November 2007
An Event Apart Conference in Chicago
In the short history of professionals working on the web, there have been many stars -- some, technical gurus who have created languages and specifications that we all use today; others, design wonks who have influenced not only the visual vocabulary of the web but media of all kinds. From them, a few manage to combine an understanding of both fields. And of these, a tiny handful have the skills, passion, and interest to share the latest of what they know to advance the professional field, to improve our craft.
I'm spending two days in Chicago at An Event Apart, listening to 10 of the best in the field, brainstorming, challenging, networking, and learning -- as much from the speakers as from each other. We're rethinking the 'given guidelines' of information architecture, pushing typographic boundaries on the web, brainstorming how to make the user's experience a better one, and re-crafting website writing to better communicate, convey, and brand. I'll blog the highlights of what I've picked up here over the next several weeks, so please stay tuned.
Come visit us at Showcase River North
On Tuesday, June 26th, from 4-7pm, we'll be at the River North's Holiday Inn Mart Plaza networking, cocktailing, and learning about the neighborhood's future plans from the new 42nd Alderman Brandan Reilly and Art Chicago Director Tony Karman. Get the details at the River North website, and come on down!
We're Hiring:Full-time Website Designer
Update: This position has been filled. Thanks for your interest!
Job Description
You'll be working in a fast-moving, three-person design shop in the heart of Chicago's design district, River North. Expect to handle multiple projects throughout the day, practice web design from sketches and research through design, development, and deployment. You'll manage multiple client relationships. We use an agile, iterative style of design and development; expect rapid revisions and design rounds from pen-and-ink sketches to completed web pages.
Web Design
Your design skills, from Photoshop to HTML markup, will be most important. Our house design style is business oriented, modern, and fresh. We're always pushing our skills and limits: we look forward to working with someone like-minded. You must have a clear understanding of typography on the web. You know the difference between an x-height and a cap height, and a pixel from a pica.
xHTML/CSS Design & Production
The web designer will be marking down layered PSD mockups into web standard xHTML/CSS documents. All markup is hand crafted: we don't use Dreamweaver in our shop, so you must read HTML, and possibly prefer to do so.
Content Wrangling
You'll be working with client documents, evaluating, organizing, and designing page content as needed. You'll be maintaining and revising existing client sites as well.
Experience Requirements
A strong liberal arts background is required: language skills are essential. Experience with hand coded HTML is required. You'll be marking up and designing in CSS--a clear understanding of the CSS box model is required, as is a desire to push your CSS skills.
Strong familiarity with Adobe's Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash is required. We're mostly a Macintosh shop; you should be comfortable on either platform. You must provide three examples of your own web design work, three references, pay history, and a link to your portfolio site. Interested? Email us at info@neotericdesign.com
Note this position is on location only: contractors, recruiters, hold your fire.
Art Fair Site Launched for Merchandise Mart's Art Chicago
What's NEXT for contemporary art? The art world will pull out all the stops when it descends upon Chicago's Merchandise Mart for the annual Art Chicago/Artropolis event. This year announces the debut of NEXT, a curated art show designed to deliver what's fresh at the forefront of contemporary art.
This internationally recognized art fair will showcase the what's emergent in the art world and promises to turn the conventional booth experience upside down with informal cafes and social spaces for the audience, artist, and curator to interact.
It was our privilege to develop a web brand based on a provided identity. Bold yet minimal, the site features an easy to use content management system, and offers exhibitor services, downloadable applications, a calendar, and future news feed.
