_subtypes_branding_plural = __('Areas');
// Display admin panel blog types page
$blog_types_display_admin_page = 'yes'; //Options: 'yes' or 'no'
// Display signup form blog types selection
$blog_types_display_signup_form = 'yes'; //Options: 'yes' or 'no'
// Enable subtypes
$blog_types_enable_subtypes = 'yes'; //Options: 'yes' or 'no'
Watermark images
Quivertree publications are an image library website and like most image library websites, they wanted their images watermarked
There are a lot of scripts floating about for adding watermarks to image as they are served up to the end user, but a lot of these made it too easy for the end user to ascertain the location of the original, 'un-watermarked' image, and as there was already a backend process involved in loading the images and their meta-data, it made sense to write code that generated the final watermarked image in advance. I used this fantastic tutorial on Watermarking Images on the Fly in PHP as a starting point and came up with this:
$dir = dirList ('temp_images');//function that returns a list of all images in the temp_images directory - these images were already uploaded to this location by the site admin
if($dir)://if there are images in the temp_images directory, then away we go!
foreach($dir as $key => $value): //for each image $key = image number, $value = the image name (e.g myImage.jpg)
$imgsrc = 'temp_images/'.$value; //source image without watermark
$imgout = 'temp_watermark/'.$value; //where to save the image with the watermark
watermark_img($imgsrc,$imgout);//this function is below
endforeach;
else:
echo 'You need to upload some images first';
endif;
Here is the watermark_img function:
function watermark_img($imgsrc,$saveas) {
$watermark = imagecreatefrompng('images/watermark.png'); //location of my watermark
$watermark_width = imagesx($watermark);
$watermark_height = imagesy($watermark);
$image = imagecreatetruecolor($watermark_width, $watermark_height);
$image = imagecreatefromjpeg($imgsrc);
$size = getimagesize($imgsrc);
$mainimg_w_pos = $size / 2; //get half of the main image
$watermark_w_pos = $watermark_width / 2; //get half of the watermark
$dest_x = $mainimg_w_pos - $watermark_w_pos; //watermark sits at half of width minus half its own width
$mainimg_h_pos = $size / 2; //get half of the main image
$watermark_h_pos = $watermark_height / 2; //get half of the watermark
$dest_y = $mainimg_h_pos - $watermark_h_pos; //watermark sits at half of width minus half its own width
_ckdir($saveas);//function to test that save as location is available
imagecopymerge($image, $watermark, $dest_x, $dest_y, 0, 0, $watermark_width, $watermark_height, 100);
imagejpeg($image,$saveas,100);
}
There are a lot of scripts floating about for adding watermarks to image as they are served up to the end user, but a lot of these made it too easy for the end user to ascertain the location of the original, 'un-watermarked' image, and as there was already a backend process involved in loading the images and their meta-data, it made sense to write code that generated the final watermarked image in advance. I used this fantastic tutorial on Watermarking Images on the Fly in PHP as a starting point and came up with this:
$dir = dirList ('temp_images');//function that returns a list of all images in the temp_images directory - these images were already uploaded to this location by the site admin
if($dir)://if there are images in the temp_images directory, then away we go!
foreach($dir as $key => $value): //for each image $key = image number, $value = the image name (e.g myImage.jpg)
$imgsrc = 'temp_images/'.$value; //source image without watermark
$imgout = 'temp_watermark/'.$value; //where to save the image with the watermark
watermark_img($imgsrc,$imgout);//this function is below
endforeach;
else:
echo 'You need to upload some images first';
endif;
Here is the watermark_img function:
function watermark_img($imgsrc,$saveas) {
$watermark = imagecreatefrompng('images/watermark.png'); //location of my watermark
$watermark_width = imagesx($watermark);
$watermark_height = imagesy($watermark);
$image = imagecreatetruecolor($watermark_width, $watermark_height);
$image = imagecreatefromjpeg($imgsrc);
$size = getimagesize($imgsrc);
$mainimg_w_pos = $size / 2; //get half of the main image
$watermark_w_pos = $watermark_width / 2; //get half of the watermark
$dest_x = $mainimg_w_pos - $watermark_w_pos; //watermark sits at half of width minus half its own width
$mainimg_h_pos = $size / 2; //get half of the main image
$watermark_h_pos = $watermark_height / 2; //get half of the watermark
$dest_y = $mainimg_h_pos - $watermark_h_pos; //watermark sits at half of width minus half its own width
_ckdir($saveas);//function to test that save as location is available
imagecopymerge($image, $watermark, $dest_x, $dest_y, 0, 0, $watermark_width, $watermark_height, 100);
imagejpeg($image,$saveas,100);
}
lunes, 16 de noviembre de 2009
Auto-generating Community Builder profiles
For the AIRCO website, user profiles had to be auto-generated on admin approval, and a mail generated to the user.
The site was already running on a Joomla installation making use of the Community Builder suite, but some extra tweaking was needed to hook the site up to the member application backend.
The Process:
Potential member completes application form
Admin approves form
Profile is auto-generated and details are mailed to the member as follows:
1. Convert the member's name to a valid username (the member can always edit this if it isn't what they want)
$username = ereg_replace("", "", $name ); //convert to alphanumeric
$username = trim($username); // remove any unnecessary whitespace
$username = substr($username, 0, 24); //ensure the length of the username doesn't exceed 24 characters
2. Ensure that the email address used is unique (this is tested on initial registration, but we re-test to be safe)
$query = "SELECT * FROM jos_users WHERE email = '$email'";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
$check = mysql_num_rows($result);
if($check 0):
//flag as duplicate and exit
endif;
3. Check for duplicate username, and if one exists add a number on the end, retest and increment number until we get a unique value:
$n = 0;
$username_flag = '';
while($username_flag != 'set'):
$query = "SELECT * FROM jos_users WHERE username = '$username'";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
$check = mysql_num_rows($result);
$n++;
if($check 0):
$username = $username.$n;
else:
$username_flag = 'set';
endif;
endwhile;
4. Everything ok? Then we add the data:
a. Add
jos_users - name, username, email, password (remember to encrypt this with md5), usertype, gid, registerDate, params
jos_core_acl_aro - section_value = users, value = id of the record you inserted into jos_users, name = name of the member (as entered into jos_users)
jos_core_acl_groups_aro_map - group_id = id of the group your member belongs to, in my case 19 - Author, aro_id = id of the record you inserted into jos_core_acl_aro
jos_comprofiler id & user_id = id of the record you inserted into jos_users, then any other values captured for custom fields.
5. Finally email the member:
$to = $email;//captured from application form
$subject = "Your profile";
$body = "Dear ".$name."\n";
$body .= "You are now a full Member.\n\n";
$body .= "MEMBER'S AREA LOG-IN DETAILS\n";
$body .= "Username: ".$username."\n";
$body .= "Password: ".$password."\n\n";
$from = "FROM: ".$SENDERS_EMAIL_HERE;
mail($to, $subject, $body, $from);
The site was already running on a Joomla installation making use of the Community Builder suite, but some extra tweaking was needed to hook the site up to the member application backend.
