I have to say the blogging phenomenon hasn’t really enamoured me that much until recently. I think the blogosphere is a little more focussed now and forging a path as a credible medium in it’s own right. The initial swathe of pointless witterings that were abundant have subsided (mainly thanks to twitter and facebook).  It is commonly accepted that just over 50% of created blogs are maintained which is all the better for those who are publishing usefull, interesting and inspirational articles.

My daughter who’s 3 has been getting quite good at painting and drawing. Her pre-conceptions of form, colour and technique are so unbridled she has an ability to simply create. The results are quite a revelation, the lack of schooling or influence means she can simply put marks on paper and enjoy it. If I try to direct her in anyway she tends to turn the picture into a great big mess with paint all over the place, swirling her hands around in it and generally making a stooshie. However when left on her own she constantly surprises me with exquisitely abstract and expressive pictures that some might argue parallel some of the most prolific modern artists. What I draw from this is that it is not always wise to plan or approach projects in a certain way, especially if you want something genuine and unique. As a graphic designer I am constantly given references to a certain visual style or a specific designer, this is all well and good but if projects are to take flight, become iconic and timeless I think a more free and naive approach is invaluable. As an adult it’s very difficult to achieve this state of mind, with the trappings of the modern world and constant inspiration at our fingertips the ability to create completely free of influence is very difficult. There is a lot to be said for sitting down with a piece of paper dipping your hands in it and swishing around on a piece of paper making a total burach. It almost always looks rubbish (and brown) but it is great fun. Try it (although having kids obviously make it seem more acceptable). I bet when you sit down to a long day in front of illustrator or photoshop you will find your creativity will be less formulaic and more rewarding and productive as a result.

The possibilities in .css3 are fantastic and a real progression in function and aesthetics for the web. Check out these examples for proof. http://www.zurb.com/playground. With all the other browsers providing or in the process of implementing support for .css3 internet explorer is maintaining it’s status as the thorn in the side of web developers the world over.

So here’s to all of you who have contributed to burgeoning success of schmO. May the bleak mid-winter be nae so bleak and we’ll get creating some new in the new. eh?

So a welcome return to Flash for me with this one http://www.treacherousorchestra.com. It’s great that the band decided to buck the trend for super useable, standardised web design. This site will not win any awards for use-ability with buttons along the bottom, confusing but authentic d-pad media player and vast amounts of space dedicated to vintage wallpaper and arcade machine facia. But hopefully it’s creative, stylised approach will prompt a renaissance in imaginative flash sites among the musical community. Although standards has helped progress the web greatly in the last year or so it’s noticeable that creativity and ingenuity has suffered as designers stick to the tried and tested idiot proofing that has become so wide spread. This site will be chalk and cheese and provoke reaction.

So the site has some neat little features. Flickr Photo gallery using the excellent flashr api. RSS news and gigs section which gives the band total control of updating the bulk of the site. Add to this a superb youtube player by avalonweb germany. A special thanks must go out to them for help with integration and their superb open source ethos. There are some extra zany features to be added to the site in the near future so keep checking back…

I had a few bugs initially with the usual suspect; Internet explorer. But I have managed to resolve all but one. Explorers chaching system can cause havoc with flash and there are some extremely intermittent problems with the browser re-scaling the movies. There is little I can do about it, refreshing the browser sorts it. When will microsoft give in and just accept that explorer is inferior to other free browsers and needs over hauled to follow standards. I managed to find a pals computer with Internet explorer 6 still installed on it, and it was depressive to use. Most of the sites I have designed in the last 2 years failed to work properly on it, and my own site schmo.biz didn’t even load. Please if you use Internet explorer what ever version please switch to Firefox, or one of the others you’re time on the web will be more secure and enjoyable. Plus no more ctrl alt deleting… For more info on how to get rid of this menace be sure to visit. http://www.bringdownie6.com/

Another wordpress site here for Nuala Dalton and Irish singer songwriter based in Newcastle. The site follows on from the graphical concept for her debut album which should be ready to buy in January. The site uses a custom home page which has the ability to include a jquery carousel, and three snippet columns that lead the user into the main body of the site. The remainder is a standard single column with sidebar. The sidebar deals with paypal album sales an about box and mailing list. Wordpress is working as a content management system in this instance. Again it’s a testament to the system, flexible, custom and useable. Check it out http://wildwishmusic.com.

The album cover should be ready soon, so I’m looking forward to see how it turns out. I’ll post a photo when it arrives.

This is logo for changin scotland a meeting of minds held bi-annually at the Ceilidh Place in Ullapool. It is a political, artistic and social forum with lectures and discussions on all that is modern Scotland. The website is up @ http://www.changinscotland.co.uk. The site is a simple, typographically based and geared towards literary content.

I had noticed some hits coming from a conspicuous forwarding link from imagine publishing. I headed over to their site, ah! ‘web designer magazine’ I had sent them an email when i launched the schmo v4. I have to say I had a wee fright when i saw “Worlds worst websites” emblazoned across the cover. However my initial dread was alleviated when I saw schmo proudly covering a whole page in ‘the cream of the web crop gallery’ of the magazine. Here’s a few choice quotes…

You can see from the examples of web work that somhairle is really comfortable in crafting stylish and clean web experiences

The dark carbon background and small bursts of neon colour provide quite a sharp and sexy feel to the overall look of schmo.biz

So praise indeed. You should be able to make out the rest of the article in the photo above. I also included some recent photos as I’ve been taking a lot of them…

Happy days.

I’ve been getting back into photography, due mostly to the high-8 blog and the inspiration of the other photos up there. For ages I was bored of taking photos of my experiences and not experiencing the experience without an lcd screen in the way (does that make sense?). Basically I have preferred  to commit the event and images to my memory, which gives a more lurid inspiration when sketching or painting. Going to a major event like the mtb worlcup and seeing everyone looking at the action through screens and view finders kind of riles me. Now i’m not a particularly good photographer, it is very much hit and miss, experimental almost. However when there is not a more experienced and skilled photographer in tow I like to shoot. I can compensate for my short-comings with photoshop and the results are often a bit of a suprise. Hopefully we will get some good light this winter and more good shots will transpire. Might get a gallery on the go here actually. Any how, be sure to check the high-8 blog. More folk are coming on side to share their adventures and I’ve got some great images from other folk to wave the photoshop wand at.