Web Fonts: My Journey to ‘Good Enough for Now’

Font embedding has long been a hot topic amongst all parties involved. I’ve gone from ignorant to interested to indignant. That journey has culminated in a major evaluation of the resources available to me for use in actual projects for actual clients. Are embeddable fonts ready for client websites? Do the costs make it worth it? Is there a Holy Grail, a surefire technology, destined to save us?

Hint: refer back to the title.

Continue reading “Web Fonts: My Journey to ‘Good Enough for Now’”

Why Not Just One Programming Language?

One of my favorite courses in the Computer Science program at DSU was titled “Programming Languages”. As the title suggests, this class was devoted to learning about not just different programming languages but the differences between programming languages. The class was just a semester long, and it only covered a basic overview of what there is to know about programming languages. (For more on programming languages, visit your local library.)

Knowing that there are multiple programming languages (I just told you so, remember?), one reasonably wonders, “Why not just one programming language?” My brother wondered the very same thing in an email to me, which inspired this post. As children often do, his question revealed to me a greater query that I hadn’t stopped to think about before: why NOT just one programming language? (The joke here is that my brother is in his mid-twenties.)

One reason why there isn’t just one computer language is that there isn’t just one type of computer; there are thousands of different types of computers. Computers all speak a language called “machine language“. This, essentially, is the 1s and 0s of binary. Jotting down 1s and 0s would be a terribly ineffective way of communicating with a computer, so programming languages were devised.

The different programming languages came to solve different problems. The C language, for instance, was created as a systems language. It’s goal, as a language, was to build servers and operating systems. Prolog, on the other hand, is a logic language, designed for use in artificial intelligence. SQL makes it easy to manage data in a database management system. None of these languages are useful for creating webpages easily. That’s why we have Ruby, Java, PHP, ASP.Net, and CFML (ColdFusion).

Sometimes, a programmer will like the concepts of one language, but they’ll want the syntax of another. So, they create a new language. Some languages only exist as proof that a concept is possible. Some languages are specific to the platform for which they are written. For instance, a mobile phone might have it’s own simple operating system with a special programming language used to write the cell phone’s applications, or a social networking site might develop a language in their API for developers to use to get data from that social networking site.

Perhaps an analogy is in order. Programming languages are like tools. When you’re trying to hang a painting, a hammer is better for driving a nail than a mallet. A mallet will do the job, but that’s not quite what it’s supposed to be used for. And, most importantly, you couldn’t do everything you needed to do with just a hammer. You could do a lot, and get close to almost all of it, but in the end it’s nice to have other tools in the box.

Another analogy is out of order, but I’m just that crazy. Programming languages are not like natural languages. People hear PHP, Ruby and ColdFusion, and they think of German, French, and English. RESIST THAT URGE. Programming languages are not at all equivalent to natural languages. The main reason for this is that natural languages sprang up from a human need to express the scope of intellectual thought and the breadth of expression capable in their speakers; computer languages just make computers do stuff and junk.

Using the programming language criteria above, are a French-speaking person and an English-speaking person so fundamentally different that they require different languages? Of course not. A French-speaking person is just as capable of learning English as an English-speaking person. Similarly, French doesn’t solve any problem that English can’t solve. You might be inclined to say that French poetry is much easier on the ears, or that English is a much better business language, but these aren’t properties of the language per se. English might be considered a better business tool because of its wide adoption, and French… well, I guess it IS easier on the ears, but that’s not the reason French was created.

At L&S, I usually find myself playing in ColdFusion (CFML), HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, but I’ve also played with PHP, Java, Python, and Classic ASP. On a recent project, I found myself using ASP.Net and C# for one half and CFML for the second half. In my personal time, I’ve played with Ruby and Google’s Go, among others. I’m not listing this all out to impress you, but let’s be honest; some of you are really impressed. I’m listing these languages to show just how varied the Internet landscape is right now. In fact, looking at this list, I think my list of languages might be light for a web programmer these days. No Perl? No Clojure? No Scala? No Processing?

As servers get better at deploying (and virtualizing) the ability to utilize these languages in an integrated environment, web developers are getting more interested in picking the right tool for the job. Better server performance means giving developers more tools to play with and utilize. That, in turn, means faster, more efficient websites and, regrettably, a whole lot of developer ego.

