My Favorite Design Blogs

Many online resources exist for today's designers. Check out my list below for sites that review tools, showcase products, provide tutorials and link creative people to other creative people. Even if you are not a designer, these sites are just plain fun to look at.

Web Designer Wall: A wall of design ideas, web trends, and tutorials.

Creative Nerds: Tutorials, news, inspiration and freebies.

Smashing Magazine: Hacks, tips, freebies, tutorials, fonts and more.

Uselog: The product usability weblog.

WeFunction: Web design company that posts links to free themes, inspiring before and afters and tutorials.

Design Reviver: Providing web designers with valuable information such as tutorials, free downloads, sources of inspiration, and articles covering a wide range of web design related topics.

Fuel Your Creativity: Articles, links and samples for designer block.

Boxes and Arrows: Devoted to the practice, innovation, and discussion of design; including graphic design, interaction design, information architecture and the design of business.

Core 77: Articles, discussion forums, extensive event calendar, portfolio hosting, job listings, a database of design firms, schools, vendors and services.

Design with Intent: Design for sustainable behavior. How do people use products, systems and environments? How can designers influence interaction?

Doors of Perception: Starting new conversations on design and innovation.

Photoshop Star: Free Photoshop tutorials.

Outlaw Design Blog: Free resources, product reviews, tutorials and a guide to passive income.

Vandelay Design: Provides helpful and informative posts that meet the needs of web designers or online entrepreneurs.

Noupe: News for designers and web-developers on all subjects of design, ranging from; CSS, Ajax, Javascript, web design, graphics, typography, advertising & more.

Devlounge: Design, web apps, interviews and code.

Just Creative Design: Designer Jacob Cass posts articles about graphic design, logo design, web design, advertising, branding, typography, and icons.

Jhames: Seattle designer James Elliott shares insights about techniques and about the design industry.

Spoon Graphics: Tutorials, techniques, links and inspiration.

Six Revisions: Practical, useful information for the modern, standards-compliant web designer and web developer.

Emily Chang: Award-winning web and interaction designer, technology strategist and entrepreneur.

Web Designer Help: Tutorials, interviews, competitions.

Elite by Design: A design community dedicated to providing helpful and insightful articles in the fields of web design, web development, and Photoshop.

Digital Handel's Messiah, 1994

In 1994 my company won a contract to broadcast the the annual Kennedy Center Handel's Messiah performance live on the web with video. We'd barely just started our company, MediaZones, and the only reason we got the gig was because very few companies were doing live internet video. We'd had some cursory initial success with local Seattle events and that made us the default experts. So, we loaded all our digital gear into travel cases and headed to Washington, DC to try and make it work.

We were hired by a company associated with the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. They'd made all the arrangements to get our crew from Seattle to DC and all we needed to do was make a postage-sized flicker of video appear on their webpage while the live event was going on. We used a now-defunct software-hardware combo called Xing Technologies that required we lug a giant server with us, along with 4 desktops and a laptop. Not to mention our cameras, microphones and cables.

In those days we felt lean and mean when it came to equipment. When we were at events, the TV crews would gawk at us and be amazed that we could broadcast from just seven suitcases. They couldn't take us seriously because we, in their minds, had barely any equipment. We didn't even have a van. How could we be professionals? How indeed.

Back in 1995, I sketched this comic rendering of the whole adventure and I have recently posted it online.

In comming weeks, I'll post some photos of this trip...I just uncovered another box of media from those old early days of the web. Stay tuned!

Comic: Digital Bear Bot

Comic: Making a Cybercast 1997

Back in 1997 I owned a company called MountainZone.com. We published outdoor sporting information on the web. We didn't know it at the time, but we were building a community.

We traveled from Seattle to Stratton, VT to broadcast the US Open Snowboard Championships. Since we were posting our audio, text, pictures and videos to the Internet, we called it "cybercasting" which sounded even sillier in the 90s than it sounds now.

We finagled ourselves into all-access media passes and we bartered a free room in exchange for a banner graphic on the event page. We were doing everything for the first time...breaking ground. Media folk and journalists rarely asked for web connections in the early 90s when we started our cybercasts, but by the late 90s it was becoming more common for press rooms to offer Internet. Although the connections were thru 28.8 modems, definitely not high-bandwidth.

