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Author Archives: Christopher Butler

About Christopher Butler

is the Vice President of Newfangled, a writer for PRINT Magazine and is the author of the forthcoming book, The Strategic Web Designer. You can follow him @chrbutler on Twitter.

7 Designers on Forward-Thinking Design

February 14, 2012 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 2
future-designer-screens

We asked 7 great minds about their thoughts on forward-thinking design, the skills designers need that they may not have learned in school, and the future of their practice. Read more

Interaction is More than Looking at Screens

February 6, 2012 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 1
forward-thinking-designers

Since the ’90s, the big conversation has been about designers making the print-to-web transition. But there’s something happening on the fringes of design today, and interactive designers could get left behind if they’re not paying attention. Read more

The Future Belongs to Multidisciplinary Designers

January 25, 2012 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 0
future-designer-screens

Forward-thinking designers see the links between design and everything else in the world—we must be Renaissance men and women. Read more

Why You Should Consider Being a Generalist

January 19, 2012 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 2
generalist-specialist-designers

I believe the key to thinking about your future as a designer is in understanding the balance between generalization and specialization. Read more

6 Tips to Simplify Your Website’s Design

September 5, 2011 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 0
yahoo-thumb

Most websites we visit are far more complex than they need to be—overrun with advertisements, social media widgets, and lures to even more (supposedly related) content. Follow these tips to cut the clutter. Read more

Choose the Right Developer, Get the Right CMS

August 31, 2011 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 0
licensed2

Ask not “How do I choose the right CMS?” Ask “How do I choose the right developer?” I believe if you choose the right developer, you will also choose the right content management system. Read more

Why Designers Should Learn to Love Website Prototypes

August 24, 2011 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 0
title

Just as architectural plans use a consistent visual language to describe buildings, prototypes use a consistent visual language to describe websites. Rather than seeing the prototype as a document that imposes limitations, designers should see it as one that enables creative freedom. Read more

Refining Your Web Content Strategy

August 22, 2011 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 0
robots-dont-read

Only by clearly identifying your prospects can you go about creating content that is truly valuable. Despite the obvious importance of search engine optimization, please don’t misidentify search engines as your prospects. Robots don’t read—people do. Read more

The Case Against Designing Mobile Apps

August 18, 2011 | Christopher Butler | Comments: 0
mobile users web versus apps

I’m not categorically against apps. But the economic and practical factors surrounding creating and distributing the apps themselves are indicators that the long-term sustainability of the app paradigm is unlikely. Read more