Brian Peppler » Brian

SolarWinds/Cisco Minisite

Brian — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:04:24 +0000

SolarWinds is a developer and marketer of network management software. Based in Austin, TX, the company sells downloadable software products that maintain, monitor and troubleshoot IT networks. As the designer for the SolarWinds/Cisco minisite, I was responsible for visual design of all pages. Specific tasks included iterative wireframe designs and bridging SolarWinds and Cisco brand standards.

Refreshed Peace Corps Website Launches

Brian — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:43:00 +0000

After overcoming some epic server-related obstacles, the refreshed Peace Corps has finally launched. Over the next few days I’ll describe the design, development and marketing phases for this project, but in the meantime, check out the new site at www.peacecorps.gov.

MicroStar Kegs

Brian — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:15:35 +0000

Denver-based MicroStar Keg Management provides kegs to brewers around the globe. The site design and code was rebuilt to work seamlessly with the company’s order processing system.

Work performed: design, XHTML, CSS, ASP

UI for Nutrient Tracking Website

Brian — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:28:26 +0000

Work performed: information architecture, wireframes, UI, interaction design, visual design

Yahoo UI Library

Brian — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:30:45 +0000

Yahoo’s Design Pattern Library has become my go-to source for UI solutions. The site presents common problems within a specific context and suggests optimal solutions with a pattern. They also provide much of the scripting to run each pattern with the Yahoo! User Interface (YUI) Library, which is a set of JavaScript utilities and controls for building richly interactive web applications. I’m no UI developer by any stretch of the imagination, but I still prefer jQuery and its limitless plugins.

Smash Records eCommerce Site

Brian — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:46:15 +0000

Since 1984, Smash Records has been a Washington, D.C. institution for punk music and apparel. In addition to stocking independent titles, the store specializes in rare and out-of-print recordings.

Work performed: information architecture, wireframes, design

New Peace Corps Website Textures

Brian — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:01:24 +0000

I’m still dying to see the Peace Corps’ website refresh go live (there are still a few hang ups), but I thought I’d throw out a little teaser in the meantime. In addition to updated XHTML and CSS, the new site design will be more in line with the agency’s overall design direction. By eschewing the Peace Corps’ familiar palette, I was able to introduce warmer patterns that bring an international flavor to the site. Below are a few of the images that will be used as the site’s background.

Copy and Paste Special Characters from the Web

Brian — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:00:42 +0000

Google Signs up for OpenID

Brian — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:59:25 +0000

It’s nice to see that Google is now throwing its weight behind OpenID, a free and open standard that allows web users to log on to different web sites using a single digital identity and eliminates the need for a different user name and password for each site. Google joins the ranks of AOL, Microsoft, MySpace and Yahoo! in offering this service, and their involvement will certainly put OpenID in a position for massive adoption throughout the web.

Also notable is how Google is communicating this feature to users; in lieu of mentioning OpenID, Google is using the phrase “Sign in with a Google Account.” This is similar to Yahoo’s messaging, “Sign In with a Yahoo! ID.” The choice is likely influenced by the Yahoo! OpenID Usability Research, which concluded that users do not understand OpenID, but do support using trusted providers such as Yahoo! for authentication.

Mongolia Travel

Brian — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:34:16 +0000

The Mongolia Travel website highlights unique tours throughout Mongolia. When completed, the site will feature reservation booking, travel blogs, and photo galleries.

Work performed: information architecture, design, technical project management, XHTML, CSS, XML, PHP, CMS implementation, SEO