I feel your pain, my friend. I have been there many times. A redesign brings with it the pressure to innovate, to reimagine, to make a better version of the website so that it lasts for years to come. It can be paralyzing.

Whether the website is for a client or for yourself, if you’re struggling to find your way, it’s probably because you are starting from the wrong place. The inspiration you seek is not where you think it is. It’s not in a blog post entitled “25 Amazingly Beautiful Websites.” It’s not in your Twitter stream, nor on Facebook. It’s not even on the Web. It’s right there on your seat. It’s you.

Just for a moment, stop thinking about HTML semantics, CSS magic and jQuery tricks. Instead, ask yourself, “Who am I, and what do I want to say?” What do you stand for, what’s important to you, and who are you speaking to? Let’s make the answers to these questions the trailhead of your redesign journey.

We Web designers have many tantalizing tools at our fingertips, and because the Web is a large community centered on sharing, new ideas and fancy techniques enter our field of vision daily. But in this chapter, I would like to turn your gaze from those shiny objects and focus it on what we’re really trying to do with our medium. Our true aim is to communicate clearly and to create human connections.

We achieve that goal not by collecting bells and whistles for our next project, but by discovering who we are and what our message is. The interfaces we design are not walls upon which our users click and tap. They are windows through which we show the world who we really are. As we will see in the principles and examples to come, sharing our personality can help us create lasting relationships with the people who use our websites, and it can improve the bottom line of our business.

Personality will set your brand apart from competitors and help you connect with a passionate audience. Making personality central to the ethos of your redesign might sound scary, especially if you’re working with a big corporation accustomed to speaking like the Borg. But even the biggest corporations can communicate with a human voice.

Who Are “They”?

Big redesign projects often begin by researching users. We sit down with people to discuss their goals for our website and the expectations they have; we look at demographics, analytics and search logs. It is a lot of data to sift through, but it’s not idle footwork. From this research we can create portraits of our archetypal users. This dossier on individuals in our target audience is called a user persona. It answers an important question in the redesign process: who are “they,” the people we’re communicating with, and what do they expect of us?

Chances are, if you’ve spent even a little time working in Web design, you have probably heard of user personas. Maybe you’ve even created a few. We have been asking ourselves “Who are they?” since Alan Cooper introduced user personas to interaction design in 1995, and they have been a staple of user-centered design ever since. If personas are new territory for you, you will find a concise introduction to the topic in The Project Guide to UX Design^[1] by Russ Unger and Carolyn Chandler. If you would like to dig deeper into user research, check out Alan Cooper’s industry-changing book The Inmates Are Running the Asylum.^[2]

With personas in hand, we have a solid starting point for a redesign. But something is missing. Personas show us only half of what we need to see. Truly effective communication is bidirectional. We now know who “they” are, but who are we? If we share a bit of ourselves in our design, we cannot only gain the trust of our audience, but also inspire impassioned users.

PERSONALITY

Lasting relationships center on the unique qualities and perspectives we all possess. We call this amalgam of traits personality. Through our personality, we express the entire gamut of emotions. Personality is the mysterious force that attracts us to certain people and repels us from others. It is like a signpost for compatibility, stirring an emotional response that we cannot ignore.

We have all experienced the magic of meeting someone whose personality captivates us. A chance encounter brings us together, and the magnetism of our personalities keeps us together. Personality helps our brains perform a simple cost-benefit analysis when we meet someone.

I’ve pre-booked it in an actual store so I don’t know if I should get it THERE or buy it online to be able to log on at 00.00 which I wish to do… ><

My microwave clock was 1337 (leet) when I put my coffee in for re-heating, 40s later it was till 1337 – now my coffee is super nerdy, SOAKED with nerdy power..! Or now, well, in my head it is ;D

50-32 to Alex, I want revenge!

….But I dont dare to risk to get really ill right now, weekend soon and I really need to get this chemistry working >< so hot tea and chemistry it is!!

12        Get a job with a workable (at least 20k income)

I have accepted a full-time position at USGS (Great Lakes Science Center). I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to once again doing science! I will be doing primarily molecular work (but sometimes field work) for a fisheries biologist. While I’m comfortable with the kinds of work I will be doing (yay PCR!), I’ll have the opportunity to learn new lab techniques and field work skills. It should be very rewarding.

Now, I have a month or so before I start to get my house in shape! :p

Today I’ve had my first REAL class in Organic Chemistry with a pharmaceutical intake. Todays lesson was all about giving chemical structures their names and how to draw them. Here is a print of the “homework” we could train our new knowledge on…

Looks tricky? Well it is! I am SO happy we don’t have to learn how to do it the other way (see a structure and give it it’s proper name).

xo

I think I'll try a vegan month just to see what my body feels like afterwards

Nerdy love, Polli

The meeting between organic and semimechanical look is something I’ve admired for a long time and I own a couple of Gigers books of his art! Everyone should have at least one…!

