JetBrains Mono. A typeface for developers_
I’ve already changed the font here, to Inconsolata. But since it’s a work in progress, I might test this one out. And if I ever want to go a bit less harsh and ‘code-y’, there’s Inter. #link
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Hello, world. I’m MacDara Conroy, and this is my blog.
Tag: design
A Flickr album of Penguin paperback covers
And how the iconic ‘Marber grid’ was made. #link
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Weaknotes for w/o 4 August 2019
After my previous tribulations, I finally got Webmentions (or at least pings between my own entries) to display on my posts. That involved a lot of trial and error to find the right PHP code to display comments in WordPress, which is a lot more difficult than you might imagine. More…
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Weaknotes for w/o 28 July 2019
In the middle of another long work stretch, eight days that ends this Wednesday evening. But it also includes a press screening on Tuesday so it’s not all bad. I’m looking forward to having a couple of days off to unwind later this week. More…
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Look at how gorgeous this artwork is. And the individual covers within the set are just as fantastic. It’ll make it hurt that bit more if it turns out this box set won’t be getting a European release/can’t be played on Euro Blu-ray players. #image
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How to make a tabletop game
This here is really well done and is rekindling an idea Bee and I have had for ages. #link
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Layoutit!
Easily adjustable website frameworks via Bootstrap or CSS. Nicely done. #link
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Type Scale - A Visual Calculator
For working out text size ratios for website display. #link
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The Milwaukee Bucks design above, from the late 1970s, might be my favourite from this massive Flickr repository of NBA basketball courts through the years. [c/o Kottke] #image
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Learn To Code Now
I’ve still got the basics down, but I could do with something like this as a refresher course. #link
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Website Style Guide Resources
For the maintenance of a cohesive visual identity. And I don't see why the principles couldn't apply to other media. #link
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30 Seconds of CSS
“A curated collection of useful CSS snippets you can understand in 30 seconds or less.” Yes please and thank you. There’s a similar project for JavaScript, too. And here’s some more lesser-known CSS quirks and advanced tips. #link
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Stunning hover effects with CSS variables
I’m a fair bit away from grokking this but here it goes for future reference. #link
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‘The quiet accumulation of urban elements rooted in daily life’
My first MetaFilter FPP, after 13-plus years as a member, on Dan Hill’s visit to two especially interesting houses in Tokyo. #link
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Everything Easy is Hard Again
Frank Chimero’s talk lamenting the over-complication of front-end web development. #link
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Phil Gyford on the ‘stuff’ we create
Phil’s debrief on his recent website redesign is inspiring stuff. And I missed it on the first pass, but he even published a reference style guide for all the design elements. That’s dedication. #link
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HTML Color Codes
Everything you always wanted to know about colours for the web in one handy, beautifully designed spot. #link
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Rocket ships, eagles and wedding cakes: the Chicago contest that led to a skyscraper explosion
The contrast between the American and European concepts in the original contest is striking, to say the least. #link
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Adventure Time’s Erik Fountain shows how to storyboard for animation
Guidelines and principles that are surely applicable across other visual disciplines. #link
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WebGradients
Free CSS and PNG gradients for use as website backdrops. Which might come in handy sometime. #link
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I wanted to highlight this amazing Chibi Freddy poster for A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 from my previous link about Film on Paper. Wow, just wow. #image
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Film on Paper
A website highlighting the incredible art of alternate and international movie advertising. [c/o Plutonium Shores] #link
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Creating the alien language of Arrival
One of the more striking and convincing world-building elements of the film, and definitely something it realises better than the story it’s based on (which does the ‘meaning’ thing better, in contrast). See also: James Gleick muses on the film and the story that inspired it. #link
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How to design words
How writing appears is integral to its function. It’s depressing how many people can’t grasp that, even so-called ‘writers’. #link
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Double Arrow: British Rail’s corporate identity, 1965–1994
Design nerdery in excelsis. [c/o MetaFilter] #link
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Documenting the new design
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably seen my site’s had a bit of a redesign.
Well, ‘a bit’ is putting it lightly: I coded a whole new site template from scratch over the last three days, building on the Skeleton framework that a lot of people seem to be using (from snooping around their sites with view-source, like the old days).
It’s been ages since I’ve done so much web coding — more than three years since my last redesign. I think I’ve kept things clean enough under the hood, and it resizes nicely on my smartphone.
The new look was pretty much a necessity seeing as I’ve finally migrated from Movable Type to WordPress. And boy has that been a learning curve. Not so much using the CMS itself; I’ve become familiar enough with that posting things on other sites. But getting my own stuff into the system was a challenge.
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