download .mp4 / watch on YouTube

If you have a site redesign that you’d like feedback on, leave a link in the comments. If you don’t want public commentary, write me a quick email using the form at the bottom of this page, or tweet me @scottperezfox.

How’s your redesign going? Mine, I admit, is a bit behind schedule. I’m going to take the plunge soon and jump right into the new theme. In lieu of installing a testing server and working with an installation on my own hard drive, I’m just going to do a live-install and you’ll be able to watch the site take shape before your eyes. Get ready for trouble.

Say what you will about Facebook, but their Timeline is fairly innovative, if not generally pretty. Facebook has been acquiring design talent for some time now, so go see what these guys have been in up to, especially how the eye is directed and how they determine what’s important.

Google+ may not be as popular as Facebook, but I, for one, think the design is pretty sharp. I especially think the buttons and input fields are very sharp. It’s a good use of rounded corners with a very small radius. Also, take a moment to think about their main column and sidebars, and how they display images within a photo album.

No matter your view on [American] politics, we must all admit that the Obama administration has created the best-looking website of any President to date. If you haven’t seen Whitehouse.gov, go take a good hard look. While you’re at it, check out the Obama campaign website, which does a good job of organising lots of content. (menus, sub-menus, callouts, forms, etc.) so it’s worth an examination.

On the subject of Politics, check out OpenCongress.org, which details everything going on in Congress, including full text of all Bills under consideration. They do a good job with their buttons and other graphical chrome.

How’s your redesign coming along? Don’t forget to tweet using the hashtag #redesign if you’re playing along at home.

What do I mean by research? See what other people are doing, both rightly and wrongly. Investigate below the surface of your industry by examining the long-overlooked personal sites of your followers on Twitter, your forum mates, and folks in the industry. Check out some blogs you like and follow the links they list. Let it be organic.

download .mp4 / watch on YouTube

As a user of the web, you’ll be struck by trends almost subconsciously. See what catches your eye, and make a note of it. Print out the sites you fancy and tack ‘em up. Take screenshots. Start a little scrapbook.

Share you links in the comments below. Let’s take a look at what we find. And remember to use the hashtag #redesign if your tweeting about it.

This is creepy as hell — a Steve Jobs action figure created in the remarkable likeness of the late Apple founder. Unfortunately, I don’t have many more details.

I suppose if I were still in grad school this would lead to a thesis about false idols and biblical references in modern Capitalism in the post-industrial information age yadda yadda yadda. But instead, here’s a photo of a Barack Obama action figure, holding two katanas. Who would win in a fight, d’ya think?

More photos of the Jobs doll here »

via The Artist and His Model »

download .mp4 / watch on YouTube

(Pardon the shakiness of this video, I’m still learning not to bump into my desk as I flail about recording videos.)

A little tool I like to use is The Hourglass Chart. It helps narrow down the attributes/features of the your site, the immediate results of those features, and what your goals are given that new result. Here’s a quick mockup I did in Photoshop:

The key here is to limit what goes into the site. Don’t cram in every widget you can think of. You don’t need a forum, and a Flickr widget, and a photo of your dog. Keep the attributes to 2-4 items, such as a blog, a portfolio, a list of resources, interviews, press/media links, or an in-depth bio/about page. Not all of those!

Those will lead to a result. Maybe your work will get spread around the web, maybe you’ll become an authority on a subject, maybe you’ll solidify your dedication to a certain craft. Those are all great, but again, you have to limit yourself.

Finally, write down the goals you want to achieve with this website and your newfound results. These are what you have to keep in mind even after the re-design is complete.

Write your comments and tell us what you’re including in your site. Broad strokes. What are your goals? Let’s make this thing a community. And if you’re tweeting, make sure to use the hashtag #redesign to bring others into the effort.

Oh, and pardon that gratuitous shot of my ass in that video. I have revealed my dirty secret: Yes, I work in sweat pants. But only because my yoga pants are in the laundry.

But as the year end approaches, I think it is a double-plus good idea to do a comprehensive backup and archive of all your important files. Hopefully, you’re continually backing up your photos, videos, documents, and other important content, but there are some things you may overlook. Here’s my big ole list of things to backup this weekend!

• Photos
• Videos
• Music
• Projects (active and completed)
• Artwork
• Documents
• Financial Documents
• Bookmarks
• Address Book
• Calendar Settings
• Application Installers
• Software Serial Numbers
• Adobe Settings and App Preferences
• System Preferences
• Icons
• Email and Email settings
• Databases of stored passwords, etc.

