Saving the World from Arial: sIFR

This morning I learnt abour sIFR, the Flash tool that lets you put text in any font possible without ruining your HTML or busting your browser! There are lots of advantages to this. First, this technique gives the browser several options for rendering your content. If you’ve got Flash installed then it shows the custom [...]

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When I was a kid,

I wanted to be an architect. I did the drafting classes and the math and all, but when it came time to draw reliefs, my little red head shut down.
After years of listening to people say “Anyone can draw, it’s like learning to type!”, and wincing; I’ve decided to commit some real time to overcoming [...]

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SitePoint Strikes Again–

OK, I’ll admit it: when I saw the title, I thought, “I bet I know all those. Whatever.” I was right for the first 20 of these 37 Steps to Perfect HTML Markup, but the last 17 were pleasant surprises. Now I’m sayin’ :”Open your HTML purse and throw these in. You can never have [...]

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Accessibility starts with text sizing.

As a beginner, I had no idea why one would choose percent over em’s, or pixels over percents to specify text size. You are hereby witnessing my breakthrough to intermediate, with this article on text-sizing strategy!
Basically, you want to stay away from absolute sizing methods, so that those who are interested can use their browser [...]

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New word, new mission:

meme:
An idea that spreads across society like a virus.

New AmosKane Mission:
Make one internet meme that shows up here, sometime before I need a toupe.

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Last Friday, I learnt about iFrames.

Here’s the love, from htmlcodetutorial. Also enjoyed yourhtmlsource for this one. I was studying the design of Trickwood, by 3dB Creative here in Seattle, and realized I hadn’t used iFrames before. iFrames plus-es: you can imbed not only another html page, but a Word or Acrobat doc; you can have iFrames interact with each other [...]

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Background image strategies: Crash course.

Thanks, Elliot Jay Stocks, for a great write up on picking and massaging background images. Great for developers gone designer, or any other visual layout newbies. The other 24 Ways to impress your friends are definitely going on my ‘to learn’ list as well.

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Great UI/UX resource:

SURL, or Software Usability Research Lab at Wichita State University publishes their easy-to-read and well-reseached studies here. Great source for tips and principles when you’re planning site styles.  I liked the info on the influence of the typeface on the perception of a resume or a company website, and the top 10 shopping cart design [...]

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Markup your personal relationships with XFN

Today I learned how XFN defines:

muse
Someone who brings you inspiration. No inverse.

…and that XFN (X(HTML) Friend’s Network) isn’t just another cheeky web thing, but based on a one of the best descriptions of the web I’ve seen (from the father of the web himself, no less):
The web is more a social creation than a technical [...]

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How I got my background image to stretch:

from htmllite.
I’m pretty sure that the answer to every CSS problem is to add a wrapper around the whole “problem” and then control it from that outer layer. Works pretty darn well.

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