Dive into the archives.
How to display html or javascript code in a Wordpress entry
You don’t think about it until you have to do it, but it’s difficult to print HTML code in a webpage (or blog) as actual HTML code. The solution? More HTML code, of course.
Javascript to hide email addresses from crawlers (and spammers)
There are of course many ways to do this… One way is to always use an image to display the email address, so a user has to manually type it into their email client. An easy way to hide email addresses, while still using a mailto: link, is to use a simple javascript function.
The XO free laptop program (one laptop per child)
The much-fabled $100 laptop is almost ready to go into production. The plan was to create an inexpensive laptop, rugged and resilient to heat, cold, humidity, and tumbling about, and get governments to pay to distribute them to children in the world’s poorest nations, so that they could access the education that the internet provides.
Challenges of print design vs. interactive design
I’d been doing primarily web/interactive design for the past few years, but have recently gotten back into print. It’s where I got my start, but after being away from it for a while, I feel that I’ve gotten kind of soft. I’m noticing that print design is a lot less forgiving, versus interactive media. A few of the challenges…
Adapting (hacking) Ikea to make it your own
Ikea’s a great place to go if you’re setting up an apartment or an office. Their merchandise is generally clean, modern, and fairly simple in design. There’s a feature in the New York Times Style Section, though, that shows how people have taken Ikea’s simplicity and run with it — they’re modifying off-the-shelf pieces to make them their own unique and individual pieces. Some of the highlights: a waterproof dress (made from an Ikea shower curtain), a surfboard table (supported by two Ikea chairs), a hanging speaker assembly encased in two Ikea salad bowls, and a bunch of pieces where people have painted or otherwise decorated stools and end-tables.
Kinkos for graphic designers.
I learned way back when I was in college to never, ever go to the Kinkos during the day. Especially not the one that’s right downtown. Why? Because they’re busy. With more important clients than you. They have bigger, higher volume fish to fry. Your job goes in the queue, which often is 4 hours or more (even if its only 8 pages). Concerned about the color? That’s not really their deal. Last time I asked (while the sun was up), they flatly told me that it wasn’t possible.
Free high-res image sources on the web
You generally get what you pay for. The best images are purchased from a photographer, or high-end stock houses like Gettyone, Corbis, or the like. For many lower-budget projects, though, or for more general images (I need a photo of the sky), you can find what you’re looking for at a much lower price — sometimes free.
