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Hawkeward, the blog
I'm a web designer at Boston University, and I have a sick obsession with programming - my focus is XHTML, CSS, and Wordpress. I also create graphics in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash CS4.

Please enjoy my One-A-Day Design Campaign. I create a small, unique design... every day... for a hundred days. So far, so good!
For the win. (And the truth).

For the win. (And the truth).

clientsfromhell: By Colin Harman

clientsfromhell:

By Colin Harman

Another StudentLink Revision Following both mine and others’ previous StudentLink proposals, I’ve crafted another one. I realized that the main issue was that the StudentLink is a web application that was being designed like a news feed. People who access it need to do specific tasks in specific areas (dealing with something class-related, or housing, or about their money/tuition/financial aid). So, here we have a true web application interface that divides student life into large hubs - Academics, Money, Housing and Dining, etc. Furthermore, we consolidate pages. On the current StudentLink, your schedule list, class graphic, planner for upcoming semesters, and add/edit courses functions are all on separate pages… but they deal with the same thing. Thus, they should be on the same page. This will save both time and server resources because it puts all the same information on the same page.

Another StudentLink Revision

Following both mine and others’ previous StudentLink proposals, I’ve crafted another one.

I realized that the main issue was that the StudentLink is a web application that was being designed like a news feed. People who access it need to do specific tasks in specific areas (dealing with something class-related, or housing, or about their money/tuition/financial aid). So, here we have a true web application interface that divides student life into large hubs - Academics, Money, Housing and Dining, etc.

Furthermore, we consolidate pages. On the current StudentLink, your schedule list, class graphic, planner for upcoming semesters, and add/edit courses functions are all on separate pages… but they deal with the same thing. Thus, they should be on the same page.

This will save both time and server resources because it puts all the same information on the same page.

Revision to Apple.com, the homepage At the moment, I am working on a full revision of Apple’s Homepage, Store, Support Center, and Forums. It’s a big project, but this is a sample of what I’m doing. This is for my portfolio/graduate school application. I focused on structure, not content. The adjustments were minor, so flip back and forth between this and the current one (see below) to notice the differences. Hopefully… you do. —- For comparison, here is the current home page: http://bit.ly/g7Aj20 I had a few issues with the current design: It’s structure was separate elements and boxes, each with their own, separate contents. Even the navigation is separate from the page; nothing “lived together.” The top navigation buttons were also “kitsch” (we know they’re buttons; they don’t have to overdo that metaphor) with their dark grey and heavy bevel.  Apple products, however, are known for being unified, seamless, and integrated… unlike this homepage. In short, the home page didn’t reflect the company and the products that it creates. I fixed this by unifying the page elements together into one block (not separate, disjointed boxes), and by reducing the “kitsch” and cartoony look. In the end, it’s subtle changes, but I went with a typical web design mantra: REALIGN, not redesign.

Revision to Apple.com, the homepage

At the moment, I am working on a full revision of Apple’s Homepage, Store, Support Center, and Forums. It’s a big project, but this is a sample of what I’m doing. This is for my portfolio/graduate school application.

I focused on structure, not content. The adjustments were minor, so flip back and forth between this and the current one (see below) to notice the differences. Hopefully… you do.

—-

For comparison, here is the current home page: http://bit.ly/g7Aj20

I had a few issues with the current design:

  1. It’s structure was separate elements and boxes, each with their own, separate contents. Even the navigation is separate from the page; nothing “lived together.”
  2. The top navigation buttons were also “kitsch” (we know they’re buttons; they don’t have to overdo that metaphor) with their dark grey and heavy bevel. 
  3. Apple products, however, are known for being unified, seamless, and integrated… unlike this homepage.
  4. In short, the home page didn’t reflect the company and the products that it creates.

I fixed this by unifying the page elements together into one block (not separate, disjointed boxes), and by reducing the “kitsch” and cartoony look. In the end, it’s subtle changes, but I went with a typical web design mantra: REALIGN, not redesign.

The Best Way to Complain is to Make Things.
James Murphy
iOS Idea: Swipe Numbers to the right to show number pad Every time I call a Customer Support line (or any touchtone service), I always get frustrated with the iPhone’s number pad. It take two taps to get to it. Other times, my face presses the “Keypad” button and starts pressing buttons. To be fair, this last one is a known iPhone 4 proximity sensor glitch. So, I was thinking… Suggestion: Make the call-buttons screen swipeable to get to other call functions. In terms of user experience, there are two kinds of motions in the rest of the iOS: Tapping does things - opens applications, opens emails, takes us to new panes in settings, or any other “button-action.” Swiping brings us new options - swiping to delete something, swiping to get to new home screens, and swiping to scroll up/down. When you want to bring up the call buttons, you aren’t doing the action; you’re looking for a new numbers panel to appear. The action is pressing the number, not getting to the numbers. Hence: Getting to the numbers is not an action (therefore not a tap); should be a swipe. Pressing a number is an action; should be a tap. This suggestion delves into the philosophy of mobile touch… and makes everyone’s life a little bit easier (especially when dealing with Customer Service hotlines). ALSO: see my suggestion for improving the iPhone lock screen… and my idea for how iPhone notifications should work.

iOS Idea: Swipe Numbers to the right to show number pad

Every time I call a Customer Support line (or any touchtone service), I always get frustrated with the iPhone’s number pad. It take two taps to get to it. Other times, my face presses the “Keypad” button and starts pressing buttons. To be fair, this last one is a known iPhone 4 proximity sensor glitch.

