The Hunt Is on at SXSW
26 February 2007
Monday, 1:09 PM
I’ve done a bad thing. And I didn’t act alone.
Nine esteemed colleagues and I collaborated with Friends of ED editor Chris Mills to create a book called Web Standards Creativity, which will be released early in March. It is poised to infect the minds of innumerable readers with several creative approaches to standards-based web design and development. These progressive ideas in XHTML, CSS, and DOM scripting could single-handedly set back the cause of mediocrity several years.
My contribution is a mix of typographic history, theory, and technique, aiming to spread principles of timeless, classic typography further into the web design world. If this stuff catches on, people might actually begin to enjoy reading online. MySpace is justifiably alarmed.
It may be too late to stop the book, but the reprobates who created it can still be brought to justice. South by Southwest Interactive will be the best time to strike. Nine out of ten of this full-color monstrosity’s authors will be in attendance, and highly visible at that. Our crimes, photos, and scheduled public appearances have been compiled in a PDF for your convenience. The first ten people to find all nine of us will each collect the bounty: a free copy of the book, which will make excellent kindling. Also, in the spirit of SXSW, the hunt will give its participants a unique social opportunity to chat with all sorts of people (hunters and hunted) they might not otherwise expect to chat with. Here’s how it works:
- Download the PDF, print it out, and write your e-mail address on it.
- Upon being found, each author will mark his surrender on your sheet with a unique rubber stamp.
- When you collect the last of the ten stamps, we’ll note the date and time and keep your completed sheet.
- The first ten people to successfully complete the mission will be sent a free copy of Web Standards Creativity.
I’ll be a sitting duck. As if I wasn’t already easy enough to pick out in a crowd, this year I’ll be up on a stage. Jason Santa Maria, Cameron Moll and I will be giving a presentation called After the Brief: A Field Guide to Design Inspiration, in which we’ll share our methods for defining, locating, and maintaining creative inspiration in our personal and professional lives. Come see us on Saturday, March 10th, 11:30 AM, in Room 18ABCD, and claim your place in the history of criminal justice!
Filed under: Art/Design, Books, Travel, Web
Comments Closed (5)
2. Terry Tolleson says… | 05 March 2007 / 12:48 PM
My first SXSW (despite living in Austin every year of its existence) and I get a crazy manhunt mission!
3. Rob Weychert says… | 05 March 2007 / 5:54 PM
Elliot: I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Please let me know what you think once you’ve had a chance to read it!
Terry: What in the world have you been waiting for?!
4. Respiro, the logo design guy says… | 13 March 2007 / 8:48 AM
I am interested in this book. It can be bought from the amazon's European sites, too?...
5. Erik Sagen says… | 16 March 2007 / 2:35 PM
As lame as it sounds, I started this while at SXSW but never completed it.
I guess, between doing the panel thing and goofing off, I just lost track of time and lost interest, even if that meant a free book.
It's cool though because I'll just buy it when it surfaces at B&N.
By the way, it was great meeting you Rob.
(see ya next year, perhaps?)
Nice thing is we won't have conflicting panels next time.
1. Elliot Jay Stocks says… | 27 February 2007 / 11:26 AM
Rob, this is on my very-highly-anticipated list. Roll on 19th March!