The story so far

I’m posting about as often as I ever have here, mostly because I’m a fantastically wishy washy and slow writer. Writing takes up the lion’s share of my time on any given post, with design and code amounting to a comfortable reprieve. I’m admittedly being very conscious of how much time I spend on design so that I can see how viable this is for publishing. Consequently, my designs are fairly minimalistic (though I am very pleased with a few entries).

I’ve continued to improve little corners of the site since launching, usually resulting a quiet posting week here and there. I just finished upgrading some of my CSS and sIFR files, which consequently helped me simplify my publishing process.

I haven’t written about the technical side of how I’m creating this site because, not only is it pretty basic, but I’m also hesitant to suggest it as a technique alone. Meaning, it doesn’t matter how this site is made from a technical perspective, I’m much more interested in promoting the idea of considering how design can enhance content.

The story to come

I’ve noticed some of my designs feel limited by my writing. In the same way you typically hear your thoughts in your own voice, I visualize my writing in a particular way. I don’t think the design here is bad, but I have design ideas in mind that don’t really work with my writing. Because of this, I’m interested in getting some content conspirators involved so that I can design around some new voices.

I’m still brainstorming where to go with this idea—getting others to write content is difficult at best, and interviews can be a bit bland—but one approach I’m thinking of is somewhere between an article and an interview. For instance: asking guest authors to answer a single common question, something sorta wide open, that way it’s just a response on one topic rather than a typical interview setup. This will hopefully put low strain on contributors and still allow me to play with some new content. This is the natural end result of the real point, editorial design for context. Not just mine, but from contributors too.

I believe I can somewhat confidently say that what I’m experimenting with here could work for an industrious magazine or newspaper website. Obviously, this design is very much tied to me and what I’m using it for, but the theories and methods are extensible and feel sound. In the end, it isn’t supposed to be a design trick, or worse, a hindrance to publishing. It’s about finding the meaning of a story through design. This doesn’t always equate to anything more than competent design, but it should equate to visual languages that help make content more powerful.

The folks over at .net magazine (Practical Web Design in the states) profiled me in their last issue and were generous enough to let me post the PDF from the magazine here for download. Man, I really need to get a new photo.

Download PDF (400k)

But see, amid the mimic rout
  A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
  The scenic solitude!
It writhes!- it writhes!- with mortal pangs
  The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
  In human gore imbued.

Armed with empty stomachs and discerning taste buds, we descended upon New York City determined to find a cheesesteak of quality. I’m happy to say, we succeeded.

Heading into this, I had a suspicion that the day might be anticlimactic, full of half-rate wannabe restaurants that wouldn’t know a cheesesteak from a Manwich. We were threatened by rain and potential steak overdose, but we persevered. Just shy of 100 miles away from the land of cheesesteaks, we found NYC to harbor some superior offerings that could capably sustain the most diehard Philly meathead.

To rate our findings, we all carried scorecards so that we could declare a winner at the end. The rating system was simple, 1-4 stars—ranging from “Blech!” to “Yo, Philly!”—for the attributes of each restaurant: Ambiance, Roll, Meat, Cheese, Taste, and a grade for Overall appeal.

The Good

From the moment we stepped into Wogie’s we knew it felt right: old skool Eagles and Phillies jerseys, photos of Philly hotspots, high-back wood booths, and the Stones playing in the background. They made a very tasty sandwich, and the $3 Yuengling didn’t hurt. Later, a double header of 99 Miles to Philly and Carl’s, made for strong contenders. 99 Miles to Philly’s cheesesteaks were greasy, in the best way possible. Extra points for also selling Tastykakes, a Philly staple. Carl’s surly staff couldn’t detract from a very good offering: finely chopped meat with cheese fully melted and blended into a roll with just the right amount of soft-to-crisp ratio. Up on the West Side we hit Shorty’s, a slightly more upscale joint with a very friendly staff, for good but somewhat uneven sandwiches that skimped a bit on cheese and were overpowered by the inclusion of caramelized onions. Exceptional rolls though.

