The Archives

Archive for 2007

Motley Fool Redesigns Fool.com
Thursday, December 6th, 2007 | 2 Comments
The good ole’ boys and girls at The Motley Fool launched their most recent redesign of fool.com yesterday afternoon. This redesign comes almost exactly one year after the last aesthetic update to the homepage.
Here Comes Another Bubble
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007 | One Response
It has been debated time and time again — are we in for another internet bubble burst? Well … there is a great video floating around that might help shed some light on the question. A must watch, extremely entertaining.
Miss me yet?
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 | 3 Comments
Where have I been? Is anyone out there just checking the feed reader daily for a new MarylandMedia post? Doubtful, but in my mind there are thousands of you out there and this is for you! So, why the lack of posts and why are the few posts coming out not as sexy as those […]
HolaNeighor; a creative experiement
Monday, November 5th, 2007 | 4 Comments
Hola chaos, adios productivity – that is the true tagline of DC’s social experiment, Startup Weekend. But it was a great time none-the-less and much was learned; just not what I thought I would have learned. DC Startup Weekend was more of a crash course in living the life of a start-up than it was […]
Designers are Obsolete
Friday, November 2nd, 2007 | 2 Comments
Have you ever been in a client meeting or within a design review among your co-workers where the comments really made you as a web designer feel obsolete? They say “everyone is a designer”, but Agency Fusion has really
taken that concept to the next level in their hilariously accurate satire on non-designer/designer interaction.
DC Startup Weekend Logo
Tuesday, October 9th, 2007 | 7 Comments
The weekend of October 26th through 28th I will be participating in DC Startup Weekend. I have strong concerns about the potential chaos but am still extremely excited — I love anything that brings this community together to try and bring great ideas to life! However, it looks as though my participation has begun a […]
Sometimes even Seth Godin gets it wrong
Friday, September 28th, 2007 | 12 Comments
Yesterday evening Seth Godin wrote a very short (and very meaningless) post titled, CSS. While the post was surly full of good intention, it is the absolute worst thing your boss could read; or the most annoying thing. It promotes ignorance within the workplace and gives justification to those yet to buy into the “CSS […]
10 Ways to Become a Better Designer
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 | One Response
Doug Dosberg is at it again; his recent blog post is right on point and is a must read for all aspiring designers and a nice reminder as well for industry veterans.
Doug says:
I believe great designers not only have good design chops, but are also aware, fast, and intuitive. Although there are several ways to […]
Startup Weekend DC – Impressive Innovation or Complete Chaos
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007 | 6 Comments
There is something amazing happening in the Washington, D.C. area and it is spreading like wildfire – we are finally buying into what we’ve been selling; a social network. The Washington, D.C. web design and development community is coming together strong and now it seems that with a pinch of entrepreneurial spirit could be a […]
If YouTube Comments Met Real Life Situations
Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 | 14 Comments
I came across this video via Twitter this afternoon, thanks @Marchdoe, and I laughed so hard I had to share with anyone and everyone! It sort of reminds me of the nclud creative sessions — ha ha, kidding of course! Watch this video now! You won’t regret it, unless you’ve got something against funny.
Twitter for business, defined for those who don’t get it
Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 | 19 Comments
Twitter, it is one of those “web 2.0” phenomenon that’s got everyone excited, even those who don’t really understand it. Many of my clients and colleagues have come to me and simply put, say “I don’t get it”. It is really a question more than a statement – they’ve heard something that makes them think […]
5 Web Design Subtleties Often Overlooked
Monday, September 3rd, 2007 | 37 Comments
It has been asked and answered by many, “What is design?” My simple response would be, “design is attention to detail”. I came across another interesting response to the design question that I loved, “design is knowing when to stop”. But this got me thinking … it addresses the wild designer who over-designs, but forgets […]
I used to work “for” this guy; the sad realities of your talent-less boss
Thursday, August 16th, 2007 | 4 Comments
The Denver Egotist recently responded to a young designer seeking advice on his “Creative” Director. The response was ten sad realities of a creative director. I am sure many of you will agree that this rings true for your current and/or past experiences. The article is hilarious – I couldn’t stop laughing as with […]
Logic Based Design - Design is 50% Selling
Tuesday, August 14th, 2007 | 13 Comments
Imagine a world were design wasn’t subjective; imagine a world were design intentions were in-sync with design executions. A design’s worst enemy is not the input of a non-designer – a design’s worst enemy is when its designer can’t sell it. Design is only half the process, being able to sell that design is where […]
What I learned at BarCampDC 2007
Monday, August 13th, 2007 | 6 Comments
It is simple – the Washington, D.C. area is full of some of the brightest and most talented people in this industry. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, there is “Untapped Creative Talent in Washington DC“. It was such an amazing experience to be surrounded by such passionate and like-minded designers […]
What happens when the talented get social? Meet Doug.
