Coolest clock ever. (Better with the music unmuted)

Thinking about flash based sites I remembered an article by Veerle.

Read it.

I’m part of the team that’s building the website for the 2008 digital arts bfa class @ UO – Portland.

Today we all got into a good, hour long…maybe less, but I doubt it…discussion/fight centered on the idea of having a mute button for sound effects on the site. I am, and always will be, of the opinion that if you’re going to have sound on your website you must have a mute button. The easiest example at to why is that many (if not most) people browse the web while listening to their music library, or to a lesser extent watching tv (or some sort of video). Not giving the option to mute, you’re sending a message to those people saying quite clearly “look, if you can’t dedicate all of your senses to this website, leave.” That’s totally unnecessary, if not a little offensive.

Another reasoning I have behind always being able to mute specific items is that it creates a barrier to those who need to use a screen reader. This doesn’t really apply in this case though because we’re developing the site in flash.

The more I think about it, the less fond of this second fact I am. Infact, I’m not fond of this fact at all, and really never was, but failed to bring this up. (Why, I don’t know.)

Flash is a means of web development. Yes, it’s great for interactives, but it’s awful for basic tasks. For starters: it completely excludes anyone with ANY accessibility concerns. Secondly, flash is proprietary software meaning that if for some reason you can’t get a player from Adobe, you can’t view the page.

Alaternatively a standards based website can have the text scaled, have the colors changed if need be, and information can be ported to other devices (such as a screen reader) so that the same site can be used by anyone. Also the only requirements for access are to have a web browser and an internet connection.

For many the solution here is to create a second standards based version of the site so that those who for whatever reason can’t/won’t visit the flash site can still access the site. This is a good first step. But often these non-flash sites get neglected in terms of design. Here you’re creating a seperate but equal senario. (And we all know how that winds up)

The better solution is to ONLY make a standards based website. “But Andrew!” You might exclaim, “if I do that I’ll have to sacrafice all the nice fluid elements of my interface.” And to that I would say you’re mistaken. The solution here is to incorperate ECMAScript, otherwise known as JavaScript (no relation to Java). Why is this better? It’s standards based, allows you to all those web interface things you might wish to do with flash, but without telling those with accessibility concerns that they belong at the back of the bus.

So I’ve been reading a lot about the original Macintosh – the Mac 128k. For its time, it was a wonderful machine, and the epitome of good design (again, for the time). We’re talking about a computer that was designed so well that people actually wanted to have one in their home.

Of course, we’re talking 1983-84. Now most people would be appalled and ashamed at the notion of having one in their home. To counter this notion, I’ve decided to turn it into a stuffed object. Made from fleece, it’ll be warm and cuddly. Who wouldn’t want one?

I went out and got the fabric yesterday, and I made my patterns while I was at work today. Also, I made a prototype out of paper. I’m pleased.

Those of us in the digital arts department in Portland often feel like the redheaded step child in the Stag. We’ve been slow to move into our studio and have a visual presence there. In an attempt to combat this, we’re doing a continuous vinyl piece around the studio.

Back story aside, I’ve been struggling with mine. I’ve been trying to do this fluid, morphing, chronological piece involving bubbles, jellyfish, balloons and water. It just wasn

Watch this video, so many brilliant pieces. …I wish I’d been there.

Hey Zara

Just think you should know, there’s something going on in your office.

This could have been a good week, really it could.

But no, it’s generally been a bad week.
Sunday night I broke my cellphone. Now I can only use it if I’m wearing a headset.

Tonight, I get off work and I find that the little triangle window of my car is smashed, there’s glass all over the back seat, and my glove box and console are both emptied. As far as I can tell all they got was 1) my TomTom gps (sn: JQ5050JVQKQ ) and 2) my iPod (sn: Y14467D00333 ) , which was a 4gb mini, and fairly old. Still, what the hell?

(For the record, yes, I know you shouldn’t leave those things in the car, but that’s where I use them, and if I take them out, I almost always forget to bring them with me.)