First, I've mentioned several times in the past that while Illustrator is my first love, there are plenty of other areas in the technology arena that I play in. I usually keep those things to myself, mainly because I want to keep this blog focused on Illustrator. I've attempted to keep a variety of blogs open on different topics, but until I can find a way to clone myself, that simply isn't realistic. So I've taken my own personal site, Mordy.com, and have relaunched it. The site, under the mantra "Technology for Designers" also has a blog, which will become my main public voice. The Real World Illustrator blog will continue, but will be focused on Illustrator-related content only.
Many thanks a million times over are owed to my friend Von Glitschka, who designed the logo and the brand for the new Mordy.com.
Second, A short while ago, I proposed a call to action. A call for people to expand their skillset and to learn something new. To take it upon themselves to stray outside of their comfort zone to learn and share in their experiences. I was thrilled with the response! So many people commented on how they'd love to participate, and I also got many private emails from folks expressing their willingness to help.
Overall, there were two topics that rose to the top. Two topics that are very much in the heads of designers these days, both of which involve code (few designers express delight in that word). These topics are:
- CSS or Cascading Style Sheets, a standard used in designing web content
- ActionScript, the code behind all the goodness that we know of as Flash.
The original goal was to take a year to learn something, but I'm confident that CSS could be tackled in less than an entire year. As such, I think it would be best to start with CSS, and once we experience success (which we surely will), we will go on to tackle ActionScript as well.
Being I'm hoping this will be a true learning experience for all (including myself), I wanted to ensure that we had a way to easily communicate, share, post samples and ideas, and to track progress. I'm happy to announce that we can accomplish all of that through the free Adobe Groups feature on Adobe.com.
I'm thrilled to announce the formation of The CSS Learning Group. Unlike a user group where like-minded individuals come to see what's new in technology, the Learning Group will allow all members to share and exchange ideas towards a single goal: Learning CSS. If you aren't already a member of Adobe Groups, membership is free (it's just your Adobe ID).
Here's the link to The CSS Learning Group. Sign up and join me today!