With more money I would love to buy some huge Giger posters and maybe have a tattoo inspired by his amazing art… and lest not forget the great artist and designer… for a true artist he was: Alexander McQueen… the inspiration, for these shoes of his last collection he delivered during his lifetime, is kind of obvious

Gorgeous pieces! Don’t you think?

I personally would love to see more design and jewelry in the Alien/Giger spirit!

Polli

Today’s wallpaper is courtesy of Wallbase

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Be sure to check back daily for more great comic wallpaper here on Word of the Nerd!

Today’s wallpaper is courtesy of Wallbase

View and download here

Check back daily for more great comic wallpaper here at Word of the Nerd!

Today’s wallpaper is courtesy of Wallbase

View and download here

Be sure to check back daily for more great comic wallpaper here at Word of the Nerd!

Today’s wallpaper is courtesy of Wallbase

 

After a bit of a slow start, Green Lantern Corps sure has picked up over the last two issues.  The action is almost been non-stop and with a very intriguing storyline developing, it looks like things will get worse before they get better for the Green Lanterns.

John Stewart and a handful of other Lanterns were left behind on the planet Xabas at the mercy of a powerful and mysterious new enemy.  These new foes are nearly immune to the energy of the corps’ power rings.  But more dangerous, they are empowered by their own emerald energy of willpower.

After a disastrous and costly battle the majority of Lanterns are teleported back to Oa.  John Stewart and a few others are left behind.  With their rings nearly out of energy, Stewart surrenders to their enemies but instead of killing them, they are taken captive.

Back on Oa, Guy Gardner and Salaak interrogate one of the soldiers they captured during the battle.  Their prisoner shows remarkable resistance and Guy finds it increasingly difficult to get any information from him.  It is clear that strong measures are in order.

Some of the other Lanterns are finding it difficult dealing with survivors guilt at leaving their brothers behind and at the mercy of a ruthless enemy.  Isamot Kol and Hannu are having the most difficulty dealing with their feelings and like some of the other Lanterns are plagued by nightmares.

John and the others are led through some kind of wormhole to some strange planet or another dimension.  There they are forced to march across what the soldiers call “the emerald plains”.

On Oa, Guy Gardner is paid a visit by The Martian Manhunter who agrees to probe the soldier’s mind and find out who and want he is.  It doesn’t take long for J’onn to discover who this mysterious new threat is.  They call themselves The Keepers and they were once responsible for tending the corps’ power batteries.  He also makes another startling discovery.  The Keepers are coming to Oa for the central power battery.

“Where was your Green Lantern Corps when Mars needed you?  You Green Lanterns think you’re the ultimate authority in the universe, and I don’t enjoy helping you.  But in this instance, we work for the same purpose.  These warmongers could eventually threaten my adopted world, which I intend to prevent.  I hold a special grudge for world killers.”

As I stated at the beginning of this piece, Green Lantern Corps had a slow but rather intriguing start.  I didn’t dislike it but it seemed to drag a little at the beginning.  Since the first issue this series has done nothing but get better.  With epic battles and lots of ring slingin’ action this is probably one of the better of the Green Lantern titles so far.

I’ve particularly enjoyed the drama and the intricate story associated with these first few issues.  Never having been a fan of Guy Gardner I am growing to like him in this title or at the very least I am tolerating him.  All in all Green Lantern Corps #4 is a good romp and an excellent read.

Story by: Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils by: Fernando Pasarin
Inks by: Scott Hanna
Colors by: Gabe Elteab

By The Nerd

Hurry up July, you can’t get here fast enough!

Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.

By The Nerd

As the title implies, we indeed see the end of Optimus Prime in this Transformers one shot from IDW.  After the rather pointless and lackluster last issue of Transformers: Ongoing we are treated to a real story of consequence in this one shot.  Transformers as we know it is gone and IDW is taking the series in a totally new direction; well two actually.  The series breaks off into two different titles, Robots In Disguise and More Than Meets The Eye.

The long war for Cybertron is over.  The Autobots claim victory over the rival Deceptions, but the damage to the planet and the aftermath of the horrors of war make it certain that no one as truly won.  Megatron and Galvatron are gone and presumed dead.  The damage caused to the planet by the Decepticon gestalt and The Matrix is nearly catastrophic.

A dazed and confused Optimus Prime awakens on a Cybertron he no longer recognizes.  At first he thinks he’s dead and has gone to the Afterspark.  But what he soon realizes is that he is alive and Cybertron has been forever changed.  The Matrix of Leadership is empty and broken.  Prime walks the desolate plains of a ravaged Cybertron and is surprised to find life.