So, I was thinking…

Suggestion: Make the call-buttons screen swipeable to get to other call functions. In terms of user experience, there are two kinds of motions in the rest of the iOS:

  • Tapping does things - opens applications, opens emails, takes us to new panes in settings, or any other “button-action.”
  • Swiping brings us new options - swiping to delete something, swiping to get to new home screens, and swiping to scroll up/down.

When you want to bring up the call buttons, you aren’t doing the action; you’re looking for a new numbers panel to appear. The action is pressing the number, not getting to the numbers. Hence:

  • Getting to the numbers is not an action (therefore not a tap); should be a swipe.
  • Pressing a number is an action; should be a tap.

This suggestion delves into the philosophy of mobile touch… and makes everyone’s life a little bit easier (especially when dealing with Customer Service hotlines).

ALSO: see my suggestion for improving the iPhone lock screen… and my idea for how iPhone notifications should work.

Idea: iPhone Notifications That Don’t SUCK Notifications on iPhone are terrible - they interrupt you, pause your apps (especially games), and are user-unfriendly. Apple’s argument has been that Push Notifications preserve both battery life and iOS responsiveness. Suggestion: a “notification bubble” that appears in the corner (quietly and without pausing your application) that can be dismissed with a quick swipe. Tap one to go to that app… or ignore it! Also, a “notifications tray” that collects notifications as a history so that you don’t have to respond to right away… unlike with current push notifications. Tapping a notification not only takes you to that app, but also to what you need to address… whether it’s a Facebook message, a new email or calendar alert, a Twitter reply/direct message - whatever! Swipe the blue “notification bubble” up (as if sending it away!) to dismiss. Getting back to your notifications tray later is easy: simply double-tap the Home Button to bring up the multi-tasking panel, and the notifications bubble also pops up (not pictured). Tapping the bubble will bring up the Notifications Tray. ALSO: See my suggestion for Lock-Screen notifications that don’t suck!

Idea: iPhone Notifications That Don’t SUCK

Notifications on iPhone are terrible - they interrupt you, pause your apps (especially games), and are user-unfriendly. Apple’s argument has been that Push Notifications preserve both battery life and iOS responsiveness.

Suggestion: a “notification bubble” that appears in the corner (quietly and without pausing your application) that can be dismissed with a quick swipe. Tap one to go to that app… or ignore it!

Also, a “notifications tray” that collects notifications as a history so that you don’t have to respond to right away… unlike with current push notifications.

Tapping a notification not only takes you to that app, but also to what you need to address… whether it’s a Facebook message, a new email or calendar alert, a Twitter reply/direct message - whatever!

Swipe the blue “notification bubble” up (as if sending it away!) to dismiss.

Getting back to your notifications tray later is easy: simply double-tap the Home Button to bring up the multi-tasking panel, and the notifications bubble also pops up (not pictured). Tapping the bubble will bring up the Notifications Tray.

ALSO: See my suggestion for Lock-Screen notifications that don’t suck!

Day 77 of One-a-Day Campaign I have been so behind in my One-a-Days… I apologize. I said in the first entry that I might get behind, but I never imagined all the work that would suddenly appear on my plate! Being a designer who moonlights (well, more like daylights) as a history student is hard. Scholar and artist? Very different things to try to balance. I shall strive to do better, especially as we’re almost to 100 - home stretch!

Day 77 of One-a-Day Campaign

I have been so behind in my One-a-Days… I apologize.

I said in the first entry that I might get behind, but I never imagined all the work that would suddenly appear on my plate! Being a designer who moonlights (well, more like daylights) as a history student is hard. Scholar and artist? Very different things to try to balance.

I shall strive to do better, especially as we’re almost to 100 - home stretch!

Day 76 of One-a-Day Campaign Source: Google Images

Day 76 of One-a-Day Campaign

Source: Google Images

Day 75 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 75 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 74 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 74 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 73 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 73 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 72 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 72 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 71 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 71 of One-a-Day Campaign

Day 70 of One-a-Day Campaign Source: Stock Exchange

Day 70 of One-a-Day Campaign

Source: Stock Exchange