Welcome to the blog of freelance web designer Andy Bryant, publishing news and announcements on web projects I'm working on, and articles I have written on various web design-related subjects - with a focus on accessibility, web standards and good practice.
I’ve heard it said that the losers from Microsoft having to provide a choice of browsers on new installations of Windows 7 in Europe will most likely be Microsoft themselves. I’m not convinced. I think there’s a basic reason why Microsoft’s browser will continue to have significant market share – it’s browser’s name. Continue reading ‘Browser wars: it’s all in the name’ »
I’m a big fan of the BBC Glow javascript library (as I may have mentioned earlier), so it’s good news that Version 2.0 of the library is available as an Alpha release (the current stable download is version 1.7.2), promising enhanced features, improved performance and even better accessibility. Continue reading ‘BBC Glow 2.0’ »
Chequers Playgroup
was one of the first sites I did when I started freelancing in 2007. At the time I was one of the Committee members, so I took care of the site content and kept everything up to date. Recently the Committee members asked me to update the site so they could look after it themselves now I’m no longer a member. And because I can’t help myself sometimes, I also tinkered with the design… Continue reading ‘Spring clean for Chequers Playgroup’ »
The second charity site I’ve worked on recently (the other being the Green Light Trust site) is a small website for the Hempnall Trust, a charity in my village that gives grants to those in the parish experiencing need, hardship or distress. Continue reading ‘New site: Hempnall Trust’ »
Last month I made the catastrophic decision to change my phone & broadband provider. I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to keep your marbles where they are. After several weeks of poor service and poorer communication from my new provider, it was as a result of venting my frustration on social media that I managed to get all the issues resolved, which leads me to one conculsion. If you’re getting poor service, vent on Twitter and someone from their Marketing team, fire-fighting in the name of brand protection, will probably come to your rescue. Continue reading ‘Talk Talk? If only I could’ »
I’m pleased to say that after many hours of effort – mainly from Tom Haczewski
, but with a bit from myself and other colleagues at Virgin Money
– the new brand identity and website for the Green Light Trust
has been launched. Continue reading ‘Green light for new charity website’ »
On the freelancing side of things, 2009 will be filed under ‘Frustrating’. It’s been a year of interest but not commitment from potential clients, and the work I have taken on has been, at times, painfully slow to progress. Continue reading ‘Review of freelancing year #3’ »
Last week the WebAIM team published the results of their latest Screen Reader User Survey
(a follow up to the last one carried out at the end of 2008). As with the first WebAIM survey
, the results confirm that many of the things we have assumed are problematic for screen reader users (e.g. Flash – or rather how developers implement Flash – is a massive pain in the backside) are true. They also reinforce that just as there’s no typical web browser user, there’s also no typical screen reader user. Continue reading ‘WebAIM screen reader users follow up survey’ »
Seeing as I can barely muster more than two or three blog posts a month, it seems bonkers that I’ve signed up to ’30 days and nights of literary abandon’ with National Novel Writing Month
, in which the improbable target is to write a novel of at least 50,000 words during November. Continue reading ‘National Novel Writing Month’ »
This morning I followed a Twitter link to a new website called Workstation Setups
– a place where web/techie folks can show off their kick-ass office cribs. Because I already had a photo of my workspace to prove to a friend that I really did work on an ironing board, I sent mine in. Here’s the photo:

I know what you’re thinking. ‘How can he turn out the sites he does working on that?’. That, or you’re thinking ‘Now this explains a lot…’
The truth is the iBook is starting to crumble a bit. Everything on iPlayer is like a Ray Harryhausen stop motion film, Photoshop takes 10 minutes to start up, and when it’s running I can’t have more than two palettes open at once without completely covering up what I’m working on.
But the ironing board… well I quite like it. It’s adjustable. The whole thing’s ready made mouse mat. And right now, with most of the downstairs being renovated & redecorated – and simply no space in the house for the luxury of a desk – it’s the best I can do.
As for workstationsetups.com, I very much doubt they’ll add this to their showcase. But you never know. Maybe they’ll take pity on me. Maybe there’s a West Coast Office Furniture out there where they’ll send my ironing board to be pimped. Or maybe not.
Still, the fireplaces is coming on though, right?
—-
Update, 23 October: They published it straightaway
, and I got this from the site owner:
Of course that I will include it ! In fact, I already posted it before I replied to your email
. WorkstationSetups.com is not just about the sickest workstations. It’s about ALL workstation setups.
Richard, workstationsetups.com
So I’m happy to be proved wrong. Though I think he might have meant slickest workstations…
© 2007 - 2010 Andy Bryant, LessFuss Design