Blog #9

sIFR

sIFR is short for Scaleable Inman Flash. It has been designed to replace small pieces of plain browser text with text created in the typeface of your choice, whether or not the user has the font installed in their computer. It is able to to do this by using a combo of javascript, CSS, and Flash. Below is how it works:

1. A normal (X)HTML page is loaded into the browser.


2. A javascript function is run which first checks that Flash is installed and then looks for whatever tags, ids, or classes you designate.


3. If Flash isn’t installed (or obviously if javascript is turned off), the (X)HTML page displays as normal and nothing further occurs. If Flash is installed, javascript traverses through the source of your page measuring each element you’ve designated as something you’d like “sIFRed”.


4. Once measured, the script creates Flash movies of the same dimensions and overlays them on top of the original elements, pumping the original browser text in as a Flash variable.


5. Action script inside of each Flash file then draws that text in your chosen typeface at a 6 point size and scales it up until it fits snugly inside the Flash movie. Check more info at sIFR or from Wiki.
   

Considering we have to count words sometimes (to include the amount in our weekly blogs or placed in our web site), I found a place on-line that will count your words for you. You simply just cut and paste your info in the window and hit submit.

As we are learning CSS and making everything look good we also need to consider how users will navigate through our site with ease (hopefully). I located five basic rules to navigate by:

1. Navigation Should Be Easy to Find (Very Easy): usually at the top and should be obvious/stand out.


2. Keep it Consistent: Should be in the same location throughout the site.


3. Use Obvious Section Names: Be as specific as possible.
   


4. Less is More: Keep it simple; don't add too many choices.


5. Remind the User Where They Are: use a consistent method to highlight the section they are in.

I obtained this info at about.
I also found a site that contains some great tutorials for creating friendly interactive navigation. Just go to Nav for more info and tuts.

Tid Bits

• Research, research, research reminder. Always good to learn from famous graphic designers. I found some of these names while researching. Tschichold, Scleger, Rand, Fletcher, Aicher, Muller-Brockmann; to name a few related to typography.


• Do not chew gum while cliff diving or snorkeling. It can have some ugly results.


• Quote to live by"Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better." John Updike

Useful Web Sites

• Throughout my posting process I am constantly researching and coming across many links that are helpful and even some that are not. In addition to your own research it is also a great idea to ask fellow designers about what sites they like to visit as well. This week I've included some halloween design sites.
  
  
  


• I'm sure everyone has their favorite site for brushes but here is one I found while looking for hair brushes. The cracked brush set is awesome and just in time for Halloween if you want to doctor one of your photos (or one of your friends photos). Pretty Scary!


• Another site I found was scary psd tutorials. It is not for the squeamish though. There are tutorials as well as brushes too.
  
  


• One last site useful for our web design is this one. It lets you pick a background color and see text/link colors and preview each choice.
  
  
  

In Other Graphic Design News

This first site was cracking me up. It shows a bunch of photoshop mistakes that were made and not only that they were published. Mistakes that obviously could have been avoided.

I also found a website that has a ton of scary Halloween content. The graphic designer at Rogues Hollow Productions have a very haunted. portfolio. Those of you who are currently taking typography may do pretty well and end up in the Hall of Fame.