Metaphors are a great way to improve the way you think about what you’re working on. But they can also limit the way you think about something. I overheard someone describe their website as being like a brochure for their company. Personally, I think that’s a big mistake. Brochures are something you deliver to someone, [...]
Entries Tagged as 'internet'
Google Chrome launched
September 3rd, 2008 · No Comments · internet, software
It’s only been a few hours but I love Google Chrome. Right off the bat I noticed a big improvement in speed and stability over the other browsers. For work, I’m using Firefox because I rely on its web developer extensions, but despite it being in beta I expect I’ll be using Chrome for regular [...]
How to spot an internet scam
August 13th, 2008 · No Comments · SEO, internet
I feel like the guys in Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink that could just look at a supposedly 3,000 year-old statue and say “fake”. But I’m beginning to see that there are a lot of people still falling for fake promises made by websites. Here’s a quick test that helps me when I have any doubt: go [...]
Tags:Blink·fakes·google·howto·internet·Malcolm Gladwell·scams·SEO
How to fix eBay
July 31st, 2008 · No Comments · internet, marketing
This has been bothering me for a long time. I use eBay a lot, and recently it has become less fun, but I can’t put my finger on why exactly. The site is flooded with generic, no-brand products, (at least in the categories I spend most of my time) being sold for razor thin profits [...]
What is Web Design?
July 14th, 2008 · No Comments · design, internet
Is it the way websites are used, or is it all the frilly bits? Where does the confusion come from? Design is literally the opposite of an accident. It is when things are done for a purpose, or when a choice is made from many competing options. So graphic design and usability as they relate [...]
8 glasses of water and other myths
July 8th, 2008 · No Comments · internet, learning
Twice recently I’ve seen two high-profile blogs write about weight loss techniques which I have seen refuted by professionals. Number one: targeted weight loss, the idea that certain exercises will remove fat from only certain parts of your body, which is just false. Number two: low-carb diets, which I thought had been shown to create [...]
Paragraph typography on the web
July 4th, 2008 · No Comments · design, internet
Here’s a great post from Jon Tan about how to style paragraphs.
Tags:paragraphs·typography
Google’s new favicon
June 30th, 2008 · No Comments · design, internet
I’ve given it a little while to sink in, but I have to say I like it. There seems to have been a lot of negative reaction to this, which might seem a small issue, but it’s always strange when a well-established company changes some part of its branding. It reminds me of the changes [...]
Designing Accessibility
June 23rd, 2008 · No Comments · design, internet
Accessibility guidelines for websites are great. They give you an edge over your competition. Remember that guidelines and rules don’t change and don’t always tell you about how things are used. If someone can’t use your site, is there a way for them to tell you? Have you watched a blind person use your site, [...]
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Don’t be ordinary: lessons from Yahoo! resignation
June 18th, 2008 · No Comments · internet
Go read Stewart Butterfield’s resignation letter on Valleywag. OK? Now read the comments. No real focus on the story, just he’s crazy, he’s on drugs, and above all he’s not funny. When was the last time anyone agreed on what was funny? “It’s not funny” might be an opening sentence but by itself it’s not [...]
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