WEB DESIGN "UI TOOLKITS"

DOUBLEMESH has assembled a really great collection of UI (User Interface) graphic components for the web designer and graphic designers. Calendars, buttons, and a host of other fairly slick graphic elements can be made with the use of the automated generator links. Take a gander, and enjoy.

Basic Lighting Setup for a Buck-Fi'ty?

As someone who likes asking pros what to do, I had a brief discussion one Thursday evening before classes with Michael Candee. We got to talking lighting (as I lamented I have no money for a Speedlite) and Michael mentioned that there were plenty of good quality, inexpensive solutions. Nissin and Yongnuo were mentioned, along with a few others.

So I got to doing some research, and I came across this most excellent blog by Jim Harmer. A lot of folks have been following Jim and his publishing/writings/musings. In one of his posts, he mentions a very solid "entry-level" setup for about 150 bucks.

Design Salaries (a guide of sorts)

Students at GTC know a bit about Coroflot.  It is the site designed to 'connect creative talent with opportunities worldwide.' For many students, it functions as a sort of content repository, or virtual online portfolio...but it does so much more than just that.

One of the many things Coroflot does is provide information on salaries within the design profession. Its sampling is beyond regional-- in fact global, and comes from the professionals out in the trenches.

If you are a Coroflot member,  check it out. They have been compiling data since 2001, so trends can also be extrapolated from the site.

THE EXPOSURE TRIANGLE

It seems more students than ever before are interested in Photography. One of the issues I've always encountered in the classroom is how to address the basics when students have such a wide variety of equipment: Point 'n' shoot, Bridge, Mirrorless, DSLR, DSLM...

Given time to acquaint users with their cameras, we make sure everyone knows a few fundamentals, and it becomes their job to learn (or help each other learn, or ask for instructor help learning) those fundamentals for their specific piece of equipment.

In addition to: white balance, focusing, flash, aperture and d.o.f... we discuss the urgency of learning the factors that cumulatively contribute to the term "EXPOSURE." This site has excerpts to help you understand that a bit more the importance of the "Exposure Triangle."

Nom nom nom

Wanna (sic) learn to make food that tastes pretty darn good? Wanna do it easily? Check out this great visual site for some neat tips on making great grub easily and inexpensively.

Great Photography E-BOOK!

You don't need awesome gear to take great photos. Take a look at pinhole photography or Holga clubs.  The constant to all great visual endeavors is an understanding of subject and composition. There is a new, relatively cheap E_BOOK getting a lot of press in the Photographic Community, and with a 5$ price tag you may find it worth the cost.

TEN was David duChemin’s first eBook and still the most popular by a landslide. The premise is simple, if photographers could cut through the noise and work on their craft without being bombarded with the need to buy more gear, and the newest and shiniest, we’d become better at our craft and create more compelling images. TEN is exactly what it says it is, an exploration of ten techniques and ideas that can improve any photographer’s work.

TEN was written in response to the question, “so where do I go from here, once I’ve learned how to use my camera?” TEN responds to that and gives you ten solid steps to take on your photographic journey, each with accompanying creative exercises, and none of them asking you to buy new gear.

OUYA! A great idea...

Open Source console gaming? With free or nearly free games?? And a development scheme that will allow more "unconnected" developers into the arena?!? This sounds great...stay tuned for more  movement on this front, but why not crack the console world's cartel?

FREE BOOKS!

Well...sorta. You're going to need an e-reader device or computer, but check out the FREE titles available on this site alone (there are many such sites with public-domain and royalty/free use clause titles.

Back when I was a teen....

Atari! Ahhh the sound of blips and bleeps as matched up to the visuals of 8 to 32 color video! Nothing could bring a kid home from school quicker than the lure of playing "arcade games" at home and saving the quarter. Check out this neat online Atari Web emulator (I'm pretty sure its higher qual than the original).

Macaroni Art

"Don't play wit' yer food eh!"
Or maybe its OK?  Pasta art in the 21st century! Check out this neat site to make macaroni art without wasting food, and help fight hunger in the process. Also Available for iPad!

the story
the fun

Free Music Download

Who wouldn't like some FREE MP3's...and 100% legal promotional stuff at that! From FATT (Fitz and the Tantrums) for a limited time only a free EP download! If you caught their KILLER show at Summerfest last year, you know what a great live band they are, and this EP features three live tracks and one studio remix.

Check out the secret "STASH" page here (navbar above) for the details. Free and 100% legal.

STUDENT DESIGN SHOW 2012

YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD... the Student Design Show at the Racine Campus of Gateway Technical College will be going on this year. I am chairing the show this go-round, and (man alive) I am busy with all of the things going on with work, home, show and the like.

Please stop by for our reception on April 24th (6 – 8 pm, Campus Library). There will be snacks and (hopefully) a lot of people!

I am also trolling for anyone who works in Graphic Design, Advertising, Marketing, P.R., or the like. We are looking for Judges for this years show, and you are exactly who we need.
Please drop me a line.

