Blog: Secrets from the Chef
How to draw recolorable icons
What is a recolorable icon? It is a picture which is capable of changing its color, hence is the world recolorable. There are several ways of getting there. I will tell you about a simple technique that we used while developing Iconza. In essence it's a web application that provides for changing colors of icons followed by generating the required files.
How we came up with the name for Iconza and later made its logo
We decided upon making a web application that would serve a collection of customizable icons. Any project needs a cool name and a logo. We started off with naming.
Five reasons for migrating to the new Illustrator CS4
All new stuff is extremely lucrative: it lures a feeling of novelty and freshness. I sincerely believe that a newer version is always better than the previous one. But there is one software package that undermines my life views. I am talking about Adobe Illustrator. It gained so many useless functions that operational mistakes have become too easy to see. It all lasted for six passed years. Here is an appropriate time for a short sermon.
Windows 7: clothes count for first impressions
Judging by the many online reviews, the brave souls who have downloaded and installed the beta version of Windows 7 are, in general, pleasantly surprised. Your humble servant likewise entered into the ranks of the brave souls. I confirm: it’s actually pleasant to work with No. 7. However, given the many new and different functionalities, and well-written reviews of other authors, allow me to throw in my two cents worth in our particular area of expertise: visual interface design.
10 Outstanding Metaphors in Icon Design
For each and every action or object, different icons can be drawn. These can have any variations: in style, color, perspective and even metaphor. In my view, the latter is the most valuable in the design of icons — the concentrated thought. And if the metaphor is original, and humorous, then it turns out to be not just an icon, but genuinely brilliant! I present for your review my personal selection of icons based upon unusual and shining metaphors.
WorkSection Review
We have been using Basecamp (web-based project management and collaboration tool developed by 37signals) for many years. I will not be able to truly emphasize on how important this tool is for us since our clients are scattered around the Globe and all communication with them is handled online.
For small service IT companies like ours, Basecamp became a de-facto standard. On one hand it is very convenient: new users recently invited into our cozy Extranet have no problem getting around. On the other hand, we get the feeling that Basecamp is “too tight”. And it is not surprising: you cannot please everyone and the guys from 37signals are well aware of that and not even trying.
What icons are for
You would not believe it but in 1985 Apple asserted an idea in its developers' guide to replace text messages with icons wherever possible. As though icons would be more clear to a novice user than words. Of course this is bollocks. It is much easier to express any idea in words.
Supermarket interface or Cart 2.0
When I visit a supermarket I sometimes engage in somewhat indecent activity amidst endless shelves with groceries. I like to peek into other people's carts. I observe what other people buy. But it is not some useless habit. Sometimes I happen to like some buyers and I pick the same products from shelves. This way I have discovered for myself a range of tasty products and many extraordinary but useful things.
Interface to the past
Many people fail to differentiate between a GPS receiver and a navigator but it seems to me that the scope of application for the global positioning is much wider. If you fit a GPS module into simple and utilitarian things, you may create new and surprisingly useful possibilities. And if you through in the Internet and add some social networks ad gustum — the impossible becomes real.
How to draw an icon. Minimization process
So get your magnifying glasses handy — we continue! After long and feisty arguments (do not worry — no blasters involved) we have 3 approved icons sized 64×64. Further starts the work that requires attention and patience but its end result will be seen by the Alien Invaders much more often (as it happens in the process of evolution they did not enlarge the screens but worked on improving their eyesight). Now we will grab your attention with the proper method of drawing small icons.
How to draw a good icon for Google
Not so long ago we berated the new Google icon and called it bad. But denouncing something that is not yours is easy! But what icon would be good? We decided to answer this question: let’s take four designers and make them draw a good icon for Google. Such approach we call running ‘a creative boutique’.
Why the new Google favicon is bad
A few days ago I visited the site of my favorite search engine and saw a new icon in the URL line. My first thought was that I misspelled the URL but then it occurred to me that Google had changed its favicon. I do not reckon it’s some kind of world-shaker for the whole IT industry but to me — an GUI designer — this fact appealed as rather interesting.
