Let me introduce you to Don’t Fear the Internet
As a print designer, illustrator, jack-of-all-paper-based-design-trades, I loved this site. I cut my teeth on HTML in 2000 as a 19 year old trying to work out ‘how to make a site’. My knowledge is pretty good now that I’m married to a web designer and I’m picking up more every day, but if this site were around when I was still a teenager, I think I’d probably be a bit more involved in the web industry than just by association!

Anyway, this site was put together by partners Jessica Hische (the lass behind the oft-forwarded ‘Should I Work For Free?’ flowchart) & Russ Maschmeyer (a pretty darned great designer), so that the less web design savvy among us “feel empowered rather than crippled by the internet and worst case scenario you’ll at least end up having a better idea of how professional web designers turn your design dreams into a reality on screen.”

Bravo, I say!
If you’re a brave resident of the online world with a much neglected blog or a print designer seeking a better understanding of ‘how a site is born’, this should be your starting point.

The tech world is all about ‘apps’ these days, from iPhone to Android (and the rest!), it is all people blog about. However we still use, and love, handy little Dashboard Widgets out there for Mac OS X that once you start using you think ‘How did I live without this‘ ?

With this I want to share, Loremify, which is a one-click tool to copy Lorem Ipsum. It lets you wrap in html, specify the amount of text, and copy it to your clipboard—all in one click.

Loremify features a huge display and three wide buttons. The amount of Lorem Ipsum you copy will vary depending on where you click. Minimum to the left—maximum to the right. The display updates smoothly as you move your mouse around.
To copy to your clipboard—click a button. A check mark will appear, and you’re done! In version 1.1, support for keyboard shortcuts were added—use Shift to toggle HTML mode, and T to toggle HTML tags.
And of course, Loremify is absolutely free.

Download Loremify here

When designing and developing a website for a client, we often come up against some curious questions and equally puzzling reasons for and against client decisions.
Sometimes you can end up, against your better judgment and expertise, making regrettable allowances simply because it’s the easier option than championing your point to your client or educating them.
Sounds like a familiar position we’ve all been in, eh designers?

So how do you prevent heated discussions about element positioning and just ‘what all that white space is doing there’? With a wee nudge in the right direction!

The very clever and invaluable ‘go-to’ site was put together by web designers Paddy Donnelly and Jack Osborne.
In Jack’s words:
“So, what exactly is Wee Nudge? Well, in short it is a resource where designers and developers alike are able to point their clients to if they are proving to be quite troublesome over some of our industries grey areas. At present Wee Nudge covers topics such as whitespace, the fold, wireframes and content delivery.”

Wee Nudge is seemingly expanding quite rapidly, no doubt due to a deluge of suggested topics submitted by frustrated designers the world over, even including links covering one of my bugbears as an illustrator ‘speculative work’.

Bookmark the site, have a click around at the various info links, and keep it in mind for your next client design discussion.

Website: Wee Nudge

You may have seen our spam coming at you from all directions over the past few weeks in relation to a little site we created.
Basically, Perth’s own Jebediah ran a contest to find their ‘biggest fan’ and asked entrants to gather email addresses from friends, colleagues, co-workers, well-wishers, passers-by, and family in order to win a private show for them and 100 of their nearest and dearest.

Our long-time friend (and witness at the Brunky wedding in 2006) Jonathon Miller quite simply is the world’s biggest and most devoted Jebediah fan and has been since the band’s early days. He deserved to win this once in a lifetime opportunity so we decided to donate our skills and campaign for his cause.

We managed to gather over 3000 votes, many in the last night of the contest due to an overwhelming response from all we spammed, SMSed, pleaded with, and canvassed. It was quite the experience, akin to (we’d imagine) a grass-roots political campaign, time consuming, and most of all – when Jon was announced as the lucky winner – rewarding.

Congratulations, Jon. We can’t wait to be with you on the night watching an amazing band that we associate with so many memorable experiences over the years.

Website: www.jebediahforjon.com

design merchants, run by Juliet Borshoff, specialise in visual merchandising.
Brunky created the logo identity and business card design for the business as well as sourcing the fabulous raw-looking card stock seen above (335gsm Enviroboard, for those playing at home).

Many thanks to the very accommodating and ever-so-helpful Karen Hill at Eco Digital for all her advice and amazing service.

We wish Juliet all the best on the launch of her new business and hope to work with her again in the near future.

Today, the Brunky office took delivery of a fresh batch of promotional postcards, thanks to the fabulous MOO Print, and we’re quite smitten by them already. Glossy on the front, matte satin on the back, and ready to be sent to prospective clients in need of design rescue.

If you know someone who needs a fresh injection of ‘Free-range Ideas’, let us know!

(If you want to read what’s on the reverse of our postcards, you can do so here)

Some web projects you’re especially proud of when they reach completion and unleash them upon the web browsing public.
This is definitely one of those projects.

This week we’re excited to announce the launch of a new website for musician (and good friend of Brunky) Sam Holloway.

An extremely talented professional touring and recording musician, arranger, and producer, Sam has worked with some well-known names not only in the Australian music industry but also alongside some enviable International names.
He came to us requiring a site that would allow him to promote his career as a multi-skilled musician as well as offer a unique ‘remote session’ service to other musicians.

We’re immensely proud of this site and want to thank Sam for the opportunity to work professionally with him on launching what we’re sure will become an important tool for him in the near future.
(The picture above really doesn’t do the design justice so you’ll have to have a look for yourself!)

Website: www.samholloway.com.au

It’s when disasters such as floods hit that we hear of human plight and property damage, but what about our animal friends who can’t help themselves?
RSPCA Qld is calling for financial donations that can be used to purchase pet, livestock, and wildlife supplies in areas affected by the current flood crisis.

Below are some of the costs of items that the RSPCA anticipate will be needed at this time.

$2000 can rent a helicopter to support rescue efforts.
$1500 can rent a semi trailer to transport feed and animals through affected areas.
$1000 can purchase a large animal rescue sling.
$500 can purchase a field medication kit.
$300 can help to purchase equipment to rescue, transport and house wildlife stranded in the floods.
$250 can purchase a domestic animal transport crate.
$150 can help to get a rehabilitation kit to a carer to assist wildlife who have lost their homes.
$100 can help with Veterinary Treatments for multiple animals.
$70 can help with equipment to assist with rescue efforts.
$60 can provide special dietary requirements, a pouch or a perch for wildlife.
$50 can purchase a pet care pack for stranded domestic pets.
$40 can buy a bale of hay to feed stranded livestock.
$25 can buy a pet food pack for stranded domestic pets.

Everyone and anyone can help.
Forgoing your daily coffee fix at a café or purchased lunch and donating that money instead can help poor flood affected animals who may be stranded (with or without their owners/carers) and frightened with nowhere to go. Click the banner to go to the donation page or the link below.

Website: RSPCA Queensland – https://donate.rspcaqld.org.au/flood

The latest of our web projects, the site of ‘Ivan Pavlovic & Associates’ has recently launched. Specialising in the design, construction and project management of residential, retail, and commercial spaces, Ivan Pavlovic and his team certainly provided us with some great imagery to work with.

Website: www.ivanpavlovic.com

We’ve been fortunate enough to have been collaborating with The Greens (Victoria) several times throughout the year on various campaigns.
Most recently, we were asked to provide our web design skills for the ‘Ask The Greens’ campaign where anyone can ask representatives from The Greens Victoria a question and receive factual information for all to see through the implementation of Q & A service Formspring.

It’s been a pleasure working with The Greens, and we hope the working relationship continues well into future.

(Please note that this site is no longer available for viewing)
Website: http://vic.greens.org.au/ask