In printed books, the two-page spread was our canvas. It’s easy to think similarly about the iPad. Let’s not. The canvas of the iPad must be considered in a way that acknowledge the physical boundaries of the device, while also embracing the effective limitlessness of space just beyond those edges.

We’re going to see new forms of storytelling emerge from this canvas. This is an opportunity to redefine modes of conversation between reader and content. And that’s one hell of an opportunity if making content is your thing.

Such articles help us redefine the medium and the process of reading. Excellent.

Link: http://craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/

What Fried says is not magic. Nor wisdom. It’s a reality we’ve learned to accept without asking why.

If our work is our passion we should something about it.

See the video: http://bigthink.com/ideas/18522

Sometimes videos can be so intriguing,

Here’s the link on Seth Godin’s blog: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/02/jacqueline-novogratz-on-recognizing-a-linchpin.html

It’s almost a year since my latest post. Sometimes blogs live and conquer the world and some other times they fall apart. I would like to believe that this is the last time I apologise to myself and you, dear readers, for my long absence.

So I am going to take it easy. Welcome back.

The International Liaison Group is one of the children of the group. All the people who participate in it we try, among other things, to find and translate useful articles around Web standards. We have done a lot of things lately, we are about to do a lot more but we need your help.

The previous week one of the two leaders of ILG, Henny Swan, published a new blog entry at the official website where we ask for some translators or anyone who is eager to find some decent articles.

Regarding the greek readers of this website I can tell you that right now we have 3 articles in greek. Two of them were written by me and there is one more written by Henny for CSS3, the greek online magazine around design & development.

So if you’d like to participate in this, you can take a look at the links I gave you above and contact the ILG or me to help you. It would be great if you also wanted to promote Web standards. We are waiting for you!

Previously I randomly mentioned the CMS that makes this website and some of the projects we have developed, Expression Engine. From now on I will have one more reason to do so, because from now on porcupine colors is the only Greek web agency which belongs in the Professionals Network of Expression Engine.

To me Expression Engine is a great tool but I understand that many people never had the chance to realize this. I won’t say much. I only want to add that you can find in the Pro Network some of the most important design agencies such as Happy Cog, Blue Flavor, Erskine Design, Mark Boulton and many more.

If you dare, refresh some times the central page of the Pro Network and you maybe see this logo among the ones I just mentioned.

I love Expression Engine because it’s flexible and at the same time powerful and solid. Each time I needed it it was there for me and I never worried whether I could cope with a project thanks to it.

This is what I write at the relevant page where our studio is presented. It is the plain truth.

The best is yet to come.

Before I say anything about the book let me remind you that Mark Boulton is a Web designer who begun as a graphic one. Many graphic designers who want to design for the Web don’t get the difference and they think all they need to do is to transform a static layout for a magazine into a design for the Web. Boulton doesn’t think so. So we ‘re very lucky he wants to share with us such an interesting load of knowledge.

His book, 5 simple things - A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web, was impressive because he not only shares his view as a professional, experienced designer but he does it so smoothly, almost magically. I admire writers who select to be simple and stay away from showing off. Boulton could show off anytime, but he doesn’t.

The chapters

1. Introduction
2. Research & Ideas
3. Typography
4. Colors
5. Layout

Introduction is the only chapter not so strongly connected to design. In this one Boulton shares his story and how he started as a designer of a small company, he moved on and became a Senior Art Director in a big agency and how in the end decided to leave all behind and start with his own tiny design studio. I love this part of the book but I feel it is not properly connected with the following chapters. I ‘d like to learn more about Boulton’s thoughts on this but not in this book.

The next chapter, Research & Ideas was the less important as long as it regards me. It is good to see how a famous Web designer approaches his work, but I think every designer has his very own way. However I liked a lot the Brief section of the chapter.

The rest chapters cover what Boulton does best. I won’t say much about the Typography chapter. If you visit this website you must know I adore typography. I believe Boulton is simply one of the best in this area. The chapter was great.

Regarding the Color chapter I thought I have learned everything I needed to during my studies as a physicist. This is only partially true, because this book helped me start over from a different point of view. I love Boulton’s analysis on Hue, Saturation and Brightness along with the examples. By showing us certain examples of websites where a specific color scheme works well for each one of them is valuable, because it proves that good design leaves our ego out of the story.

