Awwwards http://www.awwwards.com CSS blog | TCA inspired design | Web design resources, articles and news Wed, 16 May 2012 16:25:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Handmade Type Experiment http://www.awwwards.com/handmade-type-experiment.html http://www.awwwards.com/handmade-type-experiment.html#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 13:43:43 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=62944 The Taiwanese artist Tien-Min Liao has carried out an experiment that surprises us with a typeface that she says “explores the relationship between capital and lowercase letters, and the transformation between them.”

The exercise consists in gesturing with hands, each of them painted with ink base shapes, so that the profiles draw each of the letters. A letter in uppercase is processed in the same way as a lowercase letter, making just a few gestures of the hands and changing some perspectives.

In the development and implementation videos you can see how it’s done.

Tien-Min Liao’s complete experiment: Handmade Type

Process

Process

]]> http://www.awwwards.com/handmade-type-experiment.html/feed 0 22 Experimental WebGL Demo Examples http://www.awwwards.com/22-experimental-webgl-demo-examples.html http://www.awwwards.com/22-experimental-webgl-demo-examples.html#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 15:18:02 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=63105 WebGL is a web standard created to display 3D graphics in any platform that supports OpenGL. It makes use of the HTML5 Canvas element to generate graphics dynamically from script code, so there’s no need to install plug-ins in the web browser. It includes some libraries that are currently in development, such as C3DL and WebGLU.

This javascript API is managed by the consortium of nonprofit technology Khronos Group since early 2009 which together with the Mozilla Foundation created a workgroup in which they could experimentally develop  prototypes and deployed applications using this technology. Currently the workgroup is also composed by Apple, Google and Opera, among others, and all these companies have implemented it in their latest versions of browsers like Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera.

WebGL is bringing a revolution to the web world by the new possibilities that this specification provides: the visualization of 3D animation and interactivity with the user, it’s cross-platform and it’s open source.

The research and experimentation of new ideas being carried out shows us how new applications and functionalities for the web and the digital world are being achieved. There are lots of examples which are simply spectacular, and we present some of the best here. 

Try playing! Enjoy this new user experience!

 

22 WebGL 3D demo examples & applications

]]> http://www.awwwards.com/22-experimental-webgl-demo-examples.html/feed 3 Pantone Inspired Products http://www.awwwards.com/pantone-inspired-products.html http://www.awwwards.com/pantone-inspired-products.html#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 09:02:21 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=62941

From your toothbrush, to your notebooks, to your cufflinks and even your flowerpots, color arrays are everywhere. And why not inspire them in Pantone? This post is for all lovers of Pantone. And we’ve even found a Pantone Hotel.

We leave you with a variety or products, places and concepts inspired by and that pay tribute to Pantone.

Enjoy!

]]> http://www.awwwards.com/pantone-inspired-products.html/feed 1 Minimalist posters of Pixar’s movies http://www.awwwards.com/minimalist-posters-of-pixars-movies.html http://www.awwwards.com/minimalist-posters-of-pixars-movies.html#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 10:26:59 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=62827 It is often said that ’less is more‘ and a good example of this is the work that we present below by the Australian artist Wonchan Lee and the Malaysian illustrator Marcus.

These posters are minimalist but colorful, a representation of the most famous animated films from Pixar.

A pleasure to look at!

]]> http://www.awwwards.com/minimalist-posters-of-pixars-movies.html/feed 1 Interview with Vicki Tortouras of Image Mechanics from Australia http://www.awwwards.com/interview-with-vicki-tortouras-of-image-mechanics-from-australia.html http://www.awwwards.com/interview-with-vicki-tortouras-of-image-mechanics-from-australia.html#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:44 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=62606 We are pleased to chat with Vicki Tortouras, co-founder at IM.

“Formed in New Zealand in 2004, Image Mechanics has gone from strength to strength since opening our Sydney studio, continuing to deliver premium branding, design and digital services.”

Awwwards: Please tell us a little bit about yourself: who are you, where do you come from and where are you going?

Vicki: My name is Vicki Tourtouras. I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Who knows where the yellow brick road will take me…

QuestionAwww: What did you do before becoming a designer / developer?

Vicki: I’ve always been designing and creating. I did however throw myself into a psychology degree, partly out of interest and partly in my plight to save the world, but I quickly realised I preferred being a designer.

QuestionAwww:  In your opinion, which is the future of the Web? (HTML5, Responsive Design, Flash, Mobile…)

Vicki: There’s no question mobile is huge, it’s widely regarded that within the next few years the web will be predominately consumed from a mobile device of some kind. In fact for some, surfing the web on a mobile device is their very first experience of the web. The challenge for designers then becomes, what technology(ies) we utilise to present our clients stories in engaging ways with a seamless experience across multiple form factors – responsive design is a step in this direction. Mobile is swiftly changing our industry; traditionally the focus was designing for desktop as the primary touch point then mobile. We’re now seeing mobile only start-ups and the focus on mobile with the desktop experience as secondary. I’m not sure if one technology alone will dominate – like life, the future of the web will probably be a patchwork of different technologies; native apps, responsive, HTML5 and whatever is next on the horizon.

