Per my previous post, I’ve started a website for my amigurumi crochet hobby at AmyGurumi.com. It can be challenging to find time to design and craft new objects, but I really find it a relaxing and rewarding hobby.
I was lucky enough to have my submission to the Martha Stewart Easter Contest selected as a winner back in April. It was an unexpected accolade, and the Seagate GoDrive was a nice reward. My next large project was for a gallery exhibit in the D.C. area entitled “Mortal Plush: I Am Not Your Toy” at Art Whino. The gallery will feature soft sculpture (“plush”) that expresses emotion. My piece is a pirate monkey (“Bronzebeard”) that hopefully expresses “weltschmerz” (world-weariness). The deadline was extended into June, and I just found out this morning that my submission was accepted. For those in the D.C. area: Opening reception on July 11, 2009 from 6:00 PM to Midnight at Art Whino Gallery 173 Waterfront St., National Harbor, MD 20745. There will be food, drinks and a DJ.
More info at amygurumi.com.
I recently completed another client project using WordPress. Due to the timeline and the client’s budget, I chose to source a freeware theme rather than create something from scratch. After scouting around, I came across CorporateMag, a slick but appropriate theme from WP Junction.
I spent some time modifying the theme to work for my needs, including removing the image carousel and changing the way that posts are displayed on the main page of the site. The way that the plugins were included was a bit wonky, but I think I’ve massage the theme sufficiently to produce a nice result. Just waiting to pour in the content once the client is ready.
I’ve found that modifying existing themes can take almost as much time as designing one from scratch. Sourcing attractive, professional and original themes can be difficult, and the quality of free themes is highly variable. There can be hidden pitfalls, especially with the implementation of sidebar widgets which is broken as often as not.
Here are a few questions to ask when deciding whether to modify or build:
- Does the client have existing imagery or a strong brand? Look for templates that are color rather than image-based or consider creating your own.
- How design-oriented is the project? If design is as important as content, consider working from scratch. You may need just as much time to source one or more options than you would to present a couple of variations on a theme of your own for your client to choose from.
- Does the design have to be absolutely unique? If your client has a problem with any other site using the same template, you’re better off starting with a clean slate rather than trying to strip down an existing template.
Regardless of your client’s preferences, it’s a nice exercise to review themes by other designers. There are some amazing free themes out there for implementation or just inspiration.
I’ve finally turned my on-again, off-again relationship with knitting and crochet into a full-fledged hobby, complete with its own online presence. :) I spent a shocking number of hours this weekend setting up my PayPal account, Etsy shop and designing the template for the patterns that I will be selling. It was a great chance to brush up on my Adobe InDesign skills, but I’m sure glad it’s finished!
I’m really enjoying the design process. Designing for crochet feels at once sculptural, but also a little like programming. Add that to the cute/kawaii aesthetic, and I’m definitely “hooked”. :P
The 2010 campaign of Ronald “Scott” Owens for District Attorney of Placer County is kicking off next month, and the website I’ve built to support it has launched at scottowensforda.org.
I built the site in WordPress and designed a custom template. I think this will allow for easy updates, and the blog platform feels appropriately conversational for a campaign. I’m using PayPal for tickets and donations, and Flickr for the photostream.
I’ll be supporting the site on an ongoing basis and am looking forward to keeping pace with the campaign.
Finally, a cool gift list. Leave it to the industrial design mag. I’ll be picking up at least a couple of these items this year.