Keeping up with the latest website trends

In this issue of our newsletter ( http://www.elated.com/newsletter/ ), I answer a question from a designer who's feeling overwhelmed by the massive amount of great work shown on sites like www.thefwa.com.

How do you get information about what's good and great in the world of web design and development? Do you feel overwhelmed by it?

Simon

[Edited by simon on 01-Dec-09 21:30]

--
ELATED : )
http://www.PageKits.com
Professional Website Templates

I am not entirely a webdesigner...
I have had some formation under that subject, some HTML, some xHTML, I know the Adobe tools, Dreamweaber and Flash, and even Director, but I am mainly a graphic designer, more suited for the print process. That «amalgama» you mention comes literally from all the sources we connect nowadays.
I do feel that, among most of my peers (I believe it is written like that) I am like a one eyed man in a blind's people land, but, right now, I am a bit behind some of them, because I am not currently employed, so, despite any updates I feel I might get and «bring to the table» can't be applied. Despite that, I am doing also complimentary formation, to open me some new doors, some new fields to work in to.
I am not that much into the regular networks, right now, like twitter, mainly by my fault, but because all that is just really too much. I ended up having more contacts than I think I need, the purpose of the tool became more of a hobby than a professional tool, like I intended, so I lost most of my interest in it...
That really did gave me, daily, well, several times a day, new and new info, new trends everyday, but it came just impossible to keep up (Ah! I am honored to be one of the 4 twitters you follow!).
So... I feel a lot like the designer from the newsletter, always thinking that I am behind, that I will never excel at something, because there is always someone younger, better, whatever, doing it better than I do... Sometimes this feeling really takes the best of us...

Ok! Going to find some work! Cheers from Portugal!

Márcio Guerra

--
There are only 2 infinite things, the universe and mens stupidity, and Im not shure about the first one!

Or something like it...
By Albert Einstein

Hi Márcio,

That sounds familiar! For me, I try to not get in too deep with the social networks, because they suck up time and energy (things I have too little of anyway).

Good luck with the hunt for work!

Simon

--
ELATED : )
http://www.PageKits.com
Professional Website Templates

Márcio,

Thanks for your comment. (Sorry about the forum software messing up your name - I really must fix that! I think it's a MySQL Unicode issue...)

I don't really follow all these sites, I must admit. I simply don't find the time! Occasionally I'll dip into a site when someone sends me an interesting link, but that's about it. I seem to get by ok.

Good luck with the job hunting!

Cheers,
Matt

--
Matt Doyle, Elated
3rd Edition of my jQuery Mobile book out now! Learn to build mobile web apps. Free sample chapter: http://store.elated.com/

I have a doubt about you guys... Where are you from, or, where are you based on?
I feel that you are either English, UK based, or Australian, Australia based...

Which one is it? Is there any other option, like US? I doubt... Really!

Well, I need to keep browsing my old works to give some samples to a friend, which might give me a freelance «gig» in the illustration department of his company...

By the way, would you mind to give me a little overview about my portfolio? I did it to a school subject, before the end of my course, communication design.

Cheers from Portugal, and, in case we don't speak before it...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Márcio Guerra


P.s.- Damn you, «MySQL Unicode issue's»! Eheehe!

--
There are only 2 infinite things, the universe and mens stupidity, and Im not shure about the first one!

Or something like it...
By Albert Einstein

Simon's in England, I'm in Australia and our server's in Chicago. How's that for confusing?

Is this your portfolio? https://acrobat.com/#d=TRxH6TkOSnaELYXl0w6ynA

I expect Simon would have more to say as he's the designer, but it looks pretty good to me. Nicely presented and you have a good variety of work. It would be good if the examples were higher resolution perhaps?

A very Merry Christmas to you too! And may you have an excellent 2010.

Matt

--
Matt Doyle, Elated
3rd Edition of my jQuery Mobile book out now! Learn to build mobile web apps. Free sample chapter: http://store.elated.com/

Awesome... However, how did you found out my portfolio? I forgot to mention it here!
Thank you for the review!

Regarding your positions, where you are «land-based»... Nice! I intent to get back to UK, have been applying for some jobs there! Still in Portugal to finish a course, apparently not needed in other countries, despite the orientation UE is giving to all of their countries to start doing what I am doing, for now just in Portugal it is needed, which is a course that will allow me to give formation to those who will need it in a specific area. Since my area is also design, and I do love type, the main goal, for me, it is to be «sort of a teacher» in some technical courses, with the help of this same formation I am having now. It is almost ending, so, let's see what the future brings me in the «job department», however, the jobs I am applying in UK are just for the designer purpose... The usual stuff, however I don't feel myself a graphic designer as most of people there calls it, since my formation is in design, but the communication area. I guess that I can even be more of a print designer than a graphic designer, well, I am not a webdesigner, despite trying to do my own formation in that, and even having had some webdesign subjects at school...
Lets see, lets see... If you guys know something, a tip or so, feel free to give my folio, either a link or the «real deal» (the .PDF file, hehehe!).
Thank you!

Márcio Guerra, and yup, Simon, if you'd like to review it yourself, please do! I would like to know your opinion also!

--
There are only 2 infinite things, the universe and mens stupidity, and Im not shure about the first one!

Or something like it...
By Albert Einstein

Hi Márcio,

We have a friend teaching music and Photoshop in a high security prison at the moment - fancy that?!

I've seen your portfolio before I think. I thought that the work was fine, but that all the extra bits in the PDF were a bit too much. All the navigation and "type of work" stuff was a little overpowering for me.

If you email me, I'll send you a copy of mine if you like, which is also PDF?

simonmeek - at - elated.com

Simon

--
ELATED : )
http://www.PageKits.com
Professional Website Templates

Hello guys!
@Simon, I did send you the email asking for the portfolio, thank you up front! Well, is that a real job or just making fun of me? Because if it is a real job I would really enjoy to try it out, specially, like I say, if it is a real job, considering that I am just finished my course, the one which allow me, at least here, for now, in Portugal, to give formation to others, and that our main teacher already said that all the 14 guys of the course did passed up! I intend also to be at the top of the class, but, at least, as a good news, to be already approved sounds nice... Regarding guitar... I don't play my own for quite some years, I can't, for now, teach that... Need to learn almost everything again!
Regarding my portfolio, I am now thinking that indeed I might already had left it here for people to check, you are probably right!
Thank you, really, for the time you spared me!
Cheers from Portugal!

Márcio Guerra

--
There are only 2 infinite things, the universe and mens stupidity, and Im not shure about the first one!

Or something like it...
By Albert Einstein