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Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Design help for the non-designer


It's horrible to say it, but so much of the desktop publishing I see makes me cringe! I should be easier on the non-designer forced to take on a job for which they were never trained, but it's an instinctive reaction. (After the initial cringe, though, I remember I would do at least as bad if I tried to do their jobs!)

But there is help! At Borders the other day, I spotted a great book for desktop pubishers: The Non-Designer's Design Book, by Robin Williams. (No, not THAT Robin williams; this one.)

The content is great. It reduces the principles of design to their very basics, making it approachable for someone who just does this stuff because they must. But the principles are sound, so the results are good. True, it won't turn you into a world-renowned designer, but it will make your Publisher and Word documents more professional-looking, easier to read, and more effective. (Wow, I type "Publisher" and "Word" with only the barest cringe...)

If you find yourself having to create stuff all the time, but you're never really happy with the results, head on over to Amazon and click "Look Inside." Theres' some good, useful stuff there.

Friday, June 23, 2006

Calling All Sword Angels!


Lady geeks, especially Christians, my friend Ishy has something just for you. Sword Angels, which began as a myspace group, is a wonderful site just for ladies like us. Our discussions are varied; we talk about life, being a Sword Angel, guy geeks (of course), and religion. We pray for each other and offer emotional support, but we always have time for laughs and silliness, too.

We're still a small group, but we enjoy ourselves anyway! We range in age from fourteen on up, and have both single and married members. So why not come say hey?