The Process:
Potential member completes application form
Admin approves form
Profile is auto-generated and details are mailed to the member as follows:
1. Convert the member's name to a valid username (the member can always edit this if it isn't what they want)
$username = ereg_replace("", "", $name ); //convert to alphanumeric
$username = trim($username); // remove any unnecessary whitespace
$username = substr($username, 0, 24); //ensure the length of the username doesn't exceed 24 characters
2. Ensure that the email address used is unique (this is tested on initial registration, but we re-test to be safe)
$query = "SELECT * FROM jos_users WHERE email = '$email'";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
$check = mysql_num_rows($result);
if($check 0):
//flag as duplicate and exit
endif;
3. Check for duplicate username, and if one exists add a number on the end, retest and increment number until we get a unique value:
$n = 0;
$username_flag = '';
while($username_flag != 'set'):
$query = "SELECT * FROM jos_users WHERE username = '$username'";
$result = mysql_query($query) or die(mysql_error());
$check = mysql_num_rows($result);
$n++;
if($check 0):
$username = $username.$n;
else:
$username_flag = 'set';
endif;
endwhile;
4. Everything ok? Then we add the data:
a. Add
jos_users - name, username, email, password (remember to encrypt this with md5), usertype, gid, registerDate, params
jos_core_acl_aro - section_value = users, value = id of the record you inserted into jos_users, name = name of the member (as entered into jos_users)
jos_core_acl_groups_aro_map - group_id = id of the group your member belongs to, in my case 19 - Author, aro_id = id of the record you inserted into jos_core_acl_aro
jos_comprofiler id & user_id = id of the record you inserted into jos_users, then any other values captured for custom fields.
5. Finally email the member:
$to = $email;//captured from application form
$subject = "Your profile";
$body = "Dear ".$name."\n";
$body .= "You are now a full Member.\n\n";
$body .= "MEMBER'S AREA LOG-IN DETAILS\n";
$body .= "Username: ".$username."\n";
$body .= "Password: ".$password."\n\n";
$from = "FROM: ".$SENDERS_EMAIL_HERE;
mail($to, $subject, $body, $from);
jueves, 12 de noviembre de 2009
Dynamic mp3 player
For the Elastic Artists website, a dynamic MP3 player was required that could be controlled and loaded from the backend.
I decided to go with a Flash based player and found a great tutorial for creating a flash MP3 player using XML. In order for the player layout to match the design called for by the client, a few tweaks were needed:
Original code:
_root._x = 5;
_root._y = 40 + (i*15);
_root.but_txt.text = songname;
if (i >= 3){
_root._x = 160
_root._y = -5 + (i*15);
}
My code:
_root._x = 0;
_root._y = 55+(i*30);
_root.but_txt.text.html = true;
_root.but_txt.htmlText = "Artist: "+songband+""+newline+"Track: "+songname;
The original produces two columns of 3 tracks side by side and just displays the song name. The amended code produces one list of tracks with font-color black (other font info was applied through flash) in the format:
Artist: artistname
Track: trackname
The amount of tracks returned will always be nine. This is controlled by the backend of the website.
Other than all the various original design elements, the only other change called for was for a playlist generated from a database table. While the tutorial makes use of a user-generated XML file, I used a php file that generates XML:
header("Content-type: text/xml");
$xml_output = '$xml_output .= '';
//connect and run query to return values for track title, artist and link to mp3 file
$title = $row;
$url = $row;
$artistName = $row;
$xml_output .= '
$xml_output .= ' ';
echo $xml_output;
The client can then control the contents of the playlist via the site backend.
I decided to go with a Flash based player and found a great tutorial for creating a flash MP3 player using XML. In order for the player layout to match the design called for by the client, a few tweaks were needed:
Original code:
_root._x = 5;
_root._y = 40 + (i*15);
_root.but_txt.text = songname;
if (i >= 3){
_root._x = 160
_root._y = -5 + (i*15);
}
My code:
_root._x = 0;
_root._y = 55+(i*30);
_root.but_txt.text.html = true;
_root.but_txt.htmlText = "Artist: "+songband+""+newline+"Track: "+songname;
The original produces two columns of 3 tracks side by side and just displays the song name. The amended code produces one list of tracks with font-color black (other font info was applied through flash) in the format:
Artist: artistname
Track: trackname
The amount of tracks returned will always be nine. This is controlled by the backend of the website.
Other than all the various original design elements, the only other change called for was for a playlist generated from a database table. While the tutorial makes use of a user-generated XML file, I used a php file that generates XML:
header("Content-type: text/xml");
$xml_output = '$xml_output .= '
//connect and run query to return values for track title, artist and link to mp3 file
$title = $row;
$url = $row;
$artistName = $row;
$xml_output .= '
$xml_output .= '
echo $xml_output;
The client can then control the contents of the playlist via the site backend.
miércoles, 11 de noviembre de 2009
Wordpress plugins worth your time
Wordpress plugins can make your blog better and your blogging easier. These are my new faves.
Bad Behavior
Bad Behavior complements other link spam solutions by acting as a gatekeeper, preventing spammers from ever delivering their junk, and in many cases, from ever reading your site in the first place. This keeps your site’s load down, makes your site logs cleaner, and can help prevent denial of service conditions caused by spammers.
Download
Broken Link Checker
Checks your posts for broken links and missing images and notifies you on the dashboard if any are found.
Download
Comment Info Tip
When you mouseover a commenter’s name you will see a tip appear displaying some information about that given commenter.
Download
Contact Form 7
Contact Form 7 can manage multiple contact forms, plus you can customize the form and the mail contents flexibly with simple markup. The form supports Ajax-powered submitting, CAPTCHA, Akismet spam filtering and so on.
Download
Embed Iframe
Embed Iframe is a Wordpress plugin that will let you embed iframe – an HTML tag that allows a webpage to be displayed inline with the current page, in a Wordpress post. Although an iframe can lead to a complicated website, it can be very effective when used appropriately.
Download
Hotlink Protection
Do you have problems that other people hotlink your images in guestbooks, bulletin boards and other sites? Then this plugin for Wordpress helps you without breaking online feedreaders. Normally, if someone hotlinks your image the plugin will serve your custom image or this image:
Download
MoFuse
MoFuse is a service that allows bloggers to easily create a mobile-friendly version of their blog for free.
This plugin allows you to automatically detect and redirect your mobile visitors to the mobile-friendly version of your blog.
Download
Lifestream
Lifestream is a plugin built on top of the WordPress platform. It allows you to effortlessly integrate your social network activity across the web with your blog.
Out of the box, Lifestream is just streams in RSS/Atom feeds and prettying them up, but deep down it's a very flexible platform allowing developers to integrate any kind of activity they desire.
Download
SexyBookmarks
Though the name may be a little "edgy" for some, SexyBookmarks has proven time and time again to be an extremely useful and successful tool in getting your readers to actually submit your articles to numerous social bookmarking sites.
