ArtBuilders on Design 3.0

The Adobe AIR team recently published Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for JavaScript Developers Pocket Guide (Amazon) and donated a free electronic version for download at http://ajaxian.com. In a nutshell, AIR allows web application developers to create desktop applications using familiar technologies such as HTML, CSS, Flash, JavaScript and Flex. More on this later…

Other useful links include the Air Official Documentation:
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/AIR:Documentation

And additional examples:
http://blog.kevinhoyt.org/2007/06/27/35-air-examples-for-javascript-developers/

(Looking forward to taking the Beta version for a test drive in the coming weeks)

Hard to discuss Web2.0 without a brief mention of scriptaculous, a popular JavaScript library that provides same-window interaction without the use of Flash. Here’s a sample of sortable DIVs. Try re-ordering sections by dragging them vertically.

The past few months I’ve enjoyed test driving a few of the public API’s. Probably the most useful (already implemented on several of my clients’ sites) is Google’s maps.

To implement the API:

1. Sign up for Google Maps key at http://www.google.com/apis/maps/
2. Start with the basics… “var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById(“map”));
   map.setCenter(new GLatLng(37.4419, -122.1419), 13);”
3. Add features as desired. For something simillar to the sample above (sans the lookup form), try: 

var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl());
map.setCenter(new GLatLng(37.4419, -122.1419), 13); 

// Add 10 markers in random locations on the map
var bounds = map.getBounds();
var southWest = bounds.getSouthWest();
var northEast = bounds.getNorthEast();
var lngSpan = northEast.lng() - southWest.lng();
var latSpan = northEast.lat() - southWest.lat();
for (var i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
  var point = new GLatLng(southWest.lat() + latSpan * Math.random(),
                southWest.lng() + lngSpan * Math.random());
  map.addOverlay(new GMarker(point));
}

// Add a polyline with five random points. Sort the points by
// longitude so that the line does not intersect itself.
var points = [];
for (var i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
  points.push(new GLatLng(southWest.lat() + latSpan * Math.random(),
                     southWest.lng() + lngSpan * Math.random()));
}
points.sort(function(p1, p2) {
  return p1.lng() - p2.lng();
});
map.addOverlay(new GPolyline(points));

Just when I thought my hometown LA had cornered the market on the morally confused, Chicago raises its big hand. The local LA news stations are enjoying pointing out the splinter in the eye of their Windy City cousin — a lawyer without scruples? Say it’s not so! But rest assured, even with all the free publicity, I doubt this misguided marketing scheme has much legs (though plenty of chests).

Although I had recently I upgraded most of the office PCs design software, I still gave in to temptation and after last week’s release of Adobe’s Creative Suite CS3. Eager for a test drive over the weekend, I downloaded and attempted to install Creative Suite CS3 Web Premium on my new Vista-powered PC. First the vanishing (”virtulized”) download. Next came the hanging extractor. And finally, the “2739 error”! 8 hours later I was FAXing in my “notice of destruction” as part of the refund process. Clearly Adobe’s installer woes continue. Nevertheless, I will undoubtedly be back at the register once they get the kinks worked out.

Updated May 12, 2007 - Second time was a charm. Still issues but managed to work around them. Dreamweaver’s great. Haven’t had much use for Flash lately. (find myself opting for Ajax instead).

CleanCSS is a CSS optimizer that reformats your CSS code producing a cleaner and more concise version. By merging same selectors and properties, it returns to you better formed CSS. However, it is limited in functionality formatting and not vailidation itself. Nevertheless, it is a great tool for your toolbox, especially in reducing often unruly styelsheets.

It took me a little while but I can now say that I am finally in the habit of using global resets in my CSS before starting new websites. The advantage is that it forces you to define each attribute as oppose to leaving it up to the varying browser defaults. Here’s an example of leveling the playing field:

/*
* reset.css
* global resets
*/
body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,
fieldset,input,textarea,p, blockquote,th,td{margin:0; padding:0;}
table{border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0; }
fieldset,img{ border:0;}address,caption,cite,code,dfn,em,
strong,th,var{ font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;}
ol,ul {list-style:none;} caption,th { text-align:left;}
h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6{font-size:100%; font-weight:normal;}
q:before,q:after{ content:'';}abbr,acronym { border:0;} 

Logo design can be a great source of both satisfaction and frustration for designers. In the rare case a client happens to give you a blank check to encapsulate his or her company into a single vector mark, you’re on the path to pressure-free creative exploration. However, in most cases we have those annoying little things called “budgets”. This means getting to acceptable solutions as quickly as possible. One way to achieve this is by getting to know your client. After all, who knows his business better than him? But logo design is often an education process for both the designer and client. The designer is introduced to the target audience while the client is brought up to speed on current design trends.

In my business, I have found a justified resistance to many of the new logo styles: much of which has been spawned largely by the new found freedom online design brings – where the number of PMS colors are less of a concern. So bring on the 6 color, glassy airbrushed chrome-plated fuzzy dot orb, right?

Unfortunately clients still have to be able to print their logos. Identity systems have not quite gone the way of the big blue monster Editwriters just yet. Besides, I still prefer the simpler mark to most of popular eye candy found around the net (especially the overly illustrated $100-24 hour-instant-logo design offers filling our spam boxes and Google search results). Of course, I still can’t help taking a peek at some of my favorite logo sites now and again. Let’s face it, Margo Chase is still Margo Chase and logolounge.com can be a great source of inspiration.