The little plane that landed me in Taveuni

As a student of the Interactive Design program at Capilano University in my last term of the program, I have the exciting opportunity to participate in a 6 week practicum. I decided to do things a little bit differently. I hose the No Code Nicole way…

My number one motivating factor in my decision to  leave the hospitality industry and jump headlong into the world of web design was my love of travel. I had visions of sitting on the beach somewhere far away from Vancouver and the ominous rain, my trusty laptop in front of me as I worked away on web design contracts. When the practicum opportunity came up I decided to test my theory.

I searched my network of contacts and landed on the opportunity to go and do some work with Mobimap, an international company based in Victoria that designs customized tourist maps. I had contacts with the creative director and the head of IT and I knew that they were in the process of working on an iPhone app as well as several other interactive media initiatives. I got in touch with them and was accepted for the practicum position.

As an interactive designer, I have honed my skills in several areas. For my practicum I will be taking a multi faceted approach to my work for Mobimaps. I will be doing some information architecture and general R&D for interactive features that the company is interested in developing as well as working towards effectively applying usability research to marketing solutions for their targeted users.

These are all rather regular tasks for an intern to undertake, but with one exciting twist, I will be doing all of this from Taveuni, an island in Fiji!

Rather than taking a bus to Gas Town to work everyday, I embarked on an exciting journey to Fiji. As a traveling web designer, I of course had to lug all my nerd gear along with me in my carry on. It was epic. I had to bring my lap top, external hard drives, all my cords and external accessories like a mouse, keyboard, camera, iPod touch etc. I wanted to ensure that I was all set up to work as soon as I arrived.

Working in an office set up by the head of IT has many perks.  He has worked long and hard to get Internet service here on the Island that can support online workers that need to upload and download large files, as well as spend all day online corresponding with people in the US, Mexico and Canada. Within 3 hours of landing on the island I had my own desk and was wired into the Internet. We run on a wired system here for a few reasons – speed being the number one consideration – as well as networking between our team - file sharing is simplified and sped up this way – but an ethernet cable is one thing that I did not pack… living in the wireless world at home in Vancouver it’s been a while since I needed one!

My office beside the sea in Fiji

I have learned a few valuable lessons already that anyone should consider when thinking about becoming a traveling web designer.

We all know that tech gear should really be carried on in your carry on luggage – as you never know what may happen to your stowed luggage as it goes through varying customs adventures. I decided to pack my external keyboard in with my checked luggage as it was a bit large for my carry on. Big mistake! My luggage was dug through by customs somewhere along the way and they ripped keys off my key board! Next time it goes in the carry on…

The second lesson to consider is the power situation in whatever country you will be working in. I have all of the correct adapters on my power cords and they are plugged into surge protected power bars, but my poor keyboard has continued to suffer on this adventure. The entire center line of keys no longer works. This according to out IT manager could be the result of the generator that we are drawing all out power from not being grounded… I am out of my element when it comes to understanding power and all it’s mysterious ways, all I can do is hope that my Macbook Pro will be safe!

I will now have to take my laptop down off of my handy elevator stand and do all of my designing with only my mouse and my laptop keyboard as I somehow also made the decision to leave my tablet behind…

That is all for now folks. Keep posted for more musings from this traveling web designer

If you dream of traveling the world and working along the way check out the program that I have been attending

Interactive Design Program at Capilano University

Make this soup for a web designer and you will have a friend for life!

As a chef turned web designer (I am still a food lover first and foremost – that will never change) I know that the promise of a tasty lunch or dinner can make a day in front of the computer pass much easier.

I wanted to interview a friend and fellow Vancouver blog writer, Malgosia Krol. She has many talents, but for Robot Salmon I wanted to pick her mind about her skills as a Landscape Architect, a photographer, a chef and a blogger for Like Mama Said.

Robot Salmon: What motivates you to blog about food?
Like Mama Said: Cooking is my first love. Amidst all the things I’ve pursued in my life, all the interests I’ve chased down, I have never tired of the kitchen, learning about nutrition and feeding my gluttony for cookbooks. It also satisfies a deep appreciation I have for creativity, sharing and bringing people together, whether in our home or via the blog. I learned all my culinary tricks from my Mom who was very health conscious and had a talent for whipping up an amazing meal out of what looked to be an empty fridge. I liken that a lot too being limited to certain constrains, desires or dislikes of a client who you’re designing for and then just working with it and coming up with something “delicious.”

