Pixelmator Image Editor for Mac OS X

Posted on June 2, 2007
Filed Under Design, Web Development | 2 Comments

Note: Pixelmator has been out for a short while now and has established a pretty good fan base. They just updated to version 1.1 and have added several new features that make it even a better value.

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Pixelmator, presents itself as a beautifully designed, easy-to-use, powerful image editing solution for Mac OS X. It has a full assortment of the most widely used painting, gradient, blending and retouching tools along with a complete set of advanced selection tools. Layer-based editing is also a feature (as any good graphics app should have these days) and there are some interesting additonal features as well. You can import and image from the iSight camera directly into a layer as well drag and drop images from your iPhoto library directly into a layer.

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Lucky Oliver, Stock Photos with Style

Posted on May 9, 2007
Filed Under Misc. Stuff, Web Development | 3 Comments

I recently became aware of a new stock photo resource called Lucky Oliver. I was immediately taken with the design of the site and intrigued by the carnival theme that carries through the site. The budget pricing model caught my eye too as I use lots of stock photography and don’t always want to pay $75 or more for a small web-resolution image. A dollar for a blog-sized photo… now that works for me.

I was pleased to actually find a good selection of quality images on the site. The search was fast and once you choose an image to preview, it’s easy to see any of the other images or sets associated with it. Again, the interface and layout are well thought (iStockPhoto always feels a little clunky to me) out and the flow through the site seems pretty natural. You can tell that they designed the site to let the photos be the focus.
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Are Designers Truly the Enemy of Design?

Posted on May 3, 2007
Filed Under Design, Misc. Stuff, Web Development | Leave a Comment

Bruce Nussbaum, Business Week’s assistant managing editor, recently wrote a really compelling article about the nature of design today. With all of the customiztion tools of websites like MySpace and other social networking sites, free graphics applications, online design tools, etc., almost everyone and their grandmother is a “designer” of some sort these days. Whether it’s a product design, a print piece, a website or even an architectural project, many professional designers are having to be more interactive with their clients when it comes to design. It’s becoming more of a “Design Democracy” if you will. As Bruce puts it, a shift from “designing for” to “designing with” a client. Maybe it’s time to change your thinking. Then again, maybe not.

I can’t say that I agree wholly with what Bruce is saying. I belive that as designers we should always strive to involve our clients as much as possible in the design process, listen to them intently, and do our best to intepret their vision. I disagree with the notion that all controls regarding design should go out the window just so everyone can have their place in the “design sandbox”.

Earmark a few minutes to read and consider this piece. If you’re a professional designer, you’ll more than likely get your feathers ruffled by some parts. Stick with it though, it seems just a little off balance but he raises some interesting points and there are some well thought out comments you’ll really want to read as well.

Designing With Type

Posted on May 3, 2007
Filed Under Design, Fun Stuff, Misc. Stuff, Web Development | Leave a Comment

A lot of “designers” seem to overlook type as a true design element. It’s relegated to just blocks of boring copy when it could shine ever so brightly. What a shame. I’ve become increasingly enamored with type-based designs and the powerful images they can create. I know Matt has a passion for type as well so he’ll probably enjoy this. Typo Generator will get your juices flowing. Just type in some text, press the button and see what kind of interesting artwork you can come up with. Not happy with the first version? Make a few tweaks and go at it again. I guarantee you’ll end up with something you’ll like. Go ahead. Go be inspired by type. You know you want to.

If you want to know more about designing with type, here’s a super resource to get you started.

Adobe Creative Suite 3 Review

Posted on April 22, 2007
Filed Under Design, Web Development | 2 Comments

Adobe has finally released the majority of it’s new Creative Suite 3 (CS3) applications. A few of the versions are still forthcoming, but here’s a quick run down of Adobe’s new offerings.

Exactly which applications CS3 contains depends upon which version of the suite you choose. When it ships it will be available in six different configurations, targeted at three different user bases (full details of which are at the end of this article). There will also be a Master Suite, which will contain everything but the kitchen sink.

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