QuestionAwww:  Where do you turn for inspiration?

Vicki: I often find myself drawing inspiration from aligned creative industries, creative discourse, gallery sites, the arts and through shutting out the noise for a while to digest it all. Inspiration comes from the strangest places, that’s the magic of inspiration. Often the freshest ideas can come from untethering ourselves from the internet. One of the challenges we creatives face is when inspiration strikes; having the courage to believe in the idea and ourselves, to try something unconventional — for the right reasons and consequently breaking the mould of the expected.

QuestionAwww:  Which are your favorite studios, designers or agencies?

Vicki: So many talented people, a few that spring to mind are: product designers Dieter Rams and Jonathan Ive, Mike Mantas, 3 Deep and Collider from Australia.

QuestionAwww: Tell us about a unique story or funny anecdote related to your work.

Vicki: Working on a brand identity, the client consulted a Feng Shui expert to get an opinion on the use of colour. Needless to say the colour changed from a ‘fire’ colour to ‘water’ colour.

QuestionAwww:  Which are you for: Mac or PC?

Vicki: Mac.

QuestionAwww:  Which is your favorite software?

Vicki: Photoshop, Dropbox, Kaleidoscope and Versions by Sofa, and LiveView by Nicholas Zambetti (remote screen viewing app) are my indispensable tools.

QuestionAwww:  Which city do you live in? Is it a good place for designers?

Vicki: I live in Sydney and think its a great place for designers. Ultimately there is such a great online community that designers can connect, support and learn from each other, so geography in many ways becomes obsolescent.

QuestionAwww:  Which technologies are you excited about?

Vicki: Multitouch, Siri, NFC and AR.

QuestionAwww:  Tell us about your latest project.

Vicki: We’re looking forward to releasing our in-house app Nizo!

Vicki Tortouras - Image Mechanics

Vicky Tortouras

Vicki Tortouras - Image Mechanics

Image Mechanics Logo

Vicki Tortouras - Image Mechanics

Working..

]]> http://www.awwwards.com/interview-with-vicki-tortouras-of-image-mechanics-from-australia.html/feed 1 Site of the Month for April 2012: Two Minute Teacher Test http://www.awwwards.com/site-of-the-month-for-april-2012-two-minute-teacher-test.html http://www.awwwards.com/site-of-the-month-for-april-2012-two-minute-teacher-test.html#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 15:57:30 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=62801 Today we have the pleasure to introduce to you to the Site of the Month for April 2012: The Two Minute Teacher Test, a project developed by Apt, from Norway.

The Two Minute Teacher Test is an HTML5 based test made as part of a campaign to recruit teachers in Norway. It’s adaptable to all screen sizes and works great on mobile devices.

The Two Minute Teacher test, a worthy winner of the Site of the Month Awwward.

]]> http://www.awwwards.com/site-of-the-month-for-april-2012-two-minute-teacher-test.html/feed 0 100 Greatest Free Fonts Collection for 2012 http://www.awwwards.com/100-greatest-free-fonts-collection.html http://www.awwwards.com/100-greatest-free-fonts-collection.html#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 13:58:51 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=62459

Today we’d like to delight you with an extensive list of The Best Free Fonts for 2012. We’ve made a collection in which you can find Art Deco, Geometric, Urban, Futuristic and even abstract style types.

This is one these things that you might want to keep handy for your next designs. Enjoy!

Serif, Slab Serif, Semiserif Typefaces …

Script and Calligraphic Typefaces

Sans Serif, Modern, Geometric Typefaces …

Display and Decorative Typefaces …

]]> http://www.awwwards.com/100-greatest-free-fonts-collection.html/feed 16 23 Essential iPad Apps for Web Designers and Developers http://www.awwwards.com/23-essential-ipad-apps-for-web-designers-and-developers.html http://www.awwwards.com/23-essential-ipad-apps-for-web-designers-and-developers.html#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 16:37:45 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=62455 There are already many tools which we can talk about for web design and web development on your iPad. Apps that allow us to create a color scheme, retouch images and write and work with CSS3 etc..

Here is a selection of fifteen of the best apps available on iTunes that you can use while outside the office and take advantage of to work more productively.

