Date
Monday, 08 August, 2011
Content
When you read and watch something like the riots in London, you feel frustration, sympathy but also distance. Well, right now, I live at the back of West Croydon station and down the end of my road, the pawnbrokers was torched. It's very close, and never more real than with my ten month old daughter asleep upstairs.
To get home this evening around 8pm, I had to walk the long way around to my street since the main road around West Croydon station was blocked off by riot police. Just a small area mind, and so our street actually became one of the routes that the looters were using to get in and out of the main road. I was closed enough at least to hear the clashes happening.
To get home this evening around 8pm, I had to walk the long way around to my street since the main road around West Croydon station was blocked off by riot police. Just a small area mind, and so our street actually became one of the routes that the looters were using to get in and out of the main road. I was closed enough at least to hear the clashes happening.
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Categories
Events. Living in London.
Date
Sunday, 17 July, 2011
Content
The Problem
We all have busy lives and they aren't getting any quieter without compromise. Personally, I always have a persistent to do list ranging from menial tasks to major, creative, long term projects. And with home and family craving more of my attention, life is a constant struggle to get things done. And then there's "actual work" of course.
Things do get done, whether it's within a half-implemented GTD system, via my To Do checklist, stickies notes or reminders and tasks in my calendar. I even get inbox-zero once in a while. But I'm always wondering how to be more efficient, more productive. And I'm assuming I'm not the only one.
We all have busy lives and they aren't getting any quieter without compromise. Personally, I always have a persistent to do list ranging from menial tasks to major, creative, long term projects. And with home and family craving more of my attention, life is a constant struggle to get things done. And then there's "actual work" of course.
Things do get done, whether it's within a half-implemented GTD system, via my To Do checklist, stickies notes or reminders and tasks in my calendar. I even get inbox-zero once in a while. But I'm always wondering how to be more efficient, more productive. And I'm assuming I'm not the only one.
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Categories
Self Development.
Date
Thursday, 31 March, 2011
Content
A little after the start of 2011, I finished another Expression Engine CMS based website for IPCN (International Program Content Network), who are an Anglo-Chinese entertainment and media business specialising in the Asia Pacific region with a particular focus on China.
The architecture, visual design and layout were relatively simple as this was the approach my clients favoured.
The architecture, visual design and layout were relatively simple as this was the approach my clients favoured.
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Categories
Made By Mark. East Asian Culture.
Date
Saturday, 26 February, 2011
Content
Whilst selling photography to magazines is an everyday transaction for some people, for me it's not. So it is with an amateur's glee that I announce the publishing of one of my shots from Taiwan in the latest issue of Monocle, one of the only mags I actually still buy. I wish I could write a post on how to do it, but in fact, the Monocle photography assistant simply got in touch after seeing the photo in my Flickr account. A modest sum was arranged and I was a happy holiday snapper!
Even if the shot is actually so small that I missed it the first time I flicked through the Monocle Taiwan special. And that they spelt my name wrong. Unless you happen to be writing the pinyin from the Mandarin pronunciation of it (Hu). Publishing evidence below.
Even if the shot is actually so small that I missed it the first time I flicked through the Monocle Taiwan special. And that they spelt my name wrong. Unless you happen to be writing the pinyin from the Mandarin pronunciation of it (Hu). Publishing evidence below.
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Categories
Made By Mark. Photography.
Date
Sunday, 13 February, 2011
Content
Ever since the digital media industry has carved out roles such as visual designer or developer, if you've ever worked AS one of them, I'm betting my virtual soul that you've worked WITH the other.
Take this scenario. The designer comes up with a snazzy new interface that uses multiple colours, one for each section of a website. The designer's boss approves and even adds to the idea. He gets the sign-off and talks to the developer to make it happen.
The developer double-checks. "You want each section to have its own colour?" Yep.
The trouble is, the developer has to build this interface inside of an existing content management system that already allocates a generic colour and isn't built for such customisation. The developer rolls his eyes and declares that it's not worth their time to figure out a way to do this, just to have some "pretty colours".
Take this scenario. The designer comes up with a snazzy new interface that uses multiple colours, one for each section of a website. The designer's boss approves and even adds to the idea. He gets the sign-off and talks to the developer to make it happen.
The developer double-checks. "You want each section to have its own colour?" Yep.
The trouble is, the developer has to build this interface inside of an existing content management system that already allocates a generic colour and isn't built for such customisation. The developer rolls his eyes and declares that it's not worth their time to figure out a way to do this, just to have some "pretty colours".
