The upcoming 5.5 version of Axure RP Pro has been made public and is available for download. For anyone who's been interested by Axure and wanted to try it, now is a great time to do so. The beta is rock solid and, if I understand the following blog post on Axure's site correctly, it will expire only on February 28th which would give you quite a bit longer than a regular 30 days trial to test it out. That's a good thing since Axure is a pretty complex and powerful application you have to spend a little time with to appreciate.

For more details including links to the download as well as to 3 blog posts describing the new features in detail, see the following:

Axure RP Pro 5.5 Beta

As I mentioned in my recent "My Top 10 Web Design Tools" post, I have started using Axure RP Pro for creating highly interactive prototypes, wireframes, site maps , flow charts and specifications. It is a fantastic application with a lot of depth that can create very complex prototypes.

Axure also has a growing community around it and, in recent months, several people and organizations have started to create libraries of reusable components that ease the effort of creating simple or complex interactive widgets from scratch in Axure. A list of the best of these resources recently has been published on A Clean Design's site and can be found here: http://www.acleandesign.com/2008/11/the-top-10-axure-resources/

One of those resources is the open source Axlib project who's aim is "to create a robust design library of common interaction patterns for use with Axure RP". Axlib is both a Google Group as well as a Google Code repository for the latest version of the librairy. The reason I mention Axlib specifically is that there's a great conversation going on now in the Google group about how those open-source Axure librairies should be standardized both in terms of how they are created and documented and anyone involved in UXD that is using Axure or is interested in using it at some point should participate. Some of the issues under discussion include:

• Width of widgets (assumed page width, perhaps)
• General look and feel, perhaps a simple color palette
• Level of fidelity
• Level of interactivity
• Use and documentation of Variables
• Use and documentation of Raised Events
• Fonts and font size

If you are an Axure user, give this and other librairies a try and get involved in the community!

Today, MindJet has released two new products: MindManager 8 for Windows and MindManager Web.

I've blogged about MindManager before as it is one of the main tools in my creative arsenal. If you haven't tried MindManager before or have been curious about it, now is the best time to try it and dive into mind mapping. Here's a few of the main new features in the new version.

What's New in MindManager 8

Maps sharing: One of the main limitations of using MindManager before was that it was diffiult to share those maps with people who did not have it. Exporting to Word and other formats could only go so far and, for me at least, my MindManager maps did not create good client deliverables even if they were very useful to me internally.

With MindManager 8, we can now export maps directly to PDF with embedded interactive maps (a Flash movie from the map is embedded in the PDF). This is huge for me. We now can share our maps in a self contained and secure file format and email them to anyone or make them easily downloadable from any Web site. Secondly, MindManager 8  also export directly to Flash itself so we can add interactive maps to our Web sites. You can check out how that feels by looking at the map on the MindManager 8 product page on MindJet's Web site.

Integrated Microsoft Office File Editing & Embedded Web Browser: MindManager 8 can now display Web pages or edit MS Office documents right from within MindManager's interface. For me this is a very welcome addition as I often want to add links to Web pages to map topics. Now I don't have to copy paste as there's an "Add to Map" button right in the embedded browser.

Integrated Content & services: It is now possible to add search topics, RSS feeds or connections to databases directly in maps by using what MindJet calls "Map Parts" that connect to search engines and other services or data stores. That way, topics in map can be kept fresh and relevant with updated data instead of being static.

Web services Map Parts included in MindManager 8 include Google, Yahoo and Windows Live (Search); MySpace and Facebook (social networking) and Amazon, eBay and StrikeIron D&B (eCommerce). Database linkers include Access, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, IBM DB2, Excel and text files.

These are just a few of the new features included in MindManager 8. I will post again on why you would want to use an application like MindManager but, in the meantime, you can read my previous posts on mind mapping from last year when I started using MindManager 7:

• My Search for Mind Mapping Software
  
• Mind Mapping as a Creative and Project Management Tool
• Another Piece of the Mind Mapping for Project Management Puzzle

There is a meme popping on Twitter and the blogosphere where some Web professionals are wondering if it is a good thing to listen to music while working or not. I had been reflecting on that very thing recently so this comes at a timely moment for me.

Of course, to a point this comes down to personal preferences but it seems that, musicians like me respond to music in a different way than non-musicians which makes it harder for us to concentrate on the work at hand when listening to music. For example, look at the quote from Mark W. Shead in the “Should we listen to music while working?” post on Designer Daily. Thanks to Mirko Humbert on Twitter for the heads up on that article. He makes the point that if background noise is needed, the sound of waves or rain or something equally neutral is better than music as he states that he simply cannot perform tasks requiring high levels of concentration while listening to music.

