nyc fowd 09′ recap

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On the topic of conferences on November 22nd

I recently had the opportunity to attend The Future of Web Design (FOWD) event in New York City that featured talks and panel discussions of the latest and greatest web design technologies and the obvious—the future of web design.

The event put together by Carsonified hosted some of the industry leaders of web design including Jason Santa Maria, Dan Cederholm, Mike Kus, Elliot Jay Stocks, in addition to other talented and respect designers.

Below is a recap of the talks and discussion by various speakers at FOWD 2009:

progressive enrichment with css3 | dan cederholm

Even though older browsers do not support CSS3, Dan discussed how we can spruce up our websites for modern web browsers using enhanced CSS3 techniques. For those using older, non-supportive CSS3 browsers, they will not even know what they are missing — Do websites need to look exactly the same in every browser [click for answer]?

Topics covered:

• Enriching form elements
• RGBa
• Box shadows
• Image scale on hover
• Opacity for making highlights on rollover
• Rotation and fade effects

Links using CSS3 techniques:

• Sam Brown
• 24 ways

feedback informing design | daniel burka

Daniel Burka discussed how really listening to your users can add to better web design. Important areas discussed include:

• Feedback is much more complicated then “good” and “bad”
• Seek out feedback: Tell your clients you need access to feedback
• Feedback identifies problems
• Set goals of what you want more of

Six types of feedback:

1. Haters
2. Fans
3. Niche
4. Bug reporters
5. Experts
6. Implicit

3 dimensional thinking for web designers | mike kus

One of my personal favorite designers, Mike Kus of Carsonified and a very different approach to presentations — it was in 3-D, and yes,  glasses were provided. The inspiring presentation discussed creativity and looking beyond the web for inspiration.

• Be aware of what surrounds you; draw inspiration for everything and anything
• Carsonified’s website design was inspired by a signage on a morning run by Mike
  
• Restrict your toolkit: restrict your palette and rules
• Set rules
• Band web trends from your work
• Push limits – ask yourself can I push this further
  
• Be more creative and expressive

“Progress and Innovation in Design Require Exploration”

You can see all of Mike’s slides on his website [mikekus.com/3d/fowd/slides], but you will need 3-D glasses to get the full effect.

tips & tricks for designing for the modern web | elliot jay stocks

“Stop worrying” worrying about inconsistencies between web browsers. “Stop worrying if enhancements work in Internet Explorer and get on with it!”

• Enhancements only become features when the majority of users are experiencing them
• Add progressive enrichment to really boring sites… adds richness!
• Websites will never look consistent across all browsers, but it’s ok — embrace the differences.
• Usability / Accessibility / Functionality are all very important, but do not underestimate the importance of beauty.
• Beauty is the experience’s visual layer
  
• Visually pleasing layers equal more useful user experience

Who’s pushing things forward:

• Mike Kus
• Tim Van Damme
• 24Ways.org
• BornLiving.com
• Jason Santa Maria
• Squared Eye

Things to remember:

The nicer your site looks: the longer visitors look = the longer people stay on it = the more likely they will be intrigued with your product/services.

Validation is irrelevant in web design; new technologies won’t validate.

A few quotes:

“Validation does not equal conformity to web standards. We cannot ensure that all users will get the same experience. We can add further enhancements above the norm.”

” The flexibility the web offers is a blessing, not a curse! Ensure a good experience for most and a great one for others.”

“Ten percent of users today will be 100% of users tomorrow. It’s our duty to push forward-thinking development.”

“To make the most of the tools made available to us and our users. New technologies and practices will not become mainstream if we do no use them.”

Links and resources:

• http://j.mp/smashingCSS3
• http://j.mp/jontan
• jontangerine.com/log/tag/web-typography

For more pictures of the event visit Carsonified’s website.