You can find out  more about the show by going to the Gateway Home Page:
http://www.gtc.edu
and looking for the image to click upon.
Additionally, you can go directly to the show information site:
http://www.gtc.edu/student-design-show

"CHEAT SHEETS" for web folk

To the garden variety teacher, cheat sheets are a bad thing... a very bad thing. But in the world of programming, languages, and scripts, they are a very good thing. As this blog says: "No matter how good  programmer you are, you can't memorize everything. It often happens to spend more time searching for a particular library, tag or declaration, than implementing it on our code."

I personally am NOT a programmer or coder. I am a retro-fitted designer (as is common with the art-directors of the late 80's and early 90's). This is a great collection of cheat sheets for folks like me as well as the hard-core I.T. guy.

RICE MILK FOR THE MASSES

In various discussions over time, it has come to my attention that a huge number of people cannot drink dairy milk. Whether lactose-intolerance, true allergy, or a variety of other contributing factors that have come to light, many folks cannot have milk any more.

Like many, I have also used (and many friends continue to use) products like Silk (a soybean milk that works well overall--is very popular due to the removal of some of the soy flavor that usually lingers in lower-priced brands). There are still some that cannot use soy-milks due to sensitivities (phyto-estrogens, and for some it reduces the absorption of other meds). 

In all honesty, I personally still indulge in the occasional milk product, and usually deal with the 'consequences' over time. But for day-to-day use, I usually consume rice milk. There is an inexpensive, lesser-name brand product sold  through Woodman's that we have used for years. It isn't something that tastes particularly great on its own, but works over cereal in the morning after being chilled thoroughly.

I have recently discovered, through other's blogs and sites, the ABSOLUTE EASE of making rice milk at home, for PENNIES on the dollar at that. There are two recipes that I modify slightly, and a video from a YOUTUBE contributor that can help you through it all.

vegan reader recipe 1

rice flour recipe  and rice recipe 2

I add vanilla, a bit of cinnamon, and about a third of the honey or half of the rice/agave syrup sweetener they use in these.

40 ONLINE GENERATORS FOR WEB DESIGNERS (and WEB DESIGN STUDENTS)

TRIPWIRE has assembled a collection of some of the slickest, most useful "generators" for web. Online Generators can make creating cool stuff take minutes instead of hours. CHECK IT OUT.

DESIGNUS COOLUS

Super cool design ideas (mostly product design) to inspire you. Check it.

LIFE-ENHANCING THINGS YOU CAN DO IN 10 MINUTES OR LESS

Thanks to PSYCHOLOGY TODAY magazine and Doctor Barton Goldsmith for this list on how you can "enhance your life in ten minutes or less."

It usually takes us much longer to change our moods than we’d like it to take. Here are ten things you can do in ten minutes or less that will have a positive emotional effect on you and those you love.

1. Watch "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. See it online at Oprah.com. This is a deeply moving segment that may be the best ten minutes you've ever invested in front of a computer.
2. Spend a little while watching the sunset with your mate. Nothing extra is necessary. Just sit and take in the natural beauty of the sky and appreciate being able to share it with the one you love.
3. Sit quietly by yourself. It doesn't really matter where or when. Just let your feelings bubble up and then experience the thoughts flowing out of your mind. Clearing your head and heart will give you extra energy to get through the rest of the day.
4. Write a thank you note to your mate. When was the last time you thanked your partner for just being who he or she is and being with you? Doing this in writing will give your partner something to cherish for the rest of his or her life.
5. Take out your oldest family photo album and look through it. The experience will fill you with fond memories and perhaps make you a bit wistful for days gone by.
6. Play with a child. Most kids have short attention spans; ten minutes of quality time from a loving adult can make their day. It will also help you stay in touch with the child inside of you.
7. Visualize or imagine a positive outcome for any issue. Medical doctors recommend visualization to patients with chronic and potentially fatal illnesses. If it can help them, it can do the same for you. 
8. Go to bed with the one you love ten minutes earlier than usual. Then spend that time just holding each other. Let the feeling of warmth from your mate move through you.
9. Hang out by some water. Studies show that hospital patients who can see a natural body of water from their beds get better at a 30 percent faster rate. If you're not near the coast or a lake, try taking a bath. Doing so is also healing.
10. Get your body moving. Shake, twist, and jump around. Let yourself feel the joy of moving to your favorite music, or just the sounds in your head. Run, walk, and bike to your hearts content. You will live longer and love it more.

Sadly, many people measure happiness by how long the experience lasts. The truth is that a few minutes of joy here and there can make a big difference in what you get out of life.

By Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D.

Created Apr 17 2010 - 8:48am

GREATEST SITE FOR DESIGNERS (REDUX)?

This is one of my favorites. It has expanded since its last mention on the blog, but is still a wonderful resource for graphic design students. This specific link has some really great photoshop tips, but if you are into anything in the world of visual communications...this has to be a 'go to' site.

SMASHING MAGAZINE

Cool Site: The Patent Room

Take a look at this very cool site! It has a bunch of items that have been designed (primarily Industrial Design) that have been submitted over the years. While I am not pushing anyone to reinvent the flying car, or the porta-diner, this site is immensely entertaining and can serve as creative inspiration across design disciplines.

Saving some Cash!

A while ago someone passed on to me this blogsite. It has some coupon sites that can help to save you some $$$. Having once been a student, and the father of a college student (soon to be more) I know it can really make a difference.