Earlier this year, Google introduced the Google Font Directory, which offers users a selection of open source fonts to use online as web-friendly fonts. I finally set aside some time to find out more about it… only to realize that it takes about 5 minutes to integrate the fonts into your site! I used the Reenie Beanie font on some of the headers throughout my site. I initially was using it on more text, but quickly realized that getting too crazy with some of these fonts could result in very unreadable text. So, while this new free resource is very cool, best usability practices should still be kept in mind when designing your site!
Has anyone seen any other websites integrating these fonts?
Resources:
Where to download the Google fonts to use in Photoshop comps
When I started reading comic books again three years ago (after a 12-year hiatus), I promised myself I wouldn’t get back into collecting single issues and would only buy trade paperbacks. It just didn’t seem financially reasonable to pay $4 per issue and I had so much reading to catch up on that it only made sense to read trades. The one thing I really do miss about buying single issues was getting to check out each new cover when going to the comic book shop! So, I thought it’d be fun to go back through my totally random comic collection that has sat in boxes since the early 90s and try to pick out some of my favorite covers from back in the day. Check out the list after the jump. Read more…
There’s not much else to say except that I’m really really really excited! Honestly, this is the second-best show on television (besides Lost).
According to a press release just received at ML HQ, the fourth season of Mad Men is set to debut in July. When in July, of course, remains a mystery. Though since the series debuted on July 17, 2007, you probably couldn’t go too wrong keeping Sunday, July 18 open on your calendar.
Link: Movie|Line
After nailing down the scope and requirements of a project, I always start my designs with a wireframe of the homepage. In the past, this usually started with some dry erase markers on a whiteboard and then I would recreate those drawings using Photoshop. This is not always the fastest and most efficient way to work. My friend @schusterbauer, however, recently introduced me to Mockingbird, an online wireframing application, and it has completely changed the way I work.
Mockingbird’s simple UI and library of web elements makes it easy to rapidly mock up your designs and outline the basic functionality of the site or application. The user’s ability to quickly update the mock ups make it an ideal tool for brainstorming and “sharing” your projects is a great way to collaborate and get feedback from clients. I would highly recommend using this tool to anyone!
Other wireframing tools worth checking out are Hot Gloo and Balsamiq. Are there any others worth checking out?
I have to admit that I don’t really get into the winter Olympics, but this year I find myself incredibly dedicated to the sport of curling. And it’s not just me! Anytime I’ve been out to a restaurant or bar in the past week, there are always people with their eyes glued to the tv if curling is on. Last Friday we had a huge group of people cheering on the women of Denmark as they battled the Canadians. Denmark lost. Here are some of the reasons I’ve come to love the beautiful sport of curling: Read more…
The first class I took as a freshman at Kalamazoo College was a writing seminar that focused on art and art history. I’m not entirely sure how I ended up in it, but I immediately fell in love with looking at art. Even though I went on to be a Studio Art major, I took a ton of art history classes, which pretty much involved sitting in the dark looking at hundreds and hundreds of slides. While this experience truly started me on my creative career path, there is nothing that compares to seeing certain pieces of art in person. Below are the five most inspiring artworks that I have had the pleasure of seeing in the flesh:
1. The Old Guitarist, 1903, Pablo Picasso, Art Institute of Chicago
This has always been one of my favorites and I’ve probably seen it over a dozen times in person. It must be the Elliott Smith vibe that draws me to it. See the rest after the jump. Read more…
