So, I had originally planned to do a review of a bunch of designers/companies that I really liked and feature a Sprout with each one. Sproutbuilder came out of beta, though, and had to start charging. It’s cool and I wish them the best, but I can’t justify the amount of money I would have to spend to keep up with that as a personal project.
I’ve been debating for a few weeks on what to do next. There are so many design blogs and, honestly, I’d rather spend my time reading most of them than trying to compete with them. Also, I have recently purchased How to be a Rockstar Wordpress Designer and joined the TUTS PLUS program. Currently, my goals are to master Wordpress, jQuery and Expression Engine.
What am I getting at? Basically, I’m going to use this as my training ground. I’m going to work my way through redesigning the blog using the book and try a few of the CMS solutions. Then, I’ll start making my way through the TUTS sites, doing the tuts and sharing the results. It will be a personal review of my journey to becoming a better web designer and will show my true Envato fanboy colors!
This is my first post in a series of Web Stars. As far as design advancements or resources go, “I bring nothing to the table.” So, the least a fanboy can do is recognize the peeps that make the web a better place. In these posts, I’ll explain why they’re a web star (in my humble opinion) and throw in a sproutbuilder widget to display their latest tweets, feeds, etc.
To kick things off, I’ll be featuring my personal internet hero, Collis Ta’eed of Envato.
So, why is Collis a Web Star?
Imagine that you could become highly successful doing something that you love and that your success was created by making others better at what they do. This is what Collis and the Envato team do. They represent exactly what is right with the design community.
Collis and Envato run a series of marketplace websites, tutorial websites and community sites that provide information on almost all topics for of design as a business. Their tutorial sites provide quality lessons for free and they add additional paid content for visitors that want more. This is done in an excellent way, in lieu of skimping on the free stuff to drive paid content. Their marketplace sites are perfect for designers to sell audio, flash, templates etc., providing a very fair marketplace for both sides. Prices are lower than you would expect, I believe because they understand the power in numbers. Their design blogs and Rockstar series provide invaluable information for freelancers.
So, what do they do in their spare time? Well, they pool together thousands of designers to reach tens of millions of people to work together to fight against worldwide issues, such as poverty in 2008.
Collis himself is very active in the designer community and seems to be very personable and approachable. I imagine that his energy and enthusiasm is infectious. I think it has to be for the projects that they handle.
Chances are, if you have come across the work that Collis and the Envato team have done, you are better off because of it. That is why they are Web Stars!
Today is a day for action against poverty! Some have the power of posting and reaching hundreds or thousands of readers, but I haven’t reached that yet! So, I made 4 microloans and small donation through KIVA to struggling worldwide entrepreneurs.
I am a Paul Boag fanboy. While my fanaticisim stretches to all things web design, it is Paul Boag that led me to realize that I fit the description of fanboy. How did I come to this conclusion? Here’s the path.
(This is where it gets ugly) Browsed through Boag’s Flickr Collection after reading a tweet about Scotland pics.
Realized I need help.
Decided to start a Fanboy Blog instead.
Spent 25 mins snagging Boag images and made a Boag Sprout.
Why Paul Boag Rocks
He’s the voice of web design! While there are a near infinite number of resources for designers to read (blogs, article sites, magazines, books), there are a limited number of audio and video resources. Boagworld is the longest running, (and best in my opinion) design podcast.
I greatly enjoy the show and take a great deal of practical knowledge from each one. Plus, I get to listen to it while I’m working on sites! I am such a huge fan because I hold many of the same opinions as he does when it comes to design inspiration, standards, etc (though I don’t hold a candle to his knowledge). If you haven’t heard the show, check it out. You won’t be disappointed!
As for Paul himself, I am a Paul Boag fanboy as well. I look forward to the chance to meet him at FOWD. NYC Babbbbyyy!
Firebug is the best thing to hit the internet since… well, since Al Gore invented it. It has quickly become my number one resource for web design and development. As a self-learned designer, I gained my knowledge by reading code in “view source mode”, saving copies and seeing what happened if I “removed this or added that”.
I like to call it reverse engineering cause it makes it seem like I’m smart. Hey mom, I’m an engineer! (I just do everything ass backwards.) Seriously though, Firebug makes this way of learning instantaneous. I can grab any site, including the ones I’m updating or creating, and click to see how each part of a page is functioning. Most of the time, I’m trying to figure out why part of the page I’m working on isn’t functioning.
Why Firebug Rocks
Firebug allows you to instantly study, troubleshoot and tweak web pages. The css area blows my mind. The first time I opened up a live page and turned styles on and off, I was floored. Now, it has become a daily part of my design process. I would even be comfortable going back to notepad (or notepad+ if I was permitted) to design with if I could use firebug with it.
Firebug also increases efficiency. The company that I work for recently went through a major sweep, converting numerous clients from one hosted online shopping cart provider to 2 different (and new to me) providers. Firebug increased my productivity by tenfold at least. I was able to grab code from newer and antiquated designs and plug them into two new shopping carts with completely different structures and design styles. Firebug was indispensable throughout this process.
So, what am I getting at? Firebug Rocks! Install it, use it and support it!
Ok, so I need to work out a kink or two with the new layout. Yes, they could have been avoided by reading the “readme”. I guess that’s what I get for trying to perform this as a lunch break project….
So, you may be thinking that you recognize this wordpress layout. If you frequent smashingmagazine, then you’re probably right. In seeking a visual way to relay my Fanboy-dom to the world, I thought it best to rock a free wordpress theme provided by Smashing Magazine. (What self-respecting fanboy would create their own layout? Geesh.)
So, this brings me to my first Web Design Resource Site that I am a complete fanboy of, SmashingMagazine.com. Smashing is one of the best resources for designers to its wealth of content provided by a large number of writers. Inspiration articles, design details and, of course, freebies make this site a can’t miss. It’s part of my lunch break favorites, the sites that I visit during my break to catch up on what’s going in the world, mainly the web design world.
