DesignTales

I’ve been following this week’s SiteoftheWeek for a while now. While I was growing up, everyone wanted to be an astronaut at some point. Everyone I knew wanted to take a summer and go to SpaceCamp. Yeah, none of us could afford any of that at the time, but that didn’t change the dream. Twenty years later, back in 2005, Burt Rutan had been working on the Ansari X Prize competition and became the first non-NASA based individual to fly into space and return to Earth twice. Burt’s team won the X Prize and shortly afterward, Sir Richard Branson formed the space travel company, Virgin Galactic. It’s been six years and there have been lot of great advances in the tech of the Virgin Galactic space fleet. Beyond the space tech, there have been some great design tech that has evolved on the Virgin Galactic website. The design is simple, yet epic. The background for each page is a lovely shot of the Earth from space. BIG. Nice uses of, well, space. The latest additions to the site is the use of some HTML 5 interactive pieces. The Overview page is a very interactive scrolling timeline of some of the history of space flight and the specific milestones in the life of Virgin Galactic. And for $200,000 (with a $20,000 deposit), you can join the elite in space. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s a start.

The design is great. I wouldn’t expect any less from Branson and the Virgin Galactic team. To see whats happening with everything from the ships to the New Mexico spaceport, it can all be found at http://www.virgingalactic.com/.

Posted by Tim at 6:03 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

It’s been a long time since we’ve done a SiteoftheWeek. This week we have something rather simple from a content standpoint, but gotta be complex on the programming side. It’s a site called April/Zero. The concept of the site is simple. It’s a clock. But you say, “what’s so cool about a clock on the web?” Well, you have to see this one to believe it. It’s a clock that is completely designed in HTML5. It’s a gear-based clock, with tons of moving parts. All the motion and movement is being animated in HTML5. Until the advent of HTML5, this kind of thing could only have been done in Flash on the web. Seeing something as complex as a clock with all these moving parts being made in HTML5, it’s very exciting. (And there’s little love lost between me and Flash, so this is a good thing.) If you visit the site and like the clock, there is a Facebook and a Twitter button on the clock so you can share and subscribe to the April/Zero stuff online.

This is a cool use of HTML5. Take a look at the site and the fun of the HTML5 clock, go to http://www.aprilzero.com/.

Posted by Tim at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

442 King St., Charleston, South Carolina. That’s the location of what looks like some exceptionally tasty cuisine. That’s where you will find Fish. From their website: “Fish Restaurant showcases the finest local, sustainable ingredients with an always-changing menu and a French-Asian flair. Executive chef Nico Romo, the youngest chef to ever earn the distinction of Master Chef of France, blends his skills at creating classic French fare with a zesty Asian-inspired artisan touch, resulting in fresh and flavorful dishes that engage and inspire.” Excellent pedigree for a chef and some tasty food. But, this IS about the design of the site, so I digress.

The site is very clean and elegant. At first glance, it looks like the site could be made in Flash, but upon inspection, it’s all just HTML and some nice jQuery calls. The transitions and rollovers are slick and the design of the elements have an airy kind of feeling to them. Light colors, translucent whites, lots of overlayed items. Lots of transparent PNG files. It’s a great combination of jQuery transitions and simple design.

To check out the site (or learn how to find the restaurant if you’re in Charleston), head over to http://www.fishrestaurantcharleston.com/.

Posted by Tim at 8:16 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

This week's SiteoftheWeek is something unexpected. I had the fortune to spend the weekend in Las Vegas. I had a bunch of time to fill and since I don't frequent the casinos, I set myself up to see a show. And boy what a wonderful show!

KA is one of the many Cirque du Soleil shows that happen in Vegas that made it's debut in February 2005. It's a coming-of-age story following the Imperial Twins, a brother and sister, through their martial arts sparring and the adventures that happen as their family was attacked and the twins end up being separated. The twins go through everything, from surviving the attack to finding love as they go through their journey.

The KA website bills the show this way:

KA transcends place and time, with a theatrical landscape, scenic elements and costumes inspired by an array of diverse cultures. Brought to life by 80 artists from around the world, KA is a gravity-defying production featuring a powerfully emotive soundtrack that enhances the innovative blend of acrobatic feats, Capoeira dance, puppetry, projections and martial arts.

KA is the big show at the MGM Grand. It's a fantastic spectacle of artistry and acrobatics. I have to say that the show was excellent. From an artistic standpoint, the color and design of the show was fun and great to see in motion. Yes, videos don't do the production justice. You have to see it live. The contrasts in color and neutrality work excellently with the production and makes for a great time if you happen to find yourself in Vegas.

For more about KA, see their site at http://www.ka.com/ and for more about the rest of the Cirque du Soleil shows, visit their site at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/.

Posted by Tim at 6:44 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)