Posted by Merlee on Oct 4, 2007 in
News,
Web Design Being a designer can be a challenge. And like most professions I think, it is much more difficult to work on your own projects, than it is to work on ones for other people.
Ever since I started going freelance, and had my own website, I have faced the challenge of designing my own site. I have no problems coming up with ideas for other people, other businesses, but my own….is hard. I think perhaps because one has to take into consideration so many different variables and tastes. Plus…the lack of a definate theme…I mean, DESIGN…it’s so open to so many options.
So, to combat this problem, I have decided to do multiple designs. This way the visitor can view different styles applied to the same site/page. Rather than re-code/re-design the entire site for each different layout, I have simply redesigned the home page, and kept the remainder of the site in a very simple, clean format so as not to “clash”.
I would LOVE to hear any feedback on these different designs, along with your comments on the idea in general.
Posted by Merlee on Aug 9, 2007 in
Miscellaneous,
News I tend to have numerous pet peeves regarding the use of the English language, so this really caught my eye.
Guide To Correct Use Of English
===========================
1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They’re old hat)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren’t necessary and shouldn’t be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalise.
15. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
16. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
17. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
18. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
19. The passive voice is to be ignored.
20. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
21. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
22. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
23. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
24. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.”
25. If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
26. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
27. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
28. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
29. Who needs rhetorical questions?
30. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
And the last one…
31. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
Posted by Merlee on Aug 9, 2007 in
Business,
Internet,
News,
Web Design Here is a link to an interesting blog post regarding the role of women in web design, and in IT in general. The comments are probably even more interesting. I must admit, I hadn’t thought of this aspect before, never really even considered it. I never felt that I was a rarity in my field, but then looking back, I suppose that I may be. In all of my corporate background, I have never worked with another female designer or developer. In IT in general, women are, or were when I was out there, few and far between.