Robot Salmon: If you were to make lunch for a web designer what would you make?
Like Mama Said: I would definitely go with my Carrot Apple & Celery soup a.k.a “Sunshine Soup.” It’s incredibly refreshing and gives you that zing of energy when you need it most. As we all know, carrots improve the health of our eyes and skin and working long hours in front of the computer can certainly take it’s toll on our sight and naturally, how well we look to others. Celery has properties that soothe our digestive system and apples are a great source of fiber. This soup is also surprisingly satisfying, so it will do the trick if you’re putting in long hours at the office. For dessert (let’s be honest, what’s a meal without it?), I would make Raw Walnut Truffles. There’s no sugar and it’s made with raw cacao powder. It won’t leave you hanging after your blood glucose takes a nosedive, as it would with any other dessert riddled with ingredients that agitate your body and often cannot be digested efficiently, or at all.

Robot Salmon: You just recently launched a new website for your garden design business – was there any special foods that you bribed your web designer with?
Like Mama Said: Definitely! My husband is the graphic designer of my website and my guinea pig for new recipes, so he was on board to be wine and dined in return for his hard work. He’s a big lover of my vegan gluten and sugar-free muffins, his favorite being the “Huggybear Pumpkin Pear Muffins.” It took me a few tries to perfect the texture, but I finally managed to find that certain mix of ingredients for a tender and moist muffin. Sometimes tricky when using alternatives to regular wheat flours.

Robot Salmon: Are there any of your design skills and esthetics that you draw on and carry over when you are creating a new recipe?
Like Mama Said: I’m a very visual person so getting creative with recipes makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. I get so excited and inspired and feel that the possibilities are endless. Presentation is very important to me. Often, without even realizing it, I think I draw from my studies in Landscape Architecture to make it happen, from choosing colour, quality and texture to the pairing of ingredients and the assembly. I never follow a recipe, I think it’s part rebellion and that my creativity just takes over and I have at it in a way that just feels right intuitively and is satisfactory to my senses, which I think designers and creative people definitely rely a lot on naturally.

Robot Salmon: Do you find that your talents as a photographer help with Like Mama Said?
Like Mama Said: Oh yes, that’s a biggie. I’m absolutely ecstatic that I get to use all my creative loves to bring the blog together. It takes me no time to eat what I’ve made, but I think that I enjoy photographing it just as much as I do eating it. The first things I look for when I’m riffling through new cookbooks are images. A cookbook doesn’t come home with me if there’s no eye-candy of the recipe. I picked-up a lot of photography skills from Journalism School, so to get to write about my time in the kitchen and satisfy that too is just the icing on the cake for me. It really comes full circle.

Robot Salmon: Do you use other social media to get the awesome recipes from Like Mama Said out there to more readers (like Digg, Twitter, Stumble upon etc)
Like Mama Said: I use Facebook to get the word out about Like Mama Said and created a group that is available for anyone to join. And of course I
tag the hell out of the new recipes I post so that the blog appears on search engines like Google etc. I’ll definitely expand my horizons to more social networks in the near future, but I’m a little gun-shy to spread myself to thin at the moment and not be able to catch up. It does take maintaining to keep the social momentum going, so I want to make sure I have time for that.

Check out more from Malgosia likemamasaid.wordpress.com

Join the Like Mama Said Facebook Fan page so that you can start cooking for all the web designers in your life!

A Web Designer special recipe from likemamasaid.wordpress.com
Carrot Apple & Celery Soup

Living in Vancouver has its pros and cons, like any city of course (I’m referring to the rain in this case). So when I feel I need a bit of zing added to my gumboot step, I make myself a little bowl of sunshine soup.
3 tblsp. agave
2 tsp.cinnamon
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lime
2 tblsp. tomato paste
3 celery stalks, 10 medium carrots, both chopped
1 small onion, 1 garlic clove, both chopped
3 apples (2 peeled, cored and chopped & 1 cored, thinly sliced, skin on)

In a large pot cover the chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic with water and bring to a boil, let simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. In a saucepan, sautee the 2 chopped apples with the agave and tomato paste, add a splash of water, stir and let simmer until the apples are slightly soft. Add this to the pot with the carrot and celery, stir in the cinnamon, lime juice, salt and pepper and transfer to a large mixing bowl for cooling before blending in a blender or food processor. Core and thinly slice the last apple and let the pieces brown in a frying pan with a splash of water on high heat. The pureed soup may be slightly thick, so stir in some water to your liking, garnish with the sliced apples, pepper and a drizzle of limejuice.

