Posts Tagged ‘web design’

In the Workplace with Abbe Tykwinski

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Name: Abbe Tykwinski
Title: Print Production Coordinator
Website/Blog: abbetyk.blogspot.comWeb Design by Abbe Tykwinski
Location: Chicago, IL

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I graduated in 2006 with a B.A. in Professional Writing from Michigan State University. My track was Editing & Publishing, but I took a lot of the Digital & Technical Writing classes as well. After college I moved to Chicago and got a job re-designing the website of a writing instructor, which I enjoyed. I maintained the website until I got a job at a small publishing company that produced pages for office supply catalogs. I had a temporary job there as a proofreader and when they hired me full-time, I was given the task of re-designing their website as well as managing their image database, reporting on catalog data, and even doing some page makeup. I’ve also done a little freelance web design.

Tell us about your current job.
I currently work at CVS Caremark through a marketing/design staffing agency called Aquent. I started working here in January 2009. I work with two other people to print and assemble proposals and presentations and also a variety of marketing collateral. We run this stuff on the four digital presses we have in house.

I’ve diverged from that job description a little bit by helping design new print request forms and revamping the department’s project tracking database. When I started this job, the database we used captured no useful data other than the names of the projects and who requested them. When the VP of Marketing started to request actual reports, it was obvious we needed to change our system. Our workload had lightened substantially and we had hired a third production coordinator, so I used my downtime to build a new database in Filemaker. I’d never used Filemaker before so it was a real learning experience. I’m happy to say that today we have a functional database that captures all the cost, supply usage, and workload information that we need. (more…)

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Posted in Career, Design, Web, Writing | 1 Comment »

Upcoming NYC events: Future of Web Design and 99% Conference

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Future of Web Design 2009
Attention all web designers, creatives, and anyone who cares about web design: there’s still time to register for the Future of Web Design 2009 conference in New York City on November 16-17.

Future of Web Design 2009Workshops will be held on the 16th and the conference will be held on the 17th. Workshops will include designing with CSS3, best practices in web typography, techniques of modern web design, and more. There is a slew of talented designers lined up for the day of the conference, including speakers from Digg, Vimeo, and Microsoft. Click here to learn more about the conference speakers. You can opt for a one-day conference pass for $395 or a workshops + conference pass for $695.

Future of Web Design 2009
November 16-17, 2009
New World Stages
New York City
Registration

99% Conference 2010
99% Conference 2010The 99% Conference is about making ideas happen. The two-day event co-hosted by Behance and Cool Hunting brings together productive creative visionaries to offer a behind-the-scenes look at their processes as they share insights on pushing ideas forward.

Tickets are now on sale and there is a special early-bird ticket price of $399 (compared to $699 for regular tickets). The 2009 conference sold out quickly, so early registration is recommended.

99% Conference 2010
April 15-16, 2010
The Times Center
New York City
Registration

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Posted in Events, Web | 1 Comment »

In the Workplace with Derek Moore

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Name: Derek Moore
Title: Web Artist and Co-Founder of Simplify Advance
Website: http://dereksmoore.com
Location: Chicago, IL

Derek Moore

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I am self-taught. When I was 16-years-old, I created my first website. I continued to make a few more, coding everything by hand. Eventually I started to get paid for the work I was doing. Now I get paid for all of my work or at least I’d like to think that’s the case.

Tell us about your current job.
Currently I am running my own shop called Simplify Advance. We make custom web applications for people with great ideas. We also make our own ideas come to life. You can check out http://beanvsleaf.com and http://makeapeep.com, two fun foundation apps that instigated the birth of Simplify Advance. (more…)

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Posted in Career, Design, Web | 1 Comment »

Web Design Boot Camp

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

Web Design Boot CampThe Society for News Design is hosting a fantastic two-day course November 7-8 at the Columbia College Department of Journalism: Web Design Boot Camp.

During the course, Tyson Evans, interface engineer at The New York Times, and Dave Wright, senior interactive designer at NPR, will show how to build a compelling web design that fosters online storytelling using HTML/CSS and widgets.

This course is designed for beginners, particularly print designers who wish to transition to news design. Those who are at the intermediate level will still find value in the course topics and can work one-on-one with the instructors. The agenda includes:

  • The state of news design online
  • Understanding the web’s acronym soup
  • Making progress independently of your IT department or other restraints
  • Hands-on with HTML and CSS
  • Web design strategies on news-driven deadlines

Online registration is now open. The fee for the course is $400 for non-members and $200 for non-member students and faculty. Members of The Society for News Design, the Online News Association, the American Copy Editors Society, and the National Press Photographers Association can take advantage of a discounted rate of $300, or $150 if you are a student or faculty member. Click here for information about a Foundation training grant to help with costs.

Web Design Boot Camp
Saturday & Sunday, November 7-8, 2009
Columbia College Department of Journalism
Chicago, IL
Online Registration

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Posted in Design, Events, Web | 5 Comments »

Using Google Maps to design portfolios

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

When I came across this on swissmiss, my first thought was: what do maps have to do with portfolios? The creative cataloging site Heavy Backpack explains:

Using an application, like CASA’s Image Cutter or the Automatic Tile Cutter, you can create your own map tiles for Google Maps. This means that you can replace image map tiles with any image tiles you like including other maps, or more importantly for designers and artist, replace them with portfolio images!

microtyp.org Portfolio
microtyp.org

This is a really interesting concept for portfolio design. It certainly speaks to the creativity that designers should have and it’s great to see “old” tools being used in new ways. But I wonder how users would react to this kind of portfolio design — if enough people are aware of how Google Maps functionality works, or even if they would realize what they need to do as a user. Only one of the featured portfolios made use of a help panel:

Stas Kulesh Portfolio
http://stas.kulesh.co.nz/

What do you think, is this a viable way to design portfolios? Or do usability concerns outweigh creativity?

