I’m super-excited to get an early look the new Adobe Edge software, currently in public preview and is a complimenary download on Adobe Labs. Adobe Edge is a new motion and interactive design tool currently in production that renders content to HTM5, CSS3, and Java Script. With HTML5 as the newly approved web standard for your markup, Edge is a promising tool for us Flashers (NOTE: “Flashers” are Adobe flash users, not to be confused with other types of flashing).

Like Adobe Flash, designers will again be able to have an art-board and a timeline to produce stunning animation and dazzling effects to your website or interface. Thus, Edge will help provide the needed “bling” to add that needed element of professionalism and coolness that will separate you from your competition.  So go ahead, click the link below and check-it-out for yourself.  It will be interesting to see how this new tool evolves and will change the web.  HTML5, CSS3, and Java Script are a promising team and quickly emerging as the new industry standard.

“EDGE IS IDEAL FOR VISUAL, WEB AND INTERACTION DESIGNERS WHO WANT TO ENERGIZE THEIR CONTENT FOR THE WEB WITH MOVEMENT AND TRANSITIONS. EDGE PREVIEW ONE FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON ANIMATION AND MOTION, WITH UPCOMING PREVIEWS FEATURING ADDITIONAL CREATIVE CAPABILITIES AND FUNCTIONALITY.”

ACCORDING TO ADOBE THE SOFTWARE WILL DO THE FOLLOWING:

• Create new compositions with Edge’s drawing and text tools.
• Import popular web graphics such as SVG, PNG, JPG or GIF files.
• Easily choreograph animation with the timeline editor. Animate position, size, color, shape, rotation and more at the property level.
• Energize existing HTML files with motion, while preserving the integrity of CSS-based HTML layouts.
• Copy and paste transitions, invert them, and choose from over 25 built-in easing effects for added creativity.

Without aesthetic, design is either the humdrum repetition of familiar clichés or a wild scramble for novelty. Without the aesthetic, the computer is but a mindless speed machine, producing effects without substance. Form without relevant content, or content without meaningful form. — Paul Rand

Today’s online world has become increasingly virtual, global, and interactive. We are no longer restricted to dial-ups or AOL screen names and search engines have exceeded anyone’s expectations. Who would have ever though “Google” would integrate itself into everyday language? As a result, websites themselves have grown so far from their splash page predecessors.

Websites are no longer only used to convey basic information with clip art illustrations; they have climbed their way into the ranks of the art world. Kalos Interactive recognizes the ever-present evolution of this new art form. As a web services company, it’s imperative to view the product this way to stay afloat in such a competitive market.

At Kalos you won’t just find graphic designers and programmers, you’ll find a creative and interactive design studio. We offer interactive design and art direction with an emphasis on aesthetics, creative ideas, and communication goals. Oh yeah, and not one detail will ever go unnoticed.

We don’t build our clients websites, we create functional design and art that embodies companies, people, and brands. At Kalos, we see the big picture by helping give expert consultation on every aspect of the project. Not to say that we don’t build high performing sites, but we’ve found a way to balance our disciplines of design and function.

Kalos believes that just having a website to represent your company’s brand isn’t enough. Your web accessibility is essentially your most valuable marketing resource and tool.  Everyone has a website, but  honestly, yours needs to be better and more unique. You have to ask yourself whether or not your online presence makes the statement you want. Even if your site achieves those goals, does it accomplish them better than your competitors? If and when you realize your online persona isn’t making the cut, Kalos Interactive will be here to make you shine.

paul rand : : paul-rand.com

Formerly Art Partitions, LYNNEL Art to Form is striving to revise and expand the ways in which original artwork can be used in commercial and residential settings.  Their process employs digital technology to enhance and transfer artistic compositions to glass, acrylic, fabric, metal, and wall coverings for use in a wide range of environments.