The last chapter Layout is the best one. Grid design, the Rule of Thirds, the Looking Room, the use of negative space and most of all putting it all together in a real website. What more could you ask? This chapter is really fascinating. Boulton writes and illustrates the way a great dancer performs on a stage in front of a difficult audience. In the end he deserves out applause.

-Should I buy this book -Yes!

5 simple things - A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web is a book that worths every single cent (or should I say penny) your going to spend for it. It costs £12. Don’t download this book from a torrent. Don’t get it from a friend. Just buy it.

A few days ago I was asked why I stopped following a specific member of Twitter. I felt I needed to provide some explanation, but do I really need to do so?

Twitter-land is a free land people. I would never impose any specific use of Twitter. I couldn’t anyway. People go there to chat, to share links, to boost their job, to show off, you name it. I would never judge them. I just don’t care.

Thinking a lot might harm you. No, really. You are not obliged to do anything you don’t like. Do you want to share jokes? Do it. Do you feel you follow too many? Un-follow them. Do you hate re-tweeting? Go away. The world will keep turning around.

Since you asked (you didn’t actually, but it’s fine with me), I visit the Twitter-land to meet my ultra geeks companions, to follow their links and to smile. I don’t care who’s following whom and I don’t care who’s following me. I can’t be anyone but myself in there.

At the same time I love some clever wallpapers and some witty e-cards.

Did I provide you a decent answer dear Twitter fellow?

Of course your social Internet life impacts your Internet profile as well. If you un-follow a lot of people they might think you show off. If you tweet a lot you might gain more followers. And so on. So be prepared for the anonymous foggy feedback.

I always wanted to write something about Twitter but this post meant to be fun. Shit. Fine.

Do you still find me interesting? Here is my profile in Twitter. Wanna follow?

My first website was a Flash one and there were no alternatives. You see, 10 years ago whatever non-Flash was of no use.

At that time I remember myself playing with Bryce, that software in which you could create 3D landscapes. Is Bryce alive? I have no idea. Well, Bryce was OK but I needed more. Such as software which could help you create websites.

I turned to Flash. I learned the basics and when I felt ready I loaded in there my Bryce images. I added some texts I had already written as the editor of the university magazine and that was it.

Since I had the content ready I only needed some animation (because Flash *is* animation), a bookmarks area and a contact button. Ready, set, go.

Now that I look back to those years I feel overwhelmed of what’s gone. Not because I used to live the best best moments in my life, far from it, but because you always feel the nostalgia of something that doesn’t live anymore. I love my first, clumsy website and this may be a perfect opportunity to tell (and invent sometimes) stories to the next generation in the future.

Here is the link: porcupine’s creek.

Some parts are in English, some in Greek and, yes, the navigation sucks. Please refresh the page in case you get lost.

PS. Maybe this website is the perfect new year’s resolution. Happy new year everyone!

All begun when a policeman shot a 16 years old in order to kill him. Unfortunately he made it.

This was the spark which helped start a huge explosion. An explosion which is burning and hurting us for 4 days now and it is not going to stop soon. People left their home and got out on the streets in order to mourn for the loss of the boy and to protest for their own lives. It is the first time I see so much anger and so much desperation in the eyes of people like you and me.

We all feel that the Greek government doesn’t care about its country and its people. The recent crisis in economy worldwide made things worse. We all see our lives becoming inferior and less important for the people who decide for us.

Now all the major cities of Greece are on fire. We see stores, public property and most of all libraries and books turning into dust. Among the crowds there are certain groups of people who certainly don’t care about anything. They call them anarchists or anti-authoritarians or plainly idiots. They just want to be heard and burn without respecting even human lives. We ‘ll live with that the way we used to do so for so many years now.

I feel very sorry and equally angry for what is happening. Our worthless government can’t be trust at all. The same goes for almost the political partys in Greece. I personally can’t trust anyone but a few cold blooded authors and professors, such as Nikos Dimou.

It is difficult to hope for anything these days. But we must stand on our feet, keep our voice loud and respect our dignity or what’s left of it.

PS. If you want to know more about what’s happening here in Greece use the term “griots” while searching via the Twitter search service.