I myself generally like to listen to music while working but whether I do or not depends directly on the kind of task I am working on at that moment and how I feel on that particular day. If I’m more tired for example I’ll have a harder time concentrating to begin with so I may prefer the silence. Furthermore, my music listening habits have evolved over time and as my circumstances changed. When I was still a student living with my parents, I used to need to put some music on at a reasonably low volume to “shield” myself from the noises in the rest of the house. That “wall of sound” effect permitted me to reach incredible levels of concentration. When I was in the “zone” like that, a train could have passed in my room and I would not have noticed. I’m not exaggerating. As a teenager I could reach levels of concentration that I simply cannot attain anymore which makes me very jealous of my teenage self…

Nowadays, I’m a full time freelancer working from home in a very quiet environment. I need no shielding from ambient noises but I still need the music a lot of the times for different reasons not the least of which is that it can get lonely working alone in complete silence. But what I listen to is directly related to what I’m doing. For example, when I’m doing simple administrative tasks or anything around the office not requiring great concentration I’ll listen to either my MP3 player on shuffle (very varied stuff in there) or to XM Radio (I particularly love XM Café and the alternative channels). But if I’m in developer mode writing HTML, CSS, JavaScript or ColdFusion code, I usually switch to mostly non-vocal music and for that I really love the XM Radio Chill channel. The fact that I do not know a lot of the music helps me “ignore” it better. Like I said before, I’ll often just turn off the music if I don’t feel it is helping at a particular moment.

When I’m in design mode, I usually like more upbeat or heavier music. I rarely design in silence. The musical stimulus really helps idea generation. The style here is very varied and depends a lot more on my own mood than the type of project I’m working on. Again here, I often turn to XM or to my MP3 player but with a more focused genre depending on the day.

So, what about you? Is music part of your work process too or do you need complete silence to be able to work?

I had already started working on a blog post with my top 10 most useful Web design tools but, like many other things these days, I had continually postponed finishing it in favor of "more important things". Like client work... ;-)

But I saw a post today on the Visualrinse blog that tackled the same topic so it prompted me to finish mine.

As mentioned in the above blog post, we all have our own favorite working methods, tricks and tools for completing projects and, as I have already mentioned here before, I have really tried to refine my process in the last year or so and find the tools that really help me get my work done, especially since I am a one man shop and need to tackle both the design and development aspects of my projects as well as managing them and my clients. Now that I am freelancing full time, I have really started to develop a process that works for me. So here are the tools I could not live without in my Web design and development work.

1. Mindjet MindManager Pro / JCV Gantt Pro. I stated using MindManager in the summer of 2007 and it has quickly become one of my most useful tools. I use it for several things like brainstorming ideas, creating projetc management documents like a projet's creative brief, work breadown structure or tasks, site maps and more. Each project gets a "dashboard" map that links to all the other project related maps, documents or folders. From the tasks map I move to the JCV Gantt Pro addin to create the project schedule and determine the cost of the project. MindManager is the best "knowledge repository" application I've ever tried and I now wonder what I did without it before I found it.
   
2. Axure RP Pro. Axure is the most recent addition to my toolset. It takes off where MindManager leaves off for me. As great as MindManager is for my own internal processes I realized it did not create great deliverables for clients. Axure is the best tool I found to create site maps and flow charts but its main purpose is wireframes, functional interactive prototypes and documentation and it really excels at it. I'm working on a appointment/calendar app for a current site project and prototyping it in Axure will save me a lot of coding time later. There's nothing like showing a working, clickable and interactive version of a site feature to a client, even if it is fake, to work out the kinks and nail down expectations.
3. Adobe Fireworks. The mainstay in my toolset for the last 10 years and my most used app along with Dreamweaver. I really could not do my job without Fireworks. It completely replaced Photoshop for me for Web design and layout work over 10 years ago and I have never looked back. Its hybrid raster/vector workflow as well as Web centric focus make it the most efficient design app I have ever used. It's like Photoshop/Illustrator and InDesign all rolled up into one killer app but just for the Web. CS4 will be released soon and it really will be the best version ever.
4. Adobe Dreamweaver. Unlike Fireworks which I pretty much adopted immediately after trying version 2.0, it took me a long time to warm up to Dreamweaver. I had been using HomeSite which was a great code editor for a long time but I had to use a separate FTP application to upload sites and was looking for ways to automate some of the repetitive work. Around the release of Dreamweaver 4 but especially the next one, Dreamweaver MX (6.0), the application had evolved in such a way that it basically replaced HomeSite for me. Now it is a full fledged Web authoring environment I couldn't live without anymore. It has the right balance of code centric features, visual editing and a lot of other features around those that just make it a true powerhouse. The new CS4 version which is in public beta right now adds very cool new features that are already making my life easier.
5. ColdFusion. I am more of a designer and front end developer than a backend developer but I still have to wear that hat. I have tried Perl and used ASP in the past and although it was OK it got tedious for me after a while. I also tried PHP as it's very popular but I really don't like it at all for some reason. It really didn't click with me and I strongly dislike the syntax. When I started working with ColdFusion it's like a light bulb was turned on for me. The syntax made sense and it could do more in fewer lines of code than ASP (and most other server-side scripting languages) ever could. In the last few years, ColdFusion has kept evolving into one of the most powerful server-side development solutions around with many buit-in features you need plugins for in other platforms. It really rocks my world and has empowered me to build better Web sites.
6. Web Developer Toolbar. Although Firefox is not my main browser (Opera is... and Google Chrome is gainning ground), no Web designer/developer should be without this utility.
7. Firebug. Another amazing Firefox extension that probably needs no introduction. The Inspect functionality alone makes this an absolute must-have. If you're not sure what CSS rule affect a misbehaving element, you'll find it with Firebug's Inspect. Not far behind is Opera's new Dragonfly feature which is still in alpha. Similar to Firebug but built right into Opera 9.5+.
8. Genopal. Going back to designer tools, Genopal is one of those rare finds you wonder how you did without before discovering it. Genopal is a small application used to create color schemes. Nothing earth shattering here but, it does it in a very unique way that I had never seen before. This is the most intuitive color tool I have ever used and I urge anyone struggling with creating good color schemes to try it. I use the desktop Pro version but there's also an online version on the site. This one is a true little gem.
9. Studiometry. What would I do without this amazing application? Studiometry is the administrative center of my world. Projects, clients details, contacts, timers, invoicing, reports and more, Studiometry tracks every detail of my professional work and helps me keep organized.
10. jQuery. This "little" JavaScript framework has rocked my world. Like ColdFusion but on the front end, it has empowered me to create complex interactivity faster and easier than I ever could before. I have tried others but jQuery just clicked for me and I keep being amazed at what I can accomplish with it.