We want our designs to be current and on track with the rest of the design industry trends. Of course we also have to consider future trends, web design is poised to start making a big impact as companies and businesses shift their presence and their marketing online.

The thinking part: using our brains!

The initial phase of a web design project focuses in on varying design research methods. Our number one priority is to make sure that we are following a user centered design process. We want to get to know your clients, the end users of your new website, your target market if you will. We want to get inside their heads and figure out what will speak to your users, and then we will design to support that message.

Branding Strategy: building an identity

Another important product that results from the research and design methods that we follow is determining your brand or your identity. If you or your company does not have a strongly defined brand, or an identity that is currently represented by your graphics and logos, as web designers we can create one for you. A successful website should help you launch your online presence in general. Having a clear branding strategy is one of the keys to success.

The fun stuff: color palettes & mood boards

Okay, at this point in the design process your web designers have used their brains, they understand the design research, they know who you or your company are speaking to and what your users will respond to. It is time to do the next phase of research and determine how best to graphically speak to your audience.

We create mood boards, visual collages from all the information that has been gathered. We put together color palettes that we think your audience and users will respond to.

In the Interactive Design program at Capilano University we use several awesome resources online when brainstorming for color palettes.

Check out Adobe’s site Kuler

Another great spot to satisfy your inner art nerd is this color palette generator at DeGraeve

Online color palette generator: design geek heaven

Here in Vancouver the 2010 Olympics are a part of everything these days, so I have to mention some interesting affects that I think the games are having on our local Vancouver design industry. As I was surfing the net the other day looking for color palette resources I found this inspiring online forum encouraging designers to interact and upload to a collection of color palettes inspired by the 2010 Winter Olympics Colour Lovers, Olympic love

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics inspire designers all over

Another window into the design process is this video.

It walks you through the design process behind creating the 2010 Winter Olympics graphics and brand. Everything that I have laid out in this post happened on that project, and I have to say that I think they did a fantastic job.

The graphics keep up with many of the design trends that we are seeing online so far in 2010. A blend of organic images, hand drawn illustrations and retro graphics. They speak to the Canadian audience, balancing our love of nature and our outdoor lifestyle with our beautiful cities. The graphics stand out on all of the websites, the print materials the buildings and the flags, the athletes outfits even.

It seems as though the design process was thorough, the design research methods were successful, and the chosen color palette suits Vancouver perfectly.

But as a Vancouver Web Design Student and a new media enthusiast I am now hitting the streets to take in the sites right along side everyone else.

The second installation that I want to feature in my Robot Salmon 2010 Interactive Media commentary, is the digital wall that Switch Interactive created.

Technology advances, Switch Interactive walks us through an amazing experience (an Ian Smith photo)

The ” Digital Gateway” is one of the world’s longest interactive walls. You can find it downtown, beside the recently facelifted skating rink at Robson Square.

The animated presentations on the wall are randomly created by the spectators, or as us web designers would call them, “the users”. The motion from the crowd triggers sensors that detect how many people are nearby and how fast they are walking.

The Digital Gateway was created by Vancouver’s very own Switch Interactive. They are a small, independent studio that won the $600,000 contract to create the digital wall. The government deemed this interactive project worthy and lucky for us funded one of our local firms. Switch Interactive also did some interesting work for the BC Pavilion – but I will save that for another posting!

Catherine Winckler, partner and creative director of Switch describes the project “We looked at it as a new way for architecture, as well as a new opportunity to do things with walls that will relate to people. We can tailor the wall, it can be easily programmed within 24 hours to have a completely different ambience… we can change the mood, we can change the stories.”

Apparently this type of technology could even one day in the near future be applied to your umbrella so that you could display different images and information as you walked and have strangers interact with you unknowingly as they passed you on the street… could you imagine how amazing that would be? I could talk for ever about the user experience of that product!!!! I would be thrilled to never see a black, gloomy umbrella again!

There are already You tube videos up of the wall, I am sure they are inspiring Interactive Designers around the globe – the possibilities for this technology seem endless and I am sure we will witness an influx of interactive art and advertising over the next decade that will put Tom Cruise and Minority Report to shame.

read more about this in this Vancouver Sun article

Check out the info on other Code Live events and installations around Vancouver

If seeing all of this amazing Interactive Design and Interactive Media has got you thinking that you would love to get involved in this field of work check out my program at Capilano University Interactive Design

But as a Vancouver Web Design student with a passion for new media and interactive design, my mind is being blown every time I turn around. The ground breaking installations and interactive art that are being featured all around the city should put Vancouver on the map when it comes to interactive design innovation.

