Since when I was engaging with twitter, thanks to my old friend KCtang recommended. It was a great tool and so many people was engage with it, “have you twit lately?” soon it become a habit and you might feel uncomfortable if you don’t twit. Oh no! I think it was different type of “Bird-flu” spreading so fast….
Recently I realize some of user has done great design to personalize their designs on twitter. There has already been a range of quality designs showcased on various sites, which has shown an emergence of trends such as the ‘sidebar’. Let’s take a look at some of the best practices around Twitter background design and get to work creating our own.
There were 3 different types of background approach:
1) Using repeating background pattern
http://twitter.com/daniesq, http://twitter.com/msphotogirl and more
2) Background Graphic fading to background color
http://twitter.com/bittbox, http://twitter.com/GordyMac/ and more
3) Extra Large Background Graphic
http://twitter.com/ijustine, http://twitter.com/betterinpink and more
However, you could also get some customize background or template that provided by twitter, http://www.twitip.com/custom-twitter-backgrounds/
Personally I prefer 2nd approach that background graphic fading to the background. Using a single graphic on your profile can help add some visual interest. And it load much faster with less graphics. Let’s start to do my own background on my Sidebar!
First of all, click on profile setting and go to “Change design colors”. Well, brown is always my first choice, change the tone from background, links, text etc. Immediately you can preview the colors from screen. Save the settings once you have decided.
Once I have done that, I get the measurement which is width 460 and height 600; copy the exact background color and start my own theme.
First thing in my mind – Top view on my sidebar; it was easier to arrange my elements such as paper, camera and most familiar’s top view - a cup of coffee.
Just find some of the picture from Google images. Or royalty free images from Stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/)
For example, nice quality of Pencil - http://www.remarkable.co.uk/downloads/wooden_pencil.jpg
Then, rotating and reshape my “ingredient” on PS (sound like frying and cooking, yeah!). Used a lot of drop shadow and simple effects such as rotate and wrap the graphics. Other than that, it was quite straight forward.
Once I have done that and save in JPEG, go back to the settings and click on “Change background images”. Browse and save changes. Done!
Take a look at http://twitter.com/twentyplus
The day before, I wasn’t knew anything about the Hot Air balloon fiesta. George told me about this event since I were having a meeting at Putrajaya, – 1st Putrajaya International Hot air Balloon Fiesta 2009. (www.myballoonfiesta.com). It was a 4 days event from 19 March till 22 March 2009.
In fact, my meeting was scheduled on 10 am, according to the fiesta’s itinerary that 7.30am onwards that the Balloons area was opened to photographers. Could be the
Woke up quite early and it was excellent morning for balloons day. When I reached Putrajaya Precinct 2 around 8am, where the balloons taking off, didn’t expect that few balloons were ready to go on air. Not much crowd although it was school holiday.
Well, first day of event, saw most of the photo kaki were well equip and everyone just busy taking their best shots! Surprisingly, Canon has a booth setting up too.
I stayed around but didn’t take much photos, firstly, my dress code was “not allowed” me to run around (yup! I wished I had pair of sport shoe with jeans). However, it was not cloudy but hot sun. Around 9.15am, another batch of team’s equipment was carried by the 4 wheels pick ups, I couldn’t wait much longer and decided to go off for my meeting.
There’ll be more.. please logon to www.creadaq.com
Recently, I was researching and did some works on CSS and new photoshop technics. And I found some of the useful tutorials site that provide a very good steps and even trick to improve your website.
Tutorials 9 (www.tutorial9.net)
Kailoon Design (kailoon.com/category/tutorials/)
PSD tuts (psd.tutsplus.com)
PSD Rockstar (www.psdrockstar.com)
CSS Library (www.dynamicdrive.com)
CSS Drive (www.cssdrive.com)
LAYERS Magazine (www.layersmagazine.com)
Sometime it’s difficult to create a total new concepts with any “references”; but in this case, it happen to have Similarities. Thanks to Similarities - a flickr set of pictures and design that pairs of similar images against each other, exposing their striking conceptual similarity. Too bad we won’t know who is the creator behind it.
