Weeknotes 20:15

July 6, 2020

Week of June 29 - July 4

Launch

My latest project launched on Wednesday. This is my second year of building out a digital experience for OECD-OPSI Embracing Innovation in Government: Global Trends report. This year’s version is a bit different. Instead of one report, this year is five separate reports. The first one is focused on innovative responses to COVID-19.

• I started a new project at the end of the week. We are creating an online museum for Iridium. I am enjoying utilizing CSS Grid to build out the layouts on this site. I have also built out a page builder with Advanced Custom Fields that uses Flexible Content and Repeater fields.
• I would like to write a post on some of the ways I have been using CSS Grid in solutions for projects that I have built recently.
• It was nice to have a short week and a day off on Friday. I am ready for more of a break and have decided to take a week of PTO the week of July 13-17. We will finish up work on the Iridium project and launch it next week. Several other projects have finished up recently so this is a good time to take a break. I am looking forward to a mixture of getting some personal things done, spending time with my family, and enjoying some time reading, journaling, and taking a pause.

Online Reading

• Waking up in 2030 – One of the most interesting articles I have read recently. It discusses while some things in our lives have slowed down, other things within the culture have sped up which will cause a bit of disorientation as we emerge from this COVID crisis.
• The Rip Van Winkle Church of 2030 – Picking up from the above article, this article puts things in perspective for the Christian church.
• Stop Firing the Innocent – This article reminded me of things I read in The Madness of Crowds. Highlights some of the ways innocent people get caught up in the culture’s overcorrection.
• I’m Not Hateful, You Are – Interesting article about how our perceptions of how those “across the divide” are very wrong and how those false perceptions lead to more hate.
• 4 Reasons to Wear a Mask, Even if You Hate It – I think Christians should be the first to take up the cause to wear a mask. So much of it is about embracing Godly character in putting others first, humility, and loving our neighbor.
• COVID 19 and Mask Confusion – Dispels a lot of myths people have about wearing masks.
• Follow the Way You Want to Be Followed – Wise advice from Tim Challies.
• Small Decisions Matter: Discernment for Everyday Life – I believe discernment is a huge need today.
• Let Your Heart Take Courage – Who doesn’t need this helpful reminder as we walk through these days.
• Your 2020 Mid-Year Review – I have been thinking a lot about personal development lately. This caught my eye as a helpful evaluation point.

Front-End Development Focused

• Uncommon CSS Properties – Most of these were ones I was aware of but there were a few I was not aware of or had forgotten.
• CSS background-repeat: round – helpful tip on how to repeat a background image without getting some of it clipped due to the constraints of the element. I don’t do a lot of repeating backgrounds these days but have filed this away for the next time I need it.
• CUBE CSS – Andy Bell goes deeper into his methodology. I have not yet had time to get into it but really looking forward to better understanding it.
• Smashing Podcast with Andy Bell: What is CUBE CSS? – A great introduction to Andy Bell’s methodology.
• Five Ways to Improve Your Cover Letter – some great tips to consider.
• Styling Layout Wrappers in CSS – My favorite technique is the last one that he covers, a trick I picked up from reading Lea Verou’s CSS Secrets. It uses a calc function to add padding to the left and right. The advantage is not adding a wrapper div and cleaner code.
• When Sass and New CSS Collide – Great things to keep in mind if you still use Sass. I continue to use Sass for many of the reasons she discusses.
• Irregular Shapes with Subgrid – I love how new CSS layout methods provide creative solutions like this one. Wish Chrome and other browsers would implement subgrid soon.
• Deep Dive into CSS Grid – A great introduction or great review of CSS Grid.
• An Overview of Scroll Techniques – Helpful look at different options available to tap into the scroll. I am looking forward to playing around with GSAP’s new ScrollTrigger.
• GreenSock 101 – Speaking of ScrollTrigger, Petr Tichy has updated his GreenSocks 101 tutorial to use ScrollTrigger. Looking forward to taking some time soon to work through this.
• How Web Designers Can Help Restaurants Move Into Digital Experiences – I enjoyed this article about important aspects of a restaurant website and how to help restaurants pivot during these difficult economic times.

Watched

• Hamilton (Disney+) – My oldest daughter has been looking forward to seeing this since she heard it was coming to Disney+. I really enjoyed it and look forward to watching it again in the future.
• Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian (Disney+) – Finally finished all the episodes of this behind the scenes look at the filming of The Mandalorian.
• The Terminal – My family enjoyed watching this movie on 4th of July. We have watched several Tom Hanks movies recently.
• The West Wing (Netflix)