I plan to roam about the city to see and test out as much of the Interactive Media as I can. I will be making daily posts on Robot Salmon about my discoveries. Here is the installation that is on the top of my list today.

Vectorial Elevation - world class Interactive Design

Vectorial Elevation is an interactive artwork that allows you to direct powerful light beams and transform Vancouver’s skyline between February 4 to 28, 2010. This installation will light up the sky every night, but don’t think for a second that it is as simple as just a few high powered spot lights on timers!

The installation is currently considered one of the world’s largest interactive artworks. It was created by the Mexican-Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.

It is a totally interactive installation in every sense of the word. Anyone can go online and design a light pattern that will be blasted into the sky through the website. As users you will be engaged in the experience beyond just creating a light pattern. A personal webpage is automatically created for each participant, documenting their participation and displaying views from 4 project webcams.

The technology that this “simple” installation utilizes goes beyond something that I could have imagined in my wildest interactive media dreams. You will need to have Google Earth set up on your computer to design your light pattern.

Some of the tech specs for the set up:
The lights: Xenon 10kW robotic searchlights, four webcams, Linux servers, GPS, Google Earth 3D DMX interface, custom-software.
The Interactive area covers: 1,000 x 1,000 meters, visibility 15 Km radius (depending on atmospheric conditions)

Today we are all aware that Internet connects people all around the world and this Interactive media display takes advantage of that at every turn. When the searchlights shine someone’s design into the cloudy night sky above Vancouver during the 2010 Winter games, four Axis webcams will take digital pictures from the control room on the West End, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, a high rise on Beach avenue and the Vanier Park Marina.

The images that are generated are watermarked with the participant’s information (the design team has built a custom-made application to do this) When the pictures are taken, a web page is built for the participant and an email is sent out with their new custom URL. The personal web page displays both the real and virtual images of the user’s design as well as their name, location, date, time and comments.

They also have a Flash applet to allow visitors to see the four project cameras in real time. The video is subtitled with the name and location of the participant whose design is currently in the sky.check it out for yourself.

I can only imagine all the time and effort it took to implement this awe inspiring Interactive Media installation. As an Information Architect enthusiast I was excited to browse through the website and learn more about the process they took when developing the project.

Information Architecture for this 2010 Interactive Design project

Check out the website for Vectorial Elevation

This installation is part of CODE, the Cultural Olympiad’s Digital Edition. If you are a designer, a developer, a web specialist, or interested in interactive media in any way, you should head out the door right now to check out the CODE venues.
Check out the info on other Code Live events and installations around Vancouver

If seeing all of this amazing Interactive Design has got you thinking that you would love to get involved in this field of work check out my program at Capilano University Interactive Design

Let's not all rush to buy an iPad just yet...

If you have ever been in the market for a new tech gadget you know that you have to find the fine balance between getting that new toy that you just can’t live without and not getting ripped off for being a keener… so let’s not all rush the applestore at once now…

You're definitely getting your money from your Internet service provider...

If you have a shiny new Apple computer, high speed Internet service, Internet radio, Internet T.V. and unlimited access to as many computer geek forums and online realities, why would you ever stray?

Who needs sunshine?

There are so many options at your finger tips these days. So many ways to stay informed with the Internet, that you probably won’t even notice how pasty you are getting. You don’t need the outdoors and fresh air! You have Google Earth and totally reliable online weather reports…

It is best to remember to speak english not design....

Sometimes you have to wrench yourself away from your laptop screen and venture out to a local coffee shop to do some web design work. As you order your first cup of Jo remember that you are out in the world and that baristas don’t speak photoshop.

SEO experts are rather focused on the prize..... too focused?

We are in the midst of an SEO challenge in the Interactive Design program up at Capilano University. We would like to think that some of us are becoming SEO experts and SEO specialists. We happily dole out SEO tips to each other and any one else that will listen these days. I hope that no one is taking their SEO services to this extreme though…

Social media rehab, it will be all the rage in Hollywood soon you just watch

It’s official, there’s definitely a take over in my life from all of the various forms of social media, social networks, and our online social society in general. But I think I can still speak english, in statements that are longer than 150 characters…

Your social network is always there for you

Well, what can I say? Robot Salmon is rather keen in the land of Twitter, we follow an awful lot of people and try and keep up with all of the cool stuff that is happening in our social network. I hope we don’t fall this far down the rabbit hole, as I am sure Twitter was never meant to send anyone to rehab… although I do worry about Duder some days.

