Detecting font smoothing with JavaScriptA look into how we can detect font smoothing using JavaScript to improve visual styling for different users.
Invisible DesignDesign is a very complex subject and it has many definitions but one I particularly like is ‘to plan and fashion artistically or skillfully’ (dictionary.com). Design is a highly skillful activity and requires dedication and creativity. Good design is a process and one that is made up of many elements. It is the successful combination of elements that deliver a great design that make it compelling, engaging and ultimately, invisible.
New Nomensa Design – style meets user experienceA little while ago we released the new Nomensa website! We’re all really proud of it, but it’s certainly gone through some transformations to get to where it is now. Now it’s had some time to settle in, I thought it would be nice to share some of the thinking and initial concepts we went through to get to this point.
Tracking User Experience with Google AnalyticsThe average website these days is a collage of CMS-Driven content, rich media and social media updates; users can interact with its pages in so many more ways than simply navigating to a page and reading the content. With more Flash, more media and more javascript functionality per page, the overall user experience has improved, [...]
Accessible forms using jQuery’s Validation plug-inThis post looks at how we can begin to deliver a better experience for our users when it comes to displaying form errors. As jQuery is my preferred library of choice and the Validation plug-in provides an excellent starting point, we will use them both to form the basis of this article.
Three rules for creating accessible formsAs part of my role at Nomensa I have spent a significant amount of time evaluating the accessibility conformance on a range of websites. When auditing these websites I have been consistently surprised at the way in which web forms have been implemented. Forms can be a source of confusion for everyone, not least for people with cognitive disabilities and visual impairments.
Designing accessible icons (Part 2 of 2)If you remember back, I set myself a short brief for creating icons for our Content Managent System. They had to be Accessible, Web-based and designed for our CMS.
In the first part, we looked at sensory characteristics and cultural differences that can affect an icon design. Today we’ll be looking at the more visual design aspect of creating icons.
Designing accessible icons (Part 1 of 2)I love icons. Someone once described them to me as mini works of art – and that’s not far off. They can be miniature designs representing something huge, all to be understood within a blink of an eye.
Not too long ago I was tasked with creating a brand new interface for our Content Management System (CMS) Defacto. With the new interface came a new family of icons and I thought I’d share some insight as to the process of designing these icons.
