Happy Cog: News

Happy Cog New York’s New Digs

happycog — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:06:31 +0000

The New York office of Happy Cog Studios has moved to swank new accommodations on Fifth Avenue above Madison Square in Manhattan. We’re sharing the plush space with our colleagues at Roger Black Inc. and Danilo Black. A few photos from the move are now available. Our Philadelphia office is also relocating to a fine new spot; more will be revealed.

ALA 262: bind and subvert

happycog — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:54:20 +0000

In Issue No. 262 of A List Apart, for people who make websites, Ryan Irelan invites us to collaborate and connect with Subversion, and Christophe Porteneuve explains how to get out of binding situations in JavaScript.

Fourth Story taps Happy Cog

happycog — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:57:50 +0000

After managing the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and originating and overseeing development of The 39 Clues, Lisa Holton left her post as president of Scholastic and launched a new business. Publishing under the HarperCollins flagship imprint, Fourth Story Media will produce stories that span multiple formats, including books, websites, games, DVDs, audio downloads and social networks. Its first series is The Amanda Project, an interactive, collaborative fictional mystery for girls 12 to 24, told across multiple media. The project will launch at the end of this year and grow throughout 2009. Happy Cog is delighted to be part of Fourth Story’s creative team.

ALA 261: magic layouts & prototypes

happycog — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:01:16 +0000

In Issue No. 261 of A List Apart, for people who make websites, Eric Sol introduces Faux Absolute Positioning, combining the strengths of absolute positioning and float-based layouts, and David Verba shares the magic of prototyping.

ALA No. 260: Style Guides, Creative Sparks

happycog — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:38:53 +0000

In Issue No. 260 of A List Apart, for people who make websites:

Writing an Interface Style Guide

by JINA BOLTON

Ever designed or developed a beautiful interface only to find your hard work ruined months later by gaudy graphics or invalid markup? With proper documentation you’ll have a better chance at seeing your interface stay beautiful. Jina Bolton guides us through the process of developing an interface style guide.

Saving the Spark: Developing Creative Ideas

by MARK BOULTON

Ideas are at the heart of every creative process. However, coming up with them can be hard work. Mark Boulton arms us with tools to meet this challenge.

ALA 259: Content, Career

happycog — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:43:34 +0000

In Issue No. 259 of A List Apart, for people who make websites:

The Cure for Content-Delay Syndrome

by PEPI RONALDS

Clients love to write copy. Well, they love to plan to write it, anyhow. On most web design projects, content is the last thing to be considered (and almost always the last thing to be delivered). We’ll spend hours, weeks, even months, doing user scenarios, site maps, wireframes, designs, schemas, and specifications—but content? It’s a disrespected line item in a schedule: “final content delivered.” Pepi Ronalds proposes a solution to this constant cause of project delays.

Why Did You Hire Me?

by KEITH LAFERRIERE

Landing a new job or client is difficult in this economic climate. Undelivered contractual promises and work environment shortcomings can transform that challenge into a long-term nightmare. Keith LaFerriere shows how to get paid what you’re worth; how to fight for control of your projects using management tools corporate cultures respect (even if they don’t understand your work); and how to tell when it’s time to jump ship.

SF, here we come

happycog — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:09:21 +0000

An Event Apart, the design conference for people who make websites, has posted its San Francisco 2008 schedule. Join us August 18–19, 2008 at the Palace Hotel for two jam-packed 9.5-hour-long days of learning and inspiration with Heather Champ, Kelly Goto, Jeremy Keith, Luke Wroblewski, Dan Cederholm, Tantek Çelik, Jeffrey Veen, Derek Featherstone, Liz Danzico, Jason Santa Maria, Eric Meyer, and Jeffrey Zeldman.

ALA 258: Flickr ‘n stripes

happycog — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:38:10 +0000

What does it take to build an online community like Flickr’s? And how can we tell if interface design conventions we take for granted actually help or hurt users? In Issue No. 258 of A List Apart, for people who make websites, George Oates, a key member of the core team that shaped the Flickr community, tells what it will take to build the next Flickr (hint: the answer isn’t Ajax). And Jessica Enders drops some science on the widespread belief that zebra stripes aid the reader by guiding the eye along a table row.

A $30 billion powerhouse

happycog — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:18:39 +0000

In September 2006, Happy Cog set on a journey to redesign the site for the Thomson Corporation, a global provider of industry-focused business information. After helping Thomson complete a significant overhaul of the site’s information architecture, design, and CSS/XHTML, we learned that Thomson would acquire Reuters, the worldwide news agency. Drawing from a newly established brand and corporate messaging, we redesigned our redesign to accommodate the public unveiling of a $30 billion company. Presenting Thomson Reuters.

An Event Apart New Orleans

happycog — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 17:10:13 +0000

An Event Apart New Orleans is over, but the memories and photos linger on. Thank you to all who joined us. An Event Apart is the design conference for people who make websites. Join us on June 23–24, 2008 for An Event Apart Boston: two big days of web standards, best practices, and creative new directions, featuring twelve of the greatest minds and hottest talents in web design today.