Design Adaptations » Inspiration

Classic Minimalism – A Collection of Beautiful Designs

Charity — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:08:52 +0000

A minimalist or “clean” approach to design may not be for everyone, but I’ve always appreciated the beauty in it. I subscribe to the ideal that less is more, and admire those who can command a grid with precision. I think in the hands of a skillful designer, typography can totally represent without the aid of a lot of graphics. Below is a collection of websites which illustrate this point very well. Let me know if you spot the trend! ;)

AI – Information Architects

iA - Information Architects

Sofa – design, interfaces and software

Sofa - Design Interfaces and Software

i love typography – typographic inspiration

i love typography

Checkout – Get a Mac. Start a store.

Checkout

p41 Studios – human centered design

P41 Studios

live.squarespace – the Squarespace team blog

Squarespace Team Blog

Garrett Dimon – designer/developer

Garrett Dimon

44Forks – From etiquette to Netiquette

44 forks

Andy Rutledge – design strategist

Andy Rutledge

Mark Boulton Design

The Netsetter – startups web business

The Netsetter

Konigi – user experience design

Konigi

Midmo Web Design

Midmo Design

Rodrigo Galindez – designer/author

Rodrigo Galindez

Outspoken Media – SEO, marketing and consulting

Outspoken Media

Warpspire – web design and code geekery

Warpspire

Jon Tan – creative director, Omniti

Jon Tan

Omniti – web design and development

Omniti

Phil Coffman – art director/photographer

Phil Coffman

Monday by Noon – front end developer

Monday by Noon

Chris J Davis – designer/developer

Chris J Davis

Hivelogic – lead a simpler, more mindful life

Hive Logic

Artypapers – web apps and design

Artypapers

Max Voltar – freelance interface designer

Max Voltar

Habari Project – next generation blogging

Habari Project

5thirtyone – personal blog of Derek Punsalan

5thirtyone

Upstart Blogger – guide to creating, maintaining and profiting from a blog

Upstart Blogger

Boxes and Arrows – graphic design and information architecture

Boxes and Arrows

The Grid System – the ultimate resource in grid systems

The Grid System

Additional Resources

Hungry for more? These gallery sites focus entirely on minimalist design:

Music for the Designing Soul

Charity — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:00:45 +0000

If you read Music for the Coding Soul, you know I generally stick to instrumental music for focus-intensive tasks. But for designing, I like something with more emotional triggers. In fact I have playlists based entirely on the kind of mood I’m in (or want to be in). I’m one of those people who can loop a playlist (or even just a song) and keep listening to it over and over. That may sound odd to some of you, but we all gotta find our own groove! :) Here’s a few selections that help me do just that.

These artists elsewhere:

Coldplay | @coldplay | last.fm
Greg Laswell |@greglaswell | last.fm
Snow Patrol | last.fm
Sheryl Crow | @sherylcrow | last.fm
Joe Purdy | @joepurdyrecords | last.fm
Counting Crows | @countingcrows | last.fm
Van Morrison | last.fm
Ryan Adams | last.fm
Ray Lamontagne | @raylamontagne | last.fm

There are so many others I could list. It’s hard to pick favorites because I have so many. Do we have similar musical interests? See me on last.fm! Feel free to add your favorite artist or album below. You might also want to check out Danny Outlaw’s music of design.

Music for the Coding Soul

Charity — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:30:39 +0000

For the most part, I’m a good self-motivator and very much an intrinsically motivated person. But when it comes to focus, I struggle. Perhaps because I have a 3yr old who needs my attention at inconvenient times or because I have too many things on my mind that I want to learn/do. Whatever the reason, I’ve always relied on music to get in the right frame of mind depending on the work I’m doing.

For coding (and sometimes writing) that usually means no lyrics. Instead I reach for the rhythm and rhapsody of movie scores. They are a great alternative to traditional classical music, which I don’t favor as much.

The Pursuit of Happyness

My first and favorite choice. This is such a delightful album, I was hooked immediately. Most of the tracks have a lively pace, but not at all frantic. With an optimistic feel to it, this is a great choice for tackling a challenging project or task you don’t exactly relish. ;)

Composer: Andrea Guerra

The Pursuit of Happyness

The Time Machine

I loved this soundtrack long before seeing the movie (which almost ruined it actually). I even selected the piece “Wish Me Luck” to play while I walked down the aisle when John and I got married. :) Overall the album has a wistful appeal. It’s great working music, though I did uncheck two of the songs in iTunes because they were very jarring to me.

Composer: Klaus Badelt

The Time Machine

Armageddon

For days when you’re feeling particularly enthused about your work. Many tracks have an upbeat, motivating tempo but never to the point of distraction. Some electric guitar compliments the piano and strings in an unexpected way. It’s edgy, in a good way.

Composer: Trevor Rabin

Armageddon

Martian Child

Perfect if you need a bit of soft music to ward off a dull silence. There’s nothing particularly engaging about it – in fact at times I don’t even notice it. That’s the best part actually. There are no sudden screeches or major crescendos. You can put it on and just work.

Composer: Aaron Zigman

Martian Child

Finding Nemo

If you prefer music with a lot of “movement” to keep the pistons in your brain firing, this will do the trick. Simultaneously happy, inspiring, soothing and energetic. I unchecked a few songs for the same reason stated above, but altogether it’s a splendid listening experience.

Composer: Thomas Newman

Finding Nemo

Gladiator

I think Hans Zimmer ranks among the most talented composers of our age, cranking out masterful scores like Pirates of Caribbean (also in my library) and The Da Vinci Code – but Gladiator is my favorite. Giving a sense of empowerment, it’s very affecting yet easy to listen to while you work. The last three tracks in particular make the album.

Composer: Hans Zimmer

Gladiator

Legends of the Fall

Both haunting and lilting, this was a tough choice to feature over two other soundtracks by James Horner that I own (Braveheart and Titanic), which are just as frequently played. But Legends is one of the first movie scores I ever bought and I’ve never grown tired of it all these years. That says something.

Composer: James Horner

Legends of the Fall

Did you like this post? Stay tuned for Music for the Designing Soul coming up next. You might also enjoy the list of music you can work to on design:related. What do you you listen to when working with code? Add your favorite in the comments!

Perception is Everything – How to Change the Way You Think

Charity — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:24:34 +0000

This video is an awesome testament of how changing your perception can change everything else. Sometimes I worry about the world our kids will have to live in. If you’re over 30, you know what I mean. It’s not the same world we grew up in! I realize our parents would probably say the same thing, but even so – now is the time to change the way we think and begin shaping how our kids think. Be sure to watch all the way through or you’ll miss the whole point. ;) Happy Mother’s Day!

Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others. ~Plato

When You Need Inspiration

Charity — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:49:22 +0000

Dr. Randy Pausch says “luck is where preparation meets opportunity”, and he should know. He has an amazing outlook on life and how to live it. This former professor at Carnegie Mellon University has been battling Pancreatic Cancer for nearly two years, but it’s certainly not what defines him.

His tenacity, the way he talks about his family, his beliefs on Karma… all convince me that he’s a remarkable individual. His now famous “Last Lecture” is a challenge to watch without getting misty-eyed because he speaks with such conviction. If you ever feel like you’re just spinning your wheels sometimes, don’t give up! Watch this instead…

You can follow Randy’s story on his update page, or visit the “Last Lecture” resource page for the original full length video of him giving the lecture to his class, along with powerpoint slides, transcripts, and links to Pancreatic Cancer research organizations.