The thing to keep in mind, that creativity is simply the sum total of your mental resources, the catalog of ideas you’ve accumulated over the years by being alive and alert and attentive to the outside world. Well, when you explore Similarities, challenge yourself to question the subconscious influences and stealthy inspiration that creep into your own creative output.
Although it has been more than 40 years (1961-2008) that doesn’t mean people has forgotten. 
Personally, I created something with a similar inspiration source to enhance my design and creativity. Fine-tune and don’t copy elements or positioning exactly. Another word, copy with smart not copy blinded.
Recently, found out some cool site that show some ideas of design with series of visualization.
Let’s look at this video describe about the relationship between three of today’s most culturally relevant issues: The role of design, the idea of sustainability, and our collective capacity for change.
Cool and enjoy.
2nd day of the leadership summit, one of the speech from John Ng who gave a fabulous speech on the title of “finishing race”. He played this movie “Cool Runnings” before he shown us the chart below…
This chart was designed by John Ng.
Building a great community, you are the GOD-centred Person which you need to have Character + Calling + Competence
Character (Integrity and morality)
Well, you have to be sensitively to GOD request and depend on what your ear custom to hear.
Calling
Finding you own voice, and rediscover you own passion. Be the best for GOD.
Competence
You have to spend time develop competence.
Now, let’s look at the grey bubble:
What is Moralist? Means got character but no callings & no competence
What is Demogugue? Someone only got calling and no competence and character
What is Technocrat? Competence but no calling and no moralist (TGIF member)
Or, what if the leader only has calling and competence?
Calling + Competence = Destructive Achiever, this type of people who destroy people. For instance, people from Wall Street who has no Character, self-serving and destroy the world economy.
Competence + Character = Sloopy under Achiever, less passion & calling.
Calling + Character = Charismatic “Gung Ho”; Means he/she excited and want to do everything but cannot deliver coz no competence.
In another word, a person who has Demogogue, Technocrat and Moralist. He/she able to complete the race while consistent focus on the prize.
Leadership is not about yourself but people. Because everything you learn and earn in this world, will go into “Box” but invest in something greater than you.
I was attending this Leadership conference organized by CMC (Chinese Methodist Church) at Port Dickson from 27-28 Feb. It called “ETLS” Eagles Team Leadership summit, well it is a gathering where pastors and lay leaders learn biblically informed principles, integrating church/marketplace perspectives to address current leadership challenges.
CMC invited this group from Eagles Leadership Institute (www.leadership.org.sg) with fabulous speakers, there was Michael Tan, Lim Peng Soon and John Ng (www.meta.som.sg). Although it’s just a day half of conference, I had gained a lot of knowledge and I believe 400 of the attendants had the wonderful class that how to be a leader in church or workspace.
What trigger me during the conference? Let me share with that.
Meaning of Leaders or who is qualified to be a leader?
L.E.A.D.E.R.S... each alphabet has its own meaning.
L- Long-term record of effectiveness
E- Egos surrendered to Christ
A- Approachable and accessible
D- Devotion to spouse and family, yes, support from family is important
E- Excellence in service & work
R- Reflection of Godly Character
S- Sharing with others
Although your position as a manager, supervisor, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make you a leader, it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around.
To be a good leader with 8 Characters or it called 8P.
1) Purity of Hear (Mind and hands)
2) Posture of Servant hood (Pride)
3) Perseverance (Follow-through)
4) Predictability (Integrity)
5) Promise-keeping (Confidence)
6) Partnership (Faithfulness)
7) Prayer (Spirituality)
8) Passion for Christ (Sincerity)
Well, when a person is deciding if she respects you as a leader, she does not think about your attributes, rather, she observes what you do so that she can know who you really are. She uses this observation to tell if you are an honorable and trusted leader or a self-serving person who misuses authority to look good and get promoted. Self-serving leaders are not as effective because their employees only obey them, not follow them.
And remember, good followers manage themselves well, committed to the organization and build their competence & focus, courageous, honest and credible. Or I put the terms in this way…
Followership = Partnership = Leadership = Relationship
Coz leadership is everyone’s business.
