Periodicdesign

Not that I’m actively looking for a new job or anything, but I like to hit the boards on various job sites and just see what’s floating around out there. I’ve come across a rather interesting bit of information that seems to be creeping into the prerequisites of companies seeking designers. Now, when I say designers, I don’t mean your average “Web Producers” that get paid $15 USD/per hour, I mean someone that knows what Information Architecture and Information Design (just to name two) is and how to at least implement these practices from a technical standpoint and has read literature on the facts and nuances behind these young fields. I’m talking about the people who bill more than an administrative assistants wage and know there is more to life than WYSIWYG and Front Page.

I’m talking about those that know what SEO is, the basics of implementing and why this is becoming an ever evolving piece of information to have on your resume and engrained into your skulls. For those smart ones out there that know what I’m talking about and have been looking for gainful employment, you can add another thing to your resume that recruiters will understand. Fortunately, I’ve worked for two organizations that know what I’m talking about.

I open my Gmail this morning to find a new and nifty little feature that has been added - XML Feeds. The name of this new service is “Web Clips.” My first intention is to call my buddy and ask if he has the same thing in his Gmail (since it’s still in beta, not everyone gets cool new things at the same time). He told me he didn’t. I then proceeded to Google and did a quick search only to find I wasn’t the first to see this new feature. Usually when new features for anything come out on the web, most bloggers have hundreds of posts within hours which can be seen in search engines all over the web. This was not true for this release. My only conclusion is that people either haven’t noticed it yet, or not that many people have it displayed.

I find that this new feature is a welcome addition and one that I have been using frequently through out the day to stay on top of news stories or just peruse a recipe that sounds tantalizing. This new addition is quite ingenious and easy to use. By simply clicking on the “Settings” in the top right corner, the user is directed to a page that allows one to add predetermined feeds from various news organizations such as CNN, CBS and the BBC, just to name a few. You also have the option of adding other feeds from various organizations under tabs of “Business,” “Lifestyle,” “Fun,” “Tech,” “Sports” and the best one of all, “Custom Clips.” This last tab allows you to get any feed you want as long as a site has RSS.

Once again, Google never ceases to amaze me with their tools and ideas.

I can’t believe I’m posting this, but I need a new job. I like the people I work with, but the process in order to get the job done is one large circle. Of course, when I say circle, I mean a huge circle.

First we develop, then the client wants something different, then we develop again and then the client wants something different. Round and round we go, where it stops, nobody knows. For some reason, I cannot impress my views where I work to stop this endless cycle. Now granted, I’m not saying I’m some Jeff Veen / Thomas Vander Wal / Jesse James Garrett / Doug Bowman / Dr. Jakob Nielsen / Information Architect / Information Designer / Interaction Designer / Usability Analyst / Accessibility Analyst / Section 508 Guru, but I do believe in process and a way to do things right.

I believe in one small phrase; “Keep content separate from structure and structure separate from presentation.” Mixing these together ends in disaster, as I‚Äôve seen time and time again. It makes my job near impossible to complete in a timely fashion, and when a redesign of a redesign falls apart, they ask why. Of course, do you point your finger back to your superiors and the client? Ethically the answer is NO! In order to keep your sanity, the answer should be YES!

To end this somewhat unorganized post, if anyone knows of a place that wants “out-of-the-box thinkers” and someone who wants to learn, please drop me an email or leave a comment. I‚Äôm not picky about pay or relocation; I just want a decent and fun working and learning environment.