Visual Design

Between 2010 and 2015, the number of U.S. mobile Internet users will increase by a compound annual growth rate of 16.6 percent while PCs and other wireline services first stagnate, then gradually decline.
—The Daily Tech

The unstated expectation many clients have about a website is that it will look pretty much the same, no matter where they see it. Whether it's in the latest version of Firefox or an old version of Internet Explorer, the site should look and work exactly the same. Unfortunately, this often unquestioned assumption has been holding back the advancement of web design for years, as developers strive for what we have called "pixel perfection" among browsers with very different capabilities.

Forum One's Redesigned Website

You've probably heard the old adage, "The shoemaker’s children go without shoes." While we’ve been busy at Forum One designing and developing websites and online strategies for our clients, it’s been hard for us to find the time to refresh our own website, ForumOne.com.

It used to be the axiom on the Web that "content is king," but the king has a new rival.

 In the interactive world everyone has their own opinion and ideas on what makes a pleasant, effective user experience. Usually that leads to the exclusion of the real question, “what do users want /need?” When done correctly, A/B Testing can settle the argument, giving the audience an indirect voice.

In the world of ever-shrinking time lines and pressure to role out top-quality user experiences for cheaper and faster, it is easy to see how anyone's mood can be negatively impacted. The mood board technique is nothing new, but extremely resourceful. As a visual designer, I find mood boards considerably more effective than producing multiple design concepts.

I woke up this morning with a kink in my neck. The kind of kink that can't be cured. No amount of massaging, twisting, or rolling will get it back in line. And so my head is tilting slightly to the left today. I figure if I rest my chin on my hand, I'll just look like I'm in deep thought, like I'm really considering what you just said. But in fact, I am too distracted by the discomfort of my unaligned vertebrate.

I love my Subaru. I've driven it with no issues for about seven years. (BRB - going to knock on wood.) Despite my love, there are two design flaws that have driven me nuts throughout the duration of those seven years. (Disclaimer: I drive a 2004 Subaru. These features may have been updated on newer models.)

When reviewing a designer's mock-up of a web site design, my job as an interface engineer is to look for areas of the design which will be challenging or impossible to implement. Such areas aren't always obvious. In theory, a mock-up and the final site should look identical, but in reality a mock-up and a web site are very different animals.

Nicely-cropped images help any web site look more credible and finished. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to fancy, schmancy photo-editing software like Adobe Photoshop. But don't despair. Beautifully-cropped photos can be yours with a few simple steps.