Gavin Wray // Carefully crafting content since 2001

Here are some sites and people that I’ve found particularly inspiring, informative or useful during 2008. This list isn’t meant to be definitive or a reflection on trends; it’s just a way of sharing sites and highlighting individuals that have influenced me over the year.

Design

These are a mix of web design-focused magazine and tutorial sites alongside a couple of broader design blogs.

Blog.SpoonGraphics

This is one big inspiration feed. The creator Chris Spooner, a UK based graphic and web designer, writes great tutorials at on design projects typically focused on Photoshop, Illustrator, CSS and WordPress.

Web Designer Wall

Covers design ideas and trends as well as providing tutorials on the more technical aspects of web design. The complete WordPress theme guide is one of the best introductions I’ve found so far on how to install and customise your own WordPress site.

Design solutions

Gustavo Pimenta created this collection of screenshots using flickr, organising them into user interface elements, styles and tasks. This collection is handy when you’re facing a creative block.

DesignM.ag

A resource for designers (focussed on the web side) with tutorials, articles and site galleries.

iLT: I love Typography

For all things type.

Things of Random Coolness

An interesting blog covering design, fashion, film, technology and interiors.

Portfolio sites

I’m completely hooked on portfolio sites. When I worked for friends of ED as an editor, a great part of the job was browsing portfolio sites to commission new authors to write about web design.

While it’s easy to get hung up thinking that your own portfolio sucks, portfolio sites can often be the most inspiring. Here are three of my favourites:

Piotr Kulczycki travel photography

As well as the actual photo content and an aesthetically-attractive site, I like the way Piotr uses tags and sets to make his portfolio straightforward to browse.

Eleven3

George Huff’s portfolio is a nice example of a highly-customised WordPress site with some nifty scripting. I love the retro background images, footer design and clever sidebar navigation.

Marius Roosendaal

Beautifully-presented work in a clever one-page site design making use of a simple, intuitive navigation.

2Advanced Studios

Personally, I was saturated by too many Flash-based portfolios several years ago. However, for high visual impact, Hollywood standard production, all guns blazing, jaw-dropping Flash magicianry, 2Advanced Studios still surprise me. This is web design as an experience; it’s way beyond information communication.

Twitterverse and Birmingham Bloggers

After a failed attempt in 2007, combined with some encouragement from a vocal group of Twitter enthusiasts at WordCampUK, I started using Twitter to meet other web types based in Birmingham. It’s been a revelation.

Twitter

Twitter wallpaper by Honkiat.com

Twitter is a “micro-blogging” tool where individuals post a note up to 140 characters long answering the question “what are you doing?”

Starting out on Twitter can feel strange; it didn’t make sense for me until I “followed” a sizeable number of people (following other people means that you see their updates). Finding others to follow can be difficult but fortunately Stef Lewandowski brought everyone together in 50+ Birmingham Twitter users you need to follow.

You can follow me on Twitter @gavinwray.

Paradise Circus

As a result of Twitter, I discovered a whole new community of people blogging about or in Birmingham: commentators, artists, consultants, technologists, musicians… oh, and a few web designers too!

Social media and the public sector

In July 2008 I helped to launch Observations, a new blog for the West Midlands Regional Observatory where I work as the Web & Data Officer. In tandem with this new project, I’ve been looking for individuals working in, and examples of, social media in a public sector context.

DavePress

Dave Briggs works as a “digital enabler for the public sector.” His blog has been helpful in learning about the world of digital technology in communities, local government and other public sector contexts, specifically:

• Public sector bloggers
• The UKGovWeb Twitterverse

Podnosh

Nick Booth is a “social media doer, teacher and consultant”. As well as attending a couple of Nick’s presentations introducing social media, I’ve been reading his informative blog on how social media is being used – and its potential – in community contexts in Birmingham.

Carefully posted on 30th December 2008
Filed under Blog
Tagged with Birmingham· Design· Inspiration· Web design
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