Chris Barnett | GD252 Blog

Studio Showcase – Viget Labs

// May 18th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Branding, Inspiration, Studio Showcase

Next studio in the showcase is Viget Labs. This is the ultimate web business and they are making the web a better place by just doing things the right way. The viget crew has all the bases covered when offering a complete online package that isnt just limited to a simple website.

They offer a complete range of services from testing and User Experience, great Design, top notch Development and powerful Marketing techniques.

I like to call it the Viget Empire.

I can only imagine what it would be like to have the privilege to work with or have done work by a company like Viget. After just taking a quick glance at the different sites they have designated for their services you can tell they take pride in their work. A consistent look and brand somewhat follow the Viget vibe across the different disciplines, but attention is also take to make each section feel unique and important on it’s own. All the branches of the company have their own blogs with multiple contributors to keep content new, relevant to the industry, and interesting. My favorite of the four sections is the Inspire site, focused on design at Viget. Not only do they have great great tips and advice on the blog I am also diggin’ the cool dingy design and diverse portfolio.

Studio Showcase – Andrew Bradshaw

// May 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // Branding, Graphic Design, Studio Showcase, Web Design

Showcase today is not of a web design company but instead, a guy by the name of Andrew Bradshaw. His services include web design, print design, and branding. I liked his site because it has a very clean, and inviting look and feel. Again, another genuine guy who knows about being creative. I think those are the portfolios I am most drawn to. It is not the most fancy or complex portfolio, but easy to navigate and gets the point across. I like how he displays each of his portfolio pages, giving each project or piece of work a captivating thumbnail image that expands to a larger view, as well as a description of what the project was about. The subtle, but effective arrow next to each of the pieces allowing the user to move back to the top of the page is a nice feature as well. So, here is to AB, a talented web designer and active participant in the design community. I personally follow his updates on Twitter.

Paperless Lifestyle

// May 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Branding, Networking

I like seeing things on the computer screen instead of in a hand out I might get in class or an invoice that has to be sent by mail. I think organizing files on the computer in a digital format is easier than having to sort through file cabinets full of folders. I thought, why not try converting to a completly paperless lifestyle? I had heard of a new way to exchange information with people instead of handing off business cards and found a service that does just that called DUB. Not sure how quickly somthing like this would catch on, but it’s a cool concept.

Another service that helps eliminate the need to keep and organize your receipts online is Shoeboxed. You send them receipts and business cards and they will automatically categorize and track your spendings and contacts. There are a ton of cool features of Shoebox that can help streamline your lifestyle and liminate the use of paper.

Not only do I like the idea of maintaining documents electronically but I think in the end it could be better for the environment. As a side note, there is a pretty cool website that is about reduced called Carbonica. What first attracted me to this site was it’s unique and effective design and useability. The design is clean and fits the message it is trying to convey to the audience. All the fonts and icons are very natural looking and the realiztic fabric texture fits the theme of their campaign.

Wordpress For A Portfolio

// May 1st, 2009 // No Comments » // Branding, Promotion, Web Design, Wordpress

The more I learn about web design the more stoked I get about Wordpress. I have used the powerful back end of this blogging platform as a content management system on almost half a dozen sites now. When looking to make a portfolio to show off my websites and photography I am considering using Wordpress to help. Although I have just begun beta versions of the design for my portfolio I have found a link that convinced me Wordpress is the way to go. It is another great one from Smashing Magazine – Ultimate Guide To Using Wordpress For A Portfolio. Now all that’s left is to finish the design and organize my portfolio pieces. Really excited to finally have a portfolio, it’s been too long.

Envato Empire

// April 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // Branding, Graphic Design, Inspiration, Jobs, Networking, Organization, Photography, Promotion, Rants, Tutorials, Web Design, Wordpress

When considering all the information that I come across on the internet most of the things I see are influenced by Twitter, and my RSS reader. This got me thinking… If I were stranded on a desert island and I only had access to one group of networked sites it would have be the Envato Network. I swear by their umbrella of Tuts+ sites for great tutorials for all my favorite applications. I have touched slightly on the marketplace structure of sites they have including the most recent and a favorite of mine, Graphic River. Another one of those, “Why didn’t I think of this?”, moments when seeing these sites that allow anyone to buy and sell design related goods and services. That’s not all… In case you didn’t have enough excellent content to expand your knowledge there is a handfull of other services they offer. From AppStorm, for everything Mac related, to the must have RSS feed for any freelancer, Freelance Switch. Stranded and alone, I could survive with the Envato Network. Do you know of any networks this diverse? I want to open this one up for feedback, maybe to see if anyone reads these things.

Portfolio Website

// April 23rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Branding, Inspiration, Rants, Web Design

I am way overdue for a site to show off my web work and photography. It’s finally time, but not without a little thought of what makes an effective portfolio site and research to find some inspiration. I came across a post from the You The Designer Blog on 7 Ways to Build Trust on a Portfolio Site. I especially liked the last two points that were made about explaining your design process and having a professional/custom site. I have a lot of websites bookmarked that showcase well designed and inspirational sites, but none like Foliostars.net. The site shows off only the best portfolio sites from around the web and is a great place to get some inspiration. Inspiration? Did I forget to mention a post from Nick La of Web Designer Wall on Single-Page Portfolio Sites.

Personal Branding and Promotion

// April 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // Branding, Networking, Promotion

I have been sharing a lot of stuff from Danny Outlaw of Outlaw Design Blog lately and think his stuff just keeps getting better. I found out a lot about him after reading an article on We Function. In this article Danny talks about personal branding & promotion and shares some cool tips on how to get yourself out there. Great stuff here, everything from managing your time well to using social networking to succeed as a designer. With the real world right around the corner I think everyone should be thinking about how they will make a name for themselves, develop a good reputation and get work. Also, be sure to check out this video to help improve your about page, and to see what this mysterious Outlaw guy looks like.