In my previous life I spent time quite a bit of time both learning and teaching JavaScript. Whenever I used it, I wrote the code from scratch to make it do whatever I needed. That included everything from adding simple visual effects to webpages, to more complex DOM (Document Object Model) manipulations. I was always of the opinion that I could write whatever was needed faster than it would take to crawl up the learning curve of one of the many available JavaScript frameworks . After a few months using jQuery, it seems like I was wrong!
I try to regularly spend some time looking at new developments in web design & development. When I was evaluating the various frameworks (such as jQuery, Prototype, Scriptalicious) I found that jQuery best met my needs, so I jumped in. It allows you to do everything from add animations to pages, to integrate AJAX within your site. Read More »
It can be difficult to hear, and more importantly, listen to criticism of your website, business, product or service. Having people from the outside telling you that parts of your website don’t work, or that improvements are needed to how you conduct business can be a painful process. This is especially true for small businesses where one person has spent a lot of time transforming their vision into reality. Read More »
“…educating, motivating and inspiring people to create healthier, more productive and fulfilled lives. Our commitment lies in supporting, maintaining and enhancing the health and wellbeing of those we work with, and empowering them to make better lifestyles choices”.
Judging by the glowing testimonials from satisfied clients throughout the site, the services offered by ReVibe should be a big hit in Galway.
I’ve been keeping busy lately. To show you how I’ve been filling my time, here is some of the recent web design work I’ve delivered for clients recently.
Firstly, a new site was launched for Kenneth Madden Photography. Kenneth is a photographer based in Galway who needed a website that showcased his work, without taking away from the impact of his photos. There are some really nice images on it, and it’s well worth checking out.
Secondly, I’ve completed an Intranet site redesign for the Office of Corporate & Legal Affairs (formerly the University Secretary’s Office) at University College Cork. Following their change in name and focus, a redesigned web presence was in order. The site is only available on the UCC Campus Network, but here’s a preview of the Office’s new clean & spacious homepage.
Further samples of, and details about, some of the work that’s been keeping me out of trouble recently are available in the (newly redesigned) Portfolio section of the site.
[Note: Some slightly technical content, but there are also posts that are less technical if that is of more interest.]
Update - I’ve published a lower level guide to Gears over on my other site: you can view Part 1 here.
The opportunities presented by allowing users to access web applications off-line are huge. In situations where internet access is unavailable, or where connectivity can disappear without warning (such as with certain providers in Ireland), providing a consistent experience to users is important. Simply saying, “you can’t do work now” is not enough for users that rely on an application. Read More »
An excellent presentation by Adaptive Path (who specialise in product design) to Google. The presentation is based on their book, “Subject To Change“. It focuses on a number of areas around user experience when designing a new service or product. It is relevant to businesses from all backgrounds, in particular, the sections on how organisations should view their customers, and manage their customer experiences over time. (The video is 54 minutes long).
Allowing users to enter information in an easy a way as possible is an important part of any web application. With many web apps depending on date or time data, considering how best to ensure usability requires consideration in the web design & development process. Before looking at what affects your choice of input method, I’ll give some examples of the options you can choose between. Read More »
I haven’t included non-commercial web design work I’ve done in the past on this site. However as some of the features used by this Wedding Website I developed for some friends may also of use to business, I thought a quick overview would be worthwhile.
I’ve spent a bit of time experimenting with the admin-side of the application and the features look impressive so far. The next step is to take a look at the templating system to see how complex the layouts used are…
In an earlier article discussing the the results of an ISME survey one finding identified that 40% of Irish SMEs were unhappy with the level of business generated by their website. The results released publicly did not give details of any reasons for this, state whether those surveyed were questioned further about this, or discuss the type of web applications being used by those surveyed. It does raise a question about the level of awareness about what could be expected from their investment in various web technologies. In order to help SMEs decide on the best course for using web technologies, this article discusses a number of factors that may be considered before deciding to adopt.
In my previous life I spent time quite a bit of time both learning and teaching JavaScript. Whenever I used it, I wrote the code from scratch to make it do whatever I needed. That included everything from adding simple visual effects to webpages, to more complex DOM (Document Object Model) manipulations. I was always of the opinion that I could write whatever was needed faster than it would take to crawl up the learning curve of one of the many available JavaScript frameworks . After a few months using jQuery, it seems like I was wrong!
It can be difficult to hear, and more importantly, listen to criticism of your website, business, product or service. Having people from the outside telling you that parts of your website don’t work, or that improvements are needed to how you conduct business can be a painful process. This is especially true for small businesses where one person has spent a lot of time transforming their vision into reality. 
The opportunities presented by allowing users to access web applications off-line are huge. In situations where internet access is unavailable, or where connectivity can disappear without warning (such as with certain providers in Ireland), providing a consistent experience to users is important. Simply saying, “you can’t do work now” is not enough for users that rely on an application.
With many web apps depending on date or time data, considering how best to ensure usability requires consideration in the web design & development process. Before looking at what affects your choice of input method, I’ll give some examples of the options you can choose between.
