Archive for June, 2010

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Jun
15

How we can use Cufon technique in the website?

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Typography is a nightmare for those who have design a good attractive website using artistic fonts. These artistic fonts will not support web browser as well. I think cufon will help those who are facing this type of situation.

Cufon is an implementation of javascript, SVG, and Canvas that slaps your font into place after the browser has loaded your website with an amazing amount of speed and efficiencySo it better than image replacement, and simple.

Compatibility: Cufon works in all browsers except IE6.  Since it’s run by javascript, it doesn’t require you to have the most recent version of flash on your site.  In fact, it doesn’t require flash at all (and thank god).  Not every browser has implemented the use of canvas or SVG, but with javascript mixed in, every browser (except stupid old IE6) is at least able to run Cufon.

Usability: Cufon is amazingly easy to install.  Plug your font into their encoder, allow it to spit it out, and plug it in.  For those of us who are CSS gurus and not developers, this means something very important: Cufon works like a breeze with CSS! For any of you who have been using sIFR to do your subbing in, and I have tried it myself so I am talking from experience, how difficult is it to actually A. Target a piece of HTML with sIFR and B. Actually then apply the correct CSS to it without tying yourself in a knot over word-spacing, line-height, and all the other joys of actually forcing your new flash text to over-write your old text in that pretty manner that you want?  You know what I mean.  With Cufon: Apply it, target it with javascript (Cufon.replace(‘h1′)) and Apply your CSS as normal.  No extra instructions, no obnoxious work-arounds, just put it all in and make it pretty.  No stress and no grey hairs.

Speed: Taking compatibility into consideration with this one, @font-face is fast.  It plugs your text in like normal.  In the browsers it works in.  Image-replacement is fast enough.  You have to wait for the images to load and in the meantime, no text appears at all. Luckily for us, Cufon pops up (leaving your regular text there until it does, styled with the CSS as normal so it looks nice) as soon as your javascript kicks in.  Which is pretty darn fast in all the modern browsers.

Safety: Cufon does imbed the font you upload into a new javascript file for you and requests that you specifically apply it to your domain.  People can probably steal all the code and put it in their website, but they won’t be able to download it for use at least.

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Posted in Typography | No Comments »

Jun
8

Why Hybrid Design is the Next New Thing

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

Hybrid design dispenses with theory and relies on nimble, multi-faceted teams of experts to tackle the complexities of a design challenge.

For the better part of the past decade, the design profession has been in a chaotic period. Confronting a unique mixed salad of conflicts–political, social, economic and environmental–designers have been struggling to define their core beliefs. The result has often been a defensive stance, rather than a positive look at the industry’s capabilities and their accomplishments. Expectations of the design industry’s social responsibility are essential, yet an understanding of designers’ ability to use their skills to create a better future would be a better place to start.
This is where hybrid design comes in. It’s a progressive notion about the multi-dimensional craft of “doing things,” as well as a reflection on the interconnectedness of all kinds of design within the economic and commercial fabric of society. It balances the skills, talents and relative strengths of designers to create both physical and non-physical objects, and their refinement, delivery, and relevancy within a cultural, social and responsible context. And it advances the current rage for design thinking by producing tangible, well-crafted solutions to the strategic and difficult challenges businesses face in this new, and complex environment.

For the better part of the past decade, the design profession has been in a chaotic period. Confronting a unique mixed salad of conflicts–political, social, economic and environmental–designers have been struggling to define their core beliefs. The result has often been a defensive stance, rather than a positive look at the industry’s capabilities and their accomplishments. Expectations of the design industry’s social responsibility are essential, yet an understanding of designers’ ability to use their skills to create a better future would be a better place to start.
This is where hybrid design comes in. It’s a progressive notion about the multi-dimensional craft of “doing things,” as well as a reflection on the interconnectedness of all kinds of design within the economic and commercial fabric of society. It balances the skills, talents and relative strengths of designers to create both physical and non-physical objects, and their refinement, delivery, and relevancy within a cultural, social and responsible context. And it advances the current rage for design thinking by producing tangible, well-crafted solutions to the strategic and difficult challenges businesses face in this new, and complex environment.

Hybrid design is already happening all over. Within industrial design, the seamless integration of software and hardware into everyday objects, whether it be the iPod and iTunes, or the old-fashioned “on-screen-display” on your cable box, has been a part of any physical design for over a decade.

Similarly, non-object designers are becoming increasingly aware of the power and effectiveness of physical objects in cementing abstract concepts such as brand or service design. The making, delivery and presence of these physical objects are as essential to brand and service design as logos or user interfaces.

Hybrid design is the de-facto merger of industrial, interactive, and brand design. It is, however, more than that, since it places these trusted design methodologies within an actionable, focused and deliverable framework.

Posted in Designing | 5 Comments »

Jun
8

Importance to have a business card?

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010

As web designers and developers, we often overlook printed marketing materials.
But on occasion, they can come in very handy: at conferences, when we meet face-to-face with clients, or when we happen to run into someone we might want to do business with. Having business cards is a great way to promote yourself in the physical world.
Of course, since web design is a creative field, you’ll want your business card to serve as a sort of mini portfolio that displays your skills. You should put the same time and energy into designing your business cards that you put into designing a website.
And the skills necessary to design a business card can be easily adapted from those that are required to design a website. Read on for more information about how to design your business cards.

Size and Shape
Standard business cards are 2? x 3.5?, in either vertical or horizontal orientation. Horizontal is more traditional, but plenty of people and companies now opt for vertical layouts.
There are a few benefits to the standard sizing, the primary one being that it’s generally less expensive because it’s common. The other big benefit is that it is immediately recognizable as a business card, and will fit in standard business card holders.
But just because business cards are traditionally a 2? x 3.5? rectangle doesn’t mean you can’t deviate from that size and shape. With modern printing and cutting techniques, virtually any size and shape can be used for your business cards.
Die cut cards are particularly popular. Some opt for a traditional rectable, but with rounded corners or some kind of cutout shape within the card.
Others opt for an entirely custom shape, often reflecting their logo or a company theme or mascot. Just remember that anything too complex is likely to get bent or otherwise misshapen, which may defeat its purpose.

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Posted in Designing | 34 Comments »

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