We wouldn’t say we are addicted to coffee. We would say we love coffee…and often!

And we especially love this great little site dedicated to coffee art. Fun.

artinmycoffee.com

@artinmycoffee

We’re working with several clients on assignments that incorporate this design technique. Very interesting and exciting stuff…more on that to come.

In the meantime, we thought it would be fun to revisit our Holiday site: youbetternotstress.com, which was developed with Responsive Design.

It was a big hit, and we had a blast putting it together. Have a look.

University of Notre Dame

Sometimes smart Web design works so well that you may not even notice it; and that’s often the case with responsive page design.  Responsive sites have been carefully designed to ‘know’ what will work best for each audience member’s browser, and deliver up the ideal layout for the situation.

Today, increasingly large audience segments are browsing the Web on smartphones and tablets of various shapes and sizes, and that fact presents a host of challenges for designers of complex sites with lots of content. We’ve all experienced the frustration of trying to navigate a dense, wide homepage on a smartphone screen — it’s often annoying enough to bounce a mobile user away from browsing a site at all.

Past solutions to this problem have been to offer a mobile version of a site on a dedicated URL, or to encourage users to download an app which has been custom-developed for an individual  device.  But as new devices continue to be adopted by consumers – (for example, since the upstart tablet Kindle Fire was released last November, it’s estimated that more than 5 million were sold) – it’s becoming clear that trying to create versions for each and every mobile device can be a costly and endless rabbit hole.

But there’s another approach that is ready to adapt to all new devices as they appear:  responsive design.  Responsive design allows a site’s layout to reconstruct itself on the fly, based on how each individual user is viewing the page.

We really liked the way the Notre Dame University used responsive design to build an experience that seamlessly adapts to the user’s situation.  To understand the concept, just open nd.edu in a full screen view on your desktop and take a look. Next, squeeze your browser’s width smaller, and watch what happens.  You’ll see the site dynamically reconstruct itself, dropping the large image background, reconfiguring menu elements, repositioning links lower on the page in a vertical stack, and generally keeping the site uncluttered and usable in every browser situation.

It’s cool because it works at every size, but even cooler because it’s automatic. This approach takes a great deal of user interface thought and planning during the design phase, but when it’s executed properly, every user on every device will have an ideal experience.

www.quantiamd.com

QuantiaMD is a free resource for physicians and residents available both online and on your smartphone. It provides access to quick, short, narrated power point presentations that are thought provoking and sometimes even fun.

QuantiaMD helps physicians form a global community, inspired by one another. Hundreds of thousands of physicians have already returned to the heart of medicine, interacting with colleagues and researchers; sharing ideas and building expertise; and doing what they went into medicine to do – help patients.

Digital Pulp has worked with QuantiaMD over the past several months to design, develop, and now launch, a new web presence which allows for a seamless and easy-to-use experience which will help participating physicians to find the information they need.

We are proud to announce that we have just helped launch manaba in the U.S.

manaba is a new generation learning system developed in Japan. Digital Pulp designed and developed the website, the corporate identity (logo), a collateral system (including sales materials), the brand launch video, and much more.

http://www.manabalearning.com/

manaba is much more than just another learning system, it’s the next generation. manaba embodies the joy of learning: empowering teachers to become personal coaches; encouraging students to share with and inspire each other; enabling communities to blossom.

Wonderful clients to work with, and a special organization. All of us at Digital Pulp wish manaba much success.

Very proud of the mobile site we just launched for the Pittsburgh Cultural District. You can look at the events calendar, buy tickets, plan a visit, and discover all of the wonderful events happening in this vibrant arts community!

www.culturaldistrict.org/m/

He arrives every other morning, bright eyed, not at all bushy tailed, and heads straight to my desk. This is his most playful period of the day. The excitement of our cross-town walk on 22^nd street builds up in his limited 20-pounds. He has to dodge speed walking feet, low hanging briefcases and holey sidewalk grates. By the time we reach 220 East 23^rd, it’s time to dance. It’s more of a squirm than a dance. He lies on his back, curls right and left, right and left, aiming to woo someone, specifically me, to rub his belly.

Next we play the shortest game of fetch anyone has even seen. I toss a tennis ball down the hall. He bounds after it. If all goes well he catches the ball before it reaches Ron’s office and he returns at equally high speed. He comes straight for me with a twinkle in his eye that suggests he has finally realized the magic of this game dogs play. Will he give the ball back to me and wait eagerly for a second toss? Nope. He zooms past me and guards his treasure. The game is over.

Over the course of the day he sleeps. He rouses at lunchtime to beg my coworkers for their food. He sleeps some more. He sits on my lap during creative reviews, paying very close attention to … anything we’re eating. We walk to Gramercy Park every few fours and hunt for the smartest squirrel in the world (he’s the one that knows he’s in a private park so he’ll come right up to the gate.) It all seems pretty boring and repetitive. I wonder if Shorty thinks our time together is worth the extra effort traveling between Brooklyn and Manhattan?

It’s a bad idea to project my emotions on Shorty and to humanize him to the point of helplessness. But as an urban dog owner it’s inevitable that my dog lives in an unnatural environment. One natural thing I can provide for him is company. Dogs are pack animals after all. So while the subway is completely foreign to him and his squeaky toys can disrupt our phone calls, it’s worth it and we’re both happier when we’re together.

- Katherine Saunders, Art Director

This Is Why You’re Fat

Who doesn’t love indulging in some fatty food fotos…

Cute Overload

One look at these adorable creatures always brightens my day.

Suri’s Burn Book

The Tumblr blog that features the hilarious imagined rants of Suri Cruise.

Mashable

Social Media news blog covering cool new websites and social networks.

Apple Insider

Apple news and rumors since 1997.

Catalog Living

A glimpse into the exciting world of the people living in your catalogs, Gary and Elaine.

Check back soon for more of our favorite blogs!

- Tara Mattera, Account Supervisor

Have you ever wished you had an extra inch on a crowded subway? Are you tired of being on the train and having another person’s armpit a little too close to your face? Well, sorry, there’s not much you can do about that. What you can do is check out KernType, a fun outlet for you to take out your space-related frustrations.

KernType is an online game that interactively tests your type-kerning skills. Kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a piece of text, usually to achieve a visually pleasing and more readable result. KernType was developed for Method of Action, a peer-to-peer educational website “for people who want to get things done”. When the site launches this spring, you will need to score at least 90/100 to pass this mission.

Fortunately, the world of type enjoys the spacing perfection absent from your daily commute. Good luck and happy kerning!

- Ian Hall, Senior Producer

http://m.childfund.org/

So take out your mobile phone, click around and don’t forget to “Text a Gift”. More about this exciting launch from the those behind the work…

Pauline, Marketing Director says: “We’ve helped ChildFund establish a strong presence for the mobile audience, and they can now take advantage of ‘text-to-give’ as a new channel for fundraising.”

Cynthia, Director of Communications says: “We know our supporters are committed and passionate about helping children around the world, and this mobile site provides them with portable access at all times. They can share information with others through the site and if they are moved, they also can donate quickly and easily. Best of all, the site provides direct access for those who have decided to commit to sponsoring a child.”

Shirley, Digital Producer says: “I love that we were able to use content, message, and technology to deliver a unique experience and potentially open up ChildFund to new audiences.”

Laura, Marketing Director says: “The mobile site looks great! Wow!”

Special thanks to the ChildFund marketing team as well as Shirley, Pauline, Katherine, Stuart, Jeff and Josh for their beautiful execution. Amazing effort all around!