star girl life blog

Web design via Deviantart

2008-10-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

There are some nice web designs on display at Deviantart.com. Here's a great one, very nice use of stock photographs too.

Websites and Christmas (again)

2008-10-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

We were discussing this site at work yesterday, Index Ventures.

It's this site vs those very normal navigation at the top, important-something underneath, and content underneath that. I like this site, but I think you have to be careful to provide information as well as pretty pictures.

Also, more Christmas!

This font

2008-10-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

I love this font... I wonder what it is?

Logo of the NOWWWW

I also love that font. Would be quite difficult to work with, but they've made it work! Bravo to them!

Google is evil!

2008-10-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

From here: evisibility

CS4

2008-09-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

I've heard several comments about the new CS4 suite that will be officially for sale in October, but I haven't heard much about what makes it different. Wikipedia has a little bit of information, mainly this:

"Adobe has introduced a new tabbed interface for working with concurrently running programs - multiple applications can be opened inside multiple tabs contained in a single window."

This sounds good! I just think maybe some computers won't be able to cope with it. I've got a mac mini now, but my old computer really had a hard time with multiple applications open, particularly Adobe ones. Also why do they bring on CS4 after I just bought the whole CS3 suite? Haha!

Flash
Illustrator
Photoshop
Dreamweaver

First Great Western

2008-09-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

I spent 2 hours there and back on a train to London today, so I had time to admire First Great Western's redesign. I think it's a couple of years old now, but I like it. They have a fun swirly pattern as their main graphic to go with the logo, and one of the lines is dashed to make it look like a train track. Above image is their website header. Liking it!

They also have the nice swirly thing printed on the side of the coaches.

However, another branch of First called First Capital Connect which operates in and around London have not quite pulled it off with the graphic. Holy headache, Batman!

It's even worse in full size. That's their website header, and the image is evil. I've got motion sickness just looking at it!

I think it must be...

2008-09-22T01:41:00.000-07:00

...Christmas soon! I really am the worst for being Christmassy 3 months in advance.

Christmas designs are my favourite in the whole world, and I wish it could be Christmas all the time so I could make Christmassy things all year round and I wouldn't feel out of season. These reindeers remind me of a 1940's Christmas, during the war. Instead of black and red, Christmas is all about green and red! I made up some little illustrations for iStock last night, being all green and red.

Some designers fall in love with themselves

2008-09-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

I've noticed the internet seems to be full of designers who are slightly in love with themselves, and try their best to order everyone else around about what they should and shouldn't do. Of course everyone knows that some designers have great skill, and others don't, but the talking down to people attitude that I see around is a bit disappointing to me. Articles like this, for example:
How not to Design

I very much admire this designer and think they have great work, but the article explains how NOT to design as if it's all about right and wrong. I agree with everything said in that article, but not because that type of design is 'wrong' but because things like too many gradients, bevel and emboss, gloss text, etc have gone out of fashion. Design is all about trend. Trend, for me, is the cornerstone of why I design things the way I do, and the reason why I avoid using certain fonts or colours or effects is because they're horribly out of style, and clients don't want out of fashion design. They want to be new and trendy and unique, but also make their brand and product feel modern and 2009 rather than 2005.

So I really wish designers would stop preaching as if the trendy way is the right way. It's the right way FOR NOW but in a few years time they'll be bitching about how paper cut out illustration is a design no-no, and fonts like georgia and cambria look wrong and should never be used. Reminds me of 'What not to wear' where they talk about trend as if it's a constant right or wrong, like morals. The problem with women who dress 'badly' is that they don't dress to today's trend, not that they actually dress wrong. Think before you write preachy articles, designers!

Goodie goodie gum drops

2008-09-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

My site made it on to CSS zone, isn't that cool? They showcase sites with great CSS.

Can't really type right now just painted my nails...

Logo love

2008-09-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Image of the Day

Future of web design

2008-09-16T02:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.futureofwebdesign.com

Love this event, but I've never been! I literally just missed the London one last year (or was it January?) and this time it's in NY. But soon it will be in London again, I'm keeping my beady eye out! It's expensive though, but could I claim it as expenses? Haha cheeky?!

Love their site design too, although it better be good or else who would go?

Image of the Day

Interiors

2008-09-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

I have randomly become manically obsessed with beautiful interiors and table settings. There is apparently a whole circle of bloggers who post their decorating ideas and interior designs for their homes (most of them stay at home mothers, of course, who else has time for all that?) But they are really beautiful and truly inspirational, so I thought I'd indulge my girly side and post some of their gorgeous pictures.

These four images are by Sweet Designs

These three are just ones I found on Google, the last two are state rooms inside Buckingham Palace, I'm going there next Tuesday with my Mum.

Great uses of red and black

2008-09-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

Red and black is a difficult colour combination to use in design. Here are some great uses.

New post

2008-09-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

This blog will now be a graphic design blog where I'll post inspirational images, links and ideas about graphic design and illustration. I hope you enjoy reading it!

I thought I'd start off with a fantastic website called Stumbleupon.

This is a great tool for finding websites that you're interested in for a specific subject. You just click the button and it takes you to some really amazing pages on the net. Really great tool!

Image of the Day

By Design Chapel