I’ll be honest, I recently got introduced to “the grid.” Now, I know it’s an open term, and I’m still learning, but, HEY!, I’m trying here. I made a simple template to help me start out with designs. So, to help out my fellow designers, I’ve put it up for a free download. Digg, retweet, and stumble.

A quick, couple of notes. One, when you first open the document, you will need to use hot keys to enable the grid. Also, I have put down what I think is a good preset for a grid. I recommend grideline every: 50, and subdivisions: 5.

If you have questions about the content in this PSD or a general question, please visit my contact page.

I was a big fan of Disney’s Pixar’s ‘Up!’  I thought it was such an excellent film I decided to remake an element from the film to make and icon out of it Snag the PNG!  Also, I will try to supply an AI file of it in the future.

There’s a lot that can help a design. With consistency, we’ve learned that it can do a lot. Think of a site as a living object. In order for your site to become a living object, it needs to breathe, or at least breathing room. Uneven breathing habits will cause panic attacks.

Now let me apply that to design. When creating a site, it’s important to have consistent padding and margining. Now, if you’re not familiar with those terms, lets start with the basics. Let’s imagine we have a box. The amount of space inside the box is a term called padding. The amount of space separating from elements outside of it is known as margining. It can get confusing at times, but in thinking of it in terms of the box, it shouldn’t fail you.

So, let’s take a look at a recent design of mine. Notice how in between each element of the site I’ve put 20 pixels of space. My site is breathing well! Also, if you take a look at the amount of space in each container, you can notice it has a consistent padding of 20 pixels. Whether your margining is 10 pixels or 50 pixels, just make sure it is the same as the other elements surrounding. Notice that I have a sidebar on the left which has a padding for each element of 10 pixels. Since the sidebar has different content, it will add a good amount of contrast.

Check out the grid feature in Adobe’s Photoshop to further help you in succeeding in the consistency of padding and margining.

Type is very important.  It’s one of the most visually important elements to a site, if not THEE most important element.  In the first couple of years of my design career, I would use more fonts than actually necessary.  Try keeping the amount of typefaces you use to a maximum of three.  This will help you keep a clean site along with maintaining a consistent look.

For starters, try finding a nice headline font.  Something that you can use for BIG headlines.  You’ll want this to be BOLD, but of course readable.  The second font I typically pick is my main body content.  This is the type you’ll see mostly.  The last font I usually have different from the other two would be my testimonials or quotations.  

Saving an image or stylesheet near by with these new elected typefaces will help remind you to keep the font to a minimum of three!

This is going to be a short series I’m doing focusing on consistency. I find beauty in consistency. I suppose I could start with the definition of the word:

“A harmonious uniformity or agreement among things or parts.”

I believe keeping everything consistent gives a better feel of uniform and appeals to be more structured and formated. So with that being said, here we go!

It’s very simple to start. Take the buttons you have on your website. Sometimes you’re not sure on the capitalization. This is exactly what recently happened at my work, and we found ourselves running into a few different types of buttons. I created a sheet and printed a few copies and posted them around the office.

Now I’m not saying you should use the exact capitalization I use, but decide what you think looks best and stay with it. Make use of your printer and have it up as a reminder.

I’d say, as a designer, it’s hard to keep your blog updated.  Let me first get this out of the way.  I have added to the sidebar of my website a feed from my Twitter account.  So, if you’re looking for a quick update or a WITTY remark, there you go.

As I was saying, it’s really tough keeping my blog up to date.  I’m currently working on more than I can handle.  It’s crazy and stressful, but I LOVE it.  Creating is the most exciting thing for me, so I like to take on a lot of projects.  So I would like to apologize for the lack of updates.  I do this about once a year.  Hehe.

One of the biggest projects I’m working on is the revamp of SickAnimation.com.   We’ve planned a January 1st release on that site.  It should be pretty exciting.  I’ve implemented some really flashy elements into this site.  I’m currently learning a lot of fun jQuery tricks, so look out for that site.

The other project I’m working on that I really can’t say much about is It’s A Fav.  If you want to stare at a coming soon page, check out www.itsafav.com That is a personal project and I’m also shooting for January 1st.

Other than that, work my friend.  Work.

A couple months ago, I went ahead and wrote up a document which basically laid out the design and development process for me. I found it really useful when working on a project, whether I was starting or in the middle of a stage. Check it out and if you have any recommendations, contact me!

