Essential

Web Skills
Webmaster Jam Session
Dallas, Texas | 22 September 2006

© MMVI Cameron Moll

9
skills
 1 Good designers

Decorate

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 1 Great designers

Communicate

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“ The most basic of all human needs
is the need to understand and to
be understood.
—Ralph Nichols
“ You know you’ve achieved perfection in
design, not when you have nothing more
to add, but when you have nothing more
to take away.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery
 2 Good designers

Believe “less” is more

9 Essential Web Skills © MMVI Cameron Moll

 2 Great designers

Believe “less” and “more”

co-exist

10 Essential Web Skills © MMVI Cameron Moll

(audio)
Less
+ More
 3 Good designers

Fix problems

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 3 Great designers

Prevent them

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Where to add armor?
 4 Good designers

Are inspired within

a genre

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 4 Great designers

Are inspired by their

total environment

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“Whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed.”
 A B C
C’ B’ A’
“Whoever sheds the blood of man
by man shall his blood be shed.”
Fallen.
In silence we ponder
Momentarily.
Years fail to wash away
Memories that stain the walls of yesterday.
What are They but those we revere?
Indelible is the pain
Yet greater is the courage
Of those who gave the incalculable bequest.
What are we but guardians of the legacy now ours?
Written in our hearts the memories
In perpetuity remain.
Forever
Will the Fallen
Stand.
Fallen. POSITION
In silence we ponder
Momentarily. TIME
Years fail to wash away PERPETUANCE
Memories that stain the walls of yesterday.
MEMORIES
What are They but those we revere?
Indelible is the pain
Yet greater is the courage CENTRAL THEME
Of those who gave the incalculable bequest.
What are we but guardians of the legacy now ours?
Written in our hearts the memories MEMORIES
In perpetuity remain. PERPETUANCE
Forever TIME
Will the Fallen
Stand. POSITION
 5 Good designers

Macrodesign

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 5 Great designers

Microdesign

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 Selective Iteration

“ What are the core elements/actions?

What can I exclude initially?

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 6 Good designers

Use good typefaces

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 6 Great designers

Use good typography

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 7 Good designers

Treat text as content

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 7 Great designers

Treat text as UI

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“ Copywriting is interface design.
Great interfaces are written.

—Jason Fried
Text as content Text as UI
 8 Good designers

Code for one instance

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 8 Great designers

Code for many

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 NO STOWAGE
NO PARA ALMACENAR, GUARDAR
O COLGAR OBJECTOS
 “Bulletproof” design
Font resizing
Flexibility in sectional areas
Internationalization
Credit: Dan Cederholm

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“We don’t internationalize.”
 9 Good designers

Redesign

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 9 Great designers

Realign

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“ The desire to redesign is aesthetic-
driven, while the desire to realign is
purpose-driven.
alistapart.com/articles/redesignrealign
 Redesigners ask...

“ When was our last redesign?

Is it just me, or does it look old?
Will a redesign bring new traffic?

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 Realigners ask...

“ Users’ needs have changed. Should

we adapt?
Do the current aesthetics devalue
brand perception?

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 Good Designers Great Designers
Decorate Communicate
“Less” is more “Less” and “more” co-exist
Fix problems Prevent
Inspired by genre Inspired by total environment
Everything at once Selective iteration
Treat text as content Treat text as UI
Use good typefaces Use good typography
Code for one instance Code for many instances
Redesign Realign

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Thank you.

cameronmoll.com
email@cameronmoll.com

© MMVI Cameron Moll