Download
Ultimate Category Excluder
Allows you to quickly and easily exclude categories from your front page, archives, and feeds. Just select which categories you want to be excluded, and UCE does all the work for you!
Download
WP Greet Box
This plugin lets you show a different greeting message to your new visitors depending on their referrer url. For example, when a Digg user clicks through from Digg, they will see a message reminding them to digg your post if they like it. Another example, when a visitor clicks through from Twitter, they will see a message suggesting them to twit the post and follow you on Twitter. You can also set a default greeting message for new visitors (not matching any referrer URLs) suggesting them to subscribe to your RSS feed.
Download
Bad Behavior
Bad Behavior complements other link spam solutions by acting as a gatekeeper, preventing spammers from ever delivering their junk, and in many cases, from ever reading your site in the first place. This keeps your site’s load down, makes your site logs cleaner, and can help prevent denial of service conditions caused by spammers.
Download
Broken Link Checker
Checks your posts for broken links and missing images and notifies you on the dashboard if any are found.
Download
Comment Info Tip
When you mouseover a commenter’s name you will see a tip appear displaying some information about that given commenter.
Download
Contact Form 7
Contact Form 7 can manage multiple contact forms, plus you can customize the form and the mail contents flexibly with simple markup. The form supports Ajax-powered submitting, CAPTCHA, Akismet spam filtering and so on.
Download
Embed Iframe
Embed Iframe is a Wordpress plugin that will let you embed iframe – an HTML tag that allows a webpage to be displayed inline with the current page, in a Wordpress post. Although an iframe can lead to a complicated website, it can be very effective when used appropriately.
Download
Hotlink Protection
Do you have problems that other people hotlink your images in guestbooks, bulletin boards and other sites? Then this plugin for Wordpress helps you without breaking online feedreaders. Normally, if someone hotlinks your image the plugin will serve your custom image or this image:
Download
MoFuse
MoFuse is a service that allows bloggers to easily create a mobile-friendly version of their blog for free.
This plugin allows you to automatically detect and redirect your mobile visitors to the mobile-friendly version of your blog.
Download
Lifestream
Lifestream is a plugin built on top of the WordPress platform. It allows you to effortlessly integrate your social network activity across the web with your blog.
Out of the box, Lifestream is just streams in RSS/Atom feeds and prettying them up, but deep down it's a very flexible platform allowing developers to integrate any kind of activity they desire.
Download
SexyBookmarks
Though the name may be a little "edgy" for some, SexyBookmarks has proven time and time again to be an extremely useful and successful tool in getting your readers to actually submit your articles to numerous social bookmarking sites.
Download
Ultimate Category Excluder
Allows you to quickly and easily exclude categories from your front page, archives, and feeds. Just select which categories you want to be excluded, and UCE does all the work for you!
Download
WP Greet Box
This plugin lets you show a different greeting message to your new visitors depending on their referrer url. For example, when a Digg user clicks through from Digg, they will see a message reminding them to digg your post if they like it. Another example, when a visitor clicks through from Twitter, they will see a message suggesting them to twit the post and follow you on Twitter. You can also set a default greeting message for new visitors (not matching any referrer URLs) suggesting them to subscribe to your RSS feed.
Download
viernes, 6 de noviembre de 2009
lunes, 12 de octubre de 2009
Great Use of Typography in Modern Web Design
This is an example of a WordPress page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many pages like this one or sub-pages as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla neque ipsum, rhoncus eu euismod sed, ullamcorper a urna. Aenean ut nibh odio, vitae mollis odio. Maecenas faucibus auctor interdum. Nam commodo vehicula sapien sit amet aliquam. Nam eu diam ac dolor volutpat consequat vitae at neque. Ut at tortor nisi. Aliquam sit amet sapien nibh. Vivamus quis tellus id eros volutpat condimentum sed ac ante. In vel tortor ac nibh sagittis pellentesque eu a est. Phasellus at libero massa, non mollis mauris.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
viernes, 9 de octubre de 2009
Coda: An In Depth Look at 25 New Features
The fonts you use for your website are an important decision, as they will often reflect your site’s tone and affect its visual impact.
When I was just getting started in design, I asked one of my favorite designers what single thing I could do to improve and expand my capabilities as a designer. His answer: "Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, empty your bank account, then read some more". Looking back on 7 years of designing, I'd have to say that was the single greatest bit of advice I ever received. So, without further ado, here's my list of recommendations.
Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Out of every book on my shelf, this is the one I find myself returning to time and again. This is an amazing little hardcover that breaks the entire world of design into 100 distinct, easy to follow concepts that will focus the way you think about anything that's been designed (and that could be everything, but I'm not here to debate religion). If you're to buy one book on this list, this is the one. Useful, practical, easy to read.
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin by Tolleson Design. This was one of my first design books, and still one of my favorites. Chalk full of useful information about the process behind successful design projects.
Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media, and Visual Culture by Jessica Helfand and John Maeda. For anyone who's ever complained that there isn't enough relevant, contemporary, erudite writing about modern design dillemas, I submit exhibit A. As one reviewer on amazon put it: "Things we all were thinking... only worded much better". This tiny book packs a whallop of mind-bending analysis.
Noise Four by Attik. Often called the "big white book" or "the design bible" (although I would disagree), this 5lb book is a visual feast of experimental design pieces. Great resource if you're seeking a quick entry into modern experimental graphic design or just some inspiration to break up the monotony of cut and paste projects.
Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken. Great analysis of the mental processes behind "visual imagination". This book systematically breaks down different types of visual imagination and provides lots of great excercises that one can practice to enhance their own capacity to blow people's minds. Oh, and it catagloues some of the greatest pieces of advertising in the last couple years on high quality glossy paper. Perfect coffee table fodder for the budding graphic artist.
Typography 27 by the Type Directors Club. Really, any book from this series is worth its weight in gold. If you're going to follow one series of design annuals, this is it... phenomenal from every aspect.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann. THE definitive guide on grid systems in graphic design. A fantastic guide for solving just about any design problem with a grid. If you haven't cracked into grid systems yet, this is the book; if you've backslidden in your ways, now's the time to reaffirm your faith.
I'll be adding lots more in the future... I pride myself on a library of great design books and magazines. For any budding designer looking for a way to go beyond the standard textbooks, books are a great way to get started (and I would argue that these are perhaps a better, more robust form of education than the textbook variety).YouWorkForThem.com and Amazon are great places to pick them up on the cheap too.
When I was just getting started in design, I asked one of my favorite designers what single thing I could do to improve and expand my capabilities as a designer. His answer: "Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, empty your bank account, then read some more". Looking back on 7 years of designing, I'd have to say that was the single greatest bit of advice I ever received. So, without further ado, here's my list of recommendations.
Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Out of every book on my shelf, this is the one I find myself returning to time and again. This is an amazing little hardcover that breaks the entire world of design into 100 distinct, easy to follow concepts that will focus the way you think about anything that's been designed (and that could be everything, but I'm not here to debate religion). If you're to buy one book on this list, this is the one. Useful, practical, easy to read.