So the above are my own must-haves. The list is not complete though so here's a few honorable mentions for other applications that are central to my work :

One is Outlook 2007 for keeping up with not only email but client contacts, calendar and categorized tasks lists  (following the GTD principles). It's the first app I launch in the morning and the last one I ckeck at night.

Another is FeedDemon, the incredible RSS feeds aggregator from Nick Bradbury and NewsGator. In our field, fighting information overload has become a real issue, at least it has for me. FeedDemon helps me keep informed by following the myriad of sites I am interested in but also through keyword feeds that gather information about specific topics I'm interested in.

Lastly, I need to mention Twitter and the TweetDeck client. I've been a very late Twitter adopter as I didn't "see" the use and thought it would be a waste of time. But now that I work on my own full time, I enjoy the connection to the people I follow. Like FeedDemon, TweetDeck enables me to separate my Twitter "stream" into groups. But furthermore, it enables me to keep watch on particular topics in the "public stream" by letting me add colomns based on specific keyword searches. It took me a long time to get on Twitter but now, TweetDeck is always running on my laptop while I work on my main machine.

Well that's it for me at this time. What are your own preferred tools that you just cannot live without?

Although the new version of Fireworks has been in public beta for a while now, I haven't talked much about it here yet. Not because it's not an exciting release, quite the opposite, but only because until a month ago I was basically working 2 full time jobs and since I turned a full time freelancer, I've worked hard at setting up my new business, rebranding its image and getting into my freelance groove. I'll talk about all that later but I'm just saying that I just did not have the time to write anything meaningful about Fireworks CS4. This post is just a start.

Anyone who's read this blog before or had to "endure" some of my long winded tirades about Fireworks's development and direction in the last few years knows that I just haven't been happy at all about a lot of what happened and a lot of the decisions that have been made during the development of the last 3 versions. On one hand, I have been a long time evangelist of the product but, on the other hand, one of its harshests critics as well. That's because I care about it... a lot. Fireworks is one of the reasons I was able to build a nice Web design business for myself on the side while working a full time job in the printing industry. It enabled me to work faster and get ideas into concrete form easier than with any other graphic application I've used before or since. So it has long been a key part of my toolset and now that I do this full time, it's becoming even more important to me.

But there is a lot to be happy about in the new CS4 version. It still misses some long requested features but it has finally started moving in the right direction again and actually made a huge leap forward.

If you do not want to download and install beta software and are not interested in reading lenghty new features descriptions, please just take a few minutes to watch this video on Adobe TV that features Alan Musselman (who is an application architect from the Fireworks team) demonstrating some of the key new features and improvements in Fireworks 4.

It's been a very long time since I've been this excited about a new Fireworks release but this one really is a fantastic and worthwhile upgrade. Beyond the UI changes, most of the new features go to workflow efficiency and ease of use which have been Fireworks' main strenghts from the beginning. With this release, it's really starting to shape up like the creative powerhouse application it was always promised to become. I can't wait to see how much further Fireworks will jump with the CS5 version...