We were serious about the sport and our team knew the riders, event planners and other professionals. By the end of the weekend there was underwear on the lamps, beer on top of the computers and silly string hanging from the ceiling. How we ever published anything is beyond me.

But it worked...and the visitors to the website started streaming in. First there were dozens, then hundreds, then thousands. By the time we sold MountainZone in 1999 we had millions of visitors pouring into the site to learn about mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding and climbing.

Above is a comic I drew on the plane ride home (click it for the full story). The photos are provided as proof (to myself) that it all really happened and it was not a dream. Watch this blog for more of my personal Internet history. I’ll be digging up some great dirt.

TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) Part 2

Back in October I wrote about the Internet industry's particular penchant for acronyms (see original post). As promised, here is an update with more web-speak definitions.

CLM (Career Limiting Move) "His dirty dancing at the company holiday party was a total CLM."

KPI (Key Performance Indicators) These are numbers that we should actually pay attention to.

WAG (Wild Ass Guess) Although clients will always promise that they won't hold you to your initial estimate, beware of publicizing any WAGs.

AYFKM (Are You Freakin' Kidding Me?) I have used this one a lot lately as I see the common everyday atrocities committed by some in the web business.

SME (Subject Matter Experts) Not at all like Smurfs, these know-it-alls are not necessarily cuddly. SMEs have massive currency in the knowledge economy.

ABC (Always Be Closing) In sales, as in your career, always be landing the next deal.

EOD (End Of Day) Always make sure to verify the time zone when someone requires something by EOD. And usually this means 5pm, but in a pinch it can mean midnight.

Check out TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) Part 1.

Definition: SneakerNet

We use the term SneakerNet to mean physically carrying a disc or flash drive from one computer to another. You move the files with your tennis shoes rather than over digital transmission lines. Sometimes, during the chaos of hard-core production, files just need to be carried. Networks break down and internet connections flake out, but the humans can always carry the bits.

Sometimes SneakerNets are the only way. Some files are so huge that it is quicker and cheaper to copy the data to a portable storage device and carry that device to the intended recipient. Scientists and data warehouses do this kinda thing all the time. Other users of SneakerNets are seeking high-security environments which can only be found today by avoiding cyberspace.

So remember, the next time you carry a CD over to a friend’s house to give ‘em a file, you are participating in a long history of file transfer. And one day your children will find it foolish and antiquated.

Comic: Digital Power Overload

Comic: Rumor Mill On Internet Time

Comic: Stealing Office Supplies

Comic: Well Oiled

My Personal Internet History: Mae Phim

Back in the late 1990s, me and fellow Internet junkies in Seattle would occasionally take time away from the computers to eat. A little Thai place in Pioneer Square was always packed with dozens of high-tech knowledge workers. Mae Phim was the place to go if you wanted to pick up secrets, spot entrepreneur rock stars or spread rumors. It is still there today. Order the garlic chicken. Three star.

Idioms, Credos, Sayings and Maxims: Part 1

In the digital media business, as with many industries, communication sometimes consists of trite sayings that rattle off the tongue almost absentmindedly. Many of these utterances are merely verbal filler spoken by people who are trying to fill the air with words. However, many of these mottoes and adages are actually solid truisms. I've collected some "words to live by" below. I hope you'll consider these to be helpful little aphorisms which you can use to solidify your succinct understand of the universe.

"Pay yourself first." Whether you are a business person or you're just doing your home finances, a cardinal rule is to set aside your money first. Someone is always owed something (the tax man, the landlord, the bookie). Remember to get yours before you give 'em theirs.

"Don’t throw good money after bad." If you've spent a bunch of money and the effort is failing, don't spend more money to try and fix it.

"Make more than you spend." This seems simple, but I saw quite a few dot com companies staffed by people who thought this rule was antiquated and obsolete.

"Beware the FUD." Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt are familiar bedfellows of the entrepreneur. In small quantities it is normal, but don't allow FUD to rule your world. FUD is used by your enemies (and by deceptive advertisers) to influence your thoughts and actions.

"As soon as you’ve landed the deal, shut up and leave." If you have a deal, the best thing you can do is wrap up the meeting and go away before the other party has a chance to change their mind.

"Wear a belt with your suspenders." In England they say "belt and braces" which means the same thing. If you want to make extra sure your pants don't fall down, wear a belt in case your suspenders break. This is being double-insured.

