From the speaker:

Remember the time when CSS was fun? Sass makes CSS fun again with variables, mixins, and more, in a concise readable format. Compass is a framework for Sass that makes it easy to build and maintain websites. In this talk, you will learn how to use Sass and Compass to create CSS that is readable and maintainable.

From Sass’s website:

Sass is a meta-language on top of CSS that’s used to describe the style of a document cleanly and structurally, with more power than flat CSS allows. Sass both provides a simpler, more elegant syntax for CSS and implements various features that are useful for creating manageable stylesheets.

Come learn how this tool can enhance your CSS experience.

In his talk, Matt will discuss the ups and downs of growing your business from freelance to agency. He’ll cover:

• Bringing in another person
• Finessing your business strategy
• Switching your focus from deliverables to solutions
• Focusing on collaboration
• How to airtight your process
• Staying creative
• Finding your niche/s
• Working with subcontractors
• Understanding your clients
• Dealing with bigger projects
• Making sure you have fun & stay inspired

If you’re thinking of making the transition, this one’s for you.

You MUST RSVP if you plan to attend this event, space is limited!

The 2x4 of Kindness is one tool we employ to create this environment and its designed specifically to keep bad attitudes (and sometimes people) out, providing a secure oasis that lets veterans and new folks engage the community without fear of flame wars, trolls, spammers, and other enemies of the productive.

At first glance it may appear to be nothing more than a blunt weapon but at Refresh Seattle I’ll show you how it can become the scaffolding that enables your community to grow successfully.

With the introduction of Typekit and other font replacement and licensing applications, the barriers to entry for web design are again lowered, and solid design fundamentals are de-emphasized in favor of making interactive experiences more easily produced. I see the value in these new tools, but I also see trouble in the long term, as the traditional design community embraces the new tools and push head-first into production but still do not have a proper understanding of the fundamentals so that web development is again takes a backseat even further to the whims of the designer, and so the divide is deepened.

In the right hands, these tools may provide unprecedented aesthetic options, so I’m certainly not here to discount Typekit itself, only to subvert the blind faith that this tool (or something like it) truly has the power to change web design forever. I see it as a way to further de-emphasize good design by technical standards, and another way for us to remove accountability for a generation of designers spoiled with software shortcuts and trigger-happy slice & dice Photoshop cowboys, forgiving them for not knowing the fundamentals of web design and how to build sites properly. My fear is that without proper application and behavioral teaching differences, the divide between designers and developers will widen further.

Maybe this is just a warning, maybe a manifesto, but I believe the behavior somehow needs to change. Before we introduce more variables to the art and technology of web design, we need to alter our curriculum and rethink how we as a community focus and emphasize style and code to design as opposed to pure software to design. The type divide will complicate the process and muddy the waters for designers and developers to produce effective, functional and aesthetically sensible web sites. This is our problem, and we need to address it as a community.

By taking cues from the world of product design, and testing with real people throughout the design process, we can create interfaces that users never even notice.

You must RSVP if you plan to attend

Part history; part theory; part best practices, 9 Things About Mobile is a high level overview of some key things to think about when it comes to mobile.

Wrong. Strong copywriting is a specialized skill, and your silent/deadly weapon in creating awesome websites that really work.

Tiffani will talk about what makes for good web copy, how it’s different than other types of copy, how to learn how to write it, and why you should.

You MUST RSVP if you plan to attend this event, space is limited!

To build an “intuitive” interface, a designer has to do two things:

1. Take complete advantage of what the user already knows, so what they see is completely familiar to them and
2. make the act of learning anything new completely imperceptible to the user. It turns out, if the interface requires the user to realize they are learning something, the “intuitive” label disappears instantly.

In this talk, Jared will show:

• How users need both tool knowledge and domain knowledge to complete their tasks
• How simple problems with designs can cause big problems for users
• What successful teams are doing to create experiences that delight

Jared will show examples from Microsoft Word, MSN, Google Talk, Flickr, Avis, and many more.

RSVP

Please RSVP via Upcoming as space is limited.