The Wilson Project Blog of UX/Front-End Developer Ivan Wilson

Menu Skip to Navigation

Archives for Category / Charles/TWP

  • Mental Steeplechase / Hurdle IA

    Charles - Home Page (w/ site revisions)

    After a some thought and some revisions, I decided that the homepage will take on the blog lister template. This caused the following changes in the primary navigation:

    1. Changed primary navigation with addition of “Home” link
    2. Changed “Information” with “About”
    3. Replacement of “Blog” (main blog page) with “Blog Links” (gray section below containing Blogroll, Archives, and Meta)
    4. Switched order of “Social Media” and “Blog Links”

    An additional change was the addition of the site byline to the header.

    As of today, this was the final substantial change to the look and feel of the Charles site. After almost a year and three concepts, Charles has its look and now I can move forward toward Charles’ completion in 1/1/2011.

    Next steps:

    1. Complete HTML5 code templates
    2. Move TWP site from Windows to Linux server
    3. Start initial steps/planning for CMS configuration
  • Back from Vacation

    NightScene_052910_008

    Re-entered the country on Memorial Day, after some relaxing (and wet) days in Vancouver, Canada.

    Before falling back into the daily schedule, I took some concrete steps in completing Charles by building out of the first templates. A few more steps will be taken this month, leading to end of Project Charles by January 1st, 2011 (upcoming blog entry).

    Besides Charles, there will be more changes during the later half of this year.

    Later.

  • News On The Homefront

    002

    NYC IxDA Redux

    A big belated “Thank You” to IxDA New York for Interaction 10 Redux (3/6). It was nice to meet all the people who attended and to see all of the presentations that I missed at Savannah.  Would come back for another event hosted by the group if my schedule allow it.

    Of course, that means I have to start paying attention to the home IxDA branch as well.

    More Opera

    Ironically enough, after NYC IxDA Redux, I went back to New York for my scheduled vacation for Met’s performance of The Nose. This weekend, went back to The Met for Lulu, the Alban Berg opera composed a few years after The Nose. Same decade, different moods but both are considered some of the most avant-garde works of their time. This was the last performance for me this season. Already planning for attending two performances next season in 2011 — John Adam’s Nixon in China and Alban Berg’s Wozzeck.

    Futura

    If you have not noticed, the font has changed in this site. After the font change last year, I decided to re-evalute my choice and changed to the first choice of Futura. I like Super Grotesk and it was choosen because of its closeness to Futura. However, there were just some things that I felt were not right (weight, letter styles) for me. It was nagging me in the back of my mind for a few months. So I decided to go back to the first choice of Futura.

    I am still on the look out for any other Futura-like fonts but the right choice has been made right now.

    Recent Blog Entry for CDG

    Last week, finally completed a book review of Morville/Callender ‘s Search Pattern for CDG and posted on the blog. Interesting read and really changed my ideas about search engines and how search result can be displayed for easier use.

    I mentioned on Twitter (5/4) that this would be my blog for CDG for the next couple of months as I will be spending writing for this blog. A consquenence will be some important announcements about The Wilson Project and Project Charles, as well as some important blog entries.

  • Charles is One Year(s) Old

    First Anniversary

    Actually, he’s a few weeks older, but who cares.

    I knew that it had been awhile until I started writing again in the Moleskin notebook I carry around. I wish I could say more but there was some much happening outside of the project that nothing was really done for about six months. Thankful, work has started again. In this case, I took a different tack and worked around what I do best: building and programming. So far, by using prototyping (IxD idea) to try out some of the ideas in the initial plans, I made some progress and new changes that should be an improvement down the road.

    A shout out to Todd Zaki Warfel for some much need inspiration.

    There is still a lot of work to think about and more concepts to play around with. I’m even examining a few ideas from almost five years ago because of one change that needed to be made for better functionality, which some refresher in PHP programming (long time…).

    As for the new design, that is still on hold. Finally asked another designer but he is busy as well (and just like me, can’t complain). But with the change in plans, that will wait until all the concepts have been played out.

    So basically, more work, changing ideas, better direction – which leads to a more upbeat tone about the project.

    BTW – Why the name Charles? I’ll tell all the worth while secrets when this is finally over, hopefully before 2011.

  • UI or UN? The Life of a Front-End Developer…The Lecture???

    No. Really.

    Basically, it originally started as an idea for me to do something close to work but outside the office.  However, there are a number of ideas that need fleshing out. Not just about work (dealing with bad HTML code) but also about ideas about Charles, TWP, front-end developement, and IxD.

    And linguistics.

    More news to come.

  • Storm and Stress

    After three weeks of work and vacation (which was almost like work), I got a free weekend.

    One in which I got to do nothing.

    Now this week, a hopefully(?) slow work will allow me to do the following:

    • Write two blogs entries for CDG – one on the book Search Patterns by Peter Morville/Jeffery Callender and the other about The Nose (The Met/MOMA)
    • Started prototyping work on Charles, which I started Sunday, first bit of work in a couple of months
    • Starting more blog entries here, including a brief one about the last three weeks

    I have a number of things to do before things speed up again at work. There is also the next two trips in May, which I need to get ready for.

    First, NYC again for another Met performance – instead the Russian satire of The Nose, it will be the dark, German expressionism of Lulu.

    Then this will be followed by my yearly pilgrimage to the Pacific Northwest again (Seattle, WA/Vancouver, Canada).

    Lots to do, lots to see. Just need to do more than one blog entry per month.

    Later.