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin by Tolleson Design. This was one of my first design books, and still one of my favorites. Chalk full of useful information about the process behind successful design projects.
Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media, and Visual Culture by Jessica Helfand and John Maeda. For anyone who's ever complained that there isn't enough relevant, contemporary, erudite writing about modern design dillemas, I submit exhibit A. As one reviewer on amazon put it: "Things we all were thinking... only worded much better". This tiny book packs a whallop of mind-bending analysis.
Noise Four by Attik. Often called the "big white book" or "the design bible" (although I would disagree), this 5lb book is a visual feast of experimental design pieces. Great resource if you're seeking a quick entry into modern experimental graphic design or just some inspiration to break up the monotony of cut and paste projects.
Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken. Great analysis of the mental processes behind "visual imagination". This book systematically breaks down different types of visual imagination and provides lots of great excercises that one can practice to enhance their own capacity to blow people's minds. Oh, and it catagloues some of the greatest pieces of advertising in the last couple years on high quality glossy paper. Perfect coffee table fodder for the budding graphic artist.
Typography 27 by the Type Directors Club. Really, any book from this series is worth its weight in gold. If you're going to follow one series of design annuals, this is it... phenomenal from every aspect.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann. THE definitive guide on grid systems in graphic design. A fantastic guide for solving just about any design problem with a grid. If you haven't cracked into grid systems yet, this is the book; if you've backslidden in your ways, now's the time to reaffirm your faith.
I'll be adding lots more in the future... I pride myself on a library of great design books and magazines. For any budding designer looking for a way to go beyond the standard textbooks, books are a great way to get started (and I would argue that these are perhaps a better, more robust form of education than the textbook variety).YouWorkForThem.com and Amazon are great places to pick them up on the cheap too.
jQuery: A Round Up of the Best Tutorials Around
The fonts you use for your website are an important decision, as they will often reflect your site’s tone and affect its visual impact.
When I was just getting started in design, I asked one of my favorite designers what single thing I could do to improve and expand my capabilities as a designer. His answer: "Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, empty your bank account, then read some more". Looking back on 7 years of designing, I'd have to say that was the single greatest bit of advice I ever received. So, without further ado, here's my list of recommendations.
Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Out of every book on my shelf, this is the one I find myself returning to time and again. This is an amazing little hardcover that breaks the entire world of design into 100 distinct, easy to follow concepts that will focus the way you think about anything that's been designed (and that could be everything, but I'm not here to debate religion). If you're to buy one book on this list, this is the one. Useful, practical, easy to read.
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin by Tolleson Design. This was one of my first design books, and still one of my favorites. Chalk full of useful information about the process behind successful design projects.
Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media, and Visual Culture by Jessica Helfand and John Maeda. For anyone who's ever complained that there isn't enough relevant, contemporary, erudite writing about modern design dillemas, I submit exhibit A. As one reviewer on amazon put it: "Things we all were thinking... only worded much better". This tiny book packs a whallop of mind-bending analysis.
Noise Four by Attik. Often called the "big white book" or "the design bible" (although I would disagree), this 5lb book is a visual feast of experimental design pieces. Great resource if you're seeking a quick entry into modern experimental graphic design or just some inspiration to break up the monotony of cut and paste projects.
Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken. Great analysis of the mental processes behind "visual imagination". This book systematically breaks down different types of visual imagination and provides lots of great excercises that one can practice to enhance their own capacity to blow people's minds. Oh, and it catagloues some of the greatest pieces of advertising in the last couple years on high quality glossy paper. Perfect coffee table fodder for the budding graphic artist.
Typography 27 by the Type Directors Club. Really, any book from this series is worth its weight in gold. If you're going to follow one series of design annuals, this is it... phenomenal from every aspect.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann. THE definitive guide on grid systems in graphic design. A fantastic guide for solving just about any design problem with a grid. If you haven't cracked into grid systems yet, this is the book; if you've backslidden in your ways, now's the time to reaffirm your faith.
I'll be adding lots more in the future... I pride myself on a library of great design books and magazines. For any budding designer looking for a way to go beyond the standard textbooks, books are a great way to get started (and I would argue that these are perhaps a better, more robust form of education than the textbook variety).YouWorkForThem.com and Amazon are great places to pick them up on the cheap too.
When I was just getting started in design, I asked one of my favorite designers what single thing I could do to improve and expand my capabilities as a designer. His answer: "Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, empty your bank account, then read some more". Looking back on 7 years of designing, I'd have to say that was the single greatest bit of advice I ever received. So, without further ado, here's my list of recommendations.
Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Out of every book on my shelf, this is the one I find myself returning to time and again. This is an amazing little hardcover that breaks the entire world of design into 100 distinct, easy to follow concepts that will focus the way you think about anything that's been designed (and that could be everything, but I'm not here to debate religion). If you're to buy one book on this list, this is the one. Useful, practical, easy to read.
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin by Tolleson Design. This was one of my first design books, and still one of my favorites. Chalk full of useful information about the process behind successful design projects.
Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media, and Visual Culture by Jessica Helfand and John Maeda. For anyone who's ever complained that there isn't enough relevant, contemporary, erudite writing about modern design dillemas, I submit exhibit A. As one reviewer on amazon put it: "Things we all were thinking... only worded much better". This tiny book packs a whallop of mind-bending analysis.
Noise Four by Attik. Often called the "big white book" or "the design bible" (although I would disagree), this 5lb book is a visual feast of experimental design pieces. Great resource if you're seeking a quick entry into modern experimental graphic design or just some inspiration to break up the monotony of cut and paste projects.
Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken. Great analysis of the mental processes behind "visual imagination". This book systematically breaks down different types of visual imagination and provides lots of great excercises that one can practice to enhance their own capacity to blow people's minds. Oh, and it catagloues some of the greatest pieces of advertising in the last couple years on high quality glossy paper. Perfect coffee table fodder for the budding graphic artist.
Typography 27 by the Type Directors Club. Really, any book from this series is worth its weight in gold. If you're going to follow one series of design annuals, this is it... phenomenal from every aspect.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann. THE definitive guide on grid systems in graphic design. A fantastic guide for solving just about any design problem with a grid. If you haven't cracked into grid systems yet, this is the book; if you've backslidden in your ways, now's the time to reaffirm your faith.
I'll be adding lots more in the future... I pride myself on a library of great design books and magazines. For any budding designer looking for a way to go beyond the standard textbooks, books are a great way to get started (and I would argue that these are perhaps a better, more robust form of education than the textbook variety).YouWorkForThem.com and Amazon are great places to pick them up on the cheap too.
PixelCraft: A New Premium Web Template
PixelCraft HTML has been specifically designed as a premium website template for businesses, photographers, designers, and bloggers. It includes 6 core page templates and 5 color variations, and the possibilities for customization are nearly limitless! This homepage allows you to showcase as many "feature" articles as you'd like, complete with images, title, and descriptions. What's more? You can link directly to a lightbox or any page on your site.
