Recent News

  1. ALA 258: Flickr ‘n stripes

    May 6, 2008

    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.

  2. A $30 billion powerhouse

    May 5, 2008

    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.

  3. An Event Apart New Orleans

    April 26, 2008

    An Event Apart New Orleans is over, but the memories and photos linger on. 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.

  4. ALA on Ruby on Rails

    April 22, 2008

    Issue No. 257 of A List Apart, for people who make websites, is about the why and how of Ruby on Rails:

    • The “why” of Ruby on Rails comes down to productivity, says Michael Slater. Web applications that share three characteristics—they’re database-driven, they’re new, and they have needs not well met by a typical CMS—can be built much more quickly with Ruby on Rails than with PHP, .NET, or Java, once the investment required to learn Rails has been made. Does your web app fall within the RoR “sweet spot?”
    • The “how” of Ruby on Rails: Hivelogic’s Dan Benjamin prepares non-Rails developers, designers, and other creative professionals for their first foray into Rails. Learn what Ruby on Rails is (and isn’t), and where it fits into the spectrum of web development and design. See through the myths surrounding this powerful young platform, and learn how to approach working with it.

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When you are expected to be the arbiter of excellence in communication design, who do you approach to prove your beliefs in your own values while assuring that you reach into new web audiences with a clear, exciting sense of discovery? Jeffrey Zeldman and Happy Cog, who understand the pillars of great design: empathy and usefulness.

Ric Grefé, Executive Director, AIGA

Why Happy Cog?

It’s simple: designing with web standards means lower costs, reduced production time, and increased accessibility. We literally wrote the book on it.

Our uncompromising dedication to the human being using your site means your online presence works properly in support of your business goals online, first time, every time.

From site structure to front-end design, Happy Cog’s people are the authorities.