Those guys can get pretty insufferable. Trust me.

Office Magic

IMG_8168

A number of weeks ago, I moved into an office. It’s an office that had had a curse of departing WebWorkers cast upon it, but I saw no fear in it. My only concern was the “stomach lining” wallpaper. I didn’t like it. In particular, I wanted smooth walls upon which I could hang my project folders. What I had inherited was a topographical map.

My original goal was to strip all the wallpaper and paint the walls beneath. Time, and resources, however, were a concern. After doing some testing in a discrete corner of the office, I discovered that the wallpaper was both easy and fun to tear from the walls. I soon found my discrete corner a ravaged half-wall. I had to come up with a decoration style that made sense with this. Eventually, I decided to take the large prints I had had done for my apartment in Madison, and I would treat them as if they had been hiding beneath the wallpaper all along.

It worked pretty well. I put up two New York and two France photos. Actually, they were this one, this one, this one, and this one. It was a pain to get the photo to hang seemingly without assistance, so I opted to add some artist and functional bands of tape across each one. Time will tell how long everything holds up.

I have more plans for the office. One wall, in particular, is lacking full appreciation. I’ll add more pictures when the time comes.

Do any of you have a unique work space?

Twitter: It’s Here, It’s a Little Confusing, and I’m Almost Out of Characters

You can now add “Webinar Co-Host” to my CV*. I was honored to be invited as a speaker for one of Lawrence & Schiller’s Social Media Boot Camps. This one was called Twitter Demystified. The topic, as you can guess, was Twitter, and I was joined by Robin Temple, as co-presenter, and Dave Haan, as mediator.

* I don’t actually have a Curriculum Vitae.

Read the blog post and watch the video at Twitter, No Longer a Mystery? on L&S Unscripted.

The Floating Interface

I’m a Machead. I’ll admit it. I grew up on PCs, which might be WHY I became a Machead. Since my first “stick of gum” iPod shuffle to our household iMac, my wife and I have come to embrace and relish the iLove.

That’s why I spent half my day refreshing the Apple homepage. I had heard, just in time, that Apple was announcing iPhone 3.0 software. When I realized the video of the keynote wouldn’t be out until afternoon, I sad mac’d the browser window and went about my day.

Little did I know…

Continue reading “The Floating Interface”

The Sanford Project 2009

The Sanford Project 2009 (http://www.sanfordproject.org)
The Sanford Project 2009 (http://www.sanfordproject.org)

Occasionally, we get the chance to work on projects that don’t just promote a product, a service, or a company but also hope, promise, and potential. Nothing better embodies that then The Sanford Project (http://www.sanfordproject.org/). For the unfamiliar, The Sanford Project is devoted to finding a cure for type 1 diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus or juvenile diabetes. This type of diabetes affects between 500,000 and 1 million people in the United States, which makes finding a cure a big deal.

Usually, the audience that we craft our sites towards is pretty cut and dried: our client’s customers. That can be easier if your client’s customers are people who bank in the Midwest or people who love flowers, but what if your client’s customers are as varied as people who have a body? Our challenge for the design of this site was to appeal to anyone touched by type 1 diabetes: patients, parents, physicians, and even researchers. A design like that has to say a lot to many people. Taking a cue from existing Sanford Health print materials, the design for the site is dark blue and technical, showcasing that serious medicine and research is behind this initiative.

Even if your life hasn’t been affected by type 1 diabetes, you can still find plenty of insightful and interesting content with regards to this monumental project. You can learn more on the Sanford Project page. Browse the Newsroom to see what latest Press Releases have gone out. Don’t forget the Video Library, where you can hear the stories and see the people who are helping make this cure a reality. For those feeling generous of time or money, you can easily Sign Up For Updates or Make A Gift Online.

A site like The Sanford Project is a good reminder that not everything a marketing and advertising agency does is about selling something to someone. Sometimes it’s about lending a helping hand to make the world a better place. Those are some of the best times.

newWindow(mainHTML, headHTML, footHTML) [Javascript]

Trying out a new Visual Code Editor plugin for WordPress. Below is a Javascript function that I wrote (leveraging jQuery) for popping a modal window. So far, it’s made its way into two websites.