In the original meetings to discuss the design and interface that would become the site, words like “architectural” and “minimal” were used very often, but in the context of separate disciplines. The website had to function as something of a unique entity, given that LYNNEL Art to Form crosses several bridges between the fine art world and the realm of architectural design and interiors. Should the site function like a portfolio of an artist, with pure imagery and an emphasis on the singularity of each piece? Or should it look like a site fashioned for prospective clients, often architects and interior designers, who are shopping for commercial design and fabrication services? The answer was it had to be both. LYNNEL Art to Form is a unique hybrid of both worlds, manifested by the collaborations of a hands-on artist and a Wacom-wielding designer, and completed by an engineering/business savant that turns abstract ideas into concrete reality. The resulting site design is deceivingly simple; it is an architectural-feeling layout with minimal text that emphasizes the company’s unique identity and showcases on a large scale the organic and abstract original artworks, both in it’s intellectual form and as a physical installation.

The final website is a smashing success, and even has an unintentional albeit very fitting meditative quality to it. The clean layout and ethereal art images presented with tasteful fading transitions (achieved with the fine Flash techniques of Mr. Steve) are curiously mood altering. Enjoy the experience!

view project : : lynnel.com

Sadly, I have never been good with crunching numbers, which leaves me no choice but to hire someone to do it for me. It’s hard for me to understand financial jargon, let alone equations. I need people who can break it down and turn my numbers into English.

I’ve never used Clear Creek, but their site definitely gives me the vibe that they don’t treat numbers like a foreign language. I like that they recognize each person’s situation and financial needs are widely unique. Sometimes I feel like financial companies view everyone as a template they can just fill in, which is definitely not the case. Most of the bankers, accountants, and financial gurus I have encountered have an easier time relating to their calculators than other people.

This clearly isn’t the case at Clear Creek, where they obviously go to great strides to break clients’ stereotypes of “suits.” This company isn’t just a bunch of relatable banker types; they offer a wide range of services that make them a unique and versatile operation. I think one of their most awesome features is the ability for a client to follow their accounts online. It shows that they are forward thinking, unstuffy financial buffs. So not Mr. Banks from Mary Poppins.

Their website is warm, inviting, and most importantly, unpretentious. The welcoming Zen-like office theme makes me feel like trusting someone else with my money isn’t so bad. Most competitors’ websites are not design forward and are as sterile as a hospital hallway. To be honest, one of my favorite things about it are the quotes by famous people. Any financial service that also appreciates good literature is alright in my book.

view project :: clearcreekinvestments.com

In today’s world, the current attitude is “go green, or go home.” Adhering to this mantra, Solar Eclipse Shades provides an eco-friendly, yet functional product. Focused on improving the environment, Solar Eclipse Shades has created state of the art shade products that protect against harmful UV rays, while integrating polymer solar voltaic systems that actually generate clean power.

I for one am on board for their vision to provide green products that reduce the heat and danger of UV rays, while creating a cooler and safer environment. I think the shades are just about as cool as Ray Bans. I think any company that creates a specifically green product is ranks pretty high on the cool scale.

I think with society becoming increasingly ecologically conscience, manufacturers would be naïve to think that they don’t have to change with the times. Every industry has to make adjustments to a more eco-friendly world, and especially more informed consumers.

In today’s economic stress, consumers are becoming more and more savvy about their purchases. Whether they are making decisions based on budgets, environment, or charitable donations, consumers are doing their homework. Studies show that consumers will choose one company over another based on whether or not a product “does good.” This might mean that a portion of proceeds is donated to a charitable cause, or that a specific product is more environmentally friendly. Either way, companies cannot afford to not give back in a poor economy.

