(Latest release, v1.0 on 01/27/2012)
ImageScale scales and repositions images into the center of a container div using JavaScript. The plugin aims to reduce maintenance issues when dealing with a fixed content area that needs to handle multiple image sizes. While JavaScript image resizing isn’t always ideal, this plugin should do the trick when batch image processing is not an available option. (more…)
A few weeks before Thanksgiving I was brought on board a brain-storming team as the lead designer for the next big thing the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was working on. The idea at the time was very nebulous, but the basic premise was completely overhauling JSOnline’s entertainment section and launching it as a new site. I was eager to work on the project, excited for the opportunity, and had no idea what I was in for. (more…)
(Latest release, v2.0 on 10/07/2010)
Instant validation provides users with immediate form validation errors, correcting user input as soon as it’s entered rather than waiting for form submission. The appearance and position of the validation error messages are easily styled through CSS and plugin options. Currently available validation types include required fields, email addresses, phone numbers, zip codes, and numbers, but more will be added!
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Points of Interest is a jQuery plugin written to replace the once commonplace interactive maps implemented with Flash. Using one image and two unordered lists, the plugin creates over the image clickable areas which display overlay panels of detailed information. (more…)
(Latest release, v1.1 on 02/09/2011)
VerticalTabs organizes images or blocks of markup into a simple, attractive, and easily styled tab layout. The markup only requires a div and two unordered lists so the plugin degrades gracefully when JavaScript is disabled. This extraordinarily lightweight plugin is ideal for maximizing the content’s impact on the user when screen real estate is at a minimum. (more…)
I’ve added a new project to my portfolio, a website for a startup Financial/Tax advising company in the Milwaukee area. The site was designed and developed for WordPress using my new design and markup framework. The project gave me an opportunity to spend some more time in Illustrator, explore some new WordPress plugins, and work out the kinks in my framework (more on this to come).
Please take some time to visit Safe CPA.com.
First of all, what is the plural form of CMS? Anyone? Anyone?
As part of the never-ending learning process I have decided to dedicate the next few weeks to a lot of projects I should have started years ago. To begin, I finally installed a working WAMP environment on my machine so that I can test server -side code, including CMS installations, locally. This should save me hours upon hours in development time in the future.
I also finally finished developing my own front-end web framework. It’s a hybrid of the 960 Grid System, my own default style preferences which I use in the vast majority of my projects, and 6 jQuery plugins which I always reuse. I realized after a while that I just kept running into and spending hours solving the same problems with each project I started, so I instead decided to work out all of the nitty-gritty details and create one clean web page with all the bells and whistles that works in all the major browsers. Now I should be able to just copy that source folder and apply project-specific colors and images and be done with most of the markup.
I’m also finally taking the time to learn all that there is in Photoshop and to learn Illustrator. I’ve never done vector illustrations before but as I’m doing more and more design work it’s becoming a dire necessity. I’ve only been at it a week and it’s been a bit more difficult than I would have hoped, but within a few weeks I should have the basics conquered.
Getting more familiar with the various CMS systems available is also a major item on my to-do list over the next few weeks. I’ve been using CMS Made Simple and WordPress, and I’ve decided that I just plain don’t like Joomla. I think I’ll take a look at the latest offerings from WordPress and CMS Made Simple as well as checking out Cushy CMS and maybe Drupal. Does anybody have any CMS recommendations?
It’s January again. Outside it’s cold and gray, I don’t have a dime left after the holidays, I’m 20 pounds heavier than I was last summer, and there’s not much to look forward to until spring. What does this mean for me? It means it’s time for the annual “Do nothing but exercise and learn from free tutorials” time of the year!!! Last year around this time I taught myself jQuery, experimented with CMS and blog platforms, began object oriented Java and PHP, and improved my knowledge of databases. Considering that I’m now working primarily as a designer rather than a developer, I think I’ll be concentrating on Flash and Photoshop. I recently starting learning how to actually use the Pen tool and other things like custom textures and I now realize I never knew more than a fourth of what one can do with Photoshop. Hopefully I can truly call myself a Photoshop expert by the time spring rolls around!
My two-month long redesign project is finally done!!! I spent a lot of time deciding what went into and what would come out of this revamped portfolio/blog and I couldn’t be happier. I decided to take out things like detailed “About Me” sections and the “FAQ” page since nobody seemed to ever read them anyway. The “Services” page also went away for the same reason. I went with a hybrid thumbnails/large images approach to displaying my work on the portfolio page and made a simplified contact form. There were a lot of subtle touches and tough editing that went into the final design and I think it turned out rather well. Now that this is done hopefully I can start some more freelance projects and get back to more regular blogging.
This weekend I finished most of the work on the redesign of my techno band’s website. The site now features a cool abstract background, an improved audio player, and a lot of jQuery effects to drive the interface. I’m pretty excited for it to go live… though the server which hosts the production site has been down all weekend 
I guess that’s what happens with free server space sometimes.
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