It has been three weeks since the war ended.  The Autobots who remained on Earth have returned to help pick up the pieces.  The surviving Decepticons, with no leader have lost their will to fight and have been corralled into a makeshift P.O.W. camp.  More surprising is that thousands of non-combatants and Cybertronian civilians have returned to the planet to reclaim their home.

The Autobots are put into a precarious position as an occupying force.  With no war, no enemy left to fight, the civilians call for their removal from power and that they leave the planet to them.  Outnumbered, the Autobots argue among themselves about the best course of action.  Do they leave the home they have fought for millions of years to defend, or do they find a way to coexist with the Cybertronian civilians?

As crowds of civilians gather around Iacon, protesting the Autobots claim to the planet, things start to turn violent.  Bumblebee, still clinging to the mantle of leader makes a controversial decision and frees the Decepticons to help with crowd control.  With no real sense of purpose and no true leader, Starscream and the other Decepticons agree and help the Autobots keep the civilians at bay.

Optimus Prime only stands by and watches as the Cybertron he swore to protect, once again splinters into factions and begins to tear itself apart again.  He makes the only decision he can and addresses the population.  Being a living symbol of the war itself, he no longer has a place on Cybertron.  He makes a compromise; he will leave the planet forever in exchange, the Autobots and Decepticons will be allowed to stay and make a place for themselves.

“When I became a Prime, I wrote two speeches…two speeches to be filed away until the war was over.  I would give one in the event of victory, the other in the event of defeat.  Standing before you today, I do not know which to give.”

“In your eyes at least, I am the war.  I represent everything that you sought to escape from…everything you rejected.  As such, I am an obstacle to peace…something I have no wish to be.  And that is why, tomorrow morning I am leaving Cybertron forever.”

As surprising and shocking an ending this is, it is somehow satisfying and a fitting end to the war.  We all know the premise behind Transformers.  A lot of us grew up with them and know it all too well.  It was only a matter of time before someone had to win.  I am glad that IDW is taking this step in progressing the storyline of Transformers.  There are so many other great stories to tell besides Autobots versus Decepticons and this is a chance to see if these characters can find a place beyond the war.

One thing I found very interesting about this issue was how Optimus Prime is certain Megatron is alive somewhere in the galaxy.  He knows that at some point his return to Cybertron will be necessary.  He will be called back to defend his home again.  Plus, to have Megatron just mysteriously die in a blinding white light wouldn’t be fitting for him.

As two new chapters for Transformers are about to being I find that I am of two minds about it.  Part of me is excited to see what happens next.  The thrill of new possibilities and new adventures to be had.  Another part of me is sad to see the Transformers universe as I know it come to an end.

Whatever the writers have in store, it will certainly be interesting and I am anxious to find out what happens. 

Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime
Story by: James Roberts and John Barber
Art by: Nick Roche
Colors by: Josh Burcham
Letters by: Shawn Lee

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This will be the movie of the summer folks.  As the release date approaches will be likely see more and more images and spoilers.  Unfortunately, I am a sponge when it comes to Batman spoilers so there is a good chance I could ruin the movie for myself long before I even see it.  Nah!

What other details could we see revealed as the clock ticks closer and closer to July?  The rumors are all over the place as to who will do what and who is really who in this film.  But I am not going to get into the discussion of spoilers at this point.  I will say that there is a fine line between juicy details and down right ruining the whole movie for everyone.  We’ll see before long just how far DC and Warner Bros are willing to go; and for that matter eager and over-anxious fans.

The biggest rumor floating around is whether Nolan plans on killing Batman in this film.  There has been a lot of speculation, you can even read my take on the subject in another post here on Word of the Nerd.  Another unanswered and highly sought after rumor is the role of Marion Cotillard and whether her character is Talia al Ghul, the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul.  To quote The Dark Knight, Nolan and company are “playing this one pretty close to the chest”.

No matter what Nolan has in store for us, we’ll all find out together come this July.  I know I can hardly wait for this film and there is no doubt in my mind that it will be the blockbuster movie of summer and the year.  Perhaps if the Oscar gods are kind we may even see a Best Picture nod for Nolan’s final and hopefully greatest Batman film.

By The Nerd

Today’s wallpaper is courtesy of DC Comics

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There has been a ton of speculation surrounding plot and characters in this installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga.  We’re not given much more insight by this trailer, but we do get a glimpse into how dark and gritty it will be.  Anne Hathaway as Seline Kyle (Catwoman) has a wonderful bit in the trailer and show us this will be a hard hitting drama that stands to top The Dark Knight.

Check out the trailer below!

There is also a companion piece to this where I discuss whether if fans are ready to see Batman die.  Check it out here.

You can also download the trailer courtesy of Apple.

By The Nerd

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