"Don’t be all mouth and no trousers." We all know people who are all talk and no action.

"Pour ‘em strong." A philosophy of some bartenders, cuz if the drinks are strong then the customers will keep coming back. Pouring a weak drink might save you money in the short term, but won't get you known as the place to be. A good deal increases sales volume. A slightly smaller profit margin may net you more income in the end.

"Don’t fall for the bait and switch." A product is advertised as an amazing deal, but in the end it turns out that the deal is altered to such an extent that the original deal is gone. A car salesman takes you for a ride in the car with all the extras and when you decide to buy it he notices a scratch on the car and switches it for another one which he says is exactly the same. When you get it home, you realize it is missing some features you had assumed were included because you saw those features during the test drive.

"Unless you are the lead dog, the view is always the same." Similar to the belief that being second is being last. The lead sled dog has the view of the world out in front, the other dogs are looking at butt.

"Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle." It has been said a thousand times, but it still holds true. You can't just put the product out there and expect it to move, you need to tell the world why it is amazing. As Elmer Wheeler said back in 1936, "It is the sizzle that sells the steak and not the cow, although the cow is, of course, mighty important."

"Your mileage may vary." Beware this phrase or others like it. It basically says that your experience won't compare with what has been advertised. You'll get less and you can't say nothin' cuz we warned you.

"Pony up." Simply meaning, pay what you owe.

"Eat what you kill." This is direct cause-and-effect business. Self-employed consultants understand this. Go out there and make it happen so that you can eat. If you hunt it down and kill it, then it is all yours and you deserve it.

"If a frog had wings he wouldn’t bump his ass a hoppin’." I often hear people whine and moan that if only they had some item or talent, then they would be successful. I tell them they don't have it so figure out how to succeed without it. This is similar to what a friend once told me, "Yea, and if I was an astronaut, I’d be dancin' around on the moon."

UPDATE: See the next installment Idioms, Credos, Sayings and Maxims: Part 2

No Schmooze, You Lose

Schmooze to Live, Live to Schmooze. Ultimately, all business is about relationships. Those who are good at making and keeping contacts are the winners in the end. Those who are creepy and dishonest can only survive for a short time before everyone stops returning their calls. The slime gets weeded out, the sincere rises to the top.

Schmooze. To Schmooze. To idly blather in pursuit of gains. Press the flesh. Grab and grin. Meet and greet. Going to the Meet Market. This is a necessary aspect of a successful life in the internet business, be you a designer or salesperson. You need to get out from behind your desk and gab with other people from your industry.

In other contexts, the term is sometimes used to describe getting out of a sticky situation, like talking your way out of a parking ticket. However, in the business world it is used to describe what has become an art and a craft. The fine art of slick networking.

For further research, don't miss Guy Kawasaki and his Theory of Schmoozing version 1.0.

Also, back in July I blogged about business networking sites, which could be considered "virtual" schmoozing. Although these sites cannot compare with real, flesh-n-blood schmoozing.

There are many events that allow digital media professionals to practice their schmoozing. Check out Meet Up, NetParty, Toastmasters, The Rotary Club and various Chamber of Commerce events in your city.

A wise friend once said to me that a main goal of any businessperson should be to create a list of 100 people who will take your call...and enjoy it. You don't want folks to sigh heavily when they hear that you are on the phone, you want them to feel relieved that you called.

Some Books you might want to check out:
Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling Through Relationships by Richard Abraham
It's Not Your Smarts, It's Your Schmooze: How to Succeed Without Being Brilliant by Ty Freyvogel
The Art of Schmooze, Vol. 1: The Confident Schmoozer by Beth Mende Conny
How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less by Nicholas Boothman
Life's a Pitch!: From Hosting to Toasting...from News to Schmooze by Soni Dimond

Now get out there and GRAB-N-GRIN!

Transnational Blueblood

I wonder if people outside the industry find this as hilarious as I do. Who cares. Just take a peek at his comics to see the raw truth about the world of modern advertising and marketing. CAUTION: plenty of naughty language. Cutely blunt.

Space Case Race

Some days I look directly up. I wonder how soon humans will be living and working and conducting business in outer space. This century will see entrepreneurs, investors and various adventurers teaming up to colonize, democratize and commercialize off-earth properties.

