I just look at the pictures

[tamaranth]

Scott McCloud's I Can't Stop Thinking ...

Used to read many more comics than I do now. But tempted all over again by what McCloud writes.

(Should, of course, also be commenting on what Gaiman writes. And it is 'writes', these days. American Gods is a fine book, even considering its relative lack of rivers. And no, it is not 'just the same as Sandman').

But I digress.

Am heading out to buy Transmetropolitan, because I liked what I read. And maybe if it is not solid text I can read it. (Reading solid text, in book form, for more than about 20 minutes sets off twitches, neuralgia, migraines and depression-at-not-having-finished-Years-of-Rice-and-Salt)

Comments

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

Shall I bring Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics along to Signs of Life tomorrow?

I have been using them for the last couple of years along with the Tufte books on how to design effective graphical information as excellent guides for web designers on semiotics and perception. They form an excellent counterpoint to the Nielsen/Tog usability axis.

Transmetropolitan is brilliant. And nearly over. Damn. What will Ellis do next?

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

I have Understanding Comics and Reinventing Comics ... somewhere ... have even read the first one!

And yes, though I hadn't really thought of it, they are an excellent primer in layout and semiotics. Hmm. Will review.

What/where Nielsen/Tog?

You can't get Transmetropolitan in the City of London.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

but you will bring the camera, won't you? ... utterly unimpressed by various film-processing outlets this week.

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

In the backpack already...

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

Usability gurus. Jakob Nielsen, Donald Norman and Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini. Right a lot of the time. And certainly interesting to argue about with design folk...

This is their company's site (http://www.nngroup.com/)

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

Nielsen is the 'less is more' chap, yes? Used by me and no doubt many others as an excuse for a simple site?

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's a reasonable summary of his work. However I believe he misses out crucial issues - especially the concept of "flow", which is it at the heart of interaction design. There's more to web design than simplicity (just as there is a lot more than "skip into").

Which reminds me.

The official collective noun for web designers is a skip intro. So, "see those blokes with number 2s and dark glasses? No, they're not vampires, it's a skip intro of web designers..."

[(Anonymous)]

These are the sma eguys that Geoff Ryman goes on about. Have you talked to him about his web useability/disability access work? Lil

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

ooooh look, an Anonymous Lillian!

Why aren't you a real person? Oh go on. Show yourself.

No, haven't really chatted about that sort of thing with Geoff - way more likely to be archaeology and (ahem) slash right now ...
... have just had Horrid Image of Archaeological Slash. Carter and Caernarvon [??]. I really wish that hadn't happened.

I know archaeologists

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

... so I wish you hadn't thought of that as well.

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

Heh. I went to Gosh at lunchtime to pick up the new issue...