Sunday, July 22nd, 2007 | 2 Comments
Our industry is full of these quasi-celebrities whose fame is generally attributed to simply being social; well that and being extremely talented. But, many feel that these celebrities are the best-of-the-best standing on these unreachable pedestals — that simply isn’t the case; the pedestal part that is. While the big names that get us all […]
Off to London for Two Day Usability Strategy Session with British Telecom
Monday, May 28th, 2007 | No Responses
One of our first and most exciting projects is working with BT, British Telecom, on their latest web innovation initiative — BT Workspace and BT Tradespace. While visual design and front-end development are top-of-mind for us during the next version of the service; usability is the name of the game right now. BT had asked […]
Horizontal Navigation; nine ways to skin a cat
Thursday, May 3rd, 2007 | No Responses
In an attempt at being unique and innovative, deciding on your navigation structure and presentation can sometimes seem like the most challenging. If content is truly king, your navigation is your knights of the roundtable – it is the driving force for how users find information and ultimately interact with your site. So, in this […]
Don’t be a corporate web design bully
Friday, April 27th, 2007 | 6 Comments
The corporate web design bully is the organization to which takes and takes and who selfishly refuses to share and contribute. The web has undoubtedly gone social; especially within the community building this Web 2.0. Many of my previous employers love to utilize frameworks and JavaScript libraries but in that one-off chance they themselves […]
Cheap client translator
Thursday, April 19th, 2007 | 11 Comments
We’ve all been there; face-to-face with a cheap client. “Cheap” has a rather negative connotation, so lets be clear that there is a distinction between small business clients on a budget and unrealistic clients who expect greatness for next to nothing; cheap! There is value in what we do; don’t ever let anyone trivialize that […]
Your last impression is as important as your first
Wednesday, April 11th, 2007 | No Responses
The most important thing next to your first impression is your last. It is well known to many of us that making good first impressions are crucial in laying the foundation for any relationship – a successful business relationship being no exception. However, many of us put so much attention and focus on making a […]
When those without the internet get it, will they get it?
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007 | No Responses
The nclud team recently attended the Refresh DC meet-up this past week and it got us thinking – do we really care about the global impact of the mobile web? Should we care? Or, when should we care? As strong supporters of Refresh DC, we showed up in force and the presentation was terrific. Wayan […]
Windows Vista is the best thing to happen to Apple
Friday, March 23rd, 2007 | 28 Comments
This came across my desk the other day and I thought it was hilarious. I do work on both an Apple and a PC – but haven’t yet upgraded my PC to Windows Vista as of yet; don’t know if I ever will. I am consulting with a start-up in northern Virginia and their entire […]
“Viral Marketing” is your Buzz Word of the year
Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 | 3 Comments
Online “Viral Marketing” is the buzz word of the year! Last year we couldn’t get enough of “User Experience” and the year before that “SEO” was all the rage. While many of us trying to innovate the industry laugh at these buzz words of yesterday – we need pay attention. Whether you work for yourself […]
Six most uniquely creative business cards of SXSWi 2007
Sunday, March 18th, 2007 | 10 Comments
We all love the web, but are often given the pleasure or forced into designing outside that medium (depending how you look at it). Brand logos and business cards are of the most common tasks given to the traditional web designer – right or wrong, amazing things can come from the truly creative. At nclud, […]
Off to SXSW – see you in Austin!
Friday, March 9th, 2007 | 2 Comments
It is 11:00am and I just landed in Austin! Now I am waiting at one of those elegant airport bars getting a ahead start while I wait for the rest of the nclud team to land! It feels great to finally be here, it seems like I’ve been talking about SXSW since last year. I […]
The business card five second rule
Thursday, March 8th, 2007 | 16 Comments
It is all in the title; never be more than five seconds from your business card. This is more common sense marketing than it is some eye-opening, jaw-dropping business epiphany. We are so immersed in this industry that it is often easily overlooked that there is more to your presence than your web presence.