Looking straight up makes me remember how I often daydreamed as a boy, dreaming of what it would be like to leave Earth. Apparently many Internet and computer industry veterans have the same desires today...and some of these guys have a tremendous amount of resources to draw upon. Today, as you read this, hundreds of smart, dedicated and imaginative engineers and scientists are using the most modern tools to make traveling to the stars a routine experience for our grandchildren.

The Seattle area alone is home to a few space exploration companies. Kent-based Blue Origin is headed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and is building launch vehicles. Bremerton-based Liftport is building a space elevator. This super-strong cable will be tethered to the earth and stretch up to a geosynchronous satellite. Planned completion is the year 2031...check out the countdown on their website. And then there is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen whose team won the $10 million Ansari X Prize by flying a private space vehicle 62 miles straight up. Oh, and then there's a little aerospace start up called Boeing.

Kirkland-based Kistler Aerospace has merged with Oklahoma-based Rocketplane Limited to create Rocketplane Kistler, a company creating reusable aerospace vehicles.

Believe it or not, things actually happen outside of Seattle. Elon Musk, creator of PayPal has started SpaceX, a space exploration technology company.

Sir Richard Branson has created a space tourism company called Virgin Galactic.

Burt Rutan, visionary of modern flight, has been intimately involved on the projects with Paul Allen and Richard Branson. He is tha man behind the investments, engineering ideas into reality.

The New Mexico Space Port, a $200 million launch pad, is going to be a center of activity over the coming years as more and more space entrepreneurs bring their products to market.

As with any speculative industry, there will be companies that never make it, like the Forks, WA company Space Transportation which closed its doors in 2006. Another Seattle company called ZG Aerospce is also now defunct.

A list of dozens of private companies in the aerospace market can be found here.

Enjoy your flight. Please make sure your seat-back and tray table are in the upright position. Please secure your helmet and gloves.

My Widget Wad

Today’s landscape of online social networks is vast and fragmented. How many profiles can a social human really endure before networking fatigue takes over? The great value of online communities lies in connections between people, yet many social networks today function solely to gather as many members as possible, pulling those people away from other competing communities.

So, I have begun a dangerous experiment. Today I embark on a journey to sign up for every social network that ever there was. So far I have accounts on almost 30 of them. I have my Facebook account, a MySpace page, a LinkedIn account, and the list goes on. I am collecting cut-and-paste widgets from every network I join, like they were postcards or treasured little travel mementos. I am documenting my journeys by sticking a widget or button from each community onto one single page on my website. One long JavaScript nightmare of a page. By the time I am done, I will be in possession of The Largest Widget Wad on the Internet.

I have so far learned this: I want to own my profile. My data is mine. But, I really want to share it with people across the world thru online communities. Each service basically asks for the same data. Sure, each service has a unique twist…so just ask me the questions that are different. I want a social pass key that will allow me into all of these sites easily. I want to be able to walk up to the Flickr community door, step in (with extremely minor verification/signup requirements) and start socializing. My data follows me, but when I am in different virtual locations, I want access to different functionality. My experience with my SecondLife 3D avatar will be different than my Jobster account, but each will be fed by my latest data.


Facebook understands this and has opened their API to outside developers. Will their dominance translate into what some are dubbing the operating system for social networks? Will this create a vast playground of socializing on a Facebook platform, with a few rouge, anti-Facebook communities going “off-the-grid”?

There are already a number of companies providing aggregation software which will gather all your data and even update all your social network profiles at the same time. Do you have a new favorite band and an unstoppable desire to share it with 9,000 of your closest friends? Just click on over to ProfileLinker, OtherEgo or Profilactic and use their services to socially network with your social networks.

Open source efforts are also attempting to create a viable standard. For example, the volunteers at Open ID are attempting to create a URL-like ID for individuals. This group describes itself as, "an open, decentralized, free framework for user-centric digital identity."

Other sites like Ning, MyLifeBrand, GoingOn and CrowdVine allow users to create their own social networks, fragmenting the community even further.

So I stand here before you with a pledge. Until I get my social pass key, my Widget Wad will continue to grow long and tall. I will continue to add silly widgets from every community I join until the spaghetti code of the page grows so unruly that it takes over the whole dang web!

This is a call for an extensible social networking language with personal data-sharing protocols. I demand it. Don’t make me use my wad!