“Chameleon” places eighteen of the most common social networks’ logos (plus one shameless self-promo!) upon a simple, semi-transparent background that allows the colors and textures of your site to show through. No matter your style, Chameleon will work with it.

Search the web for social media icon sets, and you’ll find no shortage of gorgeous, specialized designs. Need something to fit with the Web 2.0 look? Plenty of options. Doing the grunge thing? Got that, too. The hand-sketched look, huge 3D constructions, kitschy-cute—it’s all out there for the taking.

But on a recent project, I was looking for a “workhorse” set that would work well across a variety of styles. I’d been using a fairly standard set for a while on a number of projects but was ready for a change, and didn’t find quite what I was looking for out on the interwebs. So, I finally decided to delve into that favorite sport of web designers, and designed my own social media icon set.

What You Get

Apple

Blogger

Delicious

Digg

Facebook

Flickr

FriendFeed

Google

Last.fm

LinkedIn

MySpace

RSS

StumbleUpon

Technorati

Twitter

Google Wave

WordPress

YouTube

Eric Heinzman

 

Chameleon Social Media Icon Set by Eric Heinzman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Based on a work at www.ericheinzman.com.

The logos used in these icons are copyright their respective companies and I claim no copyright in their creation.

In every design project, there is a point in the process where you ask yourself, “Do I want to use cutting-edge features and techniques, or will I be better off playing it safe?” The question may arise early on during high-level strategy discussions, or later on when weighing options for how to handle a specific component, but how you answer can have major impacts on how well your site meets your needs. As in most things, the answer depends on your particular goals, markets, and circumstances. If your brand involves an early adopter component, then taking chances on the latest and greatest aligns well with your strategy, but if you are more in the technological mainstream, proceed with caution.

Assess the Risk

In designing for the Web, pushing the envelope often equates to exploring the limits of what we can do with current browser and platform technology. Since the tools your audience uses can vary widely, deciding whether or not to build a cutting-edge feature usually comes down to listing the pros and cons of going forward with it. Some typical responses are:

Pros

• Pushing the limits forces you to think more creatively and critically.
• Pushing the limits also presents the possibility of uncovering previously unforeseen opportunities you can take advantage of.
• Discover and solve problems related to the feature before your competitors.
• Promote an avant-garde image.
• Build a reputation as being ahead of the curve.

Cons

• The latest technology may be theoretically nice, but practically useless to the vast majority of your audience.
• Your user base uses older technology that cannot support the newest features.
• Code may have to be turned over to less skilled maintenance staff.
• Immature technology can be buggy. If something doesn’t work, your audience won’t be impressed with your efforts to be cutting-edge – they’ll just think you’re inept.
• Usability may suffer if you stray too far from expectations.

Your Turn

Obviously, your list will vary and be specific to the feature you’re considering. Comments are welcome – what pros and cons to cutting-edge features and techniques have you encountered in your web design projects?

Image: Skydiving 2009, by divemasterking2000 on Flickr

The Charlotte Art League’s redesigned website recently went live, the result of nearly four months of effort by an all-volunteer team. As the committee’s chairperson, I managed the project from concept through launch and handled the majority of the design and development work.

Challenges and Requirements

Building a website for a non-profit like the Charlotte Art League (CAL) presents a different set of challenges than the ones you typically find in the  for-profit world. Volunteer-based staff, low or no budget, and outdated technology require patience and diplomatic skills to successfully bring a web project from dream to reality. An additional factor that requires a different mindset is that the central goal of the organization may not necessarily be simply to sell more widgets.

In the Art League’s case, a number of different committees and initiatives exist that require attention. Obviously, member artists want to sell more art, but activities like community outreach, art education, and studio rentals are all fundamental to the mission as well. The website has to simultaneously address the needs each of these various stakeholders, while remaining true to the organization’s overall mission of enriching the community through the arts.

WordPress to the Rescue

The new site is built in WordPress, using a custom theme I developed for this project. We opted to use WordPress not only because of its power, search engine friendliness, and design flexibility, but also to take advantage of its capabilities as a multi-author content management system — it’s definitely not just for blogs anymore! WordPress’s CMS capabilities were especially attractive because updating the old CAL site was an inefficient, time consuming process. While content could be sourced by any number of sources within CAL, content destined for the website had to be first sent to the web administrator, who then made updates manually. This system created a workflow bottleneck that resulted in an irregular posting schedule, with the site frequently being months out of date.

With the WordPress CMS, authors are now able to log in under their own unique usernames and edit their own content. The level of access can be controlled, so that non-technical users don’t accidentally modify files that affect the site’s operation. Basic word processing functions are provided using a familiar interface, and WordPress saves the revision history of documents — no one has to fear losing or ruining their data.

