Posted in Computers & Internet, Site | Tags: Web Design, WP, | Archive | 7 Comments »

I hate how many Wordpress plugins contains invalid code. It’s probably valid if you use the Transitional Doctype but I use Strict and therefore have to change these codes. The problem is that the plugins are written with code far more advanced than anything I can do so it can be quite a hassle to figure out what I can change and delete without messing up the entire plugin.

I’m kind of obsessed with having my entire site validate correctly but why shouldn’t I be? Valid code is like correct spelling. Sure you can read a text that’s badly spelled but it’s probably harder to understand. It’s the same with browsers. Sure they can display invalid code but often it looks kinda funny and not at all how you intended it to look.

What I hate even more than invalid code is code that’s valid but works differently in different browsers. This layout should work fine in all browsers besides maybe the most unusual ones but I think that has more to do with those browsers not being that good than my code. Still, it’s annoying. I remember back in the days when you coded for one browser and put up a disclaimer stating which browser (and resolution) your site should be viewed in. Not very user friendly, but still, easy.

It’s interesting to think about how coding has evolved in the past ten years. When I built my first web page back in 1999 I coded in HTML and didn’t use any CSS whatsoever. My first site was basically two frames. One with a text link menu and one main window for the content. The menu frame had a black and white background with tree branches (a photo I scanned) and the main frame was black. It didn’t look too bad considering what many other sites back then looked like. I’m proud to say that Whirlwind never have contained ugly clipart, dolls or annoying moving GIF images. Besides my celebrity blend phase I’ve always kept it pretty simple, not using too many colours or too much graphics.

I wish I still had my first layout saved but every layout I made up until 2001 were lost years ago. There wasn’t that many of them but still, it would have been cool to be able to look at them.

When did you start web designing and what did your first layout look like?

Plugs: Marie Claire, Lady, Kristen, adastra, Rose, Dee, Malin

Posted in Site | Tags: Web Design, | Archive | 17 Comments »

New layout! Yay, yay, yay! I call it “All Bats Are Grey”. If you know of The Cure you’ll probably get it.

I don’t know how many hours I’ve spent working on this one but somewhere between Friday and Saturday I stayed awake for 36 hours, coding non-stop. It was all worth it in the end, of course, because here it is and I love it!

I noticed something when I upgraded Wordpress. I’ve always uploaded my photos into www.whirlwind.nu/images but now even though I haven’t changed the image code the photos won’t show! If I use use the full adress img src=”http://www.whirlwind.nu/images/pic.jpg” it works but not if I use img src=”images/pic.jpg” like I’ve always done. What is this? Why is this? Is it because they want you to use the Wordpress media manager update thingy or whatever it’s called? Well I won’t because I’m old fashioned when it comes to coding. I upload by FTP! I wish Wordpress wasn’t so automatized. I want to make changes in the layout by coding, not by changing settings in the admin panel. Like I said, old fashioned. It’s just the way I’ve always done things.

The gallery isn’t up yet. This is because I made major changes in the coding. The only part of my site ran by Wordpress used to be the blog section. All other sections (she, site, gallery, www) were my own code. I preferred it that way but making first one layout for Wordpress and then another one looking exactly the same down to the smallest pixel, while it was structured in a totally different code, was a real pain. You really couldn’t tell it was always two layouts and I’m proud of that. Enough is enough though. It’s just too much work. First making two layouts and then making sure those two works in five different browsers (I test in Opera, FF, IE, Safari and Chrome). So, now my entire site is ran by Wordpress. Not the way I prefer it but I just can’t be bothered with all that extra work any more. Now I need to figure out a way to structure my gallery. I don’t think the way I coded it works in Wordpress, with using pages and all. Oh well, I’ll figure something out.

So, what do you think? See any errors? Let me know if something isn’t working like it should. Thank you!

Plugs: clarity, Maria, Angie, Malin, Marie Claire, Aly, Alice, Ravencroft, Jessica, Joebs, Nikkole, Pim, Kristine, Kristen, Zanna, Deanna

Posted in Site, Yada Yada | Tags: Looks, Online Exchange, Web Design, | Archive | 26 Comments »

You know what’s about the fugliest make-up faux pas there is? When people use foundation/powder/whatever in a colour different from their skin but only apply it to their face without blending it down the neck. Some use a darker shade than their skin to look tanned while alternative kids use a chalk white colour to look pale. I don’t know which is worse. Probably the chalk white actually since the difference between the face and skin tends to be so extreme when white make-up is used. Even if you apply it to your neck no one is that pale and it will look unnatural. Dita Von Teese the queen of pale may have a fair complexion but not even she is chalk white. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve also done this mistake back in high school. Now many years later I can honestly say that it’s one of the worst make-up crimes I’ve ever done myself guilty of.

What do you think is the fugliest make-up faux-pas and what’s the worst make-up mistake you’ve done?

Oh and by the way I got a comment about the layout saying that the menu is off and the www link button is located under the start link button. For me the menu looks good in Opera, IE, Firefox, Safari and Chrome but maybe it doesn’t work correctly in a different version of one of those browsers. I dont know. Could be the hack I used to make the layout look exactly like I wanted it to in Opera, Safari and Chrome. Different browsers, different standards you know. If the menu is off in your browser please let me know.

