Doing some preliminary research before wireframing a corporate blog, I’m struck by the tiny number of truly visually innovative blogs out there. I suppose designers don’t know development and developers don’t know design, limiting the fancies to print and the clevers to ugly little bricks of content. As someone who blogs, designs, and does a little development, I declare this to be the most hypocritical entry ever.
Anyhow, I found some examples of two crossing over from time to time:
Coudal - Oh Coudal, Coudal I love you! Coudal’s modern font-families and clever structure keep it fresh-looking on many screens and totally AWESOME on even more.
Subtraction - The guy behind new Onion and NYtimes redesigns (if you don’t like’em, shut up), Khoi sure puts together a fancy site out of a couple lines and some Arial.
Shaun Inman - Great layout choices.
Airbag recently change their main graphic, a decision I disagree with, but kept most of the layout that’s been up for years. While this could use a little updating, it still looks fantastic.
Joshua Ink - More design than forethought here…this is little more than a list of entries, titles, and Delicious links….but man, what a design.
Jeff Croft - Croft’s blog is my model for innovative use of content in a blog. Finally, something that looks like it was built from a wishlist instead of a list of constraints. This one really shines on the articles.
Veerle’s blog - Awesome. Note: The h1 font on subpages is Century Gothic. ON THE INTERNET.
The Big Noob - I love that ruled-line effect.
Odds and Ends - Great way to display updating photos.
31three - This guy designed my favorite church site.
A List Apart - Of course. For some reason, my favorite thing is still the rollover on the issue number.
What Do I Know - Starting to show its age, but I love the adjustible sizes/layout buttons.
Chris J. David - Sort of a mash of some of the best modern features (”The Kitchen Sink” is something I see a lot these days), but I feel like there’s not enough contrast of size on this.
Avalonstar - It took me a second to figure out what was going on, but this design is really sophisticated.
Jason Santa Maria - Great site, but don’t look at it on a wide monitor.
Superfluous Banter - Yet another ‘kitchen sink’ bottom bar. I love these.
Derek Powazek - This works surprisingly well.
Supreme Court Blocks Bush, Gitmo War Trials.
SCOTUSblog says: “The Court appears to have held that Common Article 3 of Geneva aplies to the conflict against Al Qaeda.”
I have no further comments; I just like hearing good news. Although it’s unnerving that this sort of thing passes for good news:
Hey, everybody! Against the opinion of our President, Congress, military, and intelligence agencies, the Supreme Court declared that humans might actually have rights, and that our government might actually have to obey the law!
So I try to pick up an umbrella on the way home, and spend nearly 45 minutes in Target and another 15 in Staples before I find one (although it is nice). Then I get home to find a note saying I remove my brand-new AC immediately, as there is a one-unit-per-apartment policy. Of course, the cats are fighting, and have pulled toilet paper all over the house. So I take the AC out and it dumps a half-liter of water on me because my roof has no overhang and this thing has vents on the top. Then, I open my mail and it turns out the IRS wants some more information on this year’s payments, as I may be eligible for an additional tax. Except it’s going to take me forever to find my records, and write it down, and deal with it, so I wish they’d just apply the tax to those earnings and save me some time/money. Seriously, guys, I gave you 2500 a few months ago, I can pay out a little more. Just promise you won’t spend it all in one ten-commandment-replica store. On top of this, I need to get up at 7:30 tomorrow to sludge downtown to an all-day meeting (the meeting won’t be so bad, but the OH THE SLUDGING).
On the upside: New Netflix, new 2-CD set (Optimo’s incredible How To Kill The DJ), two new books (fringe religious theory and loopy creative self-empowerment stuff, of course), and only one ad to do tonight. Although, I should do some work for some other clients. Huh.
Also (Mele reminds me), tomorrow is Archduke’s Day. Have a sandwich in his honor.
MELE: “You must call it a ‘Ferdinandwich!’”
—–
Update: So after drinking too many Diet Dr. Peppers last night, and sick with worrying about the big meeting, I ended up staying up the entire night. To pass the time, I spent 40 minutes or so on the exercise machine. But when it was time to shower and go to work, I found that my WATER NO LONGER WORKED. Stinky and frustrated, I headed out, only to wait through three full Metro trains before finding one with just enough space to wrench myself into. Another human had to literally lean on me while she did her crossword, while I had my arm behind another’s neck. AUGH.
On the upside, once again: On the way to the Metro, I inexplicably passed America’s greatest living literary treasure, Tom Clancy. I am 100% positive it was him. At the meeting (which went EERILY well), it was revealed that each employee now gets one day a week to work from home. I am going to order chinese food.
BYE
A conversation at work (that I think I rudely interrupted) led me to this: A playlist of the guiltiest, most horrible songs I have and privately rock out to. This is the Bin Of Shame, people; tracks that you should never ever play when other people are in the car. They infect your playlist and deploy their seedy misdoings; use carefully.
Right or CTRL-click to download: Playlist Of Regret. (104 MB. No, really)
More More More - Andrea True Connection
I suppose there’s nothing wrong with enjoying this song. But there’s something wrong with the DEGREE to which I enjoy this song.