You can now find the Fireworks team's new blog here : http://blogs.adobe.com/fireworks That's a great thing for improving Fireworks' visibility and hopefully it will be updated regularly.

On the other hand, I wonder why Adobe is not using a ColdFusion based solution for blogging. I really think they should be using their own platforms as much as possible. They could be using an existing blogging application like BlogCFC which I'm using here or build their own (which they could sell or give away, integrate into Dreamweaver, etc). The possibilities are mind boggling and I wonder why the primary Web building software supplier is still not helping their customers build blogs using their own platforms and software?

But I digress... ;-)  Do check out the Fireworks teams's blog!

I've started to use jQuery on the current project I'm working on and I really love it so far. It's a lot easier to grasp than I expected and is very lightweight for such a powerful framework.

When the site is done I'll post a link to it. I've used jQuery for tabbed forms, form data manipulation and updating of page text and more. There's one thing I didn't find out how to do with it or if even a plugin exists for it and it's a specific kind of tooltips implementation. jQuery does have tooltip plugins but none I found can easily take the text from ANY element in a page and show it in the tooltip when mousing over another element.

The contents of my tooltips was long and needed to be formatted so I placed it in hidden divs with a class named "descriptions" and those divs are hidden by the script so available as linked references if JS is off. I'm really surpised I couldn't find a similar implementation for jQuery. The tooltips script I used is the one from Walter Zorn. If anyone knows of one that works similarly (needs to load content from any ID'd element on the page) then please share! :-) The one thing I do not like about Zorn's script is that it relies on the onmouseover and onmouseout attributes and I would like to keep the code cleaner.

Fireworks is finally getting some long overdue exposure. A beta of the next CS4 version has been posted on Adobe Labs today. I will blog about this in more details later this week. Long story short is that there is a lot to love in this new version and Fireworks is finally gainning some maturity and sophistication.  There are still many areas that need work like, for example, its desperately archaic color management features as well as not having any way to maintain links to external assets (just to name these two) but a LOT of progress has been made in this release...

Check it out !

Wow! I was going through  my new items in FeedDemon when I came upon Jeff Veen's blog. It seems that WebMonkey is back. Now that brings up memories! I cut my teeth on the Web design stuff around the time WebMonkey, HotWired, Talk.com and others were born in 1996. I learned a lot of the my early Web design skills from WebMonkey articles and tutorials. They were pretty much the only quality reference we had back then and it's very good to see them back!

An overview of the last year on pixelyzed.com

Now that 2008 is just about to start, I thought it would be a good idea to write a pixelyzed.com style year end review.

There's been a lot of activity in our little world last year as well as in other areas of the software industry. Throughout 2007, I discussed products and technologies that can help our work flows and processes in new ways and my own process has evolved significantly. Now I'll try to summarize some of it and share some of my best finds of the year in several categories. There are some new things in here I didn't discuss before so enjoy!

pixelyzed is growing

Although I still am not a very prolific blogger, Pixelyzed has grown in readership last year and I have made an effort to share my more interesting discoveries as they apply to Web designers and creative professionals. I have also tried to write about more varied topics and I will keep doing so in the new year.

2007 has been a year of growth and change for my career as well. I have tackled a couple of large Web design projects and have started doing sub-contracting work again.

Behind the scenes, I have been working on a new version of my professional site webfocusdesign.com and started marketing locally more aggressively. Once the new version of that site goes up sometime in the next few months, I will intensify these marketing efforts.

Another project I've been working on is my wife's portfolio site as she is a gifted artist- painter. I've gone through a few design iterations and we finally decided to go with a very simplified and uncluttered look. I've looked at dozens of painters and photographers' Web sites and realized that the better ones really put the emphasis on the artist's work and everything else recedes. We also decided to go Flash all the way which means I'll have to re-acquaint myself with it and give myself a quick crash course. If anyone has good advice on good Flash books, I'm all ears. I don't want books that go through the basics but books that teach solid techniques for real world projects and functionality.

The year in software

This is a really quick overview as I will write a separate post dedicated to the year in software to be published later. I must say that 2007 has been a very exciting year for me. Here are a few of the standout products I've been using last year which have been helping me get my job done more efficiently.

Adobe Creative Suite 3

The major new software suite release from Adobe... and the first iteration of the integration of existing Adobe products and former Macromedia ones. There was a lot to get excited about here as most products received serious upgrades. Standouts for me include Illustrator and InDesign.

Fireworks CS3

In spite of all our speculation, Fireworks is still alive and got better under Adobe's care. After the extreme disappointment that Fireworks 8 was, Fireworks CS3 was an encouraging release. But Adobe still has a lot of work to do to fulfill Fireworks' early promise as key areas of the application have been neglected for years and still have got no love in CS3. Looking forward to CS4, there are several key areas I'd like to see improve. More in my next post...

