Web Visions - New York - January 18–20, 2012

There are only two days left until WebVisions an may afternoon long course on HTML5 + CSS3, but its not to late to go. There are a few slots left open, and if you register today or tomorrow, I’ll send you a free copy of my book CSS3 Visual Quickstart Guide. That’s right, register now for my class at WebVisions, and I’ll have a copy of my book sent to you ASAP.

Once you’ve registered for my workshop, just let me know, and send me a PDF of the registration confirmation. That’s it.

And if you are already registered, don’t be sad. I’ll be giving away 3 copies of my book at the event as well, so be there!

SlideShare Best Presentation of the Day 10.27.2011

2010 was the year of web typography—the year new technologies came online that will forever change the way information appears online. As the dust settles from the advances of web fonts and CSS3, a new style of web typography is emerging, one that reflects print origins, but is also experimenting with the unique strengths of online communication. Learn about recent advances in technology through case studies at the boundaries of online typography. See how to use the new web typography to set your work apart from the rest of the herd.

on SlideShare: The NEW Web Typography.

I love a good mash-up, where two different things are combined to create something completely new, and generally unexpected. Whether it’s a song like The Time Lords Doctorn’ The TARDIS or candy like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, it’s always a joy when you find two great taste that taste great together.

Where the Deep Ones Are is a mash-up of two of my favorite classic tales: Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Shadow Over Innsmouth”. These may seem like unlikely stories to intermingle, but they actually share more parallels than you might think:

Both stories have their protagonists journeying into strange territories that slowly reveal their darker sides.

Both stories have mysterious creatures that really want the protagonists to stay.

In both stories the protagonists have to flee, with an angry mob of monstrous creatures hot on their heals.

Read the entire article Where the Deep Ones Are Is a Fun Halloween Read, But May Not Be for the Little Ones on GeekDad »

Typography is the voice that we give to text, and looking at great typography can be every bit as rewarding as watching a great theatrical production. The right combination of typefaces, styles, weights, color and placement brings a deeper meaning to simple words. Yet, in world where everyone uses the default font — Arial, and, yes you are probably reading this post in that font right now — few of us give much consideration to how our textual voices “sound.”

Read the rest of my article, Get Your Font on With Just My Type, at GeekDad »

Last August, Cartoon Network broadcast the first (and so far only) Lego Star Wars animated cartoon. I haven’t laughed so hard at a cartoon since the Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends finale. It reverently poked fun at the Star Wars franchise, with the same off-the-wall slapstick style we know from the Lego Star Wars Games. If you missed it, though, never fear, it’s now out on DVD and Blu-Ray DVD.

I have been a fan of the Lego Star Wars games for years. My wife and I have worked away our evening leading our ragged band through Mos Isley, The Death Star, Hoth, and more. When I try to explain the games to non-players, they have a hard time understanding why you need Lego in a video game. “Why not just have a Star Wars video game?” they ask. I try to explain how the visual simplicity and the lack of blood and guts make the game more enjoyable and just as challenging. But really, what makes Lego Star Wars — as well as the other Lego video games — so much  fun to play is the humor.

Read the full article, Padawan Menace Is a Chip Off the Ol’ (Lego) Block, on GeekDad »

SPOILER ALERT!

Sophie is leaving Craig on his own, and she is worried. Remember Craig and Sophie from last season’s episode “The Lodger?” OK, quick recap: While trying to save Amy from a timey-wimey mishap, The Doctor temporarily finds lodging with Craig who, unbeknownst to him, has an alien living in the flat above him. The Doctor figures this all out, plays a game of football — real football, not that American stuff — and manages to get rid of the alien and play matchmaker for Craig and his friend Sophie. Ok, you are up to date.

Sophie and Craig are now, well not married, but living together — permanently — and she is heading away for a weekend to rest:

Craig: I can cope on my own! Now please go and have a rest. You need it. I love you.
Sophie: I love you too. And thank you for this. And I do know you can cope on your own. And I may have drawn some arrows in the fridge.
Craig: Okay, really have to go now.

