An Event Apart - With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

This is part of a series of posts summarizing my notes from the extraordinary conference An Event Apart, held December 12-14, 2011 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility @elliotjaystocks Designer, Author Description

Recent developments in web technologies like HTML5 and CSS3 have allowed us to build a richer web, full of advanced visual treatments like web fonts, animations, transformations, and drop-shadows. But have we got carried away with our new toys? Just because we can use a drop-shadow doesn’t mean we have to. In this new and often controversial talk, Elliot looks at solid design principles that will turn a good website into a great website, examines the scenarios where it’s better to stay away from unnecessary visual effects, and attempts to find the sweet spot in between the two extremes. “With great power comes great responsibility,” said Uncle Ben, and Spidey hadn’t even used border-radius!

Notes Introduction

Don't always focus on the latest tech, tools and trends. While useful, they don't automatically make good design.

*So much good stuff out there...* Nike Better World Webkit clock Nizo for iPhone *... and so much bad stuff, too* Destroy the Web 2.0 look Distraction of the "Real" *Dan Norman's Affordances and Design*
What the designer cares about is whether the user perceives that some action is possible (or in the case of perceived non-affordances, not possible).
In product design...there can be both real and perceived affordances, and the two need not be the same. In graphical, screen-based interfaces, all that the designer has available is control over perceived affordances.
Typography is (Almost) Everything
If 2010 was the webfont's incunabula, then it looks as though 2011 will mark its coming of age. -John Boardley
It's a Journey Get inspired Constant journey of learning Use new power responsibly
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. Act Accordingly.