The Bad

Ahh, I wish I could say they were all good. BB Sandwich Bar, a cramped little walkup touting the “The Best Cheesesteak”, failed on a number of levels: kaiser roll instead of long roll, rubbery cheese, and the use of their own special sauce. A little later was the Cheesesteak Factory, a rather dingy spot that turned out to be the lowest point of the day, with most of us unable to finish our portions due to their craptastic flavor. My cheesesteak inconceivably tasted like chicken noodle soup. Last stop of the day was Philly Slim’s, a small storefront with a salty staff. Authentic Philly attitude for sure, but with very average offering of undercut rolls that yielded small portions of meat and cheese.

Envelope, Please

The bar was set high very early on and, despite some very strong opposition from 99 Miles and Carl’s, Wogie’s managed to win the day. Wogie’s presented a multi-facted package, from thoroughly delicious sandwiches to authentic Philly flavor. It’s clear that these guys get it, and they treat you right.

All three of our top scorers rank on par with some of the best cheesesteaks I’ve had in Philly and I can confidently recommend any of them for a good time. With the exception of Shorty’s, I’d suggest steering clear of the rest. If you find yourself in NY with no way to get to Philly and need a good cheesesteak, there are delicious options indeed.

There are many photos to commemorate the day in the NYC Cheesesteak Crawl Flickr group. Lastly, a round of applause for the brave folks who put their stomachs on the line to achieve this great feat (not everyone gave me their full name): Stewart Becker, Jessae Brown, Jason Campbell, Ian Corey, Justin Dickinson, Jonathan Gala, Boyce Griffith, Rosalee Laws, Shawn Morrison, Garrett Murray, Niff Nicholls, Laura Palese, T.J. Schuck, Amy Sly, Matt Sutter, Tyler Thompson, and Adam.

Badges are often a decidedly unfun and necessary evil of attending conferences. I have a pile of the things, some too big or too small, and others so garish they feel like a punishment. I can deal with an ugly badge, but I hate an unusable one.

Since this new direction is focused on the relationship between visuals and content, I’ve started including big thumbnails of each entry on the archive pages to give people a different way to browse through articles.

Articles now have individual comment RSS feeds so you can follow along with a discussion. These feeds, and comment posting, remain active for a month. You can find the RSS link at the top right of the comment block. Additionally, I’ve included a hide/show box of quick tips for Textile syntax above the comment field.

Lastly, I’ve beefed up the Recommended Reading section by giving each book its own page (like so). I’m planning on dumping a slew of new recommended books in there very soon. Now back to your regularly scheduled broadcast.

Alright, this has gone on long enough, and frankly I’m fed up. I’ve been in New York for over a year in a venerable cheesesteak drought. I aim to do something about it and I want you to help me.

We’ll say it’s a mission of discovery to find the best, and “best” might be a dubious honor, cheese and meats combo in town. Let’s call it a Cheesesteak Crawl. And you’re all invited.

The plan is to get enough of us together so that we can have a few people share a cheesesteak (rather than each of us eating seven cheesesteaks in one day). We’ll be on foot, and probably hit a bar or two along the way for some added refreshment/naps.

Here’s the final kicker: I’m going to design some scorecards for everyone to rate the places we visit based on a few factors like cheese, meat, roll, taste, preparation, greasiness, etc. Afterwards, I’ll tally the results, post them here, and we’ll crown a winner. The whole day might amount to “NYC is a cheesesteak wasteland”, but hell, I need to know for sure. And it will be a good chance to meet some new people.

I made a handy little map of the joints we’ll hit and the order of the crawl. The list includes all of the big places that make so-called “Philly Cheesesteaks”: BB Sandwich Bar, Wogie’s Bar & Grill, Cheesesteak Factory, 99 Miles to Philly, Carl’s Steaks, Tony Luke’s, and Philly Slim’s.

We’ll meet at the southwest corner of Washington Square Park at noon on Saturday, September 27th (rain date, Sunday, September 28). RSVP on the event page if you’re in. Once it gets a bit closer to the date, I’ll post the scorecard on my site for download (and I’ll bring a bunch on the day of along with some of those little mini-golf pencils).