23 iPad Apps for Web Designers:

  • Paper
    Paper
    Powerful drawing tool to paint, write, color, design, etc.. with a simple and intuitive interface.
    http://www.fiftythree.com
  • Adobe Ideas
    Adobe Ideas
    App of the Adobe suite for tablets and smartphones that lets you design anywhere using vectors, layers and color palettes. Easily shared with Photoshop and Illustrator.
    http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeideas.html
  • Palettes Pro
    Palettes Pro
    Palettes Pro is an ideal tool for creating and maintaining color palettes and color schemes. It lets you take a screenshot of a website or add to any of the 5 color modes.
    http://www.maddysoft.com/iphone/palettes/
  • CSS3machine
    CSS3machine
    Useful app that lets you define style properties in CSS3 animations and code.
  • iMockups
    iMockups
    iMockups for iPad is aimed at defining and planning the structure of a website, thanks to a collection of items that can be integrated into the design such as buttons, text boxes, headers, bars etc. navigation.
    http://www.endloop.ca/imockups/
  • iFontMaker
    iFontMaker
    iFontMaker is a handy tool to create your own fonts in minutes.
    http://2ttf.com/
  • iro – Create Amazing Color Schemes
    iro - Create Amazing Color Schemes
    App color palette generator allows you to generate color from an image.
  • SketchBook Pro for iPad
    SketchBook Pro for iPad
    SketchBook Pro for iPad is a professional-grade paint and drawing application.
    http://m.autodesk.com
  • OmniGraffle for iPad
    OmniGraffle for iPad
    With Omnigraffle you can draw diagrams of shapes and drag objects to better organize and plan work flows and processes of website development.
    http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnigraffle-ipad/
  • Gusto – Code Editor and FTP Client
    Gusto - Code Editor and FTP Client
    Gusto is a cool editor and FTP client, an environment designed to focus on workflow and usability.
    http://horseandtherook.com/gusto/
  • Markup for iPad
    OmniGraffle for iPad
    Markup for iPad lets you connect to your websites and edit the text files within them.
    http://www.markupapp.com/
  • iDraw
    Gusto - Code Editor and FTP Client
    iDraw is a vector drawing tool is packed with features and illustrations.
    http://horseandtherook.com/gusto/
  • Blueprint
    OmniGraffle for iPad
    This app is the most powerful iPhone (or iPad) UI design application. Blueprint has many predesigned widgets, including all the iOS views, controls, and buttons.
    http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnigraffle-ipad/
  • Filterstorm Pro
    Gusto - Code Editor and FTP Client
    Filterstorm is a powerful photo editing tool designed for iPad and iPhone.
    http://horseandtherook.com/gusto/
  • App Designer for iPad
    OmniGraffle for iPad
    This tool is easy to create apps for iPhone and iPod. Has lots of icons and interactive elements with which Apple can easily mount an interface to these devices.
    http://halfpeeledapps.com/
  • Freeform
    Freeform
    Vector drawing tool for your iPhone that lets you create sketches, models or diagrams, export drawings in various formats.
    http://stuntsoftware.com/freeform/
  • Air Display
    Air Display
    AirDisplay is an app that can connect the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch with an iMac or a PC as an extra monitor, wirelessly. This way you can have a larger desktop computer.
    http://avatron.com/apps
  • WordPress
    Wordpress
    With the Wordpress app it’s much easier to manage your blogs, write and edit entries, manage comments and create pages from the iPad.
    http://ios.wordpress.org/
  • Notability
    Notability
    This app lets you take all your notes and PDF downloads and sync them with Dropbox.
    http://www.gingerlabs.com/
  • Adobe Photoshop Touch
    AdobePhotoshopTouch
    A tablet app designed for Adobe Photoshop which offers a wide variety of tools for image manipulation.
    http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-touch.html
  • Penultimate
    Penultimate
    This app is used to write on the iPad by hand, take notes, keep sketches, share photos or ideas from anywhere quickly.
    http://www.cocoabox.com
  • Moodboard
    Moodboard
    Moodboard is a an app that lets you add photos, text and other elements that inspire you, so you can review them later.
    http://www.atinytribe.com/apps/moodboard
  • Analytics HD
    Analytics HD
    Ideal application for monitoring all your website statistics on Google Analytics.
    http://analyticsapp.com/
]]> http://www.awwwards.com/23-essential-ipad-apps-for-web-designers-and-developers.html/feed 8 Interview with Odopod’s Creative Director: Jason Hardy http://www.awwwards.com/interview-with-odopods-creative-director-jason-hardy.html http://www.awwwards.com/interview-with-odopods-creative-director-jason-hardy.html#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 13:36:51 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=61157 Odopod is one of the best and most awarded agencies around, It’s based in San Francisco and is formed by top designers, developers, strategists and in general very inventive people. They’re responsible for works like: IWC, Sony Tablet S and many more amazing works.  We’ve had the pleasure of talking to their creative director, Jason Hardy.

Interview

Awwwards: Please tell us a little bit about yourself: who are you, where do you come from and where are you going?

Jason Hardy: My name is Jason Hardy, I am a Creative Director at Odopod in San Francisco. I originally come from Nebraska. I’m not really sure where I’m going, probably to get a sandwich or some coffee.

