Opinion

Personal thoughts on what's hot or not in web design, usability and the world at large.

This is where I put stuff that doesn't really belong anywhere else.

Contents

Real Web2.0 Design & Branding
Web 2.0 design is not the same as star flashes and shiny table effects - it's about simple, bold, honest brand experiences.
Design v Design Toss
The vital difference between Design (crafting communication with a purpose) and 'Design Toss' (graphic art for the sake of other designers, passed off as design), what makes good design, what makes great design, and where to start
My Workstation
A tour round a pro web designer's desk and the 10 tools I can't live without
Stuff we love
The label on a Tesco ready-to-cook chicken is the first of a collection of general consumer stuff we find that makes our lives easier.
Learn to type!
Learning to touch-type is one of the most valuable skills you'll ever learn as a designer or developer
Pursuit of the Original
The value of laziness in design, and why the pursuit of the original can be detrimental to design success
Why code by hand
The benefits of coding web pages by hand, rather than using WYSIWYG editors.
Why most web sites suck
The main reasons why most web sites suck
The future web 2.0 social experience
A long article describing a future more connected world-wide-web and a few killer applications that it makes possible
Web Sites and Buildings
Why designing web sites and designing buildings are similar, and what web designers can learn from architecture
Harvey Nichols site critique: 2001
Critiques of the first website for a great British brand
Harvey Nichols site critique: 2004
A follow-up critique of HN's vastly improved second site