[javascript]
function newWindow(mainHTML, headHTML, footHTML){
if (!mainHTML) { var mainHTML = “”; }
if (!headHTML) { var headHTML = “”; }
if (!footHTML) { var footHTML = “”; }

if (!$(“#popupcontent”).length){
$popout = $(“<div id=\”popup\”></div>”).addClass(“popup”);
} else {
$popout = $(“#popup”).empty();
if (!$popout.hasClass(“popup”)) { $popout.addClass(“popup”); }
}

$popup = $(“<div id=\”popupcontent\”></div>”);
$(“body”).append($popout.append($popup));

$close = $(“<a>Close</a>”).addClass(“close”).click(function(){ $(“#popup”).remove();});
$popupHead = $(“<div id=\”popuphead\”></div>”).html(headHTML).prepend($close);
$popupFoot = $(“<div id=\”popupfoot\”></div>”).html(footHTML);
$popup.html(mainHTML);
$popout.prepend($popupHead).append($popupFoot);

$popout.css({
position:”absolute”,
top:($(window).height()-$popout.outerHeight())/2,
left:($(window).width()-$popout.outerWidth())/2
});
}
[/javascript]

Lawrence & Schiller 2008

A shot of the new Lawrence & Schiller website (http://www.l-s.com)

So as not to be forgotten in all this “refresh”, “redesign”, “rebranding” merriment, Lawrence & Schiller (http://www.l-s.com) has gotten a face lift. Orange is the new black, as they say, but we’ve kept some of the old black as well. This new design was aimed at making our agency seem more fun, because that’s what our clients said we were. Once the flattery buzz wore off, we knew that we had a honey (pun) of a task ahead of us, and this website “refresh” was just a small part of that effort.

Talent from a number of teams was pooled, and extensive work was done on not only the web design and development but the SEO, copy, and information architecture as well. We’ve added a new homepage flash that is more informative as well as being flashier (pun, again). We’ve also created a Team Culture page to better showcase the habitat within which we work. Not only that, but our client teams (Mint, Phoenix, Fuel, and Synergy) each get a page, giving clients a better idea of who it is they’re working with, even before they’re working with them! We’ve also improved our What We Do section, better showcasing how we Understand, Plan, Implement, and Evaluate for our clients.

For the most part, the site is unchanged. You can still read how we go 5280, view some of our work, and, of course, apply for a job (hint, hint). Whatever your fancy, head on over and take it for a spin (pun, again – I’m awesome at this!).

Great Western Bank 2008

A shot of the new Great Western Bank website (http://greatwesternbank.com)

The new Great Western Bank (http://www.greatwesternbank.com) does not want to be called a “redesign”, so we’ve dubbed it a “refresh”. The jargon in web development can get pretty complicated, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more. We called this a refresh, because our strategy was about more than just updating the look; we knew that a website like Great Western Bank’s deserved comprehensive polish and care.

We utilized valuable analytics, client feedback, and an assortment of other metrics to help us work with the bank to direct their web presence into the future. While the refresh certainly boasts a refreshingly lighter look and feel, the functionality behind the scenes has gotten a tune-up as well. You can search for bank locations using the improved Location Finder, explore how GWB is working hard at Making Life Great, securely access your online banking straight from the homepage, and much more.

Now, that’s a website that makes you say, “Ahhhh…”

Acts of Nature 2008

A shot of the new Acts of Nature website (http://actsofnature.com)
A shot of the new Acts of Nature website (http://actsofnature.com)

Acts of Nature (http://www.actsofnature.com) is not just another website for L&S; it’s more like a brother. Acts of Nature (or Acts, as we call it) is Paul Schiller’s fine art and photography website. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s one of our Agency’s founders.

This redesign and restructure of the Acts website has been a long time in coming; some design files date back to 2005! But don’t call the website old; it uses some of the newest features in ColdFusion, Flash, and JavaScript, all of which combine to produce a breath-taking web portal featuring some amazing photography.

Take a look around. Peruse the Photo Gallery. Read up on The Artist and The Installations, or recommend the website to a friend. As always, feel free to contact Acts of Nature with questions or comments.

Good work, team!