FreeHand MXa

Creative Suite 3 is the release that finally and officially marked the death of FreeHand and the official word from Adobe is that FreeHand users should now migrate to Illustrator. This decision leaves a lot of long time FreeHand users who feel that Illustrator is not an adequate replacement in the cold and I feel for them. Removing competition is never good for any industry and this is no exception. More later...

MindJet MindManager 7

MindManager is my best software find of 2007. It's the application that had the biggest impact on my process and work flow. It is a fantastic knowledge and information management tool that is flexible enough to help through all phases of a Web design projects. I would really encourage every creative professional to at least try it. I will keep sharing tips and ideas on how I use MindManager in my own work through the new year so stay tuned!

JCVGantt Pro 3.0

The perfect companion to MindManager, JCVGantt can both be use as a standalone application and as an add-in for MindManager. Planning and scheduling projects has always been a hard and tedious task for me. JCVGantt Pro makes it a lot easier and integrates seamlessly with MindManager. It is extremely flexible in how it lets users set resources parameters like working and non-working times and days, hourly and fixed costs and more. It updates the Gantt charts, total costs and the MindManager maps it is tied to in real time as you make changes to resources or tasks. A great discovery for me.

Studiometry 5.0

The other piece in my project management and administration puzzle. I've been using Studiometry since mid 2006 to track and keep client and project information, track communications but also as a timer for billable time and then for invoicing. Studiometry does a lot more than that and it got a major upgrade to version 5.0 in 2007. Check it out!

FeedDemon 2.5

Control information overload and get the latest info from all your favourite Web sites in one place. I've been using FeedDemon to subscribe and read RSS feeds for a while now (since it first came out) and I couldn't live without it. It this age of information overload, it's the main "hub" through which I get industry news and more. It has too many features to go into here but if you use Windows, this is the only feed reader you need to consider...

Windows Vista

Vista got a bad rap last year for a variety of reasons but I love it myself. Moving to Vista has brought me little trouble and a real boost in enjoyment and productivity. It'S true that my new computer has the powerful hardware to support it so Vista for me is fast and extremely stable. Much more so in fact than XP ever was for me. A great surprise for me and I can't wait to see the improvements SP1 brings.

The year in music

Many of you know I'm a musician and a music fanatic in general. 2007 was a great year in music for me as well. I'll also post a separate entry on my musical finds of the last year but here's a little taste of my 3 best musical discoveries of 2007. More later...

XM Radio

2007 is the year I discovered satellite radio and more specifically, XM Radio. It is where I discovered several of the artists who's music I fell in love with in 2007. XM Radio has more varied playlists than Sirius and more interesting channels. I carry my radio from the home to my car and the office and I re-discovered the joy of listening to music for hours. I discovered many new talents on XM and I bought more CDs in the last year alone than in the prior 5 because of it. Couldn't live without it now...

Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

My biggest musical crush of the year... on more levels than one ;-). If you never heard of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, you have to visit their site and listen to some of the samples.

They play great music lead by a phenomenal voice with amazing raw emotional intensity. And Grace is adorable to boot... ;- ) Just give them a listen if you like rootsy but intense rock music based on well above average songwriting. Current stand out songs for me include "Apologies" and "Loose Some Time" (next week it may be two other songs...) both of which are slower numbers but the band also excels at the more intense rockers that fill out the rest of the album and fuel their live shows.

The music press is simply gushing about them and her and the band apparently gives amazing concerts. Don't miss them if they come play in your city. If they ever come play in Montreal, I'll be first in line to see them... In the meantime read this review of one of their recent shows to whet your appetite.

Missy Higgins

Another young and extremely gifted female songwriter. Higgins is folksier than Potter but just as intense. This Australia native was another XM Radio discovery for me. Not long after hearing her music on XM, my wife and I had the pleasure of seeing her perform on the Australian segment of Live Earth and we were immediately hooked. Great melodies sung with a very noticeable Aussie accent that just adds to the charm of her music. I'm really surprised she does not get more airplay or exposure in North America.

Again, give her music a listen, you'll be glad you did.

The year in learning

One of the more exciting aspects of working in the Web design industry for me is the need to continually learn new things. I have discovered a few great resources last year that I will now share with you.

Some of those resources or sites that may seem pretty basic to those who've been in this business for a while but I like reading about different approaches so I can look at my work from a fresh perspective from time to time. Some of this stuff will be known to you but it may still contain great refreshers.

Less experienced Web designers would be wise to look at some of those resources closely, spend quality time at those sites and absorb some of the wisdom their creators are spreading mostly for free.

Learning keeps your mind young and fresh so, enjoy!

Before & After PDF Subscription

For any designer interested in reading excellent practical articles with great design tips and ideas published on a regular basis, Before & After delivers great value for the money and teaches you how the pros do it and why. Even pros will learn new things and will at the very least be inspired to try new approaches to solve design problems. I know I have.

