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Personally, I wish there was a "everybody should know how to design" movement. Then instead of coding tutorials I don't need, there would be tutorials for desig

Personally, I wish there was a "everybody should know how to design" movement. Then instead of coding tutorials I don't need, there would be tutorials for designing available. There are some articles about typography, but it seems very hard to learn graphics design in general (on your own). I feel much more held back by my lack of design skills. And I think it's much more important to being successful in life. It starts with presenting yourself (design your CV, website, letters, mails, ideas, power point presentations). But even if you want to create an internet startup: the backbone technology is pretty much interchangeable. Java/Ruby/badly strung together bash scripts/whatever. The visuals and UI matter much more.

hessenwolf 12y ago
I couldn't agree with you more. I have been working on trying to get some skills therein. I paste the notes from my personal expertise board. Graphic Design: Relationship Transition Layering Principles of Design: Repetition Opposition: Excitement and tension. Too much is bad. Particularly thick and thin lines in logos. Priority: The order of the items. Position: Use a grid. Divide in twos and connect corners diagonally. Attributes of Design: Balance: Arrangements so that elements equal each other, not overpowering each other. Can balance objects with each other or whitespace with objects. Emphasis and Contrast: too little is boring, too much irritating. Plain text with bold or underline in small quantities works. Rhythm: regular movemet, reduce line spacing or tighten words to increase speed. You can increase the line height, but too much and the eye has trouble finding the next point. The rhythm should fade out, and not end abrubtly. Position: Grid Choices http://www.troytempleman.com/2010/04/30/grids-in-graphic-design/ http://www.troytempleman.com/2010/04/30/grids-in-graphic-des... Rule of Thirds Golden Ratio Columns Baseline Grid http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/five-simple-steps-to-designing-grid-systems-part-1 http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/five-simple-steps-to-de... Start with a symmetric plus, and then use 1.414 ratios to create smaller sections with margins.
TeMPOraL 12y ago
That's not what the "learn to code" movement was supposed to be about (though that's what it is about now). What you're suggesting now is again "how to get rich", but in the marketing version instead of webdev one ;). I get why learning how to sell yourself well is important for being (financially) successful, but it does not make you smarter, which was the original point.
- facepalm 12y ago
  Ok I missed that - they seriously want everyone to learn to code because it would make them smarter? No offense, but I think that sounds so arrogant and misguided I am speechless (not meaning you, I mean the movement). There are plenty of other human activities that also require and train intelligence. I would like to see some actual research on why programming supposedly is more effective in making people smart than other things. And then personally I would say people should learn some basic maths before learning programming. That would help even more, for example to avoid financial breakdown. I really thought the movement started because people saw so many "I became a billionaire by programming" stories in the media, and felt that without programming people would end up poor. But for example with design it is much easier to make money on the internet. Just throw together something nice about a current meme and sell a T-Shirt. I don't know how much work designing a T-Shirt is, but I am pretty sure it is less than coding a startup that makes money. Especially, since for a website or app that makes money you'll also need good design, so it is a strict subset of "sell a T-Shirt".
  - TeMPOraL 12y ago
    > Ok I missed that - they seriously want everyone to learn to code because it would make them smarter? No, of course not. That was the idea of initial proponents, but it ended up being "coding is important because it will make your rich" instead. > No offense, but I think that sounds so arrogant and misguided I am speechless (not meaning you, I mean the movement). > There are plenty of other human activities that also require and train intelligence. I would like to see some actual research on why programming supposedly is more effective in making people smart than other things. I'm arguing for that in the top-level comment. Understanding programming gives you another mental tool you can use for thinking, just like arithmetics or calculus. It's a way of thinking that is both relatively new and important thanks to the problems we're facing in the modern world.
    - facepalm 12y ago
      I'm a big fan of programming. Just saying that there are lots of other candidates for "everybody should learn x" that would also make sense. I think programming should be taught in school anyway.
WA 12y ago
There are 500 pages à 15 tutorials on tutsplus about "design": http://tutsplus.com/tutorials/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5Btopic%5D=&search%5Bterms%5D=design&button= http://tutsplus.com/tutorials/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5...
- facepalm 12y ago
  Thanks, I'll check them out.
WickyNilliams 12y ago
Can recommend these two books: The Design of Everyday Things and The Non-Designer's Design Book. TDoET will teach you about usability and designing for that. TNDDB will give you a vocabulary for design (much like design patterns give a common vocabulary for code problems, this does for design IMO).
- facepalm 12y ago
  Thanks. I already have the second one and it's great. But it doesn't make me a designer. I'd like a course like the Coursera MOOCs that walks me through the steps (most importantly, makes me practice with homework on a regular schedule). Also the mundane details - what tools to use, for example (software, hardware). To be fair I think there was actually a MOOC by the author of The Design of Everyday Things. I was signed up, but ended up not having the time :-(