Introducing nclud, a new and very talented creative web design agency
Monday, March 5th, 2007 | 12 Comments
It is SXSW week and I am sure everyone is eagerly awaiting their flight out. However, that anticipation aside, I have something very exciting to announce myself; the launch of nclud, a creative web design agency. Co-founder, along side Alex Giron, and senior consultant for nclud, I am very pleased and very proud […]
Refresh “World” Meetup During SXSW
Monday, February 26th, 2007 | 2 Comments
I just came across this great little addition to SXSW for Refresher’s in all cities around the world. I’ve been an active member of the DC Refresh group and been anticipating my first SXSW; so this should prove to be a pretty good way to start the conference off. I fly in nice and early […]
The Web Design Refrigerator Metaphor: finding and understanding innovation within your design
Monday, February 19th, 2007 | 17 Comments
Innovation and design can be a difficult thing; simply being creative in itself can be a challenge. How do you do it and where do you start? Well, I thought I’d ask and answer the question as it seems to be a popular one these days. Now that “web 2.0” seems to be behind us, […]
Why designers are romantics by nature
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007 | 2 Comments
So, it’s Valentines Day, and most of us should be experts of the day; we are creative by nature. We strive to produce thoughtful creative experiences tailored specifically for our audience with the end result of evoking an actionable emotion. I just took all of the romance out of it, but isn’t that what being […]
Refresh DC gets a redesign as it turns a year old
Friday, February 9th, 2007 | 5 Comments
Last week Refresh DC had its one year birthday. To compliment that, the group’s site has a new design up, brought to you by yours truly. I just offered to volunteer to design the new site, Jason Garber is to thank for brining that to life. I am a bit late in posting this as […]
I’ll buy you a beer at SXSW, if you can find me
Thursday, February 8th, 2007 | 9 Comments
It is just one month away and it seems like everyone is going to SXSW this year. I’ve been to @media before, but this will be my first time to SXSW; I am very excited! This past year or so I’ve really gotten more active online and have started to meet more and more people. […]
Can you over-design?
Wednesday, February 7th, 2007 | 25 Comments
While attending a design presentation a little while ago a very interesting question was posed, “can you over-design”? The speaker used a great analogy that really got me thinking; can a great design be un-confrontational? Are we designing for ourselves, other designers or truly for our audience? What are we really trying to accomplish when […]
Why I hate Blogger – my miserable weekend
Tuesday, February 6th, 2007 | 22 Comments
I am a huge Google advocate and when I first heard that they were acquiring Blogger, I thought only good things could come. However, Blogger has always been a joke of a platform among our community, and it has only gotten worse. I was forced into an upgrade from the “Old Blogger” early last week […]
Untapped Creative Talent in Washington DC
Tuesday, January 30th, 2007 | 6 Comments
Washington, DC isn’t known for its large and talented design community – but there is a strong force here and I think it has gone rather unnoticed. The DC metro area is comprised of some of the largest brands in the country and there is amazing talent behind each of them. I often hear how […]
Interview with the creative mind behind "design fckr"
Thursday, January 25th, 2007 | 9 Comments
He has done it again! Recently the creative mind that brought us CSS Beauty launched another online community and resource. Dfckr.com is my latest daily addictive community based source of inspiration, news and resources – this one with a ridiculously creative focus on design. Dfkcr is a publication created with the intention of keeping track […]
The 8 types of bad creative critics
Wednesday, January 24th, 2007 | 6 Comments
I was forwarded this hilarious illustration today that highlights the eight types of bad creative critics. This is such an exciting industry to be apart of – however, one of the obvious downsides is that since everyone uses the internet, everyone feels justified in being a critic. If you’ve been working in this industry long […]
Web Design Freelancers: The Psychology of your Rate
Monday, January 15th, 2007 | 43 Comments
The question I get asked most from fellow freelancers is, “how do you determine your rate”? It is a tricky question with no direct response that is appropriate for anyone one person in any one area. There is a lot of that goes into determining a rate – a lot of personal questions need to […]
10 days of freelancing – creating a firm one day at a time, one client at a time
Sunday, January 14th, 2007 | 2 Comments
It has been a wild ride and I love every moment of it. I’ve connected with old clients, made new clients and seem to find myself networking even at 3:00 am during last call. My calendar has never been fuller and it seems as though I’ve got a client call scheduled daily. My fears of […]
You’re Time’s Person of the Year and no one seems to care!
Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 | 16 Comments
I subscribe to a lot of industry feeds and I am baffled by the lack of coverage on this years’ Time Person of the Year. For those out of the know, the person of the year this year is you! While Time described the person as generically as “you” — it is more specifically, “us”. […]
Talking with Dan Rubin of Pro CSS Techniques
Monday, January 8th, 2007 | 5 Comments
On Thursday Dan Rubin, of superfluousbanter.org and recent co-author of “Pro CSS Techniques“, came to Washington DC to speak to our local Refresh group. I had the privilege of meeting with Dan at the meeting and then later that day and the next over some drinks. Dan being a designer at heart and a fellow […]
An interview with Brian Suda of "Using Microformats"
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007 | 7 Comments
Microformats: you’ve heard about them, you’ve seen them and you may even be using them – what are they, what are they going to become, where are they going and why do I care? I recently had the privilege of interviewing someone extremely knowledgeable on the subject to answer just those questions, Brian Suda of […]
A Little Less Foolish in the New Year
Monday, January 1st, 2007 | 9 Comments
Another year past and it seems as though so much has changed and so much more is to come. Starting the New Year with a fresh start is always rather refreshing – it seems as though “refresh” is going to be my theme for 2007. This year I will no longer be working with The […]

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