I've actually been a subscriber for a couple years now but it seems the quality of the articles has kept improving throughout the year. If you subscribe you'll also get access to a number of past issues. Before & After magazine is one of the best of its kind so take a look at the sample PDF's on the site and you'll see what a great value it is.

Save The Pixel - The Art of Simple Web Design

I discovered this e-book through the feed of the "Web Design From Scratch" Web site created by Ben Hunt. Every working Web designer should probably read it as it is shock full of great tips and advice for creating efficient Web sites that succeed at creating great user experiences.

The book is very well written in that it does not just explain the principles behind Hunt's "Save the Pixel" design philosophy but also provides numerous case studies of Web site re-designs. Each case study shows the original site and explains why it wasn't exactly successful. Then it shows the redesigned version and explains why it works better and why key design decisions were made.

The book would be an excellent resource even for seasoned Web design pros but it should be required reading for all aspiring and new Web designers but especially wannabes who think that what they do is design when they have no real process and just like to make "pretty things" without forethought, planning or direction. Sadly, there are a lot of people like that in our industry vying for the same projects we're pitching for. This book demonstrates very well why real design is a lot more than mere decoration and why every pixel counts when your site tries to communicate a brand or message as clearly as possible. Best $30 I spent all year...

Start creating better, more effective designs too. Get "Save The Pixel" through my affiliate link here.

Web Design from Scratch

Ben Hunt's Web site which claims to be "A complete guide to designing web sites that work".

This site is an extensive resource that contains a lot of free content as well as paid stuff like the "Save the Pixel" book discussed above. One of my great finds of the year.

ideasonideas

A site I discovered through another site's feed in FeedDemon. IdeasonIdeas touches on a wider variety of subjects than pure design talk. One of the recent discussions centered on the pros and cons of Requests For Proposal or RFPs and started the discussion by stating why they thought they were bad for designers and why.

If you've ever had to deal with such issues (and what designers hasn't) then you know what a pain and a waste of time RFPs can be. Commenters brought up other good points and that is what that blog is about. Great discussions on subjects that matter to communications professionals and brand strategists.

Looking forward to 2008

While I don't like to play the guessing game of predicting the future, we should probably all look ahead to the future now and plan where we'd want this year to take us. Our future is ours to create and imagine so here's a few things I'm looking forward to in 2008.

Continuing growth

I'm planting the seeds of a growing business by re-designing my own professional Web site. We might all benefit from re-visiting our own branding and marketing efforts. As a freelancer it is sometimes more difficult because what we are marketing is our own expertise and our brand is ourselves. I'm looking forward to improving my own marketing skills as this will also benefit my clients.

Waiting for Fireworks CS4

Readers of this blog know how important Fireworks is to my design process. I have been a vocal Fireworks evangelist for years now. As I stated above, I think that Fireworks CS3 was solid transitional release under the new care of Adobe. But Fireworks is not without problems... In my next post which will be about the year 2007 in software, I'll discuss how I now see Fireworks' place in mine and a typical Web designer's arsenal and where I would like it to go next.

2008 on Pixelyzed.com

All in all, 2007 was a great year on many levels for me and for the industry but I feel it was a transitional year. I'm really looking forward to what 2008 brings and hopefully, some of the bigger personal changes I have been planning on for a long time will finally happen. Stay tuned!

Regarding the blog, I don't like to make promises and break them so I will not claim that I will write more often in 2008. All I can promise is that I'll keep working on building my "voice". What I try to share with people here are ideas and resources I feel are worthwhile. What this blog and site will never become is a link whore that simply links to other content with little or no new take on it. If that means I post less often than some other bloggers because I don't spread the latest "meme" without critical thought or commentary then so be it.

I will keep speaking my mind and try to strike conversations on issues that matter to me and which I believe should matter to other design professionals.

Thank you very much to all who follow this site and blog and those who have commented here or sent me e-mail throughout the year. It's good to know people appreciate what I try to share and care enough to comment on it. See you all in 2008!

There was a thread on Adobe's Fireworks forums recently where a user was asking why Fireworks uses the PNG file format (and extension) for its native editable files (the equivalent to Illustrator's .ai and Photoshop's .psd). This is an issue that gets raised from time to time and that thread was just the latest public example of it.  This debate resurfaces from time to time and I think it's worth re-visiting it again especially since Macromedia and now Adobe don't seem to see it as an issue worth addressing when I think it really warrants concrete action.

Why is this an issue at all?

The fact that Fireworks uses a common graphic extension for its editable native format causes very real problems for a number of users who sometimes accidentally erase editable files while exporting flattened optimized ones destined for Web site viewing. Although most experienced users have developed work flows that virtually eliminate those risks, anyone can make a mistake and overwrite an important editable file. Unless you have a backup, that file is gone for good at that point. The thing is, there is no way to know how often users loose work this way as only a small fraction of any application's user base posts in public forums to discuss their problems. For me, one thing is certain though and that is that, no matter how rare or widespread this issue is, any application behaviour that can so easily cause loss of work should get addressed and fast.

