application design

WordCamp 2011

January 31st, 2011 | Posted in application design, Blog, cms, Software & Hardware & Devices | No Comments
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I’m wearing my bitchin’ new t-shirt from WordCamp this weekend. It was a totally satisfactory experience. I got to meet new, like-minded people (read: as obsessed with WordPress as me), schmooze with people I already knew, and learn a ton of new information.

I’m particularly excited about parent-child theming. Functionally, it means I won’t have to build functionality for each job, each time. For example, superfish navigation. It’s not difficult to implement but it seems like each nav structure is just different enough that I end up spending more time than necessary getting everything to work. No more! With the 3.0 builds of WP, I can take advantage of awesome parent-theme frameworks so I can concentrate on my favorite part: designing the UI and plunging my hands deep inside the CSS. I didn’t mean that to sound dirty. Think more of the tactile pleasure of your bare hands in a big barrel of penney candy.

I also got to show off my Archos 101. That was fun, casually using it out amongst a sea of of iPads. I really need to find a screen protector, though. I spilled coffee that day on the screens. It didn’t seep in any crevices but I was worried. Fearing something like this would happen, I attempted a Skinomi cover. It didn’t work out at all. I’m not saying the product is bad but I could not get it to install properly. It’s supposed to cure for 4-5 hours, with the worst bubble and imperfections disappearing within 2 days. Two days? I need to use it way sooner. Unfortunately the protector is so thick that if it doesn’t cure you can’t push any buttons. On a touch-screen device this is the kiss of death. So I painstakingly peeled it off. If I try such a thing again, it will be done by a professional in a dust-free environment. In the meantime, I’m in the market for an adhesive protector that is install and go. Like on my Treo, Blackberry, iPhone and Android.

Word Camp 2011

September 18th, 2010 | Posted in application design, Blog, cms | No Comments

I’m thrilled to be going to WordCamp 2011. I went in 2009 and found it sent me to the next level in working with WordPress. It sold out last year so I’m glad I got my ticket early.

It’s funny because even a year ago when I felt like I was really grooving with WordPress as a CMS, going to Word Camp was really eye-opening.  Sure, there a bunches of developers out there who are real developers. They could probably write their own blogging platforms in PHP in their spare time. Me, I’m a practitioner. I’m really a GUI designer who needed to find a CMS platform that I could manhandle on my own. That’s exactly what I feel I can do now: manhandle WordPress to my will.

I’m looking forward to whatever WordCamp 2011 brings in terms of new levels of use for me. Maybe I’ll finally tackle WordPress Hooks…

Checklists & Questionnaires

August 2nd, 2010 | Posted in application design, Blog, uidesign | No Comments

It feels like I operate entirely on lists. My iPhone calendar controls my life, just like my Blackberry before it and my Palm Treo before that. In other words, I write everything down.

About 10 years ago, I had a friend email me wanting to know what it takes to build a website. I fired off about 15 questions and went about my way because nothing came of that project. But a kernal of an idea was there so I fished that email out of my Sent items. This was the beginning of a questionnaire I could use. I’ve been using and refining it since then.

I can tell from the permalinks that this article appeared last year on Smashing Magazine but it was highlighted recently. It got me thinking about my little questionnaire and how it stacks up against others. Actually, I wouldn’t call it little. It’s four pages.

I found this article endlessly helpful in my quest to write things down. Especially because, as crazy as it seems, given my propensity to write everything down, I DO NOT HAVE A GO-LIVE list. This is crazy when you think about how long I’ve been doing this.

My new Go-Live list will be different than it would have been had I started it earlier. Today it will include a whole section on how to move a WordPress site from a test folder to the live folder. It’s actually pretty easy and well documented in the WP Codex:

  1. Backing Up Your Database
  2. Moving WordPress

What I Did Over the Summer

February 2nd, 2010 | Posted in cms | No Comments
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The summer was a long time ago. The next one is closer than the last, which coincides with the last time I wrote a post. I have written so many in my head. Too bad I’m not telepathic.

I wasn’t blogging but I was busy installing WordPress as a CMS on every job I’ve done over the past nine months. I continue to refine my technique. The most fun has been creative use of CSS to make the site look like anything I want while still using the WordPress structure.

One thing I’ve started to do on every job is sign the client up for a WordPress.com account so that I can use the API. I had thought to use my API but changed my mind. I’d like to keep that separate. I’d be interested to know how others handle comment spam if not with Akismet (for which an API is required).

15 Minute Increments

May 17th, 2009 | Posted in application design, markup, uidesign | No Comments

I’m having trouble finding large chunks of time to devote to mastering the WordPress installation on this site. My friend Alice mentioned a book today, I can’t remember the name. It had something to do with teaching you how to make time to sew by dividing the tasks into 15-minute increments. Since I don’t sew my mind immediately jumped to the site and how I could divide the tasks into small increments. I don’t think 15 minutes is enough time but I’m applying the concept.

Blog as Content Management System

March 6th, 2009 | Posted in application design, markup, uidesign | No Comments

I’ve been thinking about doing this for a long time. Years. I started working with content management systems (CMS) in about 2001.  I’ve researched, selected, implemented and maintained them in various iterations since.  I think the concept is really cool. So the idea to use blog software as a CMS intrigues me. I chose to install WordPress because I’ve had great success installing it for other clients as a straight blog. My personal blog is hosted by WordPress.  It’s easy and I know how to customize it.