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Posted in Design, Trends, Web | No Comments »

Summer web content developer openings in Monterey, CA

Monday, May 11th, 2009

The Monterey Institute of International Studies is undergoing a website redesign and looking for 2-3 web content developers to work with the web team and help create content during the summer (late-May to mid-August). While no specific coding knowledge is required, you will have the chance to observe a fairly large-scale redesign.

The team of content developers will be responsible for writing some of the main landing pages for miis.edu. This will include highly visible pages such as Admissions, Academics, and other areas of the site that are most likely to be seen by prospective students and donors.

Job Duties:
- Consult with staff and faculty members regarding the web content that needs to be created
- Produce writing that is creative, clear, and concise

Qualifications:
- Demonstrate a strong command of the English language, particularly with regard to grammar and style
- Possess the ability to proof, research, and challenge assumptions

Bonus Points:
- Previous experience with technical writing, blogging, or writing for the web
- Knowledge of Chicago and AP styles

Time Commitment: 20-40 hrs/wk
Compensation: $12-17/hr DOE

The ideal candidates will be able to work onsite in Monterey, CA in order to learn firsthand about the Institute.

Send resumes to Kristen Byers at kristen.byers@miis.edu. Writing samples and portfolios are also encouraged. Materials will be accepted until May 17. Please don’t hesitate to contact Kristen if you have any questions!

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Posted in Career | No Comments »

Results for Survey for People Who Make Websites

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

Last July, A List Apart (ALA) held its second “Survey for People Who Make Websites“, which gives professional writers, editors, designers, students, and hobbyists who have a role in web design a chance to share their experience with the field.

More than 30,000 people participated in the 2008 survey, which covered salary, education, job satisfaction, and much more.

This year’s findings paint a clearer picture of the distinctions between full-time and freelance web professionals: how you work, what you earn, and what you love about the job. Interestingly, too, despite the brutality of a global recession that was already in full swing (like an axe) when we offered the survey, most respondents revealed a surprisingly high level of job security, satisfaction, and confidence in the future.

Here are just a few of the interesting results:

  • More than half of those surveyed are employees, and 26.2% are freelancers
  • More than 70% have a personal site/blog
  • Number one way to stay current: read relevant websites/zines/blogs

Check out the full results on the survey’s website. You can also download the raw data here.

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Posted in Career, Design, Web | 1 Comment »

Communication & Web Design

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

I have had many discussions with fellow professional writers about how well-crafted content is essential for good web design, so I was thrilled to see an article from Smashing Magazine about the necessity of good communication for websites.

In “Clear And Effective Communication In Web Design“, web designer and blogger Steven Snell does a fantastic job of breaking down methods of communication, challenges for designers, and communication basics. To help make all of that much easier to do, he also gives tips and goals for creating good communication, along with its results.

But for me the most interesting aspect is that this article reinforces the importance and value of hiring professional writers who have the ability to effectively communicate through writing and design.

Snell talks about how a website needs to quickly and clearly communicate while also showing personality, improving branding, and taking into account the medium and the audience. This should sound familiar. Just look at how some of our “In the Workplace” web designers and developers have defined professional writing:

“Being able to strongly communicate an idea in as few words as possible with enough honesty and candor to grab someone’s attention.” – Joe Sak, XHTML/CSS/JS Web Developer

“Knowing who your target audience is, what your audience is looking for, and tailoring your document to meet those needs. We analyze, synthesize, and deliver.” – Andrew Saulter, Web Designer/Developer

“Communicating clearly and effectively to a specific audience through a specific medium.” – Kristen Byers, New Media Development Specialist

“Being clear and concise when communicating a message.” - John Phillips, User Interface Designer/Developer

Web designers not only need to know how to communicate effectively through their design work, they also need to know how to talk to employers about the need for an effective communicator and web designer. With the current state of the economy, it is more important than ever to be able to communicate your value as a professional writer when writing a resume, designing a portfolio, or interviewing for jobs. Snell’s article provides some great language to do that, so be sure to check it out.

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Posted in Design, Web, Writing | 3 Comments »

Survey for People Who Make Websites

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

A List Apart has opened its second “Survey for People Who Make Websites“, which is a fantastic opportunity for professional writers, editors, designers, students,  and hobbyists who have a role in web design to share their experience with the field.

Calling all designers, developers, information architects, project managers, writers, editors, marketers, and everyone else who makes websites. It is time once again to pool our information so as to begin sketching a true picture of the way our profession is practiced worldwide.

There are 44 questions for the survey (which may vary slightly depending on your answers) and it took me less than five minutes to complete. So take a few minutes today to contribute to the field of web design, and then be sure to keep an eye on A List Apart for survey results. In the meantime, you can also check out last year’s survey results to see what was learned.

2008 Survey Participant

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