I’ve decided to start weekly round ups again of things I find of interest along my web travels. These will come both from feeds I subscribe to and things I’ve posted on Espresso. Let’s get on with this weeks selection then.

Yesterday saw the launch of the new 9rules. The post announcing it’s launch on the 9rules blog - 9rules vol 3 edition 1 - shows the focus has moved back onto members content and the design reflects this. My first reaction on seeing it was ‘wow’, my second was ‘woot’ and my third was akin to a little girl excited noise just like someone had given me a new toy.

First a brief update

Whilst I don’t usually like to go personal on this blog I feel that a bit of an update come explanation is due. I haven’t been writing at all compared to my usual schedule. There are several reasons for this and I’d like to take a moment to explain why I’ve fallen down the back of the blogging sofa. First up, I’ve just moved which in itself defined the word hectic. I’ve now got a lovely studio space that I’m realising the joy of as it’s attached to my new home - something so great about a large studio you just have to walk a short way to get to.

There really seems a return to the minimal in design lately, something I’m more than happy to see after the gradient madness of the last year or so. I’m seeing more and more new designs coming out where less is really more. Galleries seem to be once again brimming full of powerful minimal design, it’s a refreshing change. In part minimal design never went away it seems now the focus is coming back to it though as it rightly deserves as one of the most effective and often hardest to achieve design styles. So, what does make a minimal design?

Over at Quofda (Question of the day) the question is Why is your favorite color your favorite color?. As a designer it’s sort of hard to nail a favourite colour to a certain extent as I’m fairly colour obsessed and tend to use a wide range in work. There is one colour though I tend to lean more towards than others and that is green.

Quofda asks today ‘What one piece of technology can you not live without?’. My first thought went to my Macbook pro for obvious reasons. Although after a little more thought I came to realise the one piece of technology would be my net connection. Whilst it’s not what most people think of when they think of technology - usually it’s some gadget or gizmo and if you want to be thinking in that way lets make it my router. The net though is the single most important technology in my life.