Fancy color names or Royal Blue
It all started when our client wrote, seemingly as an afterthought: “Please change the color of the icon to royal blue.” To tell you the truth, this request struck me as rather unusual. We have dark blue, light blue and ordinary blue, but no royal blue that I knew about. So I did some research.
Enlarge your icons
A small icon is OK! It’s nothing to be ashamed of; it’s not a big deal. Icons can even be very small or plain tiny. This has been their iconic fate. For many years it was the reality and everyone was happy. But something went wrong. All of a sudden, icons got big!
10 Mistakes in Icon Design
It is much easier to criticize somebody else’s work than to create something cool yourself. But if you apply a systematic approach to criticizing, make a numbered list and prepare illustrations, it will be regarded as a fully-fledged analysis! In my opinion, icon design is undergoing a transitional period. On the one hand, screen resolutions are increasing, hence enhancing icons. On the other hand, we still have good old pixels. Icons sized 16×16 and even smaller are still widely used. And so, here are the most commonly observed mistakes in icon design…
My GTD experience: emptying my inbox with GTDInbox
It was a year and a half ago, my head brimming with ideas about GTD, when I realized that an efficient system of self-organization based on the principles of GTD would make most sense if built around the email client; simply because the vast majority of incoming material requiring attention is delivered via email.
My GTD experience: emptying your head
I wanted to share my own experience in organizing my life in accordance with GTD for a very long time. You have most likely heard about the GTD. However you have probably missed the book under the same name. I would definitely recommend everyone to read this book. Nevertheless I will try to tell you my story so that some of the methods comprising the theory would be clear to you even without reading the book.
All you wanted to know about Turbomilk but were too shy to ask
Our zealous readers must remember how we hosted our dear guests from Dominion this July. And prior to that we had paid a visit to that wonderful studio ourselves where we were treated with some tea and a Q&A session. So, what kind of questions can site builders have to interface designers? Luckily we got all the moves on paper and nothing will prevent us from sharing it.
How to change icons: guidelines for inducing coziness
It would not come as a surprise for you that a man always tries to arrange his living within the bounds of his personal idea of beauty: the Amber Room or new IKEA rug, freshly painted cave painting next to the fireplace or a stuffed stuffed sword fish in the conference room — no principal difference here. The motive is always the same.
Turbomilk is happy to help the mankind in its aspiration to make the world a better place and to increase the enthropy to a whole new league. Do you remember our outstanding collections of free icons?
Some still ask how they can change one icon to another. The answer is easy. The most complex thing about it is to come up with a name for a sleepy walrus and what about that golden altar from the Monsters set. Let's suggest that our test object is the Annual Reports folder.
Optimizing Adobe Illustrator: thrusting to the Earth orbital velocity
I have once expressed my regrets about the quality of Adobe Illustrator as a software package. The speed at which this beauty eats up the system resources is mind boggling! Drawing the first icon you are pleased to learn how fast it happens. But gradually with each new layer (object, raster or vector effect…) Illustrator slows downs and shifts into the idling mode. Since in the very beginning you do not mention it, later you hope that the reboot will “fix the problem”. However things just get worse.
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cookbook10 Outstanding Metaphors in Icon Design laranz.wordpress.com: people om mac always kidding Windows........ When this comes to an end :(
cookbookHow we came up with the name for Iconza and later made its logo prorender: Guys, you should really consider a merchandise shop. I would gladly buy T-shirts and Yegor's prize winning characters or featuring the Iconza carro…
cookbookHow we came up with the name for Iconza and later made its logo prorender: Glad to be a part of it!
cookbookFive reasons for migrating to the new Illustrator CS4Dmitri Joukov: Pardon I didn't quite catch the idea of question. Could you try to ask someway else. Thanks.
cookbookFive reasons for migrating to the new Illustrator CS4 abby: how to make the working area in window, can teach me? i can find the way Thank, from abby.