Welcome to our office, we sell ideas...

I wanted to take a minute to share a few tips with anyone that is interested in hiring a web designer in Vancouver (or wherever you may be). You might need a new Blog or a website just for yourself, or you may be looking for a redesign for your outdated business website – either way these tips will put you well on the road to building a healthy relationship with your web designer.

Try and stay up to date with technology...

The more prepared you are before you start shopping around for someone to take on your contract, the better off your site will be. You will save money, time and headaches all around. You should also be able to avoid ending up as a post on the Client’s from Hell Blog

Web design isn't easy...

As web designers and web developers we are always pushing the envelope and trying our best to come up with innovative designs for you.

As students of the Interactive Design program we have learned to focus on usability, functionality and designing experiences that are engaging for your viewers.

One thing that we definitely have not learned though, is mind reading (too bad about that…). We are not magicians nor robots (although some may claim differently). To get your project off the ground we are going to need your help with a few things. Here’s a list to get you started!

Ask yourself these questions before you contact a web designer

#1) Brainstorm about the why, where, what, who’s, when and how’s…

Why: why do you need this website? What will happen if you don’t get a new website? What are your hopes for the website? Your motivations?
Where: where in the market do you sit? Who is your competition? Where is the niche that you fill?
What: what tasks need to be accomplished on your website? What do you not want on your website? What features and technology are you hoping to include and use? What information do you want to feature? And probably the most important detail of all, what is your budget?

Who: who are your clients? What are their motivations for visiting your site? Do you have a tag line that speaks to your customers? Who is your competition?
When: When do you want this new site to be live? What is your timeline?

How: Do you currently own the url that you want to use? Do you have your content ready (or at least an idea of the content that you want to feature? Do you have all of the photos (or videos) ready to go? Do you have a logo or do you need one designed?

#2) Research…

Do some research. Try to find at least 5 examples of websites that do something similar to what your website will do. Find sites that you love for different reasons (graphics, content, features, navigation, etc). If you stumble across a few that you don’t like, take note of those as well. This will help your web designer understand your tastes and get a feel for sites that you are comfortable with. It makes it much easier than saying “I want something with lots of white space and I love Facebook. So what can you make for me?”

remember, an email is better than a valentines card to a web designer!

#3) Communicate…

Be prepared to communicate with us! We are online most of the time – web designers love to send emails almost as much as they love to get them – they are better than a valentine’s card to us! We will have lots of questions, so the faster that you respond, the quicker that we can move forward with your project.

#4) Trust…

Believe in your web designer. You shopped around and then decided to hire us. Let us do our job and trust that we have your success in mind at all times. You wouldn’t go call a plumber and then question him every time he pulls out a tool. Trust that we know what we are doing (even if we dress funny).

#5) Take our advice…

We have lots of great advice. We usually know a little bit about a wide variety of things, from branding, to SEO, copy writing, video editing, and usability testing. We are up to speed on the latest design trends, so if we make a funny face when you ask for florescent lime green, shiny buttons to be on every page and an epic flash intro splash page don’t take offense. Rather, take a minute to check out some of the new, fresh examples and options that we will provide for you.

With that said:

The Interactive Design class of 2010 is just about to graduate! We are hoping to all launch into the market here in Vancouver and start our careers. Some of us have already started working with clients designing and developing some exciting new sites. Check out our program Interactive Design at Capilano University if you are interested to learn more about us, our work, or if you are looking for a web design school in Vancouver.

Watch a Student Experience on Robot Salmon’s You Tube Channel

Interested in what else the Robot Salmon crew and the rest of the other web design students do up in the mountains at Capilano University check it out here!
>> interactivedesignlab.com

In this post we feature some of our incredibly talented friends in the Illustration program (IDEA). Here are 3 video’s that the Robot Salmon crew shot and edited last semester. We worked together with 4 of the second year IDEA students from across the hall up at Capilano University. We wanted to profile the student experience… these 3 videos show you a bit of a different angle than you might have seen if you watched my profile of Andrew Young…

If you are wondering what I’m talking about when I say the IDEA program here is a bit of background info for you:

“IDEA is a career-based 3-year diploma program offering instruction in both communication design and applied illustration. This dual curriculum sets IDEA apart from other post-secondary design programs and gives graduates a lifelong edge in the job market.

