Australian Infront

Adobe Muse - Good or Bad?

Posted 20.08.2011 @ 1.20PM

@andrewfelix on OSX: Sublime Text 2 on Windows: Notepad++

@dan I am not jumping up and down, I am only sharing my thoughts on this application. I am passionate about the topic because freelance web dev is what I do. It feeds my family and pays my bills on a daily basis.

Like many other web developers my first exposure to code was through apps such as Dreamweaver and Frontpage. I still believe these apps have a place in the market because they are an important stepping stone to learn about what you can do with the medium while staying within the bounds of the application.

My problem with apps such as Muse is they educate the user to think it is good/professional to produce a website without understanding the code. Instantly this devalues the time put in by developers which has gone into develop javascript frameworks, content management systems or even a jquery plugin. Code written by people who have bothered to learn not just what they can do but how they can do more.

This idea could then be taken to a commercial space where the user starts to market their services as a web developer without an understanding of the code behind their projects. Fairly quickly this type of practise could devalue this type work, compound security issues and alter client expectations.

I am fairly sure any decent Sys Admin would say the same thing about Command Line vs Control panels such as Plesk/cPanel/WebAdmin. You would all use them without even thinking there is an alternative solution but in actual fact they are all performing tasks which a real Sys Admin would do through a command line interface.

Over the past 5 years I have come in contact with plenty of average code produced by people who have sold their services to clients as web developers. In some cases I have been asked to find problems and fix them when the existing developer has been unable to do so. I could only imagine that this will become more frequent with Muse hitting the mainstream.

As for your comment about web nazis having a go at the code on the blog post link which you post, take a look at the code if you can't tell me that Muse produces bad code then my previous comments on users not understanding the medium has been validated. None of their comments are incorrect, those are professionals sharing their concerns for their industry. After major campaigning to push for web standards it is clear to these people this is a step backwards.

August 2011 WIP

Posted 15.08.2011 @ 12.04PM (Edited 15.08.2011 @ 12.05PM)

Very nice/simple illustration @andrewfelix and looks like this was a big improvement on their current site, will be interested to see the end result.

A site no longer WIP, it lives: http://dowry.com.au/

Desktop Awards 2011

Posted 05.08.2011 @ 9.36AM

@andrewfelix

For sponsorship enquiries contact Danielle Wilson on (03) 9948 4906 or danielle.wilson@niche.com.au.

or

http://desktopmag.com.au/contact/

if you would like more info, let me know. You can also contact the Wilderness society or a number of groups who are working to protect the forests from Australian Paper

April WIP

Posted 23.04.2011 @ 10.33AM

@andrewfelix Nice details and textures

@PyroVesten Is that some gold foiling? Looking good, post the rest when you can

the client that doesn't know what they want

Posted 10.05.2012 @ 9.21AM

If a client doesn't know what they want, *tell them* what they need. You're job is to find a solution to their problem. If they don't like your solution and they ask you to make changes against your better judgement; as a designer it's not a relationship worth pursuing.

Newcastle Studio Space Available to Share

Posted 06.05.2012 @ 10.15AM (Edited 14.05.2012 @ 12.57PM)

I have access to office space which I'm considering doing up to share with other creatives. Looking at between $80-$100 a week depending on how much room you need. Includes internet.

I need to paint the rooms and varnish the floorboards, so space wouldn't be available for a month or two. If you're interested let me know.

EDIT: Scratch this offer. I've found space with thr good people at The Roost (http://theroostcreative.com.au/)

How to get a job without work experience in interior design industry ??

Posted 26.04.2012 @ 9.49AM (Edited 26.04.2012 @ 9.50AM)

I can't speak for interior design. But I wrote printed letters to about 2 dozen businesses offering my services free. Only 3 followed up. I ended up interning at one for 3months...which turned into a real job, which turned into my career :)

Keep pushing. Be willing to work for nothing for a while.

Sydney space available

Posted 23.04.2012 @ 6.35PM

Dude if I lived in Sydney I would take that op. immediately. lovely space.
Unfortunately I'm Newcastle. I can't find space anywhere here.

Sen Mitsuji

Posted 16.04.2012 @ 11.52AM

What does "Half Australian half Japanese" mean?