Who’s with me? If you’ve never had a cheesesteak, this will be a good time to try one. Think of it as a slow moving, and likely very winded, foodie flash mob. So, if you are in or around NY, come along! It shall be a glorious gastronomical adventure!

UPDATE: The results are in!

“Sanserif, looked at in detail, is admittedly capable of improvement, but there is no doubt that it is the basic form from which the typeface of the future will grow. Other individual expressive possibilities of type have nothing to do with typography.”

—Jan Tschichold, Die neue Typographie (1928)

Born to a German sign painter and designer in 1902, Jan Tschichold later became one of the most public practitioners of the “new typography”, a design style inspired by the Bauhaus school and Russian Constructivists categorized by asymmetrical layout, sans serif typefaces, and minimalistic style. He wrote numerous books and essays on the topic, and due to his vigorous advocation of the new typography combined with his unwavering prose, is forever intertwined with the movement.

Shortly before writing my Polaroid post, I got the itch to buy one of the original cameras. Thanks to the modern convenience of eBay, I quickly found a great deal on a Polaroid SX-70 in near mint condition.

This camera is a gorgeous machine. Adorned in chrome and leather, the SX-70 was the first camera to really capture the imagination of the public. What’s more, this camera makes people photographers, sharing the same spark of empowerment as picking up a guitar or starting a blog. It gives you a creative voice.

I’m more than happy to just admire it as beautiful industrial design, but I’m even happier to use it. Seeing as how the film may be on its way out forever, I grabbed about half a refrigerator shelf’s worth of film on eBay too.

If you’re interested in a SX-70 of your own, opt for the cheaper and more readily available 600 series Polaroid film. The film is two stops faster, so you’ll either need to buy an ND filter for the lens, or for the more adventurous, modify your camera. 600 film cartridges have little nubs that prevent loading them into the SX-70, but there’s a very simple workaround.

I highly recommend grabbing one of these while it’s still a semi-affordable hobby. You won’t be disappointed.

ALA Survey for People Who Make Websites

It’s once again time to turn the mirror on ourselves and figure out what we’re made of. Of course I mean it’s time to take the annual A List Apart survey.

The survey seeks to give all of us as a community a better idea of where we stand, and now in this second year, we’ll be able to start tracking differences from last year. Like before, we’ll publish the results in an upcoming issue of A List Apart, as well as provide the anonymized raw data for you to crunch however you like. We had nearly 33,000 of you take part last year, and hope to have even more this time. Each year we gather this information, we gain greater insight into our industry, and help those we work for understand us better. Please do your part. Stand up and be counted!

Objectified

The website for Gary Hustwit’s new film, Objectified, went live yesterday. You might remember Gary as the director of Helvetica, the 2007 hit documentary on the typeface of the same name. I put together the site for Gary dead quickly using WordPress, which remains one of the best and easiest ways to get a site online.

Objectified tries to understand “our relationship to mass-produced objects and, by extension, the people who design them.” Just by looking at some of the people in the film so far—Jonathan Ive, Marc Newson, Dieter Rams—you can see this is going to be really interesting. In the meantime, until the film comes out next year, stop by and check out Gary’s introduction to the film, some of the early production stills, or grab a shirt bearing the film’s logo (different than the site logo) lovingly designed by Michael C. Place (of the UK firm Build, as well as one of the stars Helvetica).

By the Book

Last night I had the pleasure to join a local selection of Field-Tested Books reviewers for a live reading event in New York at The Delancey. It was very crowded and very loud, but that didn’t stop us from having a blast. I snapped a few blurry photos from the first half of the event (the second half of the evening thwarted my paltry flash) and dropped them on Flickr. Thanks to Coudal Partners for the good times!

Before I left for TypeCon last week I jokingly twittered about people dressing up as their favorite typefaces. But then I got to thinking, what would I dress up as? Well, someday we should all get together and do that, but for now, let’s do the next best thing. With a nod to Barbara Walters (even if not entirely accurate):

If you were a typeface, what would you be?