Keeping It Fresh

Another advantage of WordPress is that the post management functionality that powers WordPress blogs could be adapted to manage CAL’s home page, keeping it constantly up to date with content featuring current events at the gallery. We decided to keep commenting turned on. Even though the site isn’t technically a blog, hosting some stimulating discussion about art is a great way to build community and ongoing engagement with the organization. And thanks to a little bit of PHP tweaking and some help from plugins, the current “post” that constitutes the home page features the “Happening Now at CAL” banner. Archived versions of the post won’t display the banner, adding a subtle cue to distinguish between current and past events.

The Way Forward

Now that the initial phase of the release is complete, work has already begun on the next round of enhancements, including an online gallery offering works for sale as well as individual pages for member artists to display and sell their work.

DISCLOSURE: Since completing the work on the Charlotte Art League (CAL) redesign, I have been offered and accepted a spot on CAL’s Board of Directors, completing the term of a board member who had resigned.

Yesterday
	RT @HarvardBiz The Four Phases of Design Thinking http://s.hbr.org/d60deT [ericheinzman] — 6:35pm via Twitter
	@goaliegirl As long as they understand that 13 pages doesn't cost the same as 5 . . . [ericheinzman] — 6:31pm via Twitter
	RT @mashable Google Makes Custom Web Typography Ridiculously Easy http://bit.ly/bLkG1O #font-api #font-previewer #fonts [ericheinzman] — 3:12pm via Twitter
	Script that pops an ad telling me my browser is outdated - is outdated. It apparently only tests up to FF 3.5; I have FF 3.6.8. [ericheinzman] — 3:00pm via Twitter
	@Cara Hmm, wonder if that means I should knead my daughter's GoGurt tube before she tears into it? [ericheinzman] — 2:39pm via Twitter
July 28th
	Catching up today on emails & marketing tasks for Charlotte Art League. [ericheinzman] — 5:58pm via Twitter
	@DaniBurns27 @tinkhanson Must be something in the air: http://bit.ly/aUEkNo http://bit.ly/9tYTkT [ericheinzman] — 5:50pm via Twitter
	IE7 needs to join its evil older brother IE6 in the browser cemetery. [ericheinzman] — 5:25pm via Twitter
	RT @crowdspring Small Business Marketing: Web Design Best Practices and Tips « crowdSPRING Blog http://bit.ly/aD4LHP [ericheinzman] — 11:44am via Twitter
July 27th
	Gnarly looking clouds over Huntersville. [ericheinzman] — 10:03pm via Twitter

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It is a community for those of us who feel bound by the conventions of so-called “best practices.” Although best practices have their proper place, sometimes adhering to them prohibits the kind of creative thinking that can lead to breakthroughs in technique and approach that produce competitive advantage and ultimately advance the profession.

Beyond Practices does not have a claim to ownership of any of the ideas presented, discussed, and developed here. Ideas are open source. The actual implementation of ideas in a real-world setting is what ultimately generates economic value. How you choose to apply and execute a given idea within your business model is up to you.

This place is all about ideas and creativity. And Rule #1 in creativity is that rules are made to be broken. So there are no rules here. Instead, please follow these guidelines for participation:

1. There are no dumb ideas. Don’t be shy. An idea that may at first seem sheer lunacy may provide someone else an unexpected insight that leads to a breakthrough in another idea.

2. Feel free to be impractical. Don’t feel the need to self-censor because you can’t see the practical use or path to implementation now. Get it out there, and let it develop.

3. Quantity matters. The more ideas are presented, the greater chance of discovering those that truly have potential.

4. Quality doesn’t. If even the barest fragment of an idea comes to you, get it out there. Someone else might pick up on it. The quality of an idea won’t become apparent until it is developed. You have nothing to lose by presenting your idea.

5. Abusive behavior will not be tolerated. First offense gets you a warning, second offense gets you banned. Even if someone presents what you feel to be the stupidest idea in human history, that doesn’t give you the right to call someone stupid (or worse). If an idea doesn’t have merit in your estimation, point out the shortcomings in a respectful manner and (hopefully) suggest alternatives. See Guideline #1.

Disclaimer: Those of you who have followed my predictions in past seasons will no doubt recall that optimal results have been obtained by carefully considering my predictions, then doubling-down on the opposite if you actually want to make any money. But this year, it’ll be different! I promise!

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston vs. (8) Montreal

This is the year that the B’s finally break their playoff hex against the Habs. Montreal’s defense is just too banged up to hold Boston off for an entire series, and they can’t count on stand-on-your-head goaltending to bail them out. 
Boston in five.

