The third annual MinneWebCon is shaping up to possibly be the University of Minnesota's best Web conference yet. This year's keynote presenters are Kristina Halvorson (Web content strategy) and Wendy Chisholm (universal design). Visit the MinneWebCon web site for more information.
Please start from the beginning... with Eric Meyer from Ryan Taylor on Vimeo.
OK, I'm a fanboy — I'll admit it. So partially to share, but mainly to archive, I'm embedding this video here for your viewing pleasure. Kind of like putting an autographed baseball up on your fireplace mantel. Yet in this case, it's not exactly a trophy: I think this is a remarkably sincere and humble presentation by someone who has influenced tens of thousands of Web designers worldwide, myself included.
And frankly, watching this video does the same thing to you that seeing Eric in person does, or reading what he writes: besides the great information and insight, he makes you feel like you matter, and that in many ways you're just like him. Which is an awesome feeling and no small thing, especially when much of the time many other people view Web professionals as the equivalent of restaurant busboys (and no offense to those fine people — I was a busboy!). But whereas many people see our job as simply carting content from one place to another, Eric teaches and reinforces the idea that we are truly craftspeople: we not only do the heavy lifting, but we also sculpt, plan, influence, manage, and do the technical research and quality-control that is necessary to make content come alive on the Web.
So sit back and enjoy, and share in Eric's excitement of being part of the best invention of the 20th century. Truly, we're only at the very beginning: the fun is just getting started.
A screenshot of the redesigned provost web site, currently in development.
It has been one year since University Relations rolled-out new page templates for University of Minnesota web sites. So at this week's web standards meeting, we'll be taking a look at how the U's web staff have implemented these new standards and what they have learned.
After several months of study and hard work, I am happy to announce that Apple has accepted ArtAlphabet, my new iPhone and iPod Touch application. It is an alphabet flashcard game designed primarily for young children, and secondarily for anyone who enjoys typography, design history, and art. It is one part educational game and one part miniature art gallery.
As part of the application development and marketing process, I also started a new company called Aesthete Software. Look for additional iPhone applications from Aesthete Software in 2010.
Thanks to many people who have encouraged and supported this side project; several are listed personally on the credits screen in the application.
Related:
My presentation from HighEdWeb 2009 in Milwaukee.
Last week I was honored by having my proposal to speak at the HighEdWeb Professionals Association's national conference accepted.
My topic: Nurturing Communities with Social Networking.
