Matt McInerney

Jon Hicks (creator of Firefox and Thunderbird icons, amongst others) gives a talk about icon design. You can download the slideshow (PDF) and follow along. You can also grab all the links mentioned on delicious. If you like icon design or want to get into a bit more, I suggest checking this out.

It’s been a while since I’ve created an icon set (Money Folder). It’s something I suggest every web designer do at some point though. You’ll always be able to use them on your own sites, and you won’t just have to use the same stock icons everyone else is using. It makes your site a little more unique.

I got this email the other day. I thought I’d just publish the answer since I’ve gotten this a few times, and if it’s helpful to anyone, it can’t hurt. So here goes:

My name is Justin and I really admire your web work.
I would like to get into (X)HTML/CSS and some AJAX and start freelancing a little around my town. I’m wondering if there are any resources or books that you would recommend that teach web standards while also teaching great looking design practices. I’ve started reading a couple books that teach web standards but fail in the visual department…
Any advice would be great.
Thanks, Justin.

So here are some of my favorites:

• Designing with Web Standards by Jeffery Zeldman - Probably most web professional’s goto book on web standards.
• Bulletproof Web Design by Dan Cederholm (not pictured, I know, I let a friend borrow it) - a great book about solving common problems in web design so that your web sites function under almost any condition.
• Meggs’ History of Graphic Design by Philip Meggs - a very thorough history of Graphic Design. Great for learning about where design started, the great designers throughout time, major trends, and full of inspiration.
• Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide by Ellen Lupton - a great intro to type and later a great reference. Full of great typeface suggestions for use in your own design work.
• The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst - Most typographers or type designers will point to this as the definitive guide to typography. Keep it on your desk.
• Swiss Graphic Design by Richard Hollis - I just think the Swiss/Internatinal Typographic style is the most important to understand if you want to understand modern Graphic Design.
• Hand Job: A Catalog of Type by Michael Perry - All hand drawn design work, great for inspiration after looking at computer rendered work all day

I just put up Swiss Theme version 2. I felt like it needed an update, so I put some more time into it today. You can go to the tumblr page or just download the text file. This version includes a search bar and an overall update to the design. Still all black, white, red, and Helvetica. If you catch any bugs, feel free to let me know. Best viewed in Safari, Firefox, Camino, Opera… you know, the good browsers.

God. It may be from the Onion, and I may not believe in God, but… Does it need to be anymore clear?