While I believe wholeheartedly in not underestimating the consumer, what I really like about Solar Eclipse Shades is that their product was designed to be green from its inception. I fully support companies’ efforts to alter their products to be greener, I think it’s pretty awesome to create a product with a green purpose. Their site looks great, and it’s not even done. I can’t wait to see what it looks like, and learn even more about the company once it’s complete.

view project : : solareclipseshades.com

Jayson Marrs and Jetmir Zymeri, owners of the chic Denver LoDo lounge The Lure, approached me (Benny Yarnell) about designing a website that would capture the feel, the atmosphere… if not the very ethos of their establishment. Crucial details that defined their space involved ground breaking lighting technology, furnishings custom-constructed of colorado-specific materials and textiles, and the aim for a specific sense of fashion, attitude, and lifestyle. The space is distinctly long and narrow, and most of the action takes place along one wall running the length of the building. Being a regular patron along with mutual friends of Jayson and Jetmir, I was very familiar with the aforementioned fashion, attitude and lifestyle the guys were targeting. I felt I was the right guy for the job, but capturing all those details in a compelling site that would rock Denver’s nightlife scene is a tall order, no matter how you look at it.

The idea to create a faux-3D interactive site that essentially recreates the space virtually using only 2D photographs came to me out of the blue at about 2:00AM. It seemed obvious to perhaps photograph all the interior details of the space with creative angles, throw in a few shots of the typical Lure crowd, and create a nice little flash movie atop a minimal, basic layout… but having just completed the Littleton Cyclery site, which uses a similar faux-3D interactive concept, and realizing the long, narrowness of the space… well, I had somewhat of an epiphany, and my mind was set.

I thought of the site like a widescreen movie, with a side-sweep tracking shot. But to achieve this effect with still photography, and to extract the layers of people and chairs and other elements that create the 3D effect, I essentially had to do three separate photoshoots. The main shoot of the bar interior was the most challenging, and the final photo you see in the site is actually a comp of approximately 40 photos; I did long exposures of the interior on a tripod and repeated this over and over again, taking one step sideways with the camera per shot. This was necessary as the space was too narrow for me to get enough distance from the wall, and being that close to the subject means the lens will create a fishbowl effect. Only a very narrow strip of each photo, which had the least distortion, was usable.

The second shoot was to retrace my steps, but to populate the scene with people and chairs. The third shoot was actually shot in a studio, where I had additional models to fill in spots that seemed too vacant in the previous shoots. The subsequent photoshop sessions were brutal, and there was much digital painting and manipulating to extract layers for depth. But with a hefty .psd file ready for Flash, Steve took the reigns and made the whole grand concept and all of it’s maddening parts sing in harmony.

view project : : the lure lounge

Always considered therapy, but have an aversion to doctors? With AskAnAlly.com, the doctor comes to you. You never have to leave your couch while you visit Dr. Jane’s surprisingly cozy interactive office. Play in the waiting room (home page) by composing music and drawing on an old school Etch-A-Sketch. Most importantly, ask anonymous questions or browse the archives; either way, stop searching and get answers.

Most people become wary at the very mention of therapy, psychoanalysis, or psychiatry. Often referred to as “quacks,” members of the psychology field are dismissed as a superfluous group of doctorate holding intellectuals. I personally disagree with this philosophy, arguing that an entire branch of medicine can’t be `wrong. However, I will project that therapy is a very personal and confidential service that is hard to discuss. In fact, it is such a touchy subject that many who have a desire to seek help, are often afraid to take the first step.

I was immediately drawn to Dr. Jane’s innovated concept about online therapy. It is such a non-threatening approach to such a sensitive topic. I really like that there are a few different levels of therapy you can explore just on the site itself. The least invasive option is the archive, which allows you to browse through past anonymous questions and answers. If you are looking for more, there is an area to submit your own personal questions and get real answers from a certified therapist. If the website isn’t enough, or you’re ready to go face to face, it’s possible to make an appointment for an in-person session with Dr. Jane.

I am also really into the website itself. There is something about the design, which has an unusual calming effect I wouldn’t expect to experience from a website. The “waiting room” homepage is really clever idea that makes you smile. It’s a great way to set the tone and set the user at ease. I love interactive websites, and this one makes me feel like I am having a genuine experience. I don’t have a need for Ask An Ally right now, but it’s always good to keep in mind when I have questions that can’t be answered. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t really fun to play on the Etch-A-Sketch.

view project : : AskAnAlly