Signed up for a web design class through IWA.

We’re in week two. I so far have learned about CRAP. (Yes, I love saying it like that…) And I think that’s helping my design eyeball.

I think the book chosen for the course, Non-Designer’s Web Book is too introductory and dated for any class that recommends CSS knowledge and requires HTML knowledge. I’m sure we’ll get a survey at the end of the course and I’ll suggest some other books. Which? Not sure yet. It’d have to have some fresh layouts but still contain the fundamentals of design.

Web Doctor sums up what is hot and what is not in web design today.

Diary is really a one page summation. It has lovely illustrations and a quick blurb about why it’s hot or not. I found “Death by Diagonals” quite hilarious since I totally agree. I think that curves are everywhere too. I didn’t notice the Light Stripe overlay technique many places but it could be so subtle that it doesn’t register. But I was drawn to the PBS header which, I suppose, is similar to this technique. Maybe. It splits the image but doesn’t put a light stripe on it, but there is a stripe feel.

A most impressive interactive demonstration of color theory: HOW Design‘s student winner Maria Claudia Cortes.

Hugh Macleod on how to be creative. “I’d like my crayons back, please.” (Funny that he said it like that. I brought a huge thing of crayons to work about a month ago and when my brain feels like it’s going to implode, I make these little cartoon things on 4×6 cards. I don’t have many since I give them away and ran out of cards. But I have a new pack of blank cards, so watch out!)