MyInkTrail: Best of the Design Community, February 2010

By   |  Stashed in MyInkTrail
4

MyInkTrail: Best of the Web, February 2010

I was definitely preoccupied this month with the MyInkBlog redesign, so this MyInkTrail is shorter than usual. Nonetheless, I did stumble into some great stuff. Here are the best articles, tutorials, inspiration and more from the design community for February 2010.

Articles

The Principle of Contrast in Web Design The Principle of Contrast in Web Design

This post goes into great detail about the importance good contrast can play in web design. It’s broken down into color, size and alignment.

 

A Few Steps Back A Few Steps Back

I love the honesty with which Jeff writes. In this article he calls out some of the design community for lack of originality and the commercialization of social media, amongst other things. This is a very thoughtful and interesting read that will certainly have bloggers looking in the mirror, myself included.

 

Unique Blog Posts and WordPress Tips Unique Blog Posts and WordPress Tips

Some blogs have started to customize each and every blog posts that they create. It’s an awesome trend, that requires creativity and commitment. This post showcases a bunch of blogs that are using unique blog posts.

 

Yet More on the Unfolding Future-of-Flash-and-the-Web Saga Yet More on the Unfolding Future-of-Flash-and-the-Web Saga

The drama that is unfolding between Apple and Flash is quite interesting. The politics and motives involved make it intriguing to follow. Get some perspective on the issue from this well-written article.

 

Tutorials

Lost in Space Typography in Photoshop Lost in Space Typography in Photoshop

Another sweet typography tutorial from the folks at Abduzeedo. It includes a bokeh effect and some awesome lighting effects.

 

How to Build a Custom WordPress Theme from Scratch How to Build a Custom WordPress Theme from Scratch

This tutorial walks you through creating an original WordPress theme from start to finish. It’s well written and a great starting point for anyone who already has basic css/html knowledge.

 

Create An Editable Stitched Label Type Treatment Create An Editable Stitched Label Type Treatment

If you like Illustrator, and you haven’t already, you should definitely bookmark Vectips. They are a consistent source for awesome vector tips and tutorials. This tutorial shows you how to create a slick stitched label, that’s easily reusable.

 

CSS3 Dropdown Menu CSS3 Dropdown Menu

Learn how to create a Mac-inspired menu using CSS3 attributes such as border-radius, box-shadow, and text-shadow. This is a terrific example of the proper use of CSS3 to create progressive enhancements in web design.

 

Inspiration

15 Excellent Splatter Typography Examples 15 Excellent Splatter Typography Examples

This is a really sweet compilation of splatter typography that is sure to inspire you.

 

Designers Sketchbook Showcase + Win 10 Free Sketchbooks! Designers Sketchbook Showcase + Win 10 Free Sketchbooks!

Wow, my sketchbook doesn’t look half as good as some of these. This is a cool glimpse into the sketching stage of the creative process for some designers.

 

Featured Stuff

BLANK WordPress Theme BLANK WordPress Theme

When starting a WordPress theme from scratch it’s nice to start with just the skeleton. I usually grab Starkers by Elliot Jay Stocks, but BLANK by Chris Coyier provides another nice option.

 

PV.M Garage CSS Gallery PV.M Garage CSS Gallery

PV.M Garage has added a css gallery that showcases only really great designs. I really like the colors and tags you can use to sort through the designs.

 

PSDFAN VIP Area Launches PSDFAN VIP Area Launches

PSDFAN has relaunched their members area. It’s stocked full of source files and member exclusive tutorials.

 

About the Author

Andrew is a primary contributer for MyInkBlog. He is a full time web developer for Niagara University. When he's not working there, he's a blogger, twitter'er, wordpress'er, silverstripe advocate, blessed father and husband.

More posts by

Website      

  • http://sideradesign.com paul

    there’s something wrong with your headings, there are duplicates

  • http://www.pancakeseven.com Thorsten

    Hey Andrew,
    like paul already said, you should check your first heading under “Inspiration” (it’s the same heading like the last one under “Tutorials”) and your second heading under “Featured Stuff” (it’s the same heading like the first one under “Featured Stuff”).
    Anyway great roundup, keep up your good work.

  • http://www.myinkblog.com Andrew Houle

    Thanks for catching that guys. I always forget things like that when I’m copying and pasting snippets of code. Anyway, it’s fixed now.

  • http://danyvilela.net Dany

    Thank you so much Andrew for this selection! Really useful!

    May I suggest an article for the inspiration category? Here’s a great collection of creative ads you might like:

    http://dyvantity.com/inspiration/unpublished-february-2010/

    Regards from France, thanks again!