Reviews
Five Simple Steps
First announced in 2006, but now available to buy as a thoughtfully designed book in PDF format, Mark Boulton’s Five Simple Steps - subtitled ‘A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web’ - is a comprehensive and considered introduction to the craft of graphic design as applied to the world of the web.
Bolton’s focus on craftsmanship, attention to detail and the fundamental principles of graphic design are what sets Five Simple Steps apart from the many other books that aim to introduce the design aspect of the web design equation.
Drawing on his experience as a designer working at some of the world’s most respected design agencies (not to mention a period at the BBC), coupled with his extensive knowledge of running his own practice, Five Simple Steps is an excellent primer on both the process of design (from brief to execution) and the principles of design (covering typography, colour and layout).
With both single and generously discounted site licenses available, Five Simple Steps should occupy pride of place on any aspiring web designer’s virtual book shelf.
CSS Artistry
CSS Artistry is a web design masterclass in a box. Combining Andy Clarke’s excellent book Transcending CSS with Inspired CSS, a 2 1/2-hour masterclass on DVD, the resulting boxed set is an indispensable resource that you can return to again and again, for inspiration and reference.
With a heavy focus on the creative design aspects of the web development process, Clarke – an internationally recognized speaker and designer who focuses on creative and accessible web design – brings his trademark charisma and unbridled enthusiasm to an excellent web design resource.
Given that the cost of a one-day masterclass with the aforementioned Mr. Clarke runs to more than ten times the cost of the combined book and DVD, CSS Artistry is, shall we say, a bargain.
![AIGA [Extreme Detail]](/assets/whats_the_harm_nano.png)
AIGA have long fought the good fight against crowdsourcing, clearly articulating the very real issues that plague the 'winner takes all' approach to sourcing design by subcontracting it to the masses…![Kind of Bloop [Detail]](/assets/kind_of_sued_nano.png)
In 2009, Andy Baio - a writer and entrepreneur who helped build Kickstarter - ate his own dog food and launched a Kickstarter project called 'Kind of Bloop'. The idea was elegant, and one we immediately fell in love with…![Color [Detail]](/assets/color_nano.png)
As the old saying goes, "You only get one chance to make a first impression." Launched amid much fanfare late last week, Color is, apparently, "a miraculous application," and one of the first of many, new life-changing applications for the 'Post-PC World' in which we now live. It's also guilty of a not insubstantial degree of hyperbole…