Blogging and all that Malarkey

If you’re an ‘everyday’ web designer or developer — instead of one who’s perhaps made of plastic or maybe carved out of soap — we think you’ll love this week’s episode of Unfinished Business. Anna and I talk about being nominated for awards and being made into action figures and how that’s made us feel. We discuss whether it’s acceptable to make you or your company look bigger than you really are and whether sites such as Agencies Rated can really help freelancers.

In January 2012, we began creating this solid, yet flexible, foundation that will help Google’s designers and vendors to produce high quality work that helps strengthen Google’s identity. What you see here is a visual summary of the guidelines A lot of design gold to learn from in Google’s Visual Assets Guidelines. Part two is here. ( Via my mate Dan.)

In this week’s episode of Unfinished Business, award winning Anna Debenham and I talk about our worst business mistakes and disasters, what went wrong on the worst client projects and what we learned from them. I also wants to know why Albanians steal my soap, plus there are confessions galore about shampoo and Taylor Swift.

I noticed a strange spike in traffic from Japan today. Turns out to be a report on the workshop I help there in April. Google Translate’s version is a hit-and-miss in some places and hilarious in others: I feel each time you attend a workshop of Andy Clarke’s, but expect a “great technique” and “amazing tool” from work and his track record, but the expectation is betrayed every time in a good way. But the gist of my message — of responsive vs adaptive design (very common in Japan) is there, along with some photographs of the day.

Andrew compares his experiences with both Adobe Edge Inspect and Ghostlab. It’s a good read and well worth your time. What Andrew doesn’t mention, and something I’ve been using Ghostlab for this week here at WIPO is demonstrating designs to clients on a range of devices all at the same time. Instead of handing someone a phone or tablet and directing them — “now, press the menu link” — I’ve been driving the demonstration from my own phone. Honestly, watching a client’s face when their phone updates remotely is a delight. Big smiles. They think it’s magic.

I have been stung by this. So. Many. Times. The current release of Rock Hammer gets this wrong too, — which is probably why I get stung so often — so I’ll update it with this today.

John Galantini I’m looking at you.

In this week’s episode, Anna and I talk about secrecy, about what we can say about the business we do and what we can’t. We talk about non-disclosure agreements and why it’s important for everyone to sign one, plus why I wrote and published my plain speaking Three Wise Monkeys NDA. I gets all emotional about Alex’s twenty-first birthday and can’t quite believe that Anna’s never heard of Blackpool illuminations.

Cute. Very cute.

Remember me linking to Dan Davies’ series of workflow interviews? Well now this excellent series has a new home at I Ask. You Answer.