DESIGNTABFrom Conception to Concreteness

So… What was this project again?• A website where people could come to learn more about web

design• Friendly, informal and easy to follow tutorials• Video Tutorials• Written Articles• Forum

Development• Platforms• The FEEL• Layout• Blog Theme• Forum Theme• Tutorials

Platforms - Blog• Wordpress• Popular• Easy to manage• Easily extended through plugins• Strong templating engine• Well documented

• Lessons• Excellent choice for time

management• Heavily documented• Strong templating system• Great plugin system• Bulky, possible to create a leaner

system from scratch to achieve a more tailored platform

Platforms - Forum• Invision Power Board• Powerful• Fast• Lots of features• Personal Portfolio• Personal Blog• Friends System

Blog - Before

Blog - After

Blog - After

Forum - Before

Forum - After

Plugins• Syntax highlighter Evolved• http://wordpress.org/plugins/syntaxhighlighterpro

• Wysija Newsletters• http://wordpress.org/plugins/wysija-newsletters

• Custom• DesignTab Social Media Plugin

• Custom made to ensure fluid integration with theme

Early Tutorials• Problems• Bad voice quality• Text hard to read in video• Unattractive transitions between windows

• Fixes• Upgrading to a condenser microphone• Animated zooms and repositioning of the camera during

important sections• More focus on pre-recording organisaton

The Tutorial Cycle

Planning

Pre-Recording

Setup

Record

2 day trial for

feedback

Re-record /

Edit if minor

For the future• Create a custom platform in a language like ruby• More reliance on version control• Publically viewable and collaborative documentation (e.g.

Google Docs)• Further the range of feedback to more experienced designers

to get ideas from both the newbie and experienced spectrums• To-Do Board (priority step by step list)• Try to spend less time re-creating the wheel• Post-Launch: Set up an analytics and statistics program over a

certain period and apply changes based on the results• Set up an automated backup system

Thank You