Work
May 30, 2007
Well spring is almost over and I have to say that it’s been really busy and exciting these last few months.
I was in Austin again this year for
There are three projects that I’ve been heavily involved with lately that have recently launched.
March 8, 2007
I’ve performed a little facelift on the front of the site. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, since I felt the home page wasn’t a correct reflection of content within. The blog is a main section, but I don’t consider this site primarily a blog, and it was one of the most prominent elements on the page.
There are other areas of the home page that also get updated and they were being relegated to the sidebar. I wasn’t very happy with that and I also really wanted to break away from the the big column and sidebar look for the home page. Reducing the the real estate for the blog really opened up the space. Now there’s also more room for the other dynamic elements to balance out the most recent blog entry.
November 1, 2006
The changes may not seem like that much at first, but it’s definitely more of a realignment than a redesign. When I originally set out, I had just few goals in mind that I wanted to accomplish. I kept adding more changes and it ended up being almost a total code rewrite.
My first objective was to increase the contrast. On some monitors the older version had a washed out look. I wanted the graphic elements to be subtle and not overpower the content, but I think they were a little too subtle. So, the colors and the graphic elements such as the pin-striping have been adjusted for greater contrast.
May 2, 2006
Earlier this year I attended the 2006 SXSW Interactive in Austin. I met lots of fantastic people, attended some great parties, and even learned a thing or two about the web.
The weekend before last I was back in Austin, but for a totally different reason. I was participating in the MS150: a two-day cycling event from Houston to Austin that raises funds to help people living with Multiple Sclerosis. The ride is a little over 180 miles, and this year there were approximately 13,000 people that participated.
February 23, 2006
Exactly what is it that influences our perception of a nicely designed piece? Well, obviously, the way that something looks plays a large role. I think that it’s also everything coming together as a result of a well-thought out design that elevates our opinion to a much higher level. You know something is different, but most of the time you don’t take the time to really think about it. Subconsciously you are aware of it, but haven’t identified each piece.
First off, it looks amazing, but why do we think so? For me, it is usually clean lines and simplicity. But, lying underneath that, it functions well, and it’s also intuitive. I understand how to use it with little or no instructions.
Darren Ansley is a UI/Web Designer & Front End Developer living in The Woodlands, TX. I spend my days working for the Houston based web application development company Whiteboard Labs.
When I have free time, I spend it working on Designgive. An apparel site which features artists and gives a portion of the sale to the charity of your choice.