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The conference obviously had to do with cultural heritage and how technology can help us to preserve it. Generally speaking most of the sessions covered either theoretical concepts or some extraordinary ways of creating a more perceivable future for everyone of us. What I would like to see was some more real implementations of technology to our everyday life. Overall I think that this conference was meaningful and important for all of us who are strongly attached to technology.
Among the several speakers there was Hiroshi Ishii, Professor, Head of the Tangible Media Group, MIT Media Laboratory who stood out. Mr Ishii presented us the “Tangible Bits: beyond pixels”. Apart from being impressed with the level of his expertise and intelligence I particularly enjoyed his spirit and the way he comprehends technology. Once more it was proved that wise men do not have to show off. Their achievements speak for them.
It was the first time I visited The Foundation of the Hellenic World. After having participated in many conferences in Greece or abroad I tended to believe that I couldn’t be impressed by the facilities provided. I was wrong. The Foundation of the Hellenic World is a well developed, mature place of culture. The exhibition called A Journey to the World of Greek Mathematics which is held there is an excellent spot for children or adults who want to dive into the delightful world of science. By providing four different types of interactivity it conveys the concept of the museum of the new era.
All in all this trip to Athens was an fascinating experience and I was very happy being there for these days.
It is widely known that corporate websites are painted grey and blue. The word “painted” was not used in vain. Actually corporate sites often are built the same (difficult to be described but easy to be recognized) way. They all look the same to me and at the end of the day I can’t recollect any of them.
Grey and blue are two colors which add validity, solemnity and authority. Strict menus, somewhat dull images (yuppies and luxury work places) and solid lines do the same. People who use them they certainly have something on their mind. The question is: five years ago these design schemes served the purpose they supposed to - what about now?
The implication is clear. Corporate websites should change. Adding new colors to the old scheme should not embarrass CEOs. AJAX effects should not be frowned upon. All in all what makes a (corporate) website credible? According to me the most important issue is the way texts are written (clear, to the point, providing solutions). It is much easier to use some greys and blues instead of taking time to compose a text which would transmit powerful messages to the visitors of the site. People seek for solutions - that’s why they visit such websites. They need clear answers and they need proofs. Clear answers can be provided by the Web. Proofs not always (valid online services are proofs however).
My conclusion? Say no to grey and blue color combos. Say yes to deep thought and solid development from the very beginning.
The latest redesign of this blog was a massive one. Each designer’s approach must serve certain needs. So let’s analyse this work the proper way.
Problems of the previous design
(for those who don’t remember here is a screenshot:)
Moody colors (1)
The purpose of these colors was to provide a grunge look of the website, but it didn’t. Despite the fact I still like the combination of the colors the specific layout includes huge empty areas which makes the whole design somewhat pathetic and cold.
The main navigation area is not prominent (2)
The navigation should not be (almost) hidden. At the same time this design practically doesn’t permit the positioning of the menu somewhere else. We should make the life of our visitors easy, shouldn’t we.
Not good enough typography (3)
The white thin lines on the top and the bottom of a post are an interesting design element but they prison the text. I always got the feeling that I couldn’t play with the typography of the main area of the blog.
Too much empty space (4)
Scrolling down was boring. There was nothing interesting in this. The whole design of the blog may seem appealing but when adding the previously mentioned issues all this empty space became a problem.
So I wanted to change.
The new design (based on the Hemingway theme) seemed promising. Here is a screenshot of the original Hemingway theme:
Comparing the original Hemingway with this realigned theme there are three main differences.
The post area is white instead of black (1)
I didn’t want a truly dark theme. It just isn’t me. Furthermore I didn’t want the visitors read on a black background because this is generally not a good practice (OK Veerle’s amazing blog is an exception).
I also wanted to give an impression “lights are on”. By using the specific orange, green and blue colors I think I made it. Notice that the green and the blue do not very well on white background but the orange does! So I used the orange for some of the headings too.
Space for navigation (2)
The search bar was moved underneath the categories at the first column so I had abundant space to place the main navigation exactly where I wanted. (One more link, the Work area, is yet to be added there). Now the menu is obvious without sacrificing the design of the blog.
Interesting closing (3)
This theme gives me the opportunity to add content at the bottom of the screen. Just as Derek Powazec says: Embrace your bottom! As you can see there is enough space to add navigating options (Recent Posts and Categories) and other important elements (Links, Flickr photos, favorite books and music).
Other design issues
No need for images.
You see? There are no images in this layout design. I like it this way and not only because the page is downloaded easily. In this layout you can add design elements but you can’t remove any. The page is divided into three distinct areas which act harmonically one to the others.
No serif typography.
I love serifs but in this case there was no way to use e.g. Georgia. The absence of images and the three parallelograms impose me to use sans-serifs (in this case Verdana).
Overall I like the final result. Since I cannot design something absolutely original for me (I have the most difficult time when I design for myself) this work seems to be quite satisfying for the time being. But then who knows? I may start over tomorrow.
Comparing the original Hemingway with this