Everybody’s Free - Aquagen ft. Rozalla
The Season 2 premiere of Venture Brothers begins with an amazing montage set to this song, where Dr. Venture, unable to deal with the death of his sons, breaks free of his friends and travels the world seeking himself. It culiminates in a scene where Brock confronts the Doctor in the middle of a rave (perfectly tied to the synth-burst part of the song).
Strange and Beautiful (I’ll Put A Spell On You) - Aqualung
Probably the sappiest faux-Coldplay song to never hit the radio. Sickeningly sweet and optimistic. Wonderful.
Boyfriend - Ashlee Simpson
If it wasn’t for the stomach-turning verse lyrics and the identity of the singer, this might actually be something to display in my home, like a trophy of rockingness or a kickass dreamcatcher or something. But things are what they are, and Boyfriend is a song to be ashamed of.
Arcanum - Ben Houge
This is the theme to a computer role playing game.
The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground
“Derrrrr-urrrr-durrr-rrrt!” Too few people remember all the lyrics to this song, which is infinitely superior to the slightly-more-novel Baby Got Back.
Actually, it might be too many people.
I Get Around - Dragonette
Stupid sleazy Dragonette, with your pop chorus and spiking synth! Why must you rock three, four times in a row whenever I listen to you?
Classical Gas (Acoustic) - Eric Clapton
One day, I was blasting this song, and I may have had my windows down, when I noticed two guys on the sidewalk laughing at me. No, really.
Classical Gas is the nerdiest, whitest song there is.
The Final Countdown - Europe
If you know me, you know about the Final Countdown.
If you don’t know me, this song might dissuade you from organizing a meet-up.
The Show - Girls Aloud
Years after the Spice Girls have lost all relevance, their legend lives on - in my iPod. The Show is the Spice Girls doing stadium-pop; and its lyrics are either compelling or terrible, depending on who you ask (me or everyone else on the planet).
Dr. Mario Chill - Koji Kondo
The masterfully minimal theme to Dr. Mario only becomes embarrassing when you rock it at eleven. Then, you have a problem.
Peril Personified - Koh Ohtani
Man, ANOTHER video game theme. Koh Ohtani’s high-action theme to Shadow Of The Colossus is only a part of the overall score, which shows an incredible sensitivity throughout. Of course, when you’re hearing this track, you’re stabbing a 200-foot monster in the head.
Hung Up - Madonna
I don’t like Madonna songs. I barely like this one, but that terrifically catchy burbling keyboard gets me every time. Secret: I sing along to it at times. “Doo-doo-doot, doo-doo-doooooooo!”
Make Your Own Kind Of Music - Mama Cass Elliot
I only like this song because of its fantastic placement in the opening of Lost’s second season. Seriously, that’s the only reason, but it seems to be more than enough.
Bat Out Of Hell - Meat Loaf
I have this one DOWN for karaoke night. And by that, I mean that I practice.
FF7 Main Theme - Nobuo Uematsu
Uematsu’s score to Final Fantasy 7 was a perfect pairing: His best work for Squaresoft’s (and possibly Japan’s) best game. In their later years, Nobuo and the series became hollow and repetitive, but this moment was a tremendous leap for both. Of course, it’s the opening theme to a 40 hour game where you have to flirt with party members in order to win a fruitless date with one in the second act.
Dragostea Din Tei - O-zone
The infamous Numa Numa song is actually a lot of fun. I especially like the wimpier guy who goes “Allo…a-allo!”
Swedish Rhapsody - Percy Faith
The Freebird of polka-influenced flouncey orchestral stuff.
Flash Gordon Theme - Queen
I have it on good account that this song is actually totally awesome, but I still feel embarrassed whenever it comes on. “He’ll save every one of us!” indeed.
Pet Sound - Puppetmastaz
If you’ve known me long, you’ve received a copy of this song where a dozen puppets rap about the Sugar Islands or something. I don’t know, it’s just ADDICTIVE.
Holy Thunderforce - Rhapsody
The guiltiest of guilty pleasures, Rhapsody is an Italian metal band attempting to tell the long, long story of some guy who has a sword he wants to defeat some evil guy with. They’re really serious about it, and they even put maps of their fantasy land inside the liner notes.
That said, Holy Thunderforce’s guitar/keyboard solo is s w e e t.
Smells Like Teen Booty - Soulwax (probably)
What happens when you combine the two lowest common denominators? This mashup, by (I’m told) Soulwax. If there is a God, Destiny’s Child will one day perform this with the remaining members of Nirvana.
Tip-Toe Thru’ The Tulips With Me - Tiny Tim
Two things:
1) Stephin Merritt should totally cover this song.
2) I want this song to be in the background of an ad for a Metal Gear Solid game (a game about sneaking around and slitting throats).
Das Lied Der Schlümpfe - Vader Abraham
Where did I find this? I dunno. Who sings it? Beats me. What’s it mean? I think maybe it’s about the Smurfs, but don’t ask why I say this.
Downriver - Wilcannia Mob
Okay, I’m not that ashamed of this one. Wilcannia Mob is a couple of Aboriginal kids recorded by an area community worker. There’s something scary and sweet about it.
Dimension - Wolfmother
While Woman is somehow even dumber than this song (”Woman! Yeah you’re a woman! You’re a woman! Yeah you know what I mean!”), Dimension has a fuzzy bassline that kills braincells with each quarter-measure.
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