(2) Washington vs. (7) NY Rangers

The Antics Series.  While all the talk initially will be about Avery’s typical attempts to throw the Caps off their game, the last laugh will be had by @Ovie8 who, after scoring the series-clincher in overtime, will do a full pirouette, a handstand, climb the glass, and finally drop his pants and direct a full, hairy moon in Mr Avery’s direction. 
Caps in five.

(3) New Jersey vs. (6) Carolina

Once again, the ‘Canes just seem to have New Jersey’s number in the playoffs. Cam Ward plays like he wants to prove that his 2006 Conn Smythe was no fluke, while Mar-Tan plays like he has nothing left to prove, period.
Carolina in six.

(4) Pittsburgh vs. (5) Philadelphia

Does anyone honestly think that the league and Mr. Bettman will allow their marketing investment, cash cow, and Face of The Game to suffer an early exit in these difficult economic times?
Crosbies in six.

Western Conference

(1) San Jose vs. (8) Anaheim

Lots of questions here: Does Claude Lemieux’s playoff history cancel out Patrick Marleau’s? Does Joe Thornton finally figure it out? Does George Parros grow a playoff beard worthy to match his epic ‘stache? Anaheim will  make it a streetfight and physically beat the living shit out of the Sharks, but will ultimately run out of depth.
Sharks in seven.

(2) Detroit vs. (7) Columbus

I’ll give Detroit the benefit of the doubt in round one against a first-time playoff opponent, but I don’t buy that crap about them “flipping the switch” and suddenly reversing an entire season of bad habits, sloppy defense, turnovers, and sketchy goaltending.
Wings in six.

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) St. Louis

Two of the best teams in the second half of the season. I have a feeling that whichever one gets the early upper hand will make it a short series. Don’t ask me why – it’s just a feeling, dammit. And that feeling says…
Blues in five.

(4) Chicago vs. (5) Calgary

About six weeks ago, I went public on Twitter saying that the road to the Western Conference title goes through Calgary. Naturally, that was the exact moment at which the Flames started to tank. But I’ll man-up and own my words – no going back now.
Flames in seven.

Comments are open – don’t pass up this opportunity to tell me how brilliant/ignorant I am!

Image: The Stanley Cup, by co-conspirator on flickr.

This post is a recording of my thought process as I work on the bio. It’s definitely a thinking-out-loud post, so please excuse the lack of polish. If you know me personally or have read through my blog archives, you know that I have a broad range of interests, talents, and job descriptions. Distilling all that I think, do, and desire into seven words will be quite a challenge – I can tend toward wordiness in my writing. I mean, Twitter is work for me, expressing a complete thought in under 140 characters. But it’s good practice for this exercise. So here goes.

First Draft:

I harness the innate creativity within teams.

Not bad; it captures that fact that I work in and lead groups (web project teams, musical groups)  that have a creative component. Not sure that “harness” is the right word, however. Smacks too much of “tied down” – think sled dogs in the traces, or horse racing. I prefer to think that I do not tie down my team. “Innate creativity” is good, however, since I believe that everybody has creative potential within them; sometimes it just needs to be encouraged to come out.

Second Draft:

I facilitate creativity in teams.

That’s only five words. Do the rules say whether or not that’s OK? More than seven of course is forbidden – that’s the whole point of it being a “7 Word Bio.” But fewer than seven. Hmmm….. Is there a bonus for bringing in in under budget?

Checked the Accidental Creative site. No mention there whether or not fewer than seven words is permitted. So I’ll go with a strict interpretation, and assume that it must be exactly seven words.

Third Draft:

I help people realize their creative potential.

Well, that’s ambitious. Not sure it’s accurate, either. At least not yet. While full-time creativity consulting is something I can see myself evolving towards, I have a ways to go before I can credibly claim that that’s what I do. Were I to attempt to claim that mantle today, I’d be no better than the hordes of  self-proclaimed “social media experts” that keep promoting their businesses spamming me on Twitter.

Fourth Draft:

I explore the connections across many domains.

This is close. Design, music, art, project management – the things I spend my time doing in my professional and private life – all have so many shared characteristics. Concepts of rhythm and structure, for example, that I learn as a musician have visual counterparts in graphic design. I’m a firm believer that innovative thinking springs from the intersections of disparate domains, which this draft describes nicely as well. And as a project manager, I draw upon my broad domain experiences to enhance my understanding of the detailed challenges that my team faces, so even that is addressed.

I’m going to go with this one for now. I’m sure it’ll evolve over time as I grow, but “close enough” is “good enough” for this exercise.