Before you answer, consider this for a bit more fun: You could answer with your most-favorite or most-used typeface, but let’s make this more interesting. Answer with the typeface whose qualities best resemble your own. Plus, give some good biographical info on the typeface—year, designer, background, etc. Fun and informative! I’ll go first:

Interview

I had the pleasure of chatting with Alan Houser last week for his CreativeXpert podcast series. It’s a brief interview, but we manage to cram in some discussion about design and a few fun stories from my past. Be sure to check out previous episodes for interviews with talented folks from Adaptive Path, Frog Design, House Industries, Firewheel Design, and many more.

Reading and Drinking

If you will be in or around New York on Monday, July 28th, I suggest swinging by The Delancey at 7pm. Coudal Partners is holding a special Field-Tested Books event with some of the local testers reading their reviews live. Testers include: Michael Bierut, Randy Cohen, Steven Heller, Jason Santa Maria (hey, I know him!), Jeffrey Zeldman, Ben Greenman, John Gruber, Jim and Steve from CP, and many more.

Stay the Course

I could listen to my gut and freak out about how something might get implemented, but like a college freshman hopped up on Zima, I’ve just decided to leave things open to experimentation. I told myself from the outset that I would wait before altering too much immediately after launch, I’ll assess how things are going and change as needed after I have a better idea of what’s working and what’s not. In the end, the real point isn’t merely to make each post look different. I’m trying to maintain a fairly tight visual identity, while exploring the flexibility for change under time, technical, and visual limitations. The point is to find variation within constraints.

Problems Afoot

The drawback to this is that some of the stuff I do probably won’t work so well in a few browsers, sometimes due to the browser, and other times due to time constraints and my limitations as a coder. One of the bigger issues I’ve run into recently involves (surprise!) sIFR. That’s not a knock on sIFR—everyone involved with the project is whip smart—it’s more a knock on the sorry landscape of typographic options online. The fact that we have to resort to such workarounds highlights our community’s ingenuity, as well as the glacial movements to bring about real change in web typography.

Anyway, the problem came up in my last post where the quote text is set with sIFR. In order to make it easier to swap background colors, I had the background of sIFR set to be transparent. Well, some Linux-based browsers render that as a white background. The workaround is to set a background color, but in certain browsers like Firefox 3 for Windows, Flash content is loaded onto a layer above everything else. This results in a piece of sIFR whose background overlaps the closing quote. No other code has changed, it just wasn’t detectable before because the sIFR background was transparent.

The sIFR overlap problem, Firefox 3 for Mac (left) and Firefox 3 for Windows (right).

When faced with a situation like this, do you neglect the Linux people? Possibly, they only make up 2% of my traffic, just edging out visitors on the Wii. Or, do you rework the layout so there isn’t an overlap? I decided to do neither. Like I said above, I’m working to try and make something interesting first, and something that works for the majority of people second.

For a while I considered posting an “ideal” screenshot with each entry as a fallback showing how I intended something to look, but I think that might belabor the point. One of my goals is to try and not hinder the publishing process too much with what I’m doing, both to test its feasibility, but also to not always adjust to problems, that way I can better understand what’s possible. Some people publish great content at the neglect of a site’s design or validity. This is just a different flavor of that.

On Art Direction

In the scope of this site, I’m defining art direction as bringing the visual design into the fold as an equal partner to the content, while maintaining a consistent overall identity. When a newspaper runs a special feature, they may flex the layout a bit differently, add imagery or typefaces to evoke a mood present in the writing, or merely to reinforce the story. When a magazine has a feature on a topic, they might do the same thing. It isn’t always groundbreaking, but it’s treated like something special apart from the main run of design. In my mind, art direction isn’t simply nice visuals, and more times than not, it’s a practice of restraint.

That’s why I’m saying it’s an experiment. Sometimes it won’t be a problem, and other times it might blow up in my face. And I’m totally OK with that.

The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.

—Bertrand Russell, 20th century philosopher