But no one is certain of Craig’s abilities to cope on his own, lead of all Craig. So it’s fortunate that the Doctor show up on a little social call:

Craig: Mum, it’s not just you, I’m phoning everybody. I’m texting the world. “Craig Owens can do it on his own”! No one is coming to help me. [There is a knock at the door]. Mum, I’m going to have to call you back. [hangs up] I’m coping, I’m coping on my own. I’m coping on my own. I’m coping on my own…
The Doctor: [delighted with himself] Hello Craig. I’m back!
Craig: She didn’t… How could she phone you?
The Doctor: How did who phone me? Nobody phoned me, I’m just here. [looking at house] Oh, you’ve redecorated! I don’t like it.
Craig: It’s a different house. We moved.
The Doctor: Yes. That’s it.
Craig: Doctor, what are you doing here?
The Doctor: Social call. Thought it about time I tried one out. How are you?
Craig: I’m fine.
The Doctor: This is the bit where I say “I’m fine too”, isn’t it? “I’m fine too.” Good. Love to Sophie. ‘Bye! [turns to leave, but lights flicker] Something’s wrong.

Something is indeed wrong.

Read the whole Doctor Who Recap: “Closing Time”  on GeekDad at Wired.com»

The Doctor: Appalapachia!
Amy: Appalapachia. What a beautiful word.
The Doctor: Beautiful word. Beautiful world. Appalapachia. Voted number two planet in the top ten greatest destinations for the discerning intergalactic traveler.
Rory: Why couldn’t we go to number one?
The Doctor: It’s hideous! Everyone goes to number one. Planet of the Coffee Shops.

But rather than sunsets, spires, and soaring silver colonnades as promised, our adventurers get… white. A white room with white tables and a white door. There are are red and green buttons by the door, however.

Read my Doctor Who Recap: “The Girl Who Waited” on GeekDad »

font :: type
voice :: speech

Fonts are to type what voice is to speech. How you express your message is more than just a combination of different letters, numbers, and symbols, known collectively as glyphs. The shape of those glyphs can say as much as the words themselves.

Consider the simple phrase “I love you.” Devoid of the context of speech, you dont have any idea what it really means. Is it a passionate “I love you,” or a desperate “I love you,” or a sad “I love you”? Now consider the same phrase expressed using different typefaces:

Do you see the difference now?

There are an estimated 150,000 fonts available for typographic design, 150,00 potential voices. So why only five typefaces on the web?

Web typography is the combination of HTML text using CSS to style that text. It relies on the fonts available on the end users computer, which, until the last few years, meant only fonts pre-installed by the manufacturer or installed by the users themselves.

Webfonts are a recent development in Web design, allowing designers a potentially unlimited palette of fonts to choose from.

Read the full text of my article What You Need to Know About Webfonts: Part 1 at CreativePro.com »

The Nonprofit Technologies conference isn’t until next April, but they are taking votes right now for who will be speaking. Like SXSW, this only makes up a ⅓ of the sessions that will end up in the conference, it’s the first round, so it would be nice to be picked here.

So, please take a moment to give me an up vote on me session Web Design for Fun and Non-profits. No registration is needed, but only one person can vote per IP address, so if someone in your company already voted, it may look like you can’t vote for me. Never fear, just try from home or another location.

Here’s a bit more about my session from the abstract:

Although charities, foundations, causes and other not for profit organizations were around long before the Web, the Internets most popular child has certainly been a boon to their communications and outreach. The Web is an inexpensive way to reach a wide audience that would have been out of most organizations reach through older media types. But even though a single TV ad can cost as much as the entire budget of a web site, most non-profits still struggle to create high-quality and high impact web based strategies. It’s easy to think that the issues with deigning for non-profits come down to the price tag, but the frustrations can go much deeper.

Vote at NTEN»