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Good web design involves restraint and balance. Attention to detail and clear objectives are key. When designing a website we strive to establish a visual language that engages our visitors' attention, guides them to the information they're seeking and encourages them to act. By “act” I refer to making a phone call, buying a product, filling out a form, downloading a brochure or some other form of engagement.

At Babyface we find ourselves working with many creative graphic designers coming from the "print" side – they're used to designing for print and not the web.

I've decided to do a number of posts on this topic of which this is the first, helping print designers make the transition to the web side of design.

One issue of confusion is how to convert inches to pixels or a 300 dpi design to a 72 dpi website.

The power of the individual is astoundingly unlimited and it is the individual upon which our world's future relies. The institutional powers that be are lost as demonstrated throughout history and we are reminded again by the recent debt ceiling debacle in Washington.

Over my decade and a half of web development I’ve seen clients become increasingly more savvy about basic web concepts and available technologies.

More and more I’ve been getting pushback from prospective clients about Drupal. “Oh – I’ve heard there’s a steep learning curve” or “the back end is so confusing”.

This speaks to a problem not endemic to Drupal, but to specific developers. It doesn’t need to be that way.

I recently discovered an employee of one of my clients was using the user id "admin" for access to their company's website administration panel. The password? "admin123"

Not exactly secure. Unfortunately not all that uncommon. Business owners and office managers often overlook the need to periodically discuss - and enforce - password policy with their employees. Many organizations don't even have password policies. (Does yours?)

Nobody likes to change diapers. Nobody likes to change passwords. but change we must.

Passwords get stolen. They get cracked. People stand behind you and look over your shoulder (quick - turn around!).

It's best practice to periodically change passwords - especailly for your most important passwords - banks, credit cards and your sock of the month club membership.

You Gotta Have a Gimmick.

[ELECTRA]: If you wanna make it, Twinkle while you shake it.
[TESSIE TURA]: If you wanna grind it, Wait till you've refined it.
[MAZEPPA]: If you wanna stump it, Bump it with a trumpet!
[ALL]: So get yourself a gimmick and you, too, Can be a star!

From You Gotta Have a Gimmick from the musical Gypsy

For those naysayers claiming America is in decline, I say “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet”.

Technology and globalism are bringing people together in ways never before imaged and it up to us to find creative ways to communicate more effectively finding common ground to both bridge and celebrate differences.

I stopped by the local Quickie Mart where I sometimes buy coffee. The two clerks were in the midst of a shift change and were speaking to one another in a tongue with which I wasn’t familiar.

The Google way, according to Google Creative Lab ECD Robert Wong, is about "more listening, less talking; more feeling, less thinking; more doing, less promising; more inventing, less polishing."

The latest attempt to revolutionize social media is ShoutOmatic (http://shoutomatic.com/).

This is the audio version of Twitter. Record a short message (30 seconds or less), post it on the web for all to hear. You can also tweet it, share it on Facebook, download it, e-mail it or, watch as I use it to slice through this aluminum can without dulling the blade.

After listening to several shouts, including one from John Oates (sans Hall), I greet this innovation with a resounding yawn.