The BackgroundDuring a recent lecture in my Deployment of Flash Projects class, while discussing Adobe AIR and trying to summarize the essential parts of desktop User Interface design, I found myself lacking in a over-arching term and general category to which I could attach many of the nit-picky and minute ideas that collectively make for superb deployments (or at the very least, improve poor deployments to acceptable).I mean, there was definitely plenty of discussion about ...

This pretty “Call for Entries” poster, promoting Adobe’s Design Achievement Awards, has been popping up all over campus and it is such a simple, yet fun design. If you’d like, visit Adobe’s site to find out more about this event and even download the poster PDF. Enjoy!

In my ongoing attempt to fall more and more in love with the “One-Window Web Development” amazingness that is Panic’s Coda app, I have reached another yet milestone. I present to you the following Syntax Modes, re-colored to match the ever-popular Textmate “Twilight” theme:ActionScriptCSSHTMLJavascriptJSP-HTMLPHP-HTMLXMLCoda Coloring Theme - "Twlight"In case you are wondering, the font I am using is the delicious Inconsolata by Raph Levien.P.S. If anyone wants to send me a few example files of ...

After Sitepoint showed us all how easy it is to add custom references to the "Books" section of Coda (using their excellent HTML and CSS references as examples), I began my search for even more handy code guides with which to fill out that big empty gray space at Command+6.

Jon Hicks had some good stuff to say, as did the Coda Google Group, but what really got me moving was when I found Ray Brown's ...

The last 48 hours or so, I have been chucking a whole pile of new web, logo, illustration and t-shirt projects at the Illustrative Portfolio section. Even took some time to rewrite the CodeIgniter PHP files to optimize their indexing and output. Now, instead of having to manually add each thumbnail and larger image reference by hand, I can simply upload new examples to specified folders and magically, new samples show up on the Portfolio ...

I am a little late to the game on this, but recently I was creating an iPhone screen optimized version of a site for my personal usage and thought I would share some of my findings.

The InitialThough Apple recommends through the expansive information in its iPhone Developer Connection to implement CSS3 conditional statements to effectively achieve alternate style-sheets for personal computers and for the iPhone, I wasn’t satisfied with the resulting functionality. Yes, it did ...

I think it is interesting that there are two versions of the Vote for Change website; a more generic one (left) and an Obama-specific version (right) and that the right one is where most people will end up, as it is the Google sponsored link that appears first when searching for the query “vote for change”. Hmm …Either way, it is probably important that you go and make sure you are ready to vote. Carebears ...

With the recent release of the new and updated Twitter, the majority of tweak-able profile design settings were lost and the twitterpated among us have been relegated to only changing the following:Background imageBackground colorLink colorText colorSidebar colorSidebar line colorThat isn’t much to work with, so I decided that with the recent re-styling of my Twitter page, I would share the Photoshop template I used and (hopefully) simplify some of the tedious process of creating ...

or maybe an even better question: Should I customize my form elements like Apple? Let me explain.The DilemmaUp until recently, I haven’t really worked too directly with the <form> elements, but when finding that I needed to add more screen sizes for the Desktop section of my page on this site (as well as wanting to expand on the demonstrations I offered in my GWD classes), I decided to implementing drop-down listings, using ...

Secret Friend Society by DraStudio on ZooomrIn light of the recent Dra Studio re-design, I thought it might be fun to share some of my ruminations and recent thoughts about back-end content management systems and such that I saw as possible solutions for both the this site and the Illustrative. site, but for some reason or another, abandoned. I also wanted to share some of the more influential sites that I found inspiring me ...

indie peek (uploaded by DRA Studio)The past week or so has been one late night after another … staying up until 5 am, sleeping until noon, getting ready for lectures and then doing it all over again. The plus is that I am shaving stuff right off of my pending to-do list and keeping up with my development schedules. Yay for on time work!Enjoy this composite. It is for Jason Padgett. I am off to finally ...

IF : Worry (uploaded by DRA Studio)My entry for this week’s Illustration Friday theme of “worry”. It’s nice and big (1600px wide, to be exact), so feel free to use it as a wallpaper, if you like. Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34

Vector Study (uploaded by DRA Studio)This is an Adobe Illustrator vector study I did, using some of the excellent look that the Blue Moon beer logo has. Classic typography and subtle colors. Simply beautiful … even if I don’t drink. To create the faded embossed line in tan area, I had to learn to create a mask layer in Illustrator, something which could really be a lot easier … seeing as how often I like to ...

FCC Winter Park – Mockup 2 (uploaded by DRA Studio)Here is an initial mockup for the site I am currently working on for Jim Book at First Christian Church of Winter Park.The logo was provided to me and the main goal of both designs was a tight integration with their new identity.The final design will use this layout and style, but the color palette of the other design.Let me know what you think.

Ropes Course (uploaded by DRA Studio)God has helped me find some focus in the past couple of days and it is really benefiting my freelance work a lot. The feeling of accomplishment in cleaning out my Inbox and progressing several projects is wonderful. Plus I have also found some time to update my city collection, as well as some casual reading. If you haven’t already checked out the bible reading Del.ico.us link I added a few ...

During a recent project, I came across the problem of creating a number image gallery thumbnails at a specific size and saving them into the appropriate folders. Sounds easy, right? There should obviously be a great third-party Mac OS X app already out there for this, right?Apparently not. I mean, there was at one time a great app that I was using to create my thumbnails, but between Mac transfers and not needing that particular ...

dotMac Galaxy (uploaded by DRA Studio)Another Photoshop goodie for you kids. Sound off if you are enjoying these or want to see them in any other sizes. :D

Uberbot UV Wallpaper (uploaded by DRA Studio)Pretty lil’ wallpaper I whipped up today … mainly because I just love the Uberbot seal that they have. Enjoy!

The Break – Curl Sand (uploaded by DRA Studio)Just finished up what will probably be the final version of “The Break” logo for Jared … now to work on a 2-color version for the shirt.

The Break – Proof 2 (uploaded by DRA Studio)Head over to flickr and check out the 3 mockups I did for Jared Curtis’ youth project, called “The Break”.I think I like one of these.

New Illustrative – Site (uploaded by DRA Studio)I just spend the last couple of hours finishing up my CodeIgniter PHP work to get the new Illustrative launched. Have a visit and let me know what you think.Check it out here: Get Illustrative.com

Giant Man Baby – Site (uploaded by DRA Studio)I just finished implementing the new CSS stylesheet for Jason’s new video company site, Giant Man Baby Productions. I was given a logo created by a friend (Andrew Sale) and tagline … then pretty much ran with it.I really feel that this design is going to be a lot of fun. It is simple clean and as soon we get some free time, adding in the Flash ...

Substance – Black n White (uploaded by DRA Studio)A preliminary design of shirt artwork for Justin Pressly. The early black and white version, though the design did start in my Physical vs. Digital sketchbook.

Wii Muscle (uploaded by

Light Night 2007 – Proof (uploaded by DRA Studio)My newest design for Southside’s upcoming Light Night event. Should be pretty fun. The main stipulations I got from SS was that it couldn’t directly include anything Halloween related … since it is a Halloween alternative. So, pumpkins, skulls, blood, guns … all out. Josh had the idea of incorporating something to do with buildings or the city, since it happening in the Orlando area.This is what I ...