One of the things I enjoy most is trying out new, innovative products and technologies. I often find myself browsing for a new Google Labs tool, a new beta product to test, or downloading plug-ins for my Adobe suite. One of the best new products I’ve seen is currently available on Adobe Labs: Flash Catalyst. What makes Flash Catalyst special? Designing without code.

Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with code (regardless of the medium). For web, I learned HTML way back in the day when I was still a teenager and learning HTML was the only option to create web content. (To put this in context, Netscape was still king, IRC was still the big thing, and the majority of Internet users were still on AOL).  In the context of Flash,  creative output is extremely limited without knowing some basic ActionScripting, such as stops and jumping frames. Adding these simple stops and jumps can be pretty time consuming, despite how routine and simple they may be.  The times I’ve delved deeper into the code than that, it’s been an all out sword fight a la Princess Bride to defeat the code beast. So, if I can streamline my workflow, make better use of my design time, and avoid the code beast with a product, I am a very happy customer.

In comes Flash Catalyst. Want to make a simple Flash website? Or just make a click-thru mockup of a more in-depth site you’re planning? Import your Photoshop layers, click, choose, and BAM! You have your site.  No longer do you need to know even the most basic code to produce simple Flash websites and mockups.  I anticipate that should Flash Catalyst hit the open market successfully, as planned by Adobe, we will soon see the death of traditional HTML sites.

With additional tools and 3rd party plug-ins, Flash Catalyst has real potential to revolutionize the design world as much as its Flash predecessor. Check it out at Adobe Labs: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashcatalyst/

My husband recently went on an interview, and we discussed how he could show his interest and appreciation. A follow-up e-mail with “thank you” and a summary of qualifications has become the norm, yet it seemed so unfitting for this company — a popular game development company at which his interviewers wore jeans. After talking it over, it seemed like something less formal and more unique was more appropriate.

Here is the final product: A “Thank You” collage of the company’s products and logos, set inside a Photoshop clipping mask.

Here is a little design project I put together last week. I haven’t gotten around to photographing prints of it just yet. I’m hoping to do that when I finish the packaging designs.