In this demanding, full-time cohort program, students are given a strong theoretical foundation and learn how to develop and apply concepts, manage complex projects and meet current industry expectations, both creatively and technologically. All instructors are current industry professionals – graphic designers, illustrators or consultants. ” From the Idea Program Website

Duder met with Cara Bain, a kick-ass, super cool girl with tons of style. She is an incredible illustrator with a true talent for capturing the essence of a person and portraying it in her work.

State Side got a chance to hang out with second year IDEA student Gabriel Hall. It seems like Gabriel is one of the few people in the IDEA program that could jump across the hall and hold his own amongst us aspiring web designers….almost….

Big Red had the opportunity to interview Stephanie Larsen for an afternoon to see what she does day to day in the IDEA program and get the low down about how she finds the challenge of translating her fine art skills onto the computer. Keep an eye out for her wicked poster designs around Vancouver.

Watch a Student Experience on Robot Salmon’s You Tube Channel

Interested in what else the Robot Salmon crew and the rest of the other web design students do up in the mountains at Capilano University check it out here!
>> interactivedesignlab.com

Trying to avoid this type of nerd fashion?

I was thinking about writing a post to help all the student web designers and even the professional web developers out there with their fashion choices.

I thought my nerd buddies could use a little help, so when they decide to actually close their laptops and venture out into the world for some socializing they will be able to hold their heads high and mingle in style.

But after some thought, I changed my mind and decided to focus this article on the Top 5 items to help you be a stylish nerd. The stylish nerd fashion that I found while surfing the net was just too cool to pass up (although I won’t waste anytime of your time talking about nerd glasses).

Nerd Fashion can start from the feet up

# 1) Twitter Kicks: Definitely at the top of the list I had to post these kicks. Nerds usually don’t have cool shoes in the best of times, never mind when they are broke design students. These sneakers are off the hook, custom designed & one of a kind! What nerd would not want to show up at the next Vancouver UX meetup rocking these seriously Geek Chic high tops?

Nerd Fashion on your wrist?

#2) 8 Bit watch: Telling the time circa 1983… Of course if you were a true nerd you could just check your iPhone but why not wow people with this 8bit inspired watch? You’re never too old to pay homage to this low fi design style. But if you are a bit too young to remember the good old days of game design you can always do some research about 8 bit on Wikipedia and then you’ll be able to make accurate references to the good ol days.

#3) Designer Zip ups: Capilano University sweaters are pretty awesome but why not break out of the student fashion rut and show up to the next iPhone development conference wearing this killer zip up? Everyone will instantly know that you are hard core about design…. CMYK all the way…

2010 Pantone bag is another design nerd necessity

# 4) 2010 Pantone Laptop Bag: Every year Pantone makes their “prediction” for that years most popular color. This year it just happens to be turquoise. Yup that very color that makes us all dream of vacations. So seeing as you may be a web design student on the verge of graduation why not trade in that student backpack for a wicked new laptop bag that will make it obvious that you know your stuff when it comes to design and the hottest Pantone colors? Take a moment to brush up on the details of 2010’s Pantone color if this is all news to you…

Hide a bad hair day with a trucker hat

#5) The ultimate nerd trucker hat: Let’s admit it, after you cram for several days straight, live in the coffee shop and don’t have time to shower you need a hat. So why not toss aside that old hat that you got for free last summer in a case of beer and wear this one instead. It says “I’m a nerd and I know it!” You’ll look good, I promise and if you tilt it low no one will see the reflection from your mac book that has been burned into your retina from endless hours at the screen.

Honorable Mention: I must admit that I just had to add these because they are so cool and uber nerdy that they had to be mentioned in this top 5 post. As Interactive Web Design Students on the verge of graduation many of us joke about the dream job or the dream practicum that we fantasize about. Imagine wearing these cuff links into an interview. You would be the coolest geek that they had ever met and I am sure you would get hired on the spot (hoping that the interviewer appreciated your Geek Chic accessories of course).

A true Apple Fan Boy's cuff link's

There you have it, Top 5 Geek Chic fashion or nerd fashion (call it what you will) suggestions. But we also do other things at school aside from trying to find super cool, nerdy high tops to wear. Check out our Interactive Design Program to find out more about this Vancouver web design school.