A post from Lines & Colors, a blog about artists and illustrators, on the frustration of many artist’s websites, but there are many points that ring true for anyone.

Along with a whole host of new tidbits about upcoming software at their WWDC, Apple also relaunched their website. Not only have they updated their rather tired looking global navigation, there is a huge range of effective Ajax-style elements that (mostly) add to the usability of their site. Their (possibly Google-powered - if you check their code) search is a particularly nice example which offers popular shortcuts even before you’ve pressed return. The amount of work and attention-to-detail that has gone into this is very impressive.

It’s great seeing such debate about the 2012 logo out there on the web. All the usual arguments are being trotted out, but one of the best pro-arguments can be found at Coudal. Worth a read.

Microsoft has just launched an ‘interactive table’ called Microsoft Surface. The web will be abuzz with this all day, discussing the ins and outs of how this will work in application. Time will tell whether it will only be found in hotel lobbies and shops, or whether it will be genuinely useful at home. Whatever - it opens up interesting new ways of interacting with information and even objects, and it will be worth watching how it impacts on the industry (especially Apple). Found via Techcrunch and Crunchgear.

Naresh Ramchandani discusses the much linked to website by Miranda July advertising her book “No one belongs here more than you” in The Guardian. He makes the case that it is important sometimes to do things simply, with an individual humour and creativity, rather than going for the big slick advertising schtick.

Jeff Jarvis in The Guardian discusses the papers recent homepage redesign and where news websites might go next (registration required).

A discussion as to why web appilcations should not try too hard to look like a desktop application by Bill Higgins (via Signal vs. Noise).

New and very good review site that manages to show graphically a good overview of how much reviewers like and dislike a product (via Kottke and Daring Fireball).

“Peoples Archive requires and rewards patient exploration, but there’s so much here to enjoy that even a brief visit will turn up some priceless nuggets. This site is for us, not just our descendants and the list continues to grow: future contributors will include Chomsky, le Carre and - at last, women! - Doris Lessing and Paula Rego.” The Observer, 20th May 2007
Peoples Archive, one of our latest clients, was discussed in The Observer’s Review section this weekend.

Jakob Nielsen, Matt Mullenweg (Wordpress), Lynda Weinman and others discuss what is required to ‘create for the web’.

Nothing Earth-shatteringly new, but it always says something about an idea when the BBC deigns it is interesting enough to cover. Jakob Nielsen talks about the dangers of “Web 2.0” sites ignoring good practice, in the rush to ‘innovate’.

Apologies for using the term “2.0”, but as the web becomes ever more interactive and application-like, people are thinking about how to keep the web usable and accessible to all. Websites such as Facebook, Flickr and the whole Web 2.0 crowd are coming up with interesting ways for users to interact with information, which is great, but the danger is that each site will create it’s own method to similar actions. Luke Wroblewski discusses this: “This surge of new Web experiences that give users more control is probably the biggest change impacting usability online.”

Wordpress, a wildly popular open-source blogging and simple content management tool, is 4 years old. Matt Mullenweg, the founding developer, but very much not the owner or only developer, discusses the development of Wordpress and people’s expectations of him being a ‘Web 2.0 trailblazer’.

Flickr hosts a history of Swiss graphic design via a fantastic collection of posters from 1911 through to 2006.

Ever wondered where those almost too perfect desktop images on your computer come from? So did Nick Tosches from Vanity Fair.