So many great speakers at the AEA conference, “Design, Code and Content,” organized by Jeffrey Zeldman and Eric Meyer. The topics were, for this web newbie, the major draw, but I would attend again as much for the content, as for the approachability of all the speakers. So nice to be able to chat, ask questions, and share a meal with such knowledgeable and friendly folk.
Jeffrey Zelman was the first speaker on Monday. He started out with a tough crowd as this Boston group in not hugely interactive. At breakfast with Jeffrey he mentioned that he is used to this in Boston and knows not to take it personally. With the exception of sporting events, New Englanders are rather reserved.
Jeffrey spoke about using Tweetbot and recommends that iphone/ipod users download it. He said that as interface designers we need to see what other people are doing. He talked about how we need content in order to be able to design effectively, otherwise it’s just decoration – so don’t use lorem ipsum.
“Pave the cowpaths.” This is in reference to a grassy area of Boston where people jaywalked repeatedly, so they finally paved it over. Find out what people do and make sure it works.
My favorite quote of Jeffrey’s, which I hope to heed, “Often good designs happen when you think you’ve done everything you can and don’t have anymore time.”
Mobile notes: Where it’s at: mobile gestures. Mobile isn’t really just small screen design. Mobile Strategy considers your location.
Book he recommends Adaptive Web Design by Aaron Gustafson for progressive enhancement. I checked out this website and see that you can download chapter one for free, which explains that, “Progressive enhancement is a philosophy aimed at crafting experiences that serve your users by giving them access to content without technological restrictions.” Another book to add to my list…