18 April 2009, 17:07
I know there are designers who argue a business card can be a waste of money and it would be much better investing in more web marketing, but I just can't help myself when it comes to owning something tangible. I feel safe that I can whip out a card at any time to a member of the public in dire Internet need - such as on a Cross Country train service to Bournemouth around 4pm - and gaining a new client.
I kept my new cards extremely simple; I haven't chosen UV highlights or Foil as I have in the past, my design has a black front and white back with rounded corners just to stand out a little.
The cards were produced by Good Print based in Norfolk who I chose because of their simple website and half-price offer. The cards came quickly but I was disappointed and found they had problems, though this was actually the start of a good thing. Good Print's customer service is as-it-should-be, they responded quickly, politely and had a new set sent by next-day courier for absolutely nothing so I could meet my deadlines. The second set is perfect a big thank you goes to Good Print, and a strong recommendation from me.
29 March 2009, 00:18
As everyone knows, an important part of studying is learning to reference books. They should have been published after a considerable amount of lengthy checks and drafts to make sure the information inside is without error. They are therefore useful to students for backing up articles published online from websites such as A List Apart or Opera Development or Wikipedia.
Academic books can be extremely dull. I found this statement was very true when forcing my way through a copy of Prioritizing Web Usability by Jakob Nielson and Hoa Loranger (2006). The book felt so out of touch, and somewhat awkward to read. The pages are very useful when needing vital statistics to PEE all over an essay (Point, Example, Explain) but otherwise left me completely cold. All web professionals should know usability is important and how to test websites but this book cooked it down into a grey, lifeless paste that totally contradicts the vibrant and exciting Internet.
Designing Web Interfaces (2009) is intelligent and bright. The book by Bill Scott and Theresa Neil was straightforward, tackled usability issues and questioned web trends thoughtfully. It was a book that made me feel inspired and it will stay on my shelf - not listed on Ebay the moment the photocopier spits out the last soulless statistic.
It may be slightly unfair featuring two books separated by 3 years in which web design and download speeds have advanced hugely, but it is comforting to know that there are books out there that are up-to-date, useful and promote the internet positively.
