On the Web with Kim Vallee » review http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com A Guide to Social Media for Bloggers Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:38:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en hourly 1 Balsamiq Mockups Feels Like Hand Drawing your Interface http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2010/02/balsamiq-mockups-feels-like-hand-drawing-your-interface/ http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2010/02/balsamiq-mockups-feels-like-hand-drawing-your-interface/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:21:27 +0000 Kim Vallee http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/?p=3048 balsamiq mockups sample :: google maps

Balsamiq Mockups is one  tool I use to build my upcoming community site. Following a tweet I made last week, I saw that many of you were curious to know what I was thinking of Balsamiq Mockups. So, here we are.

Before you build any software, Web site or even a blog, you need is to draw mockups of the interface. This step is not about being pretty. This step is about defining how the Web pages will operate. Plus, you identify what content and how it will be shown to the users.

I used many tools and methods to create wireframes/UI mockups over my UI and Web design career. The most efficient I found so far is Balsamiq. It feels natural and you work fast.

How Balsamiq works?

Using Balsamiq Mockups feels natural since it reproduces hand drawing on a piece of paper done but quickly done with a computer. Once you learned where are the 75 pre-set controls, it goes fast to create your interface. You have access to more than 150 icons. For the expert users, they are plenty of keyboard shortcuts.

balsamiq mockups pre-set controls

The pre-set controls come with context-sensitive properties to give you more options. You can import an image if there is no ready-to-use controls that fit your need. Plus, you can download custom control made by the members of their Mockups To Go community.

In team meetings, you could easily modify and create new mockups while you are having a discussion. For all these reasons, I love it!

+ Balsamiq Mockups
+ Google Maps Mockup

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]]> http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2010/02/balsamiq-mockups-feels-like-hand-drawing-your-interface/feed/ 0 My Take on the iPad http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2010/01/my-take-on-the-ipad/ http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2010/01/my-take-on-the-ipad/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:56:45 +0000 Kim Vallee http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/?p=2877 ipad by apple :: sitting on a couch to browse the web

Apple revealed its iPad last Wednesday. I took a couple of days to think it over before I shared what I think about this new device. I will probably get one! Let’s be clear, I do really need it but it’s cool and some features make the experience more enjoyable than using my 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The Apple marketing guys excel at making us wanting their products. They even used the soundtrack of my favorite The Cure’s song. Therefore, I watched over and over the feature video until I can get an objective feel of what the features are all about.

A Content Distribution Device

I see the iPad as a big version of the iPhone without the phone and a camera, but on which Apple added a more powerful CPU and a better resolution screen. You can also describe the iPad as a content distribution device or, as Josyan mentioned on her comment, a media consumption platform. New possibilities emerge from the bigger size and increased power. When you take into account all these, it makes the device appealing.

One element that iPad can deliver is adding comfort to our browsing experience. I dreamt for years of browsing with only a screen on my laps. Now, I will be able to do it. Showing your last vacation to your best friends will be easier since the iPad reproduced the way we are accustomed to do it. When traveling, I see us watching movies on the train or the plane with more ease than opening our laptop. For these reasons, I want one. Plus, I want someone to invent a waterproof case to use the iPad while I work on my tan sitting on my pool chair.

What About Women?

Have you noticed that we never see a woman holding the iPad? The question I have is “With my fingers that measure half the size of the long fingers of the guy on the video would it would be as comfortable for me to handle the device?” With all the funny jokes about the name of the device, I wonder if the guys at Apple has ever asked a woman to use their advice.

If you wish more details about the iPad, my husband wrote an excellent iPad review. He talked about other aspects of the device that you should know about. You should read it.

I am curious to know your intention.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

+ photo: iPad feature video by Apple

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]]> http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2010/01/my-take-on-the-ipad/feed/ 3 Create Your Own Art with BeFunky http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2009/01/create-your-own-art-with-befunky/ http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2009/01/create-your-own-art-with-befunky/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:32:04 +0000 Kim Vallee http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/?p=578 I tried a cool online tool that enables us to transform any picture of us into a funky piece of art. BeFunky let you create an avatar or a art print.

BeFunky.com homepage

BeFunky was founded by engineers and cartoonists with a unique desire to integrate art and technology. It is fun and pretty easy to use. The selection process of the Uvatar works well. They do not tell you but you can move the selected dots to get a smoother shape for your face.

There are 9 effects to create an art picture with Cartoonizer. I went modern with the Warholizer effect on a relax pose.

Art print effects on BeFunky

The results look cool. I received good comments when I posted it on Facebook. I like that you are not obligated to sign in to download the results of the art print. You have to sign in to create an avatar since you have to add items to complete the tasks. For which of your avatar face, you can select your outfits, the background decor, add accessories and even be seen with celebrities.

my Walholizer print and my avatar in the living room

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]]> http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2009/01/create-your-own-art-with-befunky/feed/ 0 Why Do a Review of Your Blogging Year? http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2009/01/why-do-a-review-of-your-blogging-year/ http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/2009/01/why-do-a-review-of-your-blogging-year/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:45:16 +0000 Kim Vallee http://ontheweb.kimvallee.com/?p=211 This is the first year I did this exercise. I wrote over 665 posts on At Home with Kim Vallee in 2008. The same way as we reflect on our life, I felt it would be a good idea to go over my posts before starting the New Year.

My method was simple. For each month (two more left), I wrote a post featuring 4 posts with a small comment saying what is special about each post. I often put it in the context of my own life.

I saw how the topics evolved over time. I feel this exercise gave new, and possibly old readers a chance to read posts that they missed. It generated a few comments on older posts in a slow blogging period. So it is not bad.
Jan. 4, 2009 Update: A blogger wrote a post about one of my year-in-review stories. Dabble: creative inspiration wrote about the Igloofest event in Montreal.

Next year, I may try something different. Have you reflected on your blogging performance? If so, which method did you use?

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