The other thing is that Fireworks is the only graphic design application I know of that has this problem because it's the only one that doesn't use a unique and proprietary file extension (and format) to save its native editable file. You never need to worry about overwriting your editable files when using Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign as they all have their own native formats and file extensions (.psd, .ai, .indd) that very different from the final exported formats they can export or save to.

The issue may not be as serious if Fireworks was actually any good at remembering where it saves or export files. The folder it defaults to when saving or exporting sometimes seems completely random and although this has gotten better in the last version, why take the chance of users loosing work. After all, when you export or save a PNG file, noting looks more similar to a folder full of graphic files than another...

Why use the PNG format?

As I said, the debate over the merits (sic) and drawbacks of using the PNG file extension and format re- surfaces from time to time because of the potential problems described above and it really begs the question as to why Macromedia decided to use the PNG file format for Fireworks' native and editable files in the first place.

I believe that one of the primary reasons Macromedia chose PNG was to ride the PNG buzz which was really something in the Web design business for those who have been at it long enough to witness it in the late '90s. This is all speculation from my end though as I was not part of the first beta testers/advisors group that tested the initial Fireworks 1.0 release. I only started using Fireworks at version 2.0 and I only became a beta tester much later.

Whether the primary reason was marketing or not, the technical reason that the PNG format was usable at all —as it is much better known as an optimized and flattened Web publishing format like GIF an JPEG— is that the PNG file format specification allows for a special data chunk for proprietary "extensions" and this is what Fireworks uses to store its editable information (vector objects data, effects, slices, optimization settings, etc). This is explained in the last paragraph on this page (part of an old Macromedia era tutorial) which is probably the most sensible explanation for choosing PNG for Fireworks that I've read about the issue so far.

That article claims that PNG was used because it is an open source format and other graphic applications and browsers can open or at least view the file. It also mentions that those other applications can only see the graphical or bitmap part of the file and not the proprietary info. In short, it works like an .eps with a bitmap preview in other applications.

Was that a compelling enough reason to choose PNG? Not even close in my opinion. The fact that the proprietary information remains proprietary within a Fireworks PNG file pretty much blows the already very weak open-source argument out of the water. A real open-source document format like the OpenDocument Format for example takes all document data into account, not just its bitmap "preview". Open-source usually means better interoperability between applications that can EDIT the file. Are we getting that with a Fireworks PNG? Not at all. Being able to view a file in multiple applications doesn't make it open-source, editing it in multiple application does, and none but Fireworks can get at the real editable data within a native Fireworks PNG file.

What then does remain as a real practical advantage to using the PNG file format? Is the ability to drag and drop a native Fireworks PNG in IE or Firefox and see what it looks like the only one? It seems so. Is that really worth the loss of work many users experienced already and the potential for future such mistakes. Not to me. Again, not even close.

In all fairness, if you put aside the dubious "open-source" argument, there is also no technical drawbacks to using the PNG format. Nothing limits what can be put in the proprietary data chunk and the format has served users well inside of Fireworks.

So what can be done to solve the loss of work issue?

The distinction between the format and the extension

There is one simple thing that can be done to solve the issue once and for all with minimal impact on existing files or work flows. Adobe should just change the file "extension" of native and editable files saved from Fireworks. Underneath, the file format can remain a PNG but changing the extension would eliminate the potential for loss of work as regular exported PNG files could no longer overwrite editable ones.

So what about the ability to see an editable file in a browser or open native files in applications like IrFanView, XnView and others then? Well, nothing. Try it. Take one of your existing native Fireworks file and simply change its file extension to anything, use myFWPNG.xyz for all I care. Your OS may warn you about the danger of changing the extension. Do it anyway and drag that file in your browser's window. It should show up the same as before. It at least does on Windows. Even Windows Explorer will preview the file correctly if your folder view option is set to one of the icons views.

I also tested it in IrFanView. It recognizes the file as a PNG but warns that it has the "wrong" extension and gives the option to rename it. If you cancel that it still opens the file and displays it just fine anyway.

Finally, if an application does not recognize your PNG file with a different extension, you could always rename it to whatever.png before trying to open it in that application. I doubt you would have to do that often if at all.

So why not make the change?

If the change doesn't disrupt the single advantage of the status quo that its proponents seem to be able to conjure up, for me the real question becomes, why NOT make the change? When an application's behaviour causes people to loose work, I call it a bug, and in this case, a very destructive one. Adobe can still tout the use of the PNG format as a "feature" if they want to even if I never met anyone who was "impressed" by the fact that Fireworks uses the PNG format. To me it was a ridiculous marketing trick in the beginning and now, the madness has to stop, especially when the change seems so easy to make...

