“Sendig,” Designing in Public

Designing for the Site Editor Flashback to September 2022. Full Site Editing (FSE), introduced in 2020, extended the visual design capabilities of the WordPress block editor allowing anyone, regardless of their coding knowledge, to build templates and template parts directly in the WordPress editor. Full Site Editing elicited many Feelings(™) from designers and developers using… Continue reading “Sendig,” Designing in Public

A civic-minded redesign

In the Spring of 2022, the 40th Ward of Chicago announced a $100,000 Arts and Access Grant as part of Chicago’s micro-grant program aimed at enhancing local communities. 80% of funding would go towards Open Government grants, increasing access to government services, and 20% toward Cultural Programming to highlight the Ward’s burgeoning arts community that… Continue reading A civic-minded redesign

How I learned to love the web again

Reflections on my first “An Event Apart” conference. In every generation a Change-maker is born. She alone will stand against the forces of scope creep. She is the designer, developer, brand-builder, project manager, and client hand-holder. But actually, she’s not alone. The full-stack myth may persist but what truly makes the individual powerful is their… Continue reading How I learned to love the web again

Should I Trademark or Copyright my brand?

While copyright and trademark both protect your intellectual property, they have specific applications. According to the US Copyright Office FAQ, copyright “protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it… Continue reading Should I Trademark or Copyright my brand?

Your Website is a Garden

Your website is nothing without your content. That folder of Word .doc’s and .jpg images you’ve been collecting is the raw material that will be transformed (through design magic) into an intuitive website that provides useful, actionable content to a rapt audience. In theory. Communicating your vision (and adhering to your desired project timeline) rests largely… Continue reading Your Website is a Garden

Design is Communication

Good design is all about communication. The visual and the written content of your website work together – they complement, emphasize and reinforce your vision. When successful, good design becomes transparent. You don’t need a big red button to say “click here” if users can understand and navigate your content intuitively.

3 Things to Ask Your Logo Designer

As a freelance designer working with small and start-up companies I often work with clients who have established their brand but need to develop a web presence and additional print materials. This is where the original art for an existing logo becomes important.