06/2008 Article Archive

  • June 30, 2008 in Programming & IT

    Beyond Redirect: Using ReWriteRule in .htaccess

    Mod_rewrite is an Apache module that can be accessed from .htaccess files to perform all kinds of complicated URL manipulation. A few months ago I posted an article called Beat Your Website into Submission with .htaccess explaining how to use several .htaccess features to do helpful tricks; but I didn't really touch on mod_rewrite or RewriteRule. Since then I was involved in a project that required extensive use of mod_rewrite and I've come to truly appreciate its power and usefulness. The main mod_rewrite function, RewriteRule, is powered by regular expressions. Regular expressions are used to search blocks of text for specific patterns. I barely have enough room in this article to scratch the surface of regular expressions; so if you need more detail in that area I recommend this website. For the purposes of this tutorial, though, I'll be sticking to commonly used URL rewriting tasks.

  • June 27, 2008 in Friday Blog Clips

    5 for Friday | The Week's Best Blogs (6/27/08 Edition)

    After looking at this week's links, you may be wondering, "What's with all the free brushes?" Well, I'm not really sure. There was a sudden influx of articles this week featuring free Photoshop and Illustrator brushes and I decided to jump at the chance. Who knows how long it will be until the next brush article. There were more than just brush articles this week, though. I'm really interested to see what happens with MagCloud. It sounds a lot like Blurb.com for magazines. Also, you may have noticed that the new Mirificam Press design is continuing to change. I wish I could blame it on "settling in" or "listening to my readers and taking suggestions", but the truth is, I've just been restless and indecisive about it. You can expect any significant changes to be finished up today.

    • 22 Comments
    • 2051 Views
  • June 25, 2008 in Business & Process

    12 Tools I Use Every Day as an Independent Web Designer

    Every web designer has a list of favorite tools—a set of indispensable programs and resources that we couldn't live a day without. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for us there is constantly a newer, better tool emerging for just about everything a web designer does daily. I thought it would be interesting and helpful to share my current list of die-without-it web design tools. Of course, by the time I actually post this article, the list will probably have changed; but that's the nature of the industry.

  • June 23, 2008 in Design Inspiration

    Total Redesign: Mirificam Press Dissected

    Bits O' NewMedia has officially made the transformation into Mirificam Press (as you can see). The task of creating a new design that fit the personality and direction of the blog ended up being more difficult than I had anticipated. At least part of the difficulty was due to the fact that I didn't have any constraints. I've become so accustomed to doing things within the client/designer relationship that I almost forgot how to work for myself. My wife would probably argue that, in reality, I just substituted her for the client and never actually broke out of the client/designer relationship. I'm sure, "What do you think about this?", isn't her favorite question right now. But I digress. Through all this, I was able slow down and make precise and deliberate design decisions that I'm not always at liberty to make in other situations. I'd like to kick off the new site by dissecting the new design and features.

  • June 20, 2008 in Friday Blog Clips

    5 for Friday | The Week's Best Blogs (6/20/08 Edition)

    As you know from Wednesday's post, this edition of 5 for Friday is a farewell to the old Bits O' NewMedia. In fact, by the time you read this post, I may have completed the transition. There was an unusually large number of helpful tutorials and resource lists posted in the web design blogosphere this week which always makes it easy to put a link list together. I was tempted to make this list "10 for Friday", but I couldn't bring myself to break the tradition. So here they are:

    • 7 Comments
    • 1405 Views
  • June 18, 2008 in Mirificam Press News

    A New Personality for Bits O' NewMedia

    I've made brief mention of coming changes to Bits O' NewMedia in the last couple of months. But it's time to make good on my threats. Over the weekend, I will not only be unveiling a new design but a new name for Bits O' NewMedia. Bits O' New Media will now be Mirificam Press. This week's 5 for Friday list will be the last article posted on the old Bits O' NewMedia. If you're currently reading Bits O' NewMedia by RSS or email subscription, there's no need to take action. The RSS address will remain the same. Also, any bookmarked pages will automatically redirect to the new site.

  • June 13, 2008 in Friday Blog Clips

    5 for Friday | The Week's Best Blogs (6/13/08 Edition)

    You may have noticed that the typical Monday article didn't appear on Bits O' NewMedia this week. Believe it or not, there's actually a good explanation beyond "I flaked out". I've been working on the Bits O' NewMedia redesign for quite awhile now and I decided it's time to lower my head and get it finished. So the time I would have normally spent writing my Monday article went to designing and writing content for the new site. I expect to launch it the week after next so don't expect to miss many Monday posts. Here are this week's links:

    • 3 Comments
    • 1254 Views
  • June 11, 2008 in Business & Process

    Coaxing Web Content: How to Get Your Clients to Get You the Content You Need

    Coaxing web content can be one of the most frustrating parts of being a web designer. It's a part of our work that's completely out of our control; and yet a job is never complete without it. No matter how well you stick to your time-line, or how hard you work to meet deadlines, or how on-top-of-it you are, missing content will shut you down. When you can't finish a project, you can't get paid. And when you can't get paid, potential bad situation start becoming reality. Unless you write copy for your clients, I'm sure you've had a bad experience with web content at one time or another. That's why the art of coaxing content is such a desirable skill. Here are some tips for sharpening that skill and keeping your projects rolling.

  • June 6, 2008 in Friday Blog Clips

    5 for Friday | The Week's Best Blogs (6/6/08 Edition)

    Today I happen to be out of town celebrating my wife's birthday with her parents and grandparents in Paris, Texas. Still, I feel compelled to sneak off and post my 5 for Friday. For the sake of time, I'll spare you anymore details this week and jump right to the links.

    • 3 Comments
    • 1127 Views
  • June 4, 2008 in Product Reviews

    The Best Online Vector Illustration Resources

    It's not often that you find a web designer who's an amazing illustrator. It's generally the job of the web designer to take a lot of graphic details and form them into a cohesive unit. Still, web designers are often expected to do it all--it's just the nature of the job. That's why it's important to have a good list of resources for vector artwork to pull from when you need it. Well placed vector artwork can liven up a design and give it just the spark it needs to set it apart from the competition. Here are a few of the top sites for searching and downloading vector art.

  • June 2, 2008 in Business & Process

    The Web Design Cycle: Landing Redesign Jobs with Clients You Love

    After a few years in the web design industry you'll inevitably reach a point where your first clients will be ready for a redesign of your original work. This is a critical stage in the development of a web design business. Every month you progress into this second cycle of business, you have the potential to both procure new clients and revitalize relationships with old ones. It's a time when you either tread water or press ahead. Having been through this cycle several times, I've made plenty of mistakes; but I I've come out the other side with some solid strategies for taking advantage of the redesign cycle. If managed carefully, you can build a lasting business foundation and a client base you love to work for.