**Requested was a printable version. Click here for a printer-friendly version.

l. Information & Research

Meeting with project manager giving details of product.
• Question One: What are we selling?
• Question Two: Who is our audience/demographic?
• Question Three: What elements need to be on homepage?
• Question Four: How many KEY pages? Page titles?
• Question Five: How much is the product?
• Question Six: Do we have a logo? Are we designing the logo?
• Question Seven: Who is the competition?

ll. Competitive Analysis & Wireframe

Meeting with designers brainstorming layout and analysis.
• Review competitors and discover trends, strengths, and weaknesses of competitors.
• Each design member design a wireframe layout of homepage.
• After selecting the favored wireframe, make any last minute collaborations to finalize.

lll. Content Delivery

A portion of content is given to design team.
• Question One: What is the company name (logo in PSD form.)
• Question Two: Tag line for company.
• Question Three: Main article heading for homepage.
• Question Four: Main article subheading for homepage.
• Question Five: Does the company have a customer support hotline?
• Question Six: Confirm KEY pages and titles.
• Question Seven: Sidebar: What articles and forms will be featured and on what pages?

lV. Creative Exploration:

Designers individually come up with art direction for homepage.
• Logo design (if needed.)
• Place logo.
• Define a color scheme.
• Define typography.

V. Design Review & Critique

Designers post individual layouts and discuss with project managers and others involved.
• Discuss pros and cons of each layout.
• After selecting a favored design, make any last minute collaborations to finalize homepage.

Vl. Subpage Designs

Designers individually come up with subpages.
• Define sidebar.
• Arrange content.
• Design bulleted lists.

Vll. Content Input

Client sends in content with headlines and articles.
• Enter content.
• Send to client for review.

Vlll. Site Review and Soft Launch

Release beta of site and have all employees run through site.
• Review site.
• Address any question of bugs in site.

lX. Launch Site

Launch website and reep the benefits.

Last year, the band Reel Big Fish contacted me on doing the album art for their new record ‘Monkeys for Nothin’ and the Chimps for Free.’ The original concepts I gave them were some of my favorite illustration work that I’ve ever done. Unfortunately, they did not approve my comps, and had me make something that I pretty much hated. Check under my Illustration section to find the first concepts I sent them. I thought it was long gone because my hard-drive died on me. So relieved I found at least one of the comps.

In other news, tonight I saw a hit and run. I didn’t catch the criminals plates who ran off, but I hung out until the owner of the hit car returned to his car and let him know. Ten minutes later we totally found the criminal! Hehe.

Hey all! I’m really stoked too announce I’m designing the new site for Sick Animation. If you are new to the world of amazing animations, Sick Animation is all done by a man named Marc M. It very random, and caution, insulting cartoons, but none the less amazingly funny.

Sick Animation just got a deal in the United Kingdom and will have a show there sometime in the near future. I’m doing some new and exciting things with this site, and we’re both really happy with how it’s coming out so far. The site should be up in the next couple of months.

If you are trying to view the animation or music page, please give me some time. I’m still working on the two pages. Until next time, bye bye!

Let me start by saying, YES, I have released a new version of my online portfolio. I started this site in 2004, and it’s just crazy I’ve had it this long. Sometimes you go down avenues, and don’t think about it, but I didn’t really think I would still have this domain and site. It’s really funny. I remember when I first started, I wanted to pretend I was a business rather than an individual creating whatever it was I was creating.

Well, with that being said, let me update you on my status. Where I’m living these days; Studio City. Do I have any projects I’m working on? Yes. If anything, too many. I’m working with Darius Monsef, from ColourLovers, on a project titled “Darius Goes West” which is for a young man who ironically is named Darius. It’s a charity, so take a look at it!

I just finished my solo-project’s new record “Further Than Physical.” It is my fourth record under the name “The Ay Cad.” If you’re interested in purchasing it, you can check it out on iTunes. It has 10 tracks and is due out August 19th. My other band, “Streets of Rage”, is currently working on recording our new record, which is due out later this year.

I haven’t been really working on any illustrations lately. As far as YouTubes go, or just silly videos, I’m planning on releasing some more soon with my favorite lady, Wendy McColm.

So as you’re looking around my portfolio, if there is anything you aren’t finding of mine, let me know. It’s sometimes hard finding little missing pieces.

Farewell!