The fonts you use for your website are an important decision, as they will often reflect your site’s tone and affect its visual impact.
When I was just getting started in design, I asked one of my favorite designers what single thing I could do to improve and expand my capabilities as a designer. His answer: "Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, empty your bank account, then read some more". Looking back on 7 years of designing, I'd have to say that was the single greatest bit of advice I ever received. So, without further ado, here's my list of recommendations.
Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Out of every book on my shelf, this is the one I find myself returning to time and again. This is an amazing little hardcover that breaks the entire world of design into 100 distinct, easy to follow concepts that will focus the way you think about anything that's been designed (and that could be everything, but I'm not here to debate religion). If you're to buy one book on this list, this is the one. Useful, practical, easy to read.
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin by Tolleson Design. This was one of my first design books, and still one of my favorites. Chalk full of useful information about the process behind successful design projects.
Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media, and Visual Culture by Jessica Helfand and John Maeda. For anyone who's ever complained that there isn't enough relevant, contemporary, erudite writing about modern design dillemas, I submit exhibit A. As one reviewer on amazon put it: "Things we all were thinking... only worded much better". This tiny book packs a whallop of mind-bending analysis.
Noise Four by Attik. Often called the "big white book" or "the design bible" (although I would disagree), this 5lb book is a visual feast of experimental design pieces. Great resource if you're seeking a quick entry into modern experimental graphic design or just some inspiration to break up the monotony of cut and paste projects.
Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken. Great analysis of the mental processes behind "visual imagination". This book systematically breaks down different types of visual imagination and provides lots of great excercises that one can practice to enhance their own capacity to blow people's minds. Oh, and it catagloues some of the greatest pieces of advertising in the last couple years on high quality glossy paper. Perfect coffee table fodder for the budding graphic artist.
Typography 27 by the Type Directors Club. Really, any book from this series is worth its weight in gold. If you're going to follow one series of design annuals, this is it... phenomenal from every aspect.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann. THE definitive guide on grid systems in graphic design. A fantastic guide for solving just about any design problem with a grid. If you haven't cracked into grid systems yet, this is the book; if you've backslidden in your ways, now's the time to reaffirm your faith.
I'll be adding lots more in the future... I pride myself on a library of great design books and magazines. For any budding designer looking for a way to go beyond the standard textbooks, books are a great way to get started (and I would argue that these are perhaps a better, more robust form of education than the textbook variety).YouWorkForThem.com and Amazon are great places to pick them up on the cheap too.p on the cheap too.
The fonts you use for your website are an important decision, as they will often reflect your site’s tone and affect its visual impact.
When I was just getting started in design, I asked one of my favorite designers what single thing I could do to improve and expand my capabilities as a designer. His answer: "Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, empty your bank account, then read some more". Looking back on 7 years of designing, I'd have to say that was the single greatest bit of advice I ever received. So, without further ado, here's my list of recommendations.
Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Out of every book on my shelf, this is the one I find myself returning to time and again. This is an amazing little hardcover that breaks the entire world of design into 100 distinct, easy to follow concepts that will focus the way you think about anything that's been designed (and that could be everything, but I'm not here to debate religion). If you're to buy one book on this list, this is the one. Useful, practical, easy to read.
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin by Tolleson Design. This was one of my first design books, and still one of my favorites. Chalk full of useful information about the process behind successful design projects.
Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media, and Visual Culture by Jessica Helfand and John Maeda. For anyone who's ever complained that there isn't enough relevant, contemporary, erudite writing about modern design dillemas, I submit exhibit A. As one reviewer on amazon put it: "Things we all were thinking... only worded much better". This tiny book packs a whallop of mind-bending analysis.
Noise Four by Attik. Often called the "big white book" or "the design bible" (although I would disagree), this 5lb book is a visual feast of experimental design pieces. Great resource if you're seeking a quick entry into modern experimental graphic design or just some inspiration to break up the monotony of cut and paste projects.
Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken. Great analysis of the mental processes behind "visual imagination". This book systematically breaks down different types of visual imagination and provides lots of great excercises that one can practice to enhance their own capacity to blow people's minds. Oh, and it catagloues some of the greatest pieces of advertising in the last couple years on high quality glossy paper. Perfect coffee table fodder for the budding graphic artist.
Typography 27 by the Type Directors Club. Really, any book from this series is worth its weight in gold. If you're going to follow one series of design annuals, this is it... phenomenal from every aspect.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann. THE definitive guide on grid systems in graphic design. A fantastic guide for solving just about any design problem with a grid. If you haven't cracked into grid systems yet, this is the book; if you've backslidden in your ways, now's the time to reaffirm your faith.
I'll be adding lots more in the future... I pride myself on a library of great design books and magazines. For any budding designer looking for a way to go beyond the standard textbooks, books are a great way to get started (and I would argue that these are perhaps a better, more robust form of education than the textbook variety).YouWorkForThem.com and Amazon are great places to pick them up on the cheap too.p on the cheap too.
Packaged with a Fully Functional Contact Form!
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
PixelCraft Loves Images!
Everyone knows the simplest way to draw instant attention from visitors is to dish out big, juicy images. Whether you want to use PixelCraft as a blog template, portfolio site, or a business website, you'll be equipped with everything you need to make your next site nothing short of beautiful. Heck, it even comes with a full-blown image gallery that can be used as a portfolio or a simple place to show off product thumbnails, photographs, or recent portfolio pieces.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
viernes, 2 de octubre de 2009
PixelCraft is Customizable!
This is an example of a WordPress page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many pages like this one or sub-pages as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla neque ipsum, rhoncus eu euismod sed, ullamcorper a urna. Aenean ut nibh odio, vitae mollis odio. Maecenas faucibus auctor interdum. Nam commodo vehicula sapien sit amet aliquam. Nam eu diam ac dolor volutpat consequat vitae at neque. Ut at tortor nisi. Aliquam sit amet sapien nibh. Vivamus quis tellus id eros volutpat condimentum sed ac ante. In vel tortor ac nibh sagittis pellentesque eu a est. Phasellus at libero massa, non mollis mauris.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
sábado, 26 de septiembre de 2009
Pre-Designed Advertising and Promotional Spaces
This is an example of a WordPress page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many pages like this one or sub-pages as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla neque ipsum, rhoncus eu euismod sed, ullamcorper a urna. Aenean ut nibh odio, vitae mollis odio. Maecenas faucibus auctor interdum. Nam commodo vehicula sapien sit amet aliquam. Nam eu diam ac dolor volutpat consequat vitae at neque. Ut at tortor nisi. Aliquam sit amet sapien nibh. Vivamus quis tellus id eros volutpat condimentum sed ac ante. In vel tortor ac nibh sagittis pellentesque eu a est. Phasellus at libero massa, non mollis mauris.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
martes, 22 de septiembre de 2009
Incentive Program
Pencilbox Studios created an incentive promotion to entice participation in our automotive client's sales programs.
jueves, 3 de septiembre de 2009
Upholding High Design Standards for Web Typography
This is an example of a WordPress page, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many pages like this one or sub-pages as you like and manage all of your content inside of WordPress. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla neque ipsum, rhoncus eu euismod sed, ullamcorper a urna. Aenean ut nibh odio, vitae mollis odio. Maecenas faucibus auctor interdum. Nam commodo vehicula sapien sit amet aliquam. Nam eu diam ac dolor volutpat consequat vitae at neque. Ut at tortor nisi. Aliquam sit amet sapien nibh. Vivamus quis tellus id eros volutpat condimentum sed ac ante. In vel tortor ac nibh sagittis pellentesque eu a est. Phasellus at libero massa, non mollis mauris.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
This is a Subheadline
Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Sed congue, dui vel tristique mollis, libero elit convallis eros, vitae interdum libero dolor eget leo.
