Dumping wisdom on design and the web
When you’re creating a website, the most important thing to consider from a design standpoint is who your target market is. Without this in mind, you could be creating a website that might not be functional for those that you’re intending to have come to your website, especially if those people are of an older generation. [Read more…]
Originally posted on February 20, 2020 @ 2:23 pm
Note: This post comes from the Whitespace archive and was originally posted by Scrivs on March 28th, 2006. Links referred to herein may have been moved or modified.
When I came up with 9rules back in 2003, the only other company that I was aware of that used a number to start off their company name was 37signals. I am sure there were more, but at that time on the web they were the only ones I could think of and therefore I didn’t see any issues with using a number for my company. If I were to start all over today I would think twice about using a number simply because there are so many sites and companies out there that employ this naming scheme.
So what are the criteria for coming up with a good company name? Well the list is short and sweet, but that doesn’t make the process any easier. So many names have been taken up that now you are either starting to see some recycled goodies or names that come from words that don’t even exist.
In his book The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier has come up with a wonderful list of seven characteristics that you should consider while coming up with your company name. Here they are along with my own thoughts.
So if you can’t afford to buy a 3-4 letter domain like everyone else seems to be doing, I suggest you follow these guidelines when thinking of the next great thing you are creating. Don’t let a bad name put you back 10 paces before the race even begins. A lesson that Pajamas Media definitely learned with their original name of Open Source Media.
UPDATE: Great. Today Jon Udell linked us up in his entry about 9cays. Of all the numbers they chose…
Originally posted on May 30, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
I think it’s time to do move this site to its own domain. I talked about this before when I held the domain name contest, but it has finally got to the point where having Whitespace on the sub-domain really bothers me. Also the name simply implies that this is still solely a design site, which even the casual reader can see it drifted from being strictly about design a long time ago.
As the tagline says the content is geared more towards design, business and web++ (2.0 won’t last forever) so I need a domain that suggests that and if you could offer suggestions I would be more than willing to listen. With redirects traffic won’t decrease so that isn’t a concern, but this is as close to starting from scratch as I can get so I am a bit anxious and excited.
So if you could put your thinking caps on and help me out a bit I would greatly appreciate it.
Originally posted on May 15, 2006 @ 11:31 am
Design for the needs of your website. That’s the thought that continued to run through my mind last week as I became more and more frustrated with the Information Design of this site. I loved the previous design, which was a collaboration between myself and Rundle, but unfortunately I wanted to take this site into a new territory.
Over the years I have found that I have painted myself into a corner with regards to how I handle content. I wasn’t “allowed” to post multiple times a day because I was so focused on having a great discussion with a single entry and multiple posts would hinder that. However, I also came across so many different sites and articles that I wanted to share my thoughts on, but obviously couldn’t for the reasons just mentioned.
Then it hit me. This is actually my site.
As stupid as that sounds I am sure I am not the only who has prevented themselves from doing something with their sites because we wanted to please the masses. What I had to find was a middle-ground that kept the old Whitespace intact, but ushered in the Whitespace that I wanted and I think I have accomplished that with the new two column design.
From an IA standpoint I am really pleased with what I have now because it merges the best of both worlds. I can maintain writing (improved) articles, while also exploring topics that only need a couple of words. Aesthetically I wouldn’t be surprised if Rundle comes in to offer to polish it up a bit (and of course I will let him), but you know my love for simplicity, so I like what I have now.
The only other major difference is how the individual pages are one column as opposed to the two column design of the homepage. This keeps the focus on the content, even though it’s probably not the best option if I wish to encourage readers to explore the site. That goal can occur with a well-designed footer I believe so that will be the next step.
There are a couple of little things that need to be finished such as the pages in the navigation need to be written, the comment form needs styling and I will more than likely implement sIFR for the headings because there are some wicked fonts out there I want to try out.
I feel I have a lot more freedom now with regards to how I handle this site and that should lead to a much improved site. Now the teeny tiny “bullshit” entries that some of you hate will go under notes where you can ignore them if you like. Amazing what a couple more options can do to things.
Originally posted on March 27, 2006 @ 12:01 am
Honestly, I think you need to spin off Whitespace to its own domain. Besides the home navigation issue, it’s also confusing to see a directory of the network also being listed as a member of said network.
As I told Mark in the comments of that entry, I have thought about this more times than not, but never come to a solid conclusion so I thought I would open it up to the audience to help me finally come to a decision. The problem with Whitespace being on the 9rules domain is that the site is a separate entity from 9rules. It’s not the company’s blog because we already have one of those so in that sense I can understand the confusion that it can cause people.
The problems though are that the site is well linked to (301 .htaccess redirects, I know) and is generally well-known throughout the community and beyond. I can’t attain whitespace.com so I would have to think of another name.
However, this also allows for new opportunities. New branding. New design. Anyways, what do you think would be best for this site? I know Keith experienced this a while ago and tried to change domains and quickly changed back so hopefully he has some input into the matter.
Originally posted on January 26, 2006 @ 2:32 pm