Why have a chair when you could have a Sumo
September 26, 2008
Like Jeremy, I’m such a blogwhore.
- Posted in: Personal
- Comments closed
Journal
Design By Community
September 16, 2008
One of the interesting challenges of the redesign process for Drupal.org is managing the expectations of a community of over 200,000 registered users. Not only that, but a community of largely open source developers. I mention that specifically because of the culture that surrounds open source development. Leisa and I have been trying something that is, frankly, terrifying. We’re designing in the open.
- Posted in: Design, Information Architecture
- Comments [24]
Drupal.org
August 15, 2008
A day or so ago, the small design studio I run, Mark Boulton Design, was announced as the redesign partner for the redesign of drupal.org. Together with the outstandingly talented Leisa Reichelt and Carolyn Wood, the team at Mark Boulton Design are thrilled to part of this project. More details on the studio site.
Leisa and I will be out in Szeged, Hungary, for the biannual Drupalcon during the week of the 25th August, where we will be giving a keynote presentation on Thursday 28th. If you’re there, tap me on the shoulder and say hi.
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Don’t screw with conventions
August 01, 2008
I’ve got a confession to make: i’ve got a thing about signage design. On any given day trip, excursion, or holiday, and I can be seen ignoring the attraction and taking photographs, or even drawing little sketches, of the signage. I’m particularly interested in airport signage.
A few days ago, I took a business trip to Brussels, via Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. I’ve wanted to visit Schiphol ever since I attended a lecture in 2005 by the designer of the signage system, Paul Mijksenaar. As a designer, you know when you get those moments where something somebody says turns you’re entire understanding on its head? Seeing Paul talk, I probably had one of those moments every minute.
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Design isn’t about tools
June 05, 2008
The other day, 37Signals wrote about Why they skip Photoshop. Fine. I think that suits them and their workflow, considering they don’t do client work and have an established UI style on which to draw. Jeff does a much better job of summarising my thoughts on the subject that I could. As does Jon
So, yesterday, we see this post on SVN, presumably as a follow up. Is it an inflammatory post? Or, do they have a point?
- Posted in: Design
- Comments closed
Where’s the D in D&AD?
May 20, 2008
On the 15th May, the winners of this year’s D&AD awards were announced. This year, there were only two nominations for graphic design, neither of which won an award. There were many more website nominations, and one was even awarded a yellow pencil. Although, typically, it’s a flash-based, motion-based ‘microsite’ masquerading as a website. Now, that aside, why did the graphic design category not produce any winners this year?
That very question has got me thinking about industry awards in general and why graphic design, and its application to websites, no longer has a place in the D&AD.
- Posted in: Design
- Comments closed
Coolspotters: Where people and products meet
May 07, 2008
Last year, Mike D introduced me to a friend of his who had just started work on an exciting new project. Coolspotters, the first major project from Fanzter was built on the back of a simple concept: combine products and people and let the users create the connections.
- Posted in: Design, Site launch
- Comments closed
Alys Rose Boulton
April 22, 2008
Little Alys was born on 15th April 2008, weighing in at 7lb 8oz. Isn’t she a looker? There are more photos up on Flickr.
A proud dad doesn’t even come close. :)
- Posted in: Personal
- Comments closed
Most recent entries
- Why have a chair when you could have a Sumo
- Design By Community
- Drupal.org
- Don’t screw with conventions
- Design isn’t about tools
- Where’s the D in D&AD?
- Coolspotters: Where people and products meet
- Alys Rose Boulton
- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
- From Poly to Pole
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Of interest ...
- Organizing Our Marvellous Neighbours
- Joe Clark's new book.
- Drupal.org: come wireframe with me!
- Leisa calls on the community to take part in an interesting group wireframing exercise
- disambiguity - " Opening the floodgates! How to participate in the Drupal.org redesign project
- Leisa opens the floodgates with many channels by which to participate in the Drupal.org redesign project.
- FF Meta Serif
- Great looking minisite for FF Meta Serif
- Clagnut: A new design
- Richard cooks up a splendid redesign to Clagnut. Wonderfully understated.
- A List Apart: Putting Our Hot Heads Together
- Carolyn Wood writes about the value of thoughtful discussion in participation on the web. Beautifully written.
- Advancing Web fonts
- Joe Clark on How not to advance the discussion of Web fonts.
These links are now pulled from my del.icio.us account. You can subscribe to the feed if you like.
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I'm a graphic designer from near Cardiff in the UK. I've been a designer for over ten years now and primarily work on the web. I'm still partial to a bit of print every now and then though. I used to work for Agency.com in London as an Art Director before working as a Senior Designer for the BBC in sunny Cardiff. This was all before I took leave of my senses and formed my own design consultancy, Mark Boulton Design Ltd.
I've got a thing about grids and typography and occasionally ramble on about them to anyone who will listen.
Mark Boulton Design
If you're after simple, clean and effective web design; let me know.