IE6 Sucks, but don’t hate the game—hate the players.
A few of us on Pownce were having a discussion about the eminent death of IE6, and how the end cannot come too soon. Upon searching for news of its demise, I found a STOP IE CAMPAIGN site. At-first, I was thrilled, until I saw that they are distributing a script that developers are supposed to install on their sites to smack-down the IE6 users. However, the script is nothing short of rude, displaying a modal window with the below text.
Personally, I think this is a really bad idea. Designers should be aware, and more — be prepare for the visitors that will access a site. I hate IE6 too, but here’s what I think of this script idea:
Let’s say that there’s a Running Store with total accessibility — wheelchair ramps and parking for the disabled. After the owner canvased his typical client base, he realized that a fraction of a percent of his visitors cannot walk, so what would they want with running shoes? He decided to cut the wheelchair ramps off of his curbs completely. Is that fair? Ok, that’s a bit extreme.
Designers/Developers: there’s plenty of documentation available {google }{ del.icio.us} on how to make sites work for most browsers, by hacking the CSS with conditional comments. Quite honestly, when I’ve built a site XHTML1.0 strict, I’ve seen VERY little differences between browsers.
What’s your opinion? I’ve vented enough!
Great Apes!
Give an orangutan a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach him how to fish and he will one day turn on you and stab you to death.
Allegedly.

A male orangutan, clinging precariously to overhanging branches, flails the water with a pole, trying desperately to spear a passing fish. {dailymail.co.uk}
Coupon codes and discounts for 13,000 online stores! RetailMeNot.com
Cardboard Safari
Carbonmade: a great Resume/Portfolio builder
So I found another cool web2.0 app: Carbonmade.
I’ve built online portfolios before, and it can be a painful, tedious process.
Carbonmade was fun, and never got old. I thought the limit of five free portfolio projects was going to be a downside, but the limitation forced me pick what I consider to be my best work.
My new online resume: http://alanhouser.carbonmade.com
Design Inspiration of the Moment: Peter Callesen
==> http://www.petercallesen.com
Daniel Burka - The why and how: UI case studies
This is a presentation given at Web Directions North, Vancouver Canada, January 31 2008 by designer friend Daniel Burka.
I’ve had the opportunity to interview Daniel on two occasions. {one + two}. Daniel is partner of Silverorange and Pownce, but is best known as Digg’s Designer.
Session description
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User interface design is an iterative process - the design of Digg and Pownce have been a study in evolution and adaptation. This talk will inspect the why and how of these iterations by looking at specific case studies from the two projects as well as previous client work Daniel has tackled.
The case studies will examine specific user interface challenges that have arisen and will chop them up into their various bits. How do I identify a challenge? What is the best approach for getting started? How do I solve the problem conceptually and technically? How will I know if I solved the challenge successfully? Case studies have been selected that are especially pertinent outside of their specific contexts to help you in your everyday UI design.
The presentation will focus on design inspiration, decision-making processes, technical solutions, and learning from missteps as part of a designer’s iterative process.
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Creating a sound barrier for Amsterdam Airport
About
Creative Component is a design, blog and podcast consultancy by Alan Houser. {Alan’s Resume}
Located in central Indiana, we’re committed to providing excellence in client service. There’s a bio available and a list of seldom asked questions if you’re interested. If you like, you can send us an email.