It's rare that I simply link to a post or article when i have nothing to add. In fact I've really tried to avoid that on this blog. But the following article by Jeffrey Zeldman on A List Apart is really worth reading and says everything better than I could:

Understanding Web Design

It's a must read... really.

Following on my two previous posts on the subject of mind mapping (here and here), I have recently found another piece of my "mind mapping for project management" puzzle.

I'm currently developping my project planning and tracking methodology based on mind maps made with MindManager  and I am determining both what specific maps I'll use and what are the exact client deliverables I'll create from them. One particular aspect I've often had trouble with is determining a project's schedule. I've now found the perfect tool to help me with this pocess and it is a plugin for MindManager called JCVGantt Pro.

As the name implies, JCVGantt Pro creates Gantt charts which are a staple of project management methodologies. I had never used Gantt charts previously eventhough I knew what they were (my other project tracking application Studiometry has them) but I had never used them before because, for me at least, they were a pain to create directly.

The amazing thing with JCVGantt Pro is that it ties directly into MindManager maps and updates you make in one app are directly reflected into the other. What this means is that, from a specifications map for example, I can separate each item into smaller specific tasks which I can time estimate more easily and create dependencies between them using relationships. When I then sent that to JCV Gantt Pro it creates a timeline for the project as a Gantt chart and I can track tasks as they get done.

But the really great thing I discovered which I didn't know about previously is that, in JCV Gantt Pro and probably in other similar software, I can give each task a "resource". Resources can be anything from specific items like fonts or stock images you need to purchase (whose cost goes towards the project total)  but, more importantly in this case, "human resources". The human resource concept is very significant because it defines how much time a "human resource" can devote to tasks within each week and the hourly cost of each "resource". The time per week concept is important for me because I am a one man operation and I can devote only a specific amount of hours each weekday to Web work and slightly more on weekends. What that means is that, not only does JCVGantt Pro calculates the cost of the project based on all the tasks and their allocated resources but it "spreads" the work across the timeline according to the time constraints of each resource.

In short, if a project required 100 hours to complete in total and I could work 40 hours a week on weekdays and not on weekends then it would require 2 1/2 weekes to complete the project. Since, in reality I can only devote about 22 hours a week to Web work (at best) spread on all 7 days of the week, the same project would take me over 4 1/2 weeks to complete and JCVGantt Pro will determine that automatically and draw the Gantt chart accordingly. It even goes further into spreading resources across concurrently running tasks and moving tasks that depend on the completion of previous ones further on the timeline.

I really wish I had discoverd all those incredible tools earlier. Not only do MindManager maps help me keep track of all project specific info in one place but, with the help of JCV Gantt Pro, I can now give clients realistic schedules and get much better cost estimates than ever before. My first project using this new methodology is taking me longer than usual to complete but from that project I will be able to create the map templates I will re-use on every future project..

There is a significant time investment in the learning process in addition to the cost of the software the software for a one man shop like mine but I would really encourage other freelancers and small Web shops to explore similar methodologies if you are not already using them. It's really proving to work very well for me and will remove a lot of the tedium of project management tasks that used to slow down projects for me. Not only that, it will help me create better early clients deliverables (specification documents, creative briefs, proposals/quotations, etc) but it will also help me create better quality projects.

It seems that Adobe is currently quite busy coming up with new useful technology and services. The first one is Share which is currently in Beta on Labs. Share is a service for publishing and sharing documents from anywhere and with whoever you choose. The intersteing thing I see for me is that you could create a repository of documents you would like to share with clients and set permissions so that each client can only get at what concerns them. I've only given Share a quick look but it seems very useful. You sign on with your existing Adobe ID and password.

The second one is even more intriguing for designers and Fireworks enthusiasts. It's a new application that Adobe previewed at Max which will serve as an RIA building tool for designers. Make sure you read this blog entry from Narciso Jaramillo (nj) which answers many questions about Thermo and has links to 3 movies of the MAX presentation of Thermo on YouTube.

Thermo looks like a very promising application that will enable non-developers entry into the world of RIA design and development. Adobe touts it as a great tool for collaboration between designers and developers where both can work on the same project using both Flex Builder and Thermo and not "break" each other's work. Really check out the blog post I linked to above and whatch the movies on YouTube. The Thermo presentation really is impresive.

What I can't wait to see is how the interoperability between Thermo and Fireworks will work becaue, Fireworks still hasbetter design specific tools but Thermo goes a lot further into being a real RIA design tool than the similar embryonic features added to Fireworks CS3 (smart symbols in the Common Library and basic MXML export). What is also unclear to me with the arrival of Thermo is how that side of Fireworks will evolve if at all in future releases. Whatever happens, I would still like to see that side of Fireworks evolve if only to limit wasted effort and and I would also love to see great interoperability between the two apps. Time will tell...