Awww:What did you do before becoming a designer / developer?

JH: I went to school for Journalism and intended to be a writer. When I graduated there were no writing jobs where I lived (surprise!) so I took a basic design job instead. I had always been interested in design, mostly through skateboard magazines and album art, the typical influences, but never really thought of it as an option for making a living. Once I went down that path, I became pretty driven to learn as much as I could and never really looked back.

Awww: In your opinion, which is the future of the Web? (HTML5, Responsive Design, Mobile…)

JH: I tend to be technology agnostic in how I think about the future of the web. I think it’ll be something that we haven’t seen yet. Or at least, that I haven’t seen yet. So I try to remain open to wherever the web goes. It’s more fun that way.

Awww: Where do you turn for inspiration?

JH: It’s hard for me to shake my journalism/print designer background, so I’m always buying magazines. I often turn there for layout and typography inspiration. When it comes to digital, I stay up on the usual blogs and whatnot, but a lot of inspiring work catches my eye because someone sends me a link or references it in a meeting. That being said, I also try to cut the cord and find inspiration in “non-graphic-design” things, like photography, music and film.

Awww: Which are your favorite studios, designers or agencies?

JH: I’ve always admired Nessim Higson’s work as well as JD Hooge’s work. I’m always impressed with Code and Theory and have been stoked on the work that Ian Coyle and Duane King are doing. I like a lot of work that isn’t strictly digital as well, stuff by National Forest and Official MFG. CO. In my spare time I am a freelance designer for The Criterion Collection and through that I’ve been exposed to a lot of amazing designers, one of which is Neil Kellerhouse who’s work I greatly admire.

The people who tend to inspire me the most are my friends and the people I work with. There are too many to name, so I’ll just leave it at that. You know who you are.

Awww: Tell us about a unique story or funny anecdote related to your work.

JH: When I first started playing around in Photoshop, back in the day, I remember applying a bevel and emboss effect to some type and thinking, “This looks so real!!!”

Awww: Which are you for: Mac or PC?

JH: Mac.

Awww: Which is your favorite software?

JH: Hmmm, not sure. I guess Photoshop? I don’t really LOVE any software, but I probably use Photoshop the most. That and my RSS reader.

Awww: Which city do you live in? Is it a good place for designers?

JH: I live in San Francisco, and yeah, I think it is a great place for designers. There is a lot of cultural inspiration and opportunity out here. One of the things that I really value is variety of people. You meet people who are into all sorts of stuff. I’ve learned so much by working with user experience designers, writers, developers, musicians and just generally creative, open-minded people. It changes the way you think, which for me, has been a good thing.

Awww: Which technologies are you excited about?

JH: I tend to get excited about any new technology that makes its way into what I do. When HTML5 and web fonts became more prevalent I was super stoked on what that enabled us to do. Now with responsive design and mobile platforms, there are new opportunities emerging, which is pretty exciting. I’m also enjoying the shift that a lot of clients are making from focusing on “marketing” to focusing on utility. But honestly, I’m most excited about the fact that I don’t know what’s around the corner. It keeps you on your toes and makes things interesting.

Awww: Tell us about your latest project.

JH:We’re doing a lot of cool stuff for Tesla Motors right now. I wish I could tell you more, but its top secret.

Jason Hardy
Jason Hardy


Odopod, a Nurun company

Agency of the year 2011
Odopod Office


Odopod Team

]]> http://www.awwwards.com/interview-with-odopods-creative-director-jason-hardy.html/feed 1 Giveaway by Web Icon Set: 3 Business Plan Memberships http://www.awwwards.com/giveaway-by-web-icon-set-3-business-plan-memberships.html http://www.awwwards.com/giveaway-by-web-icon-set-3-business-plan-memberships.html#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 11:34:05 +0000 Awwwards Team http://www.awwwards.com/?p=62393 And the Lucky Winners Are:
1) Cynthia Chaccour
2) SkyinthesEa Duc
3) Nikos Pappas

Congrats!
Please drop us an e-mail at thecssawards@gmail.com to claim your prize!
____________________________________________________
Web Icon Set provides professional and quality royalty-free stock icons for designers. By joining our membership, you can access over 1,000 premium icons. Includes Pictograms, Stock Icons and Mini Icons with a much, much more affordable subscription fee. All of the icons are perfect for websites, web applications and wireframe creation. Please feel free to check out our Free Icons too.

If you have a blog, website, email list or Twitter account then you can join the Affiliate Program and earn a 40% commission on every new member who joined the membership.

How to Win
To win one of the three Business Plan Memberships, all you have to do is ReTweet this post with the hashtag #webiconset or leave a comment on this post using Facebook. The three lucky winners will be chosen at random and notified via Facebook/Twitter.

Good luck!

Web Icon Set

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