Oh and this is the last chance to exchange Christmas cards with me! I’m buying the cards tomorrow so if you’re interested in this e-mail me at quende[at]spray.se today.

Plugs: Deanna, Angie, Daniella, Kristine, Bella Rose, Rose, maria, Kristen, Milla, tiff k, taryn, Emily, Rachel-Rebecka, Ria, Jeniffer, Samantha, Julie, Vashael, Alyssa, kitty, Shaina, Aly, Sean, Nicki, Mallory, Stef

Posted in Site | Tags: Web Design, | Archive | 15 Comments »

Et voila! The new layout is up. Let me know what you think!

Plugs: Rachel-Rebecka, Ashley, Kristine, maria, Angie, Mallory, Jessica, Marie Claire, Ravencroft, Beara, Ivy, Aly, Gel, adastra, Shaina

Posted in Site | Tags: Web Design, | Archive | 9 Comments »

This blend which I based the layout “La Vie Noir” on is my favourite out of all the blends I’ve made. I just love the feel of it. Very Film Noir and The Roaring 20s. Because of this blend La Vie Noir also is one of my favourite layouts. At least graphically. If I had made a layout based on this blend today I would have coded it differently. I still love it though and I really want to make something similar again. Similar but different, updated. More web 2.0 and less cluttered.

Click on image for bigger version.

Plugs: maria, Crash, Marie Claire, Alice, Maria, Alyssa, Kelsey, tiff k

Posted in Site | Tags: Web Design, | Archive | 6 Comments »

This weekend I’ve been working on a small project. Basically I was bored and felt like making another site. Not just another layout but another site. So, I decided to make a small resource site.

A while ago I removed the tutorials and graphics I’ve made since I didn’t think they fit in at Whirlwind which is a personal site. Now that stuff is back but now on a site of it’s own. Hopefully I’ll find the time to actually make something of my new little site. I really want to make some layouts for people to use. If I am to make a living out of web design some day I’ll need a portfolio.

Anyway, without further ado I give you Whirlwind Design

Plugs: maria, Kristen, Ashley, Shaina, Pauline, tiff k

Posted in Yada Yada | Tags: School, Sweden, Web Design, | Archive | 6 Comments »

I’ve now applied to nineteen classes at colleges from Blekinge in the south to Luleå in the north. They’re all distance education classes though so I can study all of them from home. The plan is to study two or three classes. I’d like to study one coding based class, one involving graphic design and a third one about Java, PHP or databases.

A couple of the classes I’ve applied to are:

Web development – Introduction
CSS based web design
Web publication: Technique , design, communication
Picture and graphic design for the web
Web design with JavaScript and Document Object Model
Databases and object oriented programming in PHP
Animation with Flash
Basic Java programming

Some things I’m familiar with. Other things not. Whichever classes I get into I’m still excited.

Speaking of something entirely different. I always see cool candy in American movies and think “oh, I’d like to try that”. Obviously that’s often kind of impossible since I live in Sweden. So I thought, would anyone like to exchange candy with me? You don’t have to live in the US, anywhere but Sweden is cool. You send me candy from your country and I’ll send you candy from Sweden. Anyone interested?

Plugs: Alyssa, Elizabeth, Angie, Joebs, Kimmy, tiff k

Posted in Yada Yada | Tags: School, Web Design, | Archive | 6 Comments »

I’m looking at different web design classes to apply to and something is really bugging me. Why the hell do I need Maths B for studying web design?! It’s not needed for all classes but for a couple of the classes I want to study it’s required. WHY? I’m pretty good at web design and master XHTML and CSS and so far during my ten years doing this I’ve never needed any knowledge of maths.

These classes weren’t even the ones I originally planned to apply to but now that I can’t of course I really want to. Oh well. I’ll live. There are other classes.

The world is pretentious. And I guess I am too. Going back to school to study things I already know just to have it on paper.

Anyway, I need to go back to what I was doing. I just needed to rant a little.

Plugs: Maria, Grace, maria, Deanna, Kimmy, tiff k

Posted in Computers & Internet | Tags: 90s, Fun, Web Design, | Archive | 3 Comments »

If you want to see a web design masterpiece look no further because here it is !

Me and a friend did some web design like it was 1998. The worst possible kind of 1998. What do you think? We’d gladly help you with a new layout for your site. I’ll find you the perfect graphics and Milla will write excellent code. All this for a “small” fee. E-mail me for details!

Plugs: Gel, Kitty, scott

Posted in Yada Yada | Tags: School, Web Design, Work, | Archive | 10 Comments »

Today I went back to work after being sick for two and half week. And today was my last day of work since the thrift store no longer exist. I might have a new job soon, if everything goes well. I’ll let you know when it’s set.

And hopefully I’ll start two distance education college classes in january. I want to study one class called “Designing for the web” which is about the coding aspect of web design and one called “Multimedia for the web” about creating graphics (mostly flash animations) for the web. I’m so thrilled about this. I mean, college. Wow. Of course I’ll do all the studying from home but still, it’s college. I’m finally getting a proper education. And after I’m done with those two classes I’ll probably take some more advanced ones.

Life’s good. I have a plan. Now I just need to get out of this town.

Plugs: Gabriella, Stepherz, Alicia, Angie, maria, tiff k, Jhoice, kitty, Amy