Designing for the Web by Mark Boulton
I just got done reading Chapter 25: Bringing it all together of an online book Designing for the Web by Mark Boulton online and realized the main reason I woke up this morning and went directly to the computer was in fact not to start reading an online book, it was to figure out what I want for myself and my future. Fortunately this book really inspired me and helped me think through a lot of the things that were on my mind.
Typically I wont be found reading much and that’s somewhere I could hugely improve my life and learn a lot. My favorite sections of this book were the sections about Ideas, Design Process, and Creative Briefs. The whole book is a really concise, intelligent, and most importantly an enjoyable read! ;) Scan a couple of those sections I highlighted or buy the book for more traditional reading tendencies — in a comfy chair with your reading light. Highly recommended!
Lightopia Online – Website Design
The Lightopia Online site is a very modern e-commerce design paired with major focus on search-ability. The idea was to let the user search the large product line by style, type, or brand and follow a preferred path to the perfect lighting piece for their home, office, or venue. Focusing on high-quality materials, great craftsmanship, and honest service – the design decisions came together beautifully.
Features include: Dynamic Flash Animation, e-Commerce Interface + Checkout Process (with product options, user reviews, wish lists, send-to-a-friend feature, featured products), Advanced Filter Search Function, Contact Form with Google Map Integration, & Mighty-Site Content Management Software.
Van Drunen Farms Website Design
Love, love, love the Van Drunen Farms website that we just launched at Orbit. Andy, Liz, Jill and I had a great time touring the 1,200 acres of farm in Momence, IL . We also took a fully decked out tour (hair nets, safety glasses, and lab coats) inside the warehouse to see just how they freeze-dry, drum-dry, quick freeze (IQF), sugar-infuse, and fire-roast all the fruits, herbs, and vegetables that they produce and ship out. It was so cool!
Love the people at VDF and had a great time working on their site design.
HL Sourcing Design
It was great working with Henry-Lee & Company on the HL Sourcing website design at Orbit. We brainstormed for awhile and came up with this great slide show feature on the homepage to showcase all of their services and capabilities in materials. I think everybody was very pleased with the outcome of this site – a successful project in style and function. :)
Redesign of FBC
Pardon my dust. ;) I’m redesigning.
Apologies for falling behind and skipping an entire month, even my new condo and engagement news have not been added to my site…but I assure you I will be getting back on the ball. summer has been really busy with work, travel, and social life. I’m looking forward to the winter I think, just to get some down time.
Really good news is that I just found out I’m going to be participating in the BareWalls2009 Fundraiser at the Art Institute in October. All the fund raising money goes to scholarships for the school and I’m excited to be a part of it. It is actually a live art-making event, where people will be walking around bidding on work that is in progress. Super nervous, but excited nonetheless!
Little City Center for the Arts
This is Little City Center for the Arts‘ new website that I designed at Orbit recently. I am so happy with the way it turned out. My favorite part about this project is that I love the organization – for more than 20 years, they have provided children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to explore and expand their unique and creative talents, promoting a sense of accomplishment and empowerment through the arts. Continue Reading →
Look its me & Jason Santa Maria!
Hey look! It’s me and Jason Santa Maria! AND Eric Meyer! AND look it’s Robert Hoekman, Jr! Sadly I didn’t get a picture with Andy Clarke, but he did give 
me a sweet pin from Stuff and Nonsense at lunch one day as we chatted about politics and other things…:) It’s crazy because I go to these sites all the the time and read about design things and new projects and I guess I never thought I’d actually meet the people behind them. These are some of the great web standards-designers-css writers-usability experts of their kind!
My friend Cheryl that I met at the conference has been telling me to get these pictures up for like 2 weeks so here they are! Finally!
ALL of the speakers were fantastic and really opened my eyes to a lot of things that I didn’t know and also reaffirmed some things I’d been thinking all
along. It was nice to just get inspired and be in my design element agian.
Sometimes an experience like this is just the thing you need to get back in that zone. Not that I’ve lost interest in design at all – its just tough to be excited every day when you hardly have time to think, when you are just doing doing doing. I hope I can use lots of the things I learned at Orbit and also educate my co-workers that were unable to attend. I took soooo many notes my arm was about to fall off – so I’m covered in terms of information! :)
An Event Apart: Chicago 2008
Tonight we went to pick up my packet for “An Event Apart” Web Design Conference tomorrow! I’m so excited I cannot even express my emotions in word format. *jumps for joy*
Check out the picture to the right – this is the stuff that came in my packet a sweet mini laptop bag(too bad my comp doesn’t fit), memo pad, and a quite nice journal/notebook, and of course my personalized ID badge. :) I’m happy, can you tell?
This is going to be such an inspiration and so eye-opening and refreshing. Starts at 7AM tomorrow at the Sheraton Hotel downtown Chicago and the end of the day there will be a sweet party sponsored by Media Temple. All the people I love in web design are gonna be there: Jeffery Zeldman, Eric Meyer, Jason Santa Maria (who designed the ID badges), Jason Fried, Cameron Moll…the list goes on. I really wish someone was going with me (Kurt would be my first choice since we are literally like web design buddies every day at work.) I’m gonna do my best to relay all this stuff back to you dude! Seriously its not gonna be the same by myself…hopefully I’m not a total loner hanging out in the corner being bashful. Haha! Lets pray I make some friends. LOL.
Ok well I’m gonna go get my bag together and charge all my electronics to take with me: laptop, camera, phone, ipod nano. :)
ShopFixture.com
Design show and tell time. :) This is a website design I made for shopfixture.com here at Orbit in the last year. My favorite part about this project is that I love the ShopFixture style – that’s always a bonus when designing a new site. :) Continue Reading →
Adventure Stage @ Vittum Theater
I don’t usually post about my design work so I thought I’d start doing so since Justin inspired me to do so. This is a website I designed for Adventure Stage Chicago a dynamic theatre group in my neighborhood for young audiences. They were built upon imagination, inspiring dialogue and growing a community of families, educators and artists. They have workshops, residencies and resources that offer concrete ways to infuse theatre in the classroom – which I think is a great thing for young people. Continue Reading →
An Event Apart: Chicago
Oh my gosh I can’t tell you how excited I am to go to An Event Apart Chicago…just got the go ahead from my boss to get some training and I am jumping for joy (well, on the inside). lol. I have really needed some design inspiration for a long time and I know this conference is going to be just what I’m looking for…
Jason Fried from 37signals will be there, Jeffery Zeldman – the founder and executive creative director of Happy Cog Studios will be there, and many more awesome and amazing people that I can learn so much from.
AND it’s right here in Chicago…so I can blissfully be entertained and inspired and instructed about CSS, design, and web standards right in my own city…without flying somewhere or paying for hotel stay. Yay! This is going to be kickass! Ding~! I win.
Mr. Diggles
This is Mr. Diggles. He makes wallets at db clay. And has a blog. I thought his site was cool…because of the “about me” expandable div. Also Mr. Diggles rhymes with giggles and thats something I do alot.
….just thought I would share.