I Walk the Line
There seems to be a recurring theme so far this year. Everyone wants to up their game and increase their value through marketing and a redesign of something. As I work in each of these areas I find this trend intriguing. I have always had a curiosity about what drives people to want to make a change.
As we start off 2012, and I delve deeper into this world of magic and sparkles, (yes I said sparkles because I keep getting asked for pop, and bling in design) I wonder where does the line between what you need and what you desire blur.
Designing for SharePoint (or really any web platform) is an interesting world. It is full of pitfalls and obstacles that require at times someone with catlike agility or the determination of a U.S. Navy Seal to overcome the challenges. It is all about making form and function work with pretty and well designed. And determining which side of the line you would prefer to stay on.
There are some universal truths that no matter which side of the line you normally stand on that bring us to walking down the straight line ahead.
By answering these 5 questions you will start to gain insight into the actual drivers for the project. Some of biggest hurdles that I face when designing what the client “needs” vs “wants” is lack of content definition and lack of a clear purpose.
Read MoreSharePoint Saturday the Conference–Recap
Let me start this blog post out with a gigantic thank you to all the organizers and sponsors for this amazing event! Without all of their hard work and dedication to the SharePoint community this event never would have happened.
Next up, a giant thank you to everyone who attended this event. I am always surprised at just how many people come out to learn about SharePoint. And I am humbled every time someone comes to hear me speak.
Read MoreEvery Problem has a Solution, Even SharePoint Branding
When working with SharePoint branding you often run across the problem of how to properly deploy your work. The best practice for deploying branding is to put it into a feature by creating a wsp.
But what is a wsp or Solution file and how do we create this. Most of us who are Designers first and SharePoint people second, might never have heard of a wsp before SharePoint. Let me explain the advantages to using a Solution file.
Creating a wsp for your SharePoint Branding will allow you:
Read MoreSharePoint 2010 Branding & Design:Begin at the Beginning
There are so many blog posts running around in my head at the moment that I am struggling how to start this first one out. I am simply going to go back to my third grade teacher who once told me, “Just Begin at the Beginning” when I was excited one day to tell her a story. So here goes…
SharePoint 2010 Branding and Design is a wondrous world full of new ideas and new challenges. But what does this mean to those of us who design sites to make SharePoint look not like SharePoint? It simply means that we are beginning a new adventure and will learn many lessons along the way.
Read MoreIt’s a SharePoint 2010 year, but Wait it is 2011
This year is off to a great start! I am even committed to blogging more this year. You will see at least one blog from me each month here this year and I will try to do more that that.
First off, the book that I have worked on with a great team of people is now available on Amazon.com. SharePoint 2010: Six-in-One
Secondly I have been on the road already this year teaching the second session of the new Mindsharp SharePoint Designer 2010 course. Next up I venture to the frozen tundra of the northern states. But those snow boots I bought sure did come in handy as I was frozen in Atlanta this last week.
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