A few days ago I was looking to use the common RSS arcs and dot design to create a slight variation. I imagine a lot of designers borrow from this common image to invoke the idea in a new graphic. I've done this before, but never saved in a nice neat way to re-use it. As I began to re-create the vector paths for the common RSS icon I thought, "I bet someone else has created this and put in out there." I was half right-- a tutorial.

I'm sure someone has the file available out there on the interwebs, but I couldn't find it at that moment.

For kicks I dug up this article I wrote about web design in about 1999. When I sit down with a client who is very green with online presence, this is the most basic structure I start with. It might seem elementary, but the basics are worth driving home...

Content (major element)

The first and most important design element is content. You MUST provide a reason for visiting your site. Why Would You Visit? This also means that your main content must be presented so that the user recognizes it as such.

We're getting ReadyDone legit, which means smoothing out the first version of the site, getting paperwork, policies and state legal matters in order. This also means that we're asking our friends to get involved. We're asking people to join as talent or bring up projects and tasks, and of course we're always interested in advice.

A lot of what we're building has been done, but just not in quite the same way... and likely without the same goals.

If the photo I was explaining the idea to Alex at Betsy's birthday.

This is an excellent little article about the concept you use in pricing your product or service; do you charge by the hour or "sell" the job/product?

Sometimes it's about you realizing what your service is worth, sometimes it's about your client better understand the package their purchasing. Services have a range of quality and custom depth, what you offer isn't just about appraising and selling your time.

What are you selling?

Biznik : What exactly are you selling
Ilise Benun

Some of our work is with the start-up community. This industry, if not lifestyle, is not for the faint of heart.
This is a darkly humored article that outlines the often bleak landscape of start-up land.

http://www.paulgraham.com/die.html

"...half of you are going to die."

"If you can just avoid dying, you get rich."

"...otherwise you'll be embarrassed to tell us that you haven't done anything new since the last time we talked."

"...make something that at least someone really loves. As long as you've made something that a few users are ecstatic about, you're on the right track."

"The odds of getting from launch to liquidity without some kind of disaster happening are one in a thousand."

http://www.paulgraham.com/die.html