Apple Tablet A Long Time Apple Idea

Posted by ryan as Apple, Design, Designer, Technology

Wired’s Gadget section has a report on Apple’s never to market tablet from 1983 as developed by Frog Design. The rumors about the tablet have been around forever, I just never had a clue that the idea was on the table for as long as it has been for Apple. After seeing this it really makes predicting Apple’s release of the so called iSlate / iTablet / iPad even easier. I can’t wait to see what they unveil this coming Wednesday, January 27th.

Not Forgotten

Posted by ryan as Advertising, Art, Career, Design, Designer, Interweb, Life Path

So I’ve been neglecting this site recently. I have not forgotten about this site and plan to start posting often again real soon. I have some things in the works and when the time is right I will make it known publicly. Long story short I’ve moved on from my previous employer and opportunity is knocking. Good times people.

Power Up Foundation

Posted by ryan as Design, Portfolio, Web Devlopment

We recently launched a new website called Power Up Foundation. I am very pleased with the way this came out and I am sure it will continue to evolve over time. The top bar only has a small flicker of progress as we just launched the site, but there are many versions of the animation at the top that will change as funds are raised for their cause. As the success of the campaign continues the site will become a great deal more colorful.

A.A. Boos Website Launch

Posted by ryan as Advertising, Career, Design, Interweb, Portfolio, Web Devlopment

We recently launched a new site for a local contractor. To quote the actual website

“A. A. Boos & Sons, Inc. is a full service Union General Contractor with our own combined skilled labor force, 150 field employees, consisting of bricklayers, cement finishers, ironworkers, operating engineers, laborers; servicing our clients in Ohio, Michigan and other states.”

Its a great site with a smooth vibe. I am happy with the direction this project was lucky to go in.

Excuse The Mess

Posted by ryan as Design, Interweb, Web Devlopment, ryanshull.com

Please excuse the mess I’ve been creating here on my site. I’m trying to update it a little bit at a time. As I replace the old theme with reworked template sections you will see this whole site come together. I have to do it this way so that I can get things done and up. Usually I’ll start working a theme (for myself) and stop half way to start over. This keeps my site uncool, never fresh, and never good enough by my own tastes. Often a personal site is the most neglected, at least this way I can update it in peices when the time permits. When I finally have it complete I’m sure I’ll be ready to start on the redesign. Oh so it goes.

Harsh Truths About Corporate Websites

Posted by ryan as Advertising, Bummer, Career, Design, Designer, Interweb, Web Devlopment

Smashing Magazine is a great website. Anyone who is a frequent reader knows that. They recently wrote a great article “10 Harsh Truths About Corporate Websites”. It is spot on for so many points.

#7 especially hits home for me as I feel this one often. (7. You’re Not Getting Value From Your Web Team)

Whether they have an in-house Web team or use an external agency, many organizations fail to get the most from their Web designers. Web designers are much more than pixel pushers. They have a wealth of knowledge about the Web and how users interact with it. They also understand design techniques, including grid systems, white space, color theory and much more.

Treating designers as pixel pushers wastes their design experience: post from Twitter complaining about being a pixel pusher

It is therefore wasteful to micro-manage by asking them to “make the logo bigger” or to “move that 3 pixels to the left.” By doing so, you are reducing their role to that of a software operator and wasting the wealth of experience they bring.

If you want to get the maximum return on your Web team, present it with problems, not solutions. For example, if you’re targeting your website at teenage girls, and the designer goes for corporate blue, suggest that your audience might not respond well to that color. Do not tell him or her to change it to pink. This way, the designer has the freedom to find a solution that may even be better than your choice. You allow your designer to solve the problem you have presented.

> Continue reading 10 Harsh Truths About Corporate Websites

Great Paper Typography

Posted by ryan as Art, Design, Designer, Inspiring, Typography

Yulia Brodskaya is an artist who has done some really great paper typography. See Yulia’s portfolio at www.artyulia.com

New Whitehouse.gov

Posted by ryan as Design, Interweb, Web Devlopment

So with a new president comes a new whitehouse.gov. Its seems the creative developers of Barak’s campaign change.gov have redesigned the White House page and its looking good. I am seeing it pop up in a few places already. Ars Technica, CSS Remix, and Screenalicio.us to name a few. Continue reading the comments for updates on this post.

CSS Remix

Screenalicious

300 Million Dollar Button

Posted by ryan as Design, Interweb, Web Devlopment

How Changing a Button Increased a Site’s Annual Revenues by $300 Million

It’s hard to imagine a form that could be simpler: two fields, two buttons, and one link. Yet, it turns out this form was preventing customers from purchasing products from a major e-commerce site, to the tune of $300,000,000 a year. What was even worse: the designers of the site had no clue there was even a problem. > continue reading

If this article doesn’t point out how usability affects the use of a website all I can say is, spend more time online. There are a million sites out there that could use a good usability assestment.

Social Networking For The Out Of Work

Posted by ryan as Career, Design, Designer, Inspiring, Interweb, News

For all of us fortunate enough to have a job right now, there is still a great deal of quality advice in the article written by Robert Scoble, If You Are Laid Off Heres How To Socially Network.

If you are laid off, here’s how to socially network
I’m getting a LOT of chats from people who have been laid off. Most of the time I find that they just aren’t presenting a good face to me for me to help them find a new job.
If you are laid off, here’s what you need to do:
1. Your blog is your resume. You need one and it needs to have 100 posts on it about what you want to be known for.
2. Remove all LOLCats from your blog.
3. Remove all friends from your facebook and twitter accounts that will embarrass you. We do look. If we see photos of people getting drunk with you that is a bad sign. Get rid of them. They will NOT help you get a job. > continue reading

I for one do not have this blog up to par. I need to make that happen sooner than later. As far as the other social network related stuff, being online since I was in college in the late 90s I’ve always been very aware that what I post online is online for good. If you don’t approach it like that, step back, clean house, and never forget that fact of the medium. This article is motivational in the sense, are you prepared enough?