To say it was a crazy year last year really would be underestimating for me. Whilst the web seemed somewhat quieter than in past years, my own personal trip through the months was a crazy wacky ride of ups and downs. The ups included my first trip to America, working at Thoof, being asked to contribute to Colour Lovers, Simon joining me in Logical Binary and many other great client projects I was lucky enough to work on this past year including finally refreshing the Logical CMS. The downs were mainly health related but the way I see the new year is as a clean slate so it’s all fading with the turn up of 2008 on my calendar.

Looking forward

Simon said to me last night that 2008 should be his lucky year as he turns 33 and it’s a lucky number for him. Mine is 6 so if you add 3 and 3 we get 6 - how about that for a positive omen (time to rub some rabbit’s feet and put up horseshoes). Lucky numbers and trinkets aside, 2008 is going to be quite a big year for me. Not only should it see the end to the past year of trials but we will move into our new studio finally. Simon also is taking on more and more a role at Logical Binary and with each bit he does it’s like someone’s taking a large weight off my shoulders.

Looking back

Last year I did a post entitled ‘Magic 8 ball new year’ where I cast some predictions out there in true traditional style. I thought it could be interesting to look back at these at this point of the new year. I think I was right in saying a return to muted colour schemes (brown really seemed the colour of 2007) and more minimal sites that focus on one main graphical element and ‘content being king’. Sadly I don’t think 2007 quite saw the return to originality or ‘doing what it says on the tin’ that I really yearned for. Also, the trend of text doing things like fading with time really never took off. We did see my predicted increase in giving control back to users and a vast raft of the web 2.uh oh bandwagon companies fade like chalk drawings in the rain. Even the UK seemed to catch onto blogging more with many articles appearing and most now knowing the term.

My own personal predictions were a mixed bag of success and failure. Collabwrite still has to see the light of day, Daily Lister failed as I just couldn’t keep it up with the problems this year posed to me. There are about 3 other projects that just didn’t see the light of day this year. What I have learnt is that I have to take the ‘Pac man’ approach and do bit by bit. I’ve now cut back on a lot of work and if nothing else learnt I do need time off and I’m now taking it. I’ve focused more on small steps rather than giant leaps this year. No projects have been forgotten, there is more a slow development occurring now but at least something is going on. For me. this slow burning has also spilled over to my blogging.

I fully admit I’ve not been as prolific as in other years, I’ve been forced to take time out and blogging often was the casualty of my war. I’d like to thank you for your patience over this and rather than make a grand promise I do promise that I will start more regular twice a week at least postings. One thing that really did work and continues to work for me is my tumblr blog part of this site under Expresso. That to me was one of my great successes blogging wise this year. I’d also like to take this time to thank those at Colour Lovers and Fadtastic, whilst I’ve not been able to contribute articles due to what has gone on this year, I plan to change that and thank you for the opportunities to contribute. I’d also like to thank Mike, Scrivs, Tyme at 9rules for understanding my drop in posting and not throwing things at me - Tyme you have been such a support this year.

No magic 8 ball this year

I’ve decided to not do any predictions this year. My reason is in part as some that I wished last year still stand. Many of them have started but as with anything it’s going to be a slow process. I could rinse and repeat the cries of others of iPhone 2.0, Kindle 2.0, google online storage and continued dominance, insert random Apple news here, insert random web 2.0 company goes bust here and to repeat and beyond…… Really though, there doesn’t seem a point to predict what so many are at this traditional time of fortune telling. When it comes down to it this year I’ve learnt a bit of realism and to take things slower - yes, OK it may have taken me years to get the message but I finally have.

I guess this isn’t so much a year review / prediction post as a drawing a line under things - maybe that is what they are really meant to be. I’ve had some fails and some success this year and that is sort of what life is about. The thing is learning and making sure you have some kind of balance. In a fast paced online world it’s hard to get any balance or ‘off time’. If you’re going to not be a flash in the pan burn out you have to find this balance. This stands for companies and people. If you take smaller bites you will still eat it all, it just takes more time and you probably don’t get indigestion.