hessenwolf 12y ago

I couldn't agree with you more. I have been working on trying to get some skills therein. I paste the notes from my personal expertise board. Graphic Design: Relationship Transition Layering Principles of Design: Repetition Opposition: Excitement and tension. Too much is bad. Particularly thick and thin lines in logos. Priority: The order of the items. Position: Use a grid. Divide in twos and connect corners diagonally. Attributes of Design: Balance: Arrangements so that elements equal each other, not overpowering each other. Can balance objects with each other or whitespace with objects. Emphasis and Contrast: too little is boring, too much irritating. Plain text with bold or underline in small quantities works. Rhythm: regular movemet, reduce line spacing or tighten words to increase speed. You can increase the line height, but too much and the eye has trouble finding the next point. The rhythm should fade out, and not end abrubtly. Position: Grid Choices http://www.troytempleman.com/2010/04/30/grids-in-graphic-design/ http://www.troytempleman.com/2010/04/30/grids-in-graphic-des... Rule of Thirds Golden Ratio Columns Baseline Grid http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/five-simple-steps-to-designing-grid-systems-part-1 http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/five-simple-steps-to-de... Start with a symmetric plus, and then use 1.414 ratios to create smaller sections with margins.

TeMPOraL 12y ago

That's not what the "learn to code" movement was supposed to be about (though that's what it is about now). What you're suggesting now is again "how to get rich", but in the marketing version instead of webdev one ;). I get why learning how to sell yourself well is important for being (financially) successful, but it does not make you smarter, which was the original point.

facepalm 12y ago
Ok I missed that - they seriously want everyone to learn to code because it would make them smarter? No offense, but I think that sounds so arrogant and misguided I am speechless (not meaning you, I mean the movement). There are plenty of other human activities that also require and train intelligence. I would like to see some actual research on why programming supposedly is more effective in making people smart than other things. And then personally I would say people should learn some basic maths before learning programming. That would help even more, for example to avoid financial breakdown. I really thought the movement started because people saw so many "I became a billionaire by programming" stories in the media, and felt that without programming people would end up poor. But for example with design it is much easier to make money on the internet. Just throw together something nice about a current meme and sell a T-Shirt. I don't know how much work designing a T-Shirt is, but I am pretty sure it is less than coding a startup that makes money. Especially, since for a website or app that makes money you'll also need good design, so it is a strict subset of "sell a T-Shirt".
- TeMPOraL 12y ago
  > Ok I missed that - they seriously want everyone to learn to code because it would make them smarter? No, of course not. That was the idea of initial proponents, but it ended up being "coding is important because it will make your rich" instead. > No offense, but I think that sounds so arrogant and misguided I am speechless (not meaning you, I mean the movement). > There are plenty of other human activities that also require and train intelligence. I would like to see some actual research on why programming supposedly is more effective in making people smart than other things. I'm arguing for that in the top-level comment. Understanding programming gives you another mental tool you can use for thinking, just like arithmetics or calculus. It's a way of thinking that is both relatively new and important thanks to the problems we're facing in the modern world.
  - facepalm 12y ago
    I'm a big fan of programming. Just saying that there are lots of other candidates for "everybody should learn x" that would also make sense. I think programming should be taught in school anyway.

WA 12y ago

There are 500 pages à 15 tutorials on tutsplus about "design": http://tutsplus.com/tutorials/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5Btopic%5D=&search%5Bterms%5D=design&button= http://tutsplus.com/tutorials/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5...

facepalm 12y ago
Thanks, I'll check them out.

WickyNilliams 12y ago

Can recommend these two books: The Design of Everyday Things and The Non-Designer's Design Book. TDoET will teach you about usability and designing for that. TNDDB will give you a vocabulary for design (much like design patterns give a common vocabulary for code problems, this does for design IMO).

facepalm 12y ago
Thanks. I already have the second one and it's great. But it doesn't make me a designer. I'd like a course like the Coursera MOOCs that walks me through the steps (most importantly, makes me practice with homework on a regular schedule). Also the mundane details - what tools to use, for example (software, hardware). To be fair I think there was actually a MOOC by the author of The Design of Everyday Things. I was signed up, but ended up not having the time :-(