Morbi eget sem. Nam mollis. Donec sed velit ut tellus fermentum interdum.
Etiam a odio in neque egestas consequat. Pellentesque posuere, orci id interdum.
Suspendisse id magna in libero porta faucibus. Vivamus sollicitudin.
Here’s Another One
Mauris vulputate metus eu nisl. Praesent placerat. Mauris vitae erat id ante viverra sodales. Proin tincidunt porta velit. Sed a ligula id felis rutrum placerat. Curabitur et lorem non urna tristique pharetra. Nullam luctus tristique dui.
Etiam egestas scelerisque purus. Ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui.
Whoa! Ultra Readable Text
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Vivamus nibh mi, commodo eu, pellentesque ut, blandit rutrum, ligula. Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. Donec faucibus lacus nec sapien. Aliquam ipsum nisi, scelerisque et, commodo nec, consectetur vel, tellus. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus.
Praesent ultricies urna a urna. Quisque massa. Cras ipsum diam, hendrerit id, accumsan sit amet, fermentum vel, dui. Morbi blandit commodo tellus. Aenean tincidunt pharetra leo. Curabitur euismod sollicitudin elit. These are some more words to lengthen the line.
jueves, 27 de agosto de 2009
Social Media Strategy - Inbound Marketing Tool
Summarization
I read this article from Jeremiah Owyang, Corporate Media Strategy Director of PodTech.net,
Face it, we know technology constantly changes and we have to keep up with what is going on especially those in the Internet Technology, Marketing and Engineering sectors. Companies will benefit incorporating social media to not only their daily operations, but also many other departments including Marketing, Sales, IT, HR, and CRM. Whether your objective(s) are to increase visibility, increase business clientele, and revenues – a social media program will monetize in both the short and long run.
Recognize the new influences – Discover media, press, and analysts while thinking social media is another influencer.
Prepare for all scenarios – create an internal process and discuss how to deal during crises.
Do not shy away – Acknowledge any deficiencies no matter what, acknowledge discuss the current situation, act upon it well mannered - this will prevent outside forces from coming in. Stay relevant, address any issues.
Human media is at your disposal - KFC has demonstrated this well during a crises. Consider using video to humanize communications, during a crisis this could be a big difference.
Address the good as well as the bad – Planning for the negative, be sure to be responsive to the positive, if a customer raves about your service, plan a way to respond.
Track who’s who! Create an internal database (easiest a .CSV or .XLS) of all contacts and descriptions. Consider an internal friend feeder or company wiki or linkedin profile.
Appoint and Empower - For a large company, figure out the key employee to respond to bloggers and social media. Teach without bias while praising and empowering the key employee.
Employees will blog, embrace and abide by blogging ethics policy – Have your key employees that can contribute by discussing your current plan of strategy. Customers will usually trust the employee’s view of the company’s product/service.
Consider creating the "Air Traffic Control Tower." - Just like the airport create an internal process for your employees on how to blog, what to and what not to say and indicate what is happening in the blogosphere.
It seems to be the final or initial question at mind from business managers – “What’s in it for me?” How do you convert social media? – Three ways
A living whitepaper by your companies thought leaders
A rapid response tool. Think about how long a public release takes to craft.
A conversation starter. Encourage your sales team to send controversial topics and blogs to prospects and customers to elicit dialogue, event no agreements. Upload the FAQ’s.
I hope these have helped you get a feel about corporate social media and the advantages of incorporating this new technology.
I read this article from Jeremiah Owyang, Corporate Media Strategy Director of PodTech.net,
Face it, we know technology constantly changes and we have to keep up with what is going on especially those in the Internet Technology, Marketing and Engineering sectors. Companies will benefit incorporating social media to not only their daily operations, but also many other departments including Marketing, Sales, IT, HR, and CRM. Whether your objective(s) are to increase visibility, increase business clientele, and revenues – a social media program will monetize in both the short and long run.
Recognize the new influences – Discover media, press, and analysts while thinking social media is another influencer.
Prepare for all scenarios – create an internal process and discuss how to deal during crises.
Do not shy away – Acknowledge any deficiencies no matter what, acknowledge discuss the current situation, act upon it well mannered - this will prevent outside forces from coming in. Stay relevant, address any issues.
Human media is at your disposal - KFC has demonstrated this well during a crises. Consider using video to humanize communications, during a crisis this could be a big difference.
Address the good as well as the bad – Planning for the negative, be sure to be responsive to the positive, if a customer raves about your service, plan a way to respond.
Track who’s who! Create an internal database (easiest a .CSV or .XLS) of all contacts and descriptions. Consider an internal friend feeder or company wiki or linkedin profile.
Appoint and Empower - For a large company, figure out the key employee to respond to bloggers and social media. Teach without bias while praising and empowering the key employee.
Employees will blog, embrace and abide by blogging ethics policy – Have your key employees that can contribute by discussing your current plan of strategy. Customers will usually trust the employee’s view of the company’s product/service.
Consider creating the "Air Traffic Control Tower." - Just like the airport create an internal process for your employees on how to blog, what to and what not to say and indicate what is happening in the blogosphere.
It seems to be the final or initial question at mind from business managers – “What’s in it for me?” How do you convert social media? – Three ways
A living whitepaper by your companies thought leaders
A rapid response tool. Think about how long a public release takes to craft.
A conversation starter. Encourage your sales team to send controversial topics and blogs to prospects and customers to elicit dialogue, event no agreements. Upload the FAQ’s.
I hope these have helped you get a feel about corporate social media and the advantages of incorporating this new technology.
domingo, 23 de agosto de 2009
New FDA Regulations and Social Media
The announcement this week from the new head of the FDA that they are going get tougher on marketing could not have come at a worse time for drug companies who are already reeling from a hostile marketing environment....a new tougher stance will ultimately translate into marketers taking less risk because of legal and regulatory people who are don't understand the new marketing environment.
The web is all about users not marketers or messages...if visitors don't like your message they can turn you off with a click of the mouse and consumers love having this power.
