Blog articles written by Jeremy Girard, Rhode Island based web designer

My Articles - Category: Web

My writings here on Pumpkin-King.com that have something to do with the Web (hint: most of the articles on my site fall into this category).

I Helped Create a Failed Web Design Workshop and it was Awesome.
Back in the Summer of 2014, I worked with Peachpit Press in San Francisco to create an interactive web design workshop - only the final product was never released. Here's what I learned during this experience.
The Halloween Box
Existing resources can be helpful in both web design and Halloween costuming, but sometimes you need to break away from established conventions and try something new.
Stormtroopers Don’t Wear Jackets
Every Halloween, kids everywhere have their costumes ruined by mothers insisting they wear a jacket. Similarly, many website designs are destroyed by last minute change requests.
This Is 40
I turn the big 4-0 this year. It's interesting how my perspective has changed since I saw my own father hit this birthday milestone.
Shared Experiences
A look at the joys collecting toys with my son or connecting with fellow web professionals in my career.
Snow Day
Complaining about clients' questions is like complaining about New England getting snow in Winter. It's a pointless exercise.
Admiring The View
What do I love so much about hiking? It’s the view - and I don’t only mean the perspective from the top of a mountain.
A History Lesson
Each October, I read Ray Bradbury’s classic tale, The Halloween Tree, to get me excited for the season and also to remind me of the value of a history lesson.
Building Puppets For Father’s Day
How building puppets with my family on Father's Day is a lesson in how ads and websites can speak to a wider audience.
Ukulele Shopping
My recent decision to take up ukulele reminds me of how overwhelmed many clients feel when they price out a new website.
5 Peeps + 1 Guitar = Great Web Content
What we can learn from the band, Walk Off The Earth, about building an audience by creating great Web content.
Reviewing the Webydo Web Design Suite
My thoughts on the exciting Webydo "web design platform", including what it does great and where it could still use some improvement.
Great Expectations
Dickens' classic tale of an orphan named Pip reminds me how important it is to be nice to the people that we meet in life and in business.
The Long Cold Winter
I hate the Winter - but this year, I'm fighting back!
A Christmas Carol
A love letter to my favorite holiday story, "A Christmas Carol", and how the Ghosts of the Past, Present, and Future can help us in web design.
Art Directed Articles: Then and Now
A look at why I still use an art directed article approach on my site and what has changed in that approach over the years.
Welcome to Version 10
My site has hit the double digits. Here's a look at some past versions of the site and the reasons for this latest redesign.
Folding Squirrels
The New Year brings a new semester of teaching at URI and a new hobby for me - the art of folding origami.
Robots Under The Tree
My son wants a robot for Christmas. This year's yuletide-themed article looks at setting appropriate expectations for clients and Christmas lists.
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
For my annual Halloween-themed article, I take a look at Linus' unwavering belief in the mythical Great Pumpkin and how similar it is to some of the companies I speak with about their outdated websites.
How Designing Websites Prepared Me to Play the Violin
I recently decided to start playing the violin and discovered, to my delight, that lessons in web design could also be applied to learning this instrument.
What Being a Dad Has Taught Me About Web Design
For Father's Day, I thought it would be nice to take a look at what lessons in web design I have learned from my role as "dad."
Reviewing The Smashing Book #3
"The Smashing Book #3: Redesigning the Web" has just been released. I was lucky enough to get an early copy of this great new book. It's like Christmas came early.
The Wisdom of Mom
Inspired by Mother's Day, I take a look at some life lessons my Mom taught me to see how they relate to lessons in website design.
Knowing Your Audience
It pays to understand your audience - evidenced by the fact that my daughter wants a baby doll that poops for Christmas.
Of Tricks & Treats
A look at the similarities between awesome Halloween costumes and awesome browsers, and the treats that they each deserve to receive.
Adding Action Features
I like my toys to look cool, my sons likes his to do cool things - to have some WOW to them. Kinda reminds of some clients’ opinion of what makes for a cool website.
In Praise of Sushi
An article about my absolute love of sushi and how trying new things is critical to success on the Web.
Product of the Environment
Appropriate design can help make great content event better, evidenced by the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular’s 2009 return to familiar surroundings.

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