September 2006 Archives

• screenspire.com - www.ndesign-studio.com
  Pretty. I like the "fog" effect on the outer glow -- tricky variation on the almost cliche Photoshop trick.
  (tags: reference inspiration design)

• Slimming photos with HP digital cameras
  This is nuts -- some HP digital cameras have a built-in tool to make people appear thinner in photographs.
  (tags: funny photography)

• The Generator Blog
  Oh gosh -- this site is going to absolutely wipe out my productivity.
  (tags: fun reference)

• Happy Now Flat Belly
  Pilates studio in Brooklyn. I like the studio's unique name and their site's engaging copy. Almost valid XHTML Strict markup, too. Great example of a website done right.
  (tags: web writing)

The irony of the lashback against Facebook's News Feed and Mini-feed is that most people wouldn't know about the "Students against Facebook News Feed (Official Petition to Facebook)" group if it weren't for seeing it in their friend's mini-feeds.

If you really have a problem with the feeds, I dare you to ignore them when you login to Facebook or look at people's profiles.

Kinda hard, ain't it?

• Bigha: Shop
  I like the approach on this page: to pick a color for a laser pointer, the user clicks an "Order" button that corresponds to the color she wants to purchase.
  (tags: design)

I admit, Team USA's loss to Greece in their semifinal game at the World Basketball Championships is disheartening. Losing their third major tournament appearance in a row and an automatic berth to the 2008 Olympics certainly explains the dour looks on the players' faces.

Still, I'm feeling upbeat. Maybe the fact that I saw Invincible last night has affected my outlook, but I really think this team has the makings of a champion. A couple years from now, they will probably make a feel-good sports film about this team, in the same vein as Rudy, Hoosiers, and Miracle. And how does this latest loss fit in to the plot? It's only the end of the second act.

• Digital Web Magazine - Practical Usability Testing
  Usability testing should be an iterative practice, completed several times during the design and development life-cycle. The end result is an improved product and a better understanding of the users that we're designing for.
  (tags: usability webdev howto reference)
• Personas (User experience design resources)
  A persona is a fictional representation of the typical customer or user of a website, developed from data. Personas give designers a more tangible representation of an audience.
• Team USA loses to Greece, 101-95
  I'll be blogging on this soon. This has the makings of a great Disney-esque movie some years from now.
  (tags: basketball)