The difference between a good eMarketing and great eMarketing person is that a great eMarketing person can translate web metrics into meaningful insights that raise eyebrows and get the light bulbs turned on. For example, by analyzing web paths thru the site a great eMarketing person can identify how people are going through the decision process in determining is a product is right for them. They can then take this information and optimize websites with something called "intuitive navigation" which arranges navigation based on the way consumers think about products or brands.
Most marketers will chose the safe road and thus the ROI of traditional DTC (direct-to-consumer) will continue to suffer. Consumers are overwhelmed with health information and want to quickly get the information they need without having to sort through millions of web pages.
Pencilbox Takeaway: Use the right vehicle that targets your customer most effectively. Support the strategy with clever creative to break out from the pack.
The web is all about users not marketers or messages...if visitors don't like your message they can turn you off with a click of the mouse and consumers love having this power.
The difference between a good eMarketing and great eMarketing person is that a great eMarketing person can translate web metrics into meaningful insights that raise eyebrows and get the light bulbs turned on. For example, by analyzing web paths thru the site a great eMarketing person can identify how people are going through the decision process in determining is a product is right for them. They can then take this information and optimize websites with something called "intuitive navigation" which arranges navigation based on the way consumers think about products or brands.
Most marketers will chose the safe road and thus the ROI of traditional DTC (direct-to-consumer) will continue to suffer. Consumers are overwhelmed with health information and want to quickly get the information they need without having to sort through millions of web pages.
Pencilbox Takeaway: Use the right vehicle that targets your customer most effectively. Support the strategy with clever creative to break out from the pack.
viernes, 24 de julio de 2009
Scott McGregor :: Broadcom Photo shoot
Can you really control your corporate branding and look? I know the Broadcom Corporation is.
When Broadcom hired us to produce 2 portraits to have for editorial use in the future it seems as if the MarCom Director was thinking his answer if asked was going to be absolutely yes. If some magazine out there was going to use a picture of the Broadcom CEO it was going to be a specific look approved by this brand steward.
When Broadcom hired us to produce 2 portraits to have for editorial use in the future it seems as if the MarCom Director was thinking his answer if asked was going to be absolutely yes. If some magazine out there was going to use a picture of the Broadcom CEO it was going to be a specific look approved by this brand steward.
jueves, 16 de julio de 2009
Simplicity at it's Finest!
The fonts you use for your website are an important decision, as they will often reflect your site’s tone and affect its visual impact. PixelCraft brings simple, beautiful font treatments to a Wordpress theme that's built to handle all types of content. Large fonts, small fonts - whatever you might need to send your message to users, PixelCraft has it!
6
When I was just getting started in design, I asked one of my favorite designers what single thing I could do to improve and expand my capabilities as a designer. His answer: "Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, empty your bank account, then read some more". Looking back on 7 years of designing, I'd have to say that was the single greatest bit of advice I ever received. So, without further ado, here's my list of recommendations.
Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Out of every book on my shelf, this is the one I find myself returning to time and again. This is an amazing little hardcover that breaks the entire world of design into 100 distinct, easy to follow concepts that will focus the way you think about anything that's been designed (and that could be everything, but I'm not here to debate religion). If you're to buy one book on this list, this is the one. Useful, practical, easy to read.
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin by Tolleson Design. This was one of my first design books, and still one of my favorites. Chalk full of useful information about the process behind successful design projects.
Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media, and Visual Culture by Jessica Helfand and John Maeda. For anyone who's ever complained that there isn't enough relevant, contemporary, erudite writing about modern design dillemas, I submit exhibit A. As one reviewer on amazon put it: "Things we all were thinking... only worded much better". This tiny book packs a whallop of mind-bending analysis.
Noise Four by Attik. Often called the "big white book" or "the design bible" (although I would disagree), this 5lb book is a visual feast of experimental design pieces. Great resource if you're seeking a quick entry into modern experimental graphic design or just some inspiration to break up the monotony of cut and paste projects.
Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken. Great analysis of the mental processes behind "visual imagination". This book systematically breaks down different types of visual imagination and provides lots of great excercises that one can practice to enhance their own capacity to blow people's minds. Oh, and it catagloues some of the greatest pieces of advertising in the last couple years on high quality glossy paper. Perfect coffee table fodder for the budding graphic artist.
Typography 27 by the Type Directors Club. Really, any book from this series is worth its weight in gold. If you're going to follow one series of design annuals, this is it... phenomenal from every aspect.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann. THE definitive guide on grid systems in graphic design. A fantastic guide for solving just about any design problem with a grid. If you haven't cracked into grid systems yet, this is the book; if you've backslidden in your ways, now's the time to reaffirm your faith.
I'll be adding lots more in the future... I pride myself on a library of great design books and magazines. For any budding designer looking for a way to go beyond the standard textbooks, books are a great way to get started (and I would argue that these are perhaps a better, more robust form of education than the textbook variety).YouWorkForThem.com and Amazon are great places to pick them up on the cheap too.
6
When I was just getting started in design, I asked one of my favorite designers what single thing I could do to improve and expand my capabilities as a designer. His answer: "Read. Read everything you can get your hands on, empty your bank account, then read some more". Looking back on 7 years of designing, I'd have to say that was the single greatest bit of advice I ever received. So, without further ado, here's my list of recommendations.
Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Out of every book on my shelf, this is the one I find myself returning to time and again. This is an amazing little hardcover that breaks the entire world of design into 100 distinct, easy to follow concepts that will focus the way you think about anything that's been designed (and that could be everything, but I'm not here to debate religion). If you're to buy one book on this list, this is the one. Useful, practical, easy to read.
Soak, Wash, Rinse, Spin by Tolleson Design. This was one of my first design books, and still one of my favorites. Chalk full of useful information about the process behind successful design projects.
Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media, and Visual Culture by Jessica Helfand and John Maeda. For anyone who's ever complained that there isn't enough relevant, contemporary, erudite writing about modern design dillemas, I submit exhibit A. As one reviewer on amazon put it: "Things we all were thinking... only worded much better". This tiny book packs a whallop of mind-bending analysis.
Noise Four by Attik. Often called the "big white book" or "the design bible" (although I would disagree), this 5lb book is a visual feast of experimental design pieces. Great resource if you're seeking a quick entry into modern experimental graphic design or just some inspiration to break up the monotony of cut and paste projects.
Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken. Great analysis of the mental processes behind "visual imagination". This book systematically breaks down different types of visual imagination and provides lots of great excercises that one can practice to enhance their own capacity to blow people's minds. Oh, and it catagloues some of the greatest pieces of advertising in the last couple years on high quality glossy paper. Perfect coffee table fodder for the budding graphic artist.
Typography 27 by the Type Directors Club. Really, any book from this series is worth its weight in gold. If you're going to follow one series of design annuals, this is it... phenomenal from every aspect.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Muller-Brockmann. THE definitive guide on grid systems in graphic design. A fantastic guide for solving just about any design problem with a grid. If you haven't cracked into grid systems yet, this is the book; if you've backslidden in your ways, now's the time to reaffirm your faith.