I was recently updating my profile on Twellow, and wanted to add “Creativity” as a category so that I could follow what was being said on Twitter about that topic. Since I am interested in creativity as a primary subject, I naturally searched for that topic to add to my profile.  Unfortunately, “creativity” was not one of the available options. However, Twellow provides a link where you can contact them to recommend a new category, so I sent them an email requesting that it be added.

A couple days later, I received a response from Twellow. They had added “Creativity” as a sub-category of “Arts.” Which wasn’t quite what I was expecting. My thinking when requesting the new category was that creativity could be a broad catch-all topic – there were plenty of categories already on Twellow for individual creative fields and pursuits (art, music, design, etc.), but there was no home for the process of creativity itself.

If it had been up to me, I would have placed it at or near the top level in the taxonomy. In my opinion, creativity is not just a thing that artists do – it’s for anyone, in any field, who seeks to extend their options by applying a deliberate process of lateral thinking, idea generation, and so forth. I understand that Twellow probably has guidelines for how they classify categories, and that creativity may not have rated a top level under their system. Ultimately, what this illustrates is that a topic that is of the utmost importance to how one person organizes their worldwiew might be nothing more than a niche to another.

Where would you place Creativity if you were developing a classification system similar to Twellow’s?

Image: More Spatter and Splatter, by love not fear on Flickr.

For those of you who are unaware, BarCamp is a “technology and media un-conference.” Unlike typical conferences, where attendees pay upwards of $1000 to experience a highly choreographed package of industry leader presentations, workshops, and networking, BarCamp follows more of a grass-roots, DIY model. Instead of following a pre-selected agenda and lineup of speakers, BarCampers themselves vote on who presents what at the start of the day. If you have a topic that you want to talk about, you get a chance to give your pitch before the entire group. If enough people want to hear what you have to offer, you get a spot on the schedule (hopefully not up against the “How to Make Money Online” session), and voila! you’re now a featured speaker.

Being a first-time Bar Camper, I didn’t have anything prepared to present, so I mostly observed, learned, chipped in my two cents here and there, and met a few people who I had only previously “known” through Twitter. Unfortunately, I was only able to attend the afternoon portion of the day, so I missed out on quite a bit of the fun. I’ll make up for that next time – I’ll make it a point to have a babysitter lined up well in advance. But from what I did experience, I’ve come away with a few impressions:

• BarCamp is like herding cats. Kudos to the organizers for putting it together and keeping it on track. Although it seemed a bit chaotic at times, a semblance of order eventually emerged. If you come into such an event expecting to follow a smoothly run program where everything runs on schedule with flash and pizzazz, you will be disappointed. But if you’re in tune with the whole improvisational, DIY, can-do ethic, you will find rewards.
• BarCamp is about participants, not spectators. There’s a blurry line between audience and performer. More than one spontaneous discussion arose among Campers who weren’t currently attending one of the “official” sessions.
• BarCamp can be a great vehicle for creativity and innovation. Given the open nature of topics for discussion, the fact that a broad cross-section of fields and disciplines are represented provides fertile ground for new ideas.
• BarCamp should frighten proponents of staid methods and technologies. This is the kind of place where people who know what they’re doing can compare notes, generate ideas, and figure out ways to get around the roadblocks thrown up by institutional over-investment in past glories.
• BarCamp is cool.

Were you there too? Been to a different BarCamp? Only wish you had?

Trevor Leahy, a teen-age goalie from the Boston area, is definitely no cement-head. He has come up with an innovative design enhancement to his padding that mimics the pattern of a hockey net. The theory goes that opposing shooters, with only a split-second to make the decision about where to place their shot, will mistake the camouflaged pads for open net and thus fire a harmless shot right into the blockers. Brilliant!

This innovation is a prime example of intersectional creativity, where concepts native to one subject are applied to another, yielding unexpected and often innovative results.. The fact that it occurs at the intersection of two of my favorite subjects (graphic design and hockey) only makes it better for me. The original Boston Globe article explains that Leahy, a graphic design student, was inspired by concepts of animal mimicry and camouflage that he studied in his design class and applied the principle to his hockey gear.

The Globe article doesn’t state, however, whether the new design yields fewer rebounds. Leahy has college plans, though. Maybe he’ll find the answer to that somewhere in PoliSci 101.

* * * * *

Have you ever found inspiration within a subject or field totally unrelated to the one you normally work in? If so, do you actively seek such intersections, or do they “just happen”?  Comments are welcome, so please share!

Image: Tiger im Tor, by Dustpuppy on Flickr.