Creating a comboBox in Flash Catalyst Beta 2 posted

My latest article on Flash Catalyst has been posted over on O’Reilly’s InsideRIA. This article explores how you can recreate a comboBox component (since one is currently not included in the default component set). I hope you find it helpful.

Quick Tip: Styling your Flex project

Rachel Luxemburg tweeted this: “Extremely cool Flash visualization app: Personas from MIT — http://personas.media.mit.edu/personasWeb.html – see yourself as the Web sees you!” 

The application is very well done, I spent some time playing with various name besides my own. But what struck me, was although the developer spent some much time with this very cool visualization, they forgot to take care of the “Flash of Flex Teal”.

For those who aren’t familiar with this ‘effect’. It is the brief display of the default Flex teal before the actual Flex application begins its initialization and rendering.

How every this effect is easily remove by add an additional parameter to the compiler argument list. To do this select Properties from the Project Menu. The following window will appear:

Choose the Compiler options from the list, then add the following arguement

-default-background-color #000000

In this case, our application will start with black instead of the default teal.

Speaking at SandCHI – August 11

Come hear me speak on a panel about prototype development at the August meeting of SandCHI.

Websense Inc. See Google Map
10240 Sorrento Valley Rd
San Diego, CA 92121

Parking:
You can park in visitor parking (marked Websense) directly in front of the main building (on the left as you enter), or in the parking lot across the bridge. Do not park in front of Samsung next door please.

How to find it:
Walk up to the main building. Instead of walking in the front door, go around to the right and enter through the patio between Websense and Samsung. Next to the coffee kiosk is a back door into the Atrium which should have a SandCHI sign on it.

Thermo (Flash Catalyst) Unleased at MAX!

For those of you lucky enough to be at Adobe MAX, a preview of Thermo, now known as Flash Catalyst was unveiled. It’s going to be featured in tomorrow’s Day 2 General Session. They will also be giving away copies of the preview version to MAX attendees. There is more information on Flash Catalyst on the Adobe Labs site. It is not available to non-attendees at the moment. Maybe we will be able to demo it at the next San Diego Flash User Group meeting..

Now I need to update my icon bar..

The New Name for Thermo coming….

Ryan Stewart just posted some teaser bits about “Thermo”. First, we are going to learn its real name. I’m sure there is going to much debate over it. Thermo was just too darn cool.

Second, at MAX they’re going to be doing an early preview release of “Thermo”. It will be an Adobe Labs release soon, but for the time being going to MAX is the only way to get your hands on Thermo. If you want to get the bits before anyone else, you’ll have to attend one of those two Intro to Thermo sessions. They will have DVDs during those sessions after walking you through the preview build. Otherwise if you’re going to MAX you’ll have to get the DVDs on the second day.

I’ll be there, will you?

Usability and the Olympics

So the Olympics are starting today ( or was it yesterday. That darn date line), so I decided to visit the http://www.nbcolympics.coml to find out when various events are on since I am going to be out of town for a few days. So I head to the Olympic site and easily find the TV Listing section.

Ok, so you need my zip code. That’s expected. Nice touch in not making the Cancel button the same weight as the Next button.

Next I am presented with a list of cable options. Why a scrolling list? Unless someone can show me a huge list, why? why? Cable, Cable-Ready, Digital? What to do if I don’t know?

So on to the next screen: Here is the instructions

You’re eligible to receive programming from more than one NBC station in your area. Please indicate the station on which you plan to watch the Olympics:

However, there is only one choice listed below. Opps.

Now on to my main issue, the actual TV listing page.

NBC Olympic TV listing

Ok, being a kayaker, I want to see when the paddling events are. I see the nice listing of the sports on the left, and click the canoe/kayak link. Instead of the TV listing being filtered to this event, I am taken to the Canoe/Kayak event page. What?!?!

So, I navigate back to the previous page and try again. Now I see the menu option to filter by sports, and select Canoe/Kayak. Ok, no events today. Now how to locate when they are paddling? I finally notice that the date bar across the top has changed slightly. Days that do have some coverage are now clickable. You noticed that the background image had changed right?

Now, I am thinking that I am going to have to click through each date to locate what sort of coverage I might have. In talking this over with a colleague, we noticed that there is a item on this bar, labeled “All Days”. Ah, perfect. This is page that I need.

To me it would have been a lot easier to query the user at the beginning if they are interested in the schedule for the day, or are they trying to plan out their recording schedule for their DVR?

Just some thoughts.

Visual Design Patterns

I spend most of my time working with various visual and interaction designers, and often refer to various visual design patterns. I say this post on Ethan Eismann’s blog about the site Pattern Tap. This is nice reference site for the entire team.

The 5 elements of great signup experiences

Robert Hoekman, jr. was written a series of articles on the signup process. I always carefully look at how I join the latest social network or killer Web 2.0 application.

You might want to take a look at the sign up/login screens for Apple’s new mobileMe service and Adobe’s Share. Ed Krimen has some thoughts on these sign up screens as well.

Sketching in Code: the Magic of Prototyping

David Verba has written a great article about the use of prototyping in developing web applications on A List Part. Having been developing prototypes for the past 12 years, it is always great to see this topic brought to the forefront. 

In the article he talks about the fact that “Prototyping is the magic”, a fact that I recently witnessed on project. We were building a prototype of the new website. The main purpose of the site was to conduct some usability studies of the purchase process (it was a web to mobile site). Since I was able to get a nice functioning site up with some Flash components in it, the client really understood what this was all for.

“Thermo” Sneak Peak

Ted Patrick just posted some new images from new RIA product codenamed “Thermo“. He was able to get some exclusive screenshots of “Thermo” from the development team. I’m really excited about this project and can’t wait to get my hands on it. 

If you are not familiar with Thermo, there is a nice overview video from Adobe Product Manager Steven Heintz and Senior Principal Scientist Mark Anders at the Adobe site.