And just for fun, here’s a video to get you in the mood of the New Year.

download .mp4 / watch on YouTube

So when someone asks you “what are you doing New Year’s Eve?”, the answer should be “backing up my computer.”

#foreveralone

download .mp4 / watch on YouTube

I recorded a little video to pose the question of whether designers should be able to use templates and themes on their own sites, or whether they must build it from the ground up. It’s a debated issue. On the one hand, why waste your time reinventing the wheel if websites aren’t your core focus. On the other hand, if you’re in the biz, you should know your own skills and showcase exactly what you can and can’t do.

As someone who has always taught himself via his own website, I’m a little torn. I’m finally at a point where I can admit that I don’t know everything about web design, and that the folks who specialise in templates and themes are really fucking good. The time required to get that last 5% of compatibility and seamlessness is far out of proportion in terms of effort in and results.

Currently on this website, I designed the theme, but it’s not perfect. There’s no IE-specific version. There’re no mobile versions. It uses HTML5 features, but isn’t exactly valid and super-compliant. If I went to a well-designed theme as template, would anyone notice? Would anyone care?

download .mp4 / watch on YouTube

This solves a number of the problems created with the new Reader design, as I spoke about last month. Read more about it on the Official Google Blog.

via TWiG »

Here’s a video I made which describes my reactions and illustrates points where Google can improve their interface design.

download 1920×1200 hi-res .mov / watch on YouTube

I want to hear your thoughts on the new Google Reader, and for that matter, on Gmail’s new design. Do you agree that much more thought and effort went into Gmail? Do you use Reader and find it more difficult to use? Am I completely off my rocker and blowing things out of proportion?

If you ask me, this smells like another Tropicana, albeit on a much smaller scale. It’s not just about the type and graphics, it’s about the way it works and how people interact. This shit matters, people!

UPDATE: 20111105.0044

It seems my message is getting through, somewhat. Google has updated their Reader theme so that the links are now blue. I cannot tell you what a huge difference this makes. I already feel more productive and faster in my movements. Here’s a screenshot clip, but log into your own account to see what I mean.

For over a month now, folks have been occupying Wall St., in addition to cities and sites the world over. Not that I rate the merit of a movement by the production quality of its propaganda materials, but for the most part, the protest signs are rather shabby. Luckily, it didn’t take long for interesting populous-generated art and design to emerge.

A series of posters hit the internets with slogans such as “Yes We Camp”, “Tax The Rich”, and the now ubiquitous “We are the 99%”.

Brooklyn-based artist Molly Crabapple contributed a poster referencing the Vampire Squid from Matt Taibi’s book, Griftopia

Molly Crabapple’s poster, image via Boing Boing

Recently, a few bits of design have hit the scene. I can’t exact call them viral, because that implies an unexpectedness in how fast and far they spread, but they’re are intended to be shared and deployed. A while back, I spotted Occupy George, a project which seeks to illustrate the disparity of wealth in America by overprinting infographics onto dollar bills.

images via Occupy George

The cool thing about this project is that you can make your own by downloading the templates for your inkjet printer. No need to come up with your own designs or to painstakingly illustrate the diagram.

Of course, defacing money is still a federal crime, so don’t be clever and pass these bills to any uniformed officials of the government (or at least the Treasury; no one else gives a shit, I’m sure).

More recently, I spotted some clever buttons that say simply “99%”. Obviously, we the 99% can wear these buttons in solidarity, and to quickly assert that I make less than $250,000 (in case you’re curious.)

images via Busy Beaver Button Co.

However this is only half the project. To compliment the 99% buttons are 1% buttons, fabricated with 24k gold. The cost of these shiny 1% buttons is $100 per button, compared to $0.70 for the 99% variety. Don’t worry, half the profits for the 1% buttons are donated to charity. I think you’re supposed to wear it ironically. Or better still, buy it but don’t ever wear it. Ever. (A third option, could you buy it for the sole purpose of mounting on the hood of your Lexus, or whatever.)

Both of these recent projects, in addition to the posters, are great examples of designers putting their skills into good use, for a cause they believe in. No clients are behind this, no big payday awaits. There may be some sense of enterprise at work, but is that not the spirit of the American worker that we’re fighting for in the first place?

What are your thoughts? Are these clever examples of design campaigns for the greater good, or a cheeky opportunity for struggling designers to make the front page of so-and-so blogs?

via Design Work Life and Quipsologies »