I'll be adding lots more in the future... I pride myself on a library of great design books and magazines. For any budding designer looking for a way to go beyond the standard textbooks, books are a great way to get started (and I would argue that these are perhaps a better, more robust form of education than the textbook variety).YouWorkForThem.com and Amazon are great places to pick them up on the cheap too.
miércoles, 15 de julio de 2009
Casting for Stiefel Labs Inc.
Over the last two weeks we have been preparing for the Stiefel photo shoot. One of the major milestones for this project is finding the right model, the casting process. In a nutshell it is a test in staying organized with names and contact information and keeping focused while juggling agent personalities and client schedules. This all leads up to a live casting interview, where we take reference pictures and explain the objectives of the client to the potential talent. For this project we held our casting call at the Pencilbox Santa Ana office. Here are some of the pictures.
Next step hiring the favorites and setting the shoot date.
Next step hiring the favorites and setting the shoot date.
martes, 23 de junio de 2009
lunes, 22 de junio de 2009
KIA Portrait Project
This was a project that required I be part photographer and part ringmaster. We shot executives at the KIA Corporate offices in Irvine, CA in loose natural light situation and again with a more formal look. One of the executives took some pictures of me taking pictures. That was very cool, now I have proof for my family and friends that I actually do work.
miércoles, 17 de junio de 2009
Owl Foundation Production
We were commissioned to shoot portraits for the new Owl Foundation website. It was a cloudy day but Nick Marley and I brought in the sunshine. I absolutely love shooting CEOs and Presidents of companies they always see the value of a good portrait. They always have great stories and interesting commentary on current business conditions.
In this picture is Greg Burden, really good guy to meet. His company, The Owl Companies have been around since 1919. The rocks in the picture came from his quarry, the building was covered with them. A rock building, unusual for a building in Irvine.
In this picture is Greg Burden, really good guy to meet. His company, The Owl Companies have been around since 1919. The rocks in the picture came from his quarry, the building was covered with them. A rock building, unusual for a building in Irvine.
viernes, 12 de junio de 2009
Little Company of Mary Photo Shoot
Another feel good day. We ended up shooting the Healthy Kids Van and some new nuclear imaging equipment.
As always working with these folks at LCM is an experience full of laughter and fast action. We skipped a shot on our list due to the immediate patient need of one of the new pieces bought with the donation dollars raised by the Foundation.
This is what we at Pencilbox do best, help our clients help others. I have a great job.
As always working with these folks at LCM is an experience full of laughter and fast action. We skipped a shot on our list due to the immediate patient need of one of the new pieces bought with the donation dollars raised by the Foundation.
This is what we at Pencilbox do best, help our clients help others. I have a great job.
sábado, 6 de junio de 2009
martes, 2 de junio de 2009
Pencilbox Aesthetics Booklet
Together with Joseph Bañuelos, Pencilbox has been able to highlight our aesthetic and medical device experience through a new industry specific mini-portfolio. Order yours today (or at least ask Roxann to bring you one).
Providence Health System's Power of Pink Conference
Our client, Providence Health Systems, requests Pencilbox to semi-annually create the marketing materials for their Women's Wellness Conference—Power of Pink . The proceeds of the conference go to breast cancer programs. I am personally grateful to be involved in this project since my mother-in-law is a recent breast cancer survivor and received her second opinion treatment plan at Providence Health Systems. This was one instance where a late night call to a client was not about a panicked deadline but instead a call for medical guidance.
iHOPE website
iHOPE is an organization with the mission of creating a homeless shelter and resource center in South Orange County. Pencilbox is honored and humbled to be creating their marketing materials.
viernes, 29 de mayo de 2009
I Hope Medical Van at Saddleback Memorial
Kathleen and I went out to Saddleback Memorial Hospital in San Clemente this week and shot for the iHope Foundation. Our main objective was to help build a library of images to help promote the work the foundation does for the underinsured and the homeless. This is Tim, I liked him. His smile was big and carefree but his eyes told another story.
This Doc was running around very busy but we stopped her anyway. I shot 12 frames and walked with 12 users.
This little girl was also very busy. Just like this little one we all walked away feeling better. I think I even saw Kathleen smile once.
This Doc was running around very busy but we stopped her anyway. I shot 12 frames and walked with 12 users.
This little girl was also very busy. Just like this little one we all walked away feeling better. I think I even saw Kathleen smile once.
jueves, 28 de mayo de 2009
Kia Motors Arizona Production
We drove out to Prescott Arizona to shoot for our client KIA. The people out there are very nice I got a lot of good help. Worst part of the shoot was I had to drive back and teach my class at Cal State Fullerton the next day. So my day started in Arizona and ended in Fullerton California. WoW what a day that was.
lunes, 25 de mayo de 2009
Master Meter #4
Tight to Comp production. We got a really nice comp from Steve Forbes. We added some of our own style to it and made it a reality for the client. This was the fourth photo project completed for Master Meter.
martes, 19 de mayo de 2009
So Cal Hospice Foundation Production
May 20 2009. I saw the SCHF printed brochure. It looks really nice. I worked with Joe Banuelos and Roxy from the office on it. I hope it works hard for the client. We cast/hired 7 models for this shoot, two of them I had worked with before.
lunes, 18 de mayo de 2009
Stiefel Production
May 16 2009. I helped one of my favorite Art Directors on a branding project he was working on. He sent me the comp on Tuesday night and we shot on Saturday that same week. We had some issues with the fabric background but eneded up doing a pretty thorough job for the client.
jueves, 23 de abril de 2009
Social Media
6 Most important things to know about Social Media:
Social Media is here to stay.
It is difficult and time-consuming to manage.
It costs money – even though it is a free platform, you must put resources behind it.
The recession has caused an increase in social media use for reconnecting and networking purposes.
It is constantly changing and is a reflection of who we are and where we're going.
Social Media is here to stay.
It is difficult and time-consuming to manage.
It costs money – even though it is a free platform, you must put resources behind it.
The recession has caused an increase in social media use for reconnecting and networking purposes.
It is constantly changing and is a reflection of who we are and where we're going.
I found some very cool t'shirts.
paul rand, designer.
Long story short I was researching some info for my photo class at Cal State Fullerton and I came across these Design Hero t'shirts. Clicked over read some things about ethics and helping, next thing I know I am checking out with some cool new shirts and and link to share with my friends. Ellen and Deb I was thing of you when I copied this link...
skreened.com/static/charity
Long story short I was researching some info for my photo class at Cal State Fullerton and I came across these Design Hero t'shirts. Clicked over read some things about ethics and helping, next thing I know I am checking out with some cool new shirts and and link to share with my friends. Ellen and Deb I was thing of you when I copied this link...
skreened.com/static/charity
jueves, 16 de abril de 2009
SCHF website completed
New website for SCHF completed and going live next week. Roxy is very happy.
It was exciting to see it evolve from sketches to a fully functional website! -Roxy
It was exciting to see it evolve from sketches to a fully functional website! -Roxy
Suscribirse a:
Entradas (Atom)