Mandar Apte

UI/UX Designer from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Articles

  • Learn Photoshop: Learn How to Use Photoshop’s Non Destructive Editing for Transforming, Applying Perspective, Changing Colors, masking by just utilizing Photoshop feature called ‘Smart Objects’

    Following Video will Introduce you the term called ‘Non Destructive Editing’ in Photoshop by using Photoshop’s powerful feature called ‘Smart Objects’.

    No more hesitate to transform objects multiple times by loosing quality of artwork… As this feture simply puts exact original copy of artwork inside artwork called Smart Object…

    A Modern Photoshop Technique That You should Know How To Use it… & Get powerful results from it…

    (more…)

  • Learn Photoshop: Improve Photoshop Your Creative Workflow & Productivity by Utilizing Photoshop Actions by Creating Photoshop Droplets & Scripts

    Here are detailed tutorials that you will love to learn ‘Photoshop Actions’ to improove your Photoshop Creative Workflow & Productivity by just following video Tutorials:

    We certaily know that Photoshops Actions were available for long time now but learn here to put them for better use…

    (more…)

  • Steve Jobs & John Lasseter Joint Interview on Pixar’s Animation Film Toy Story

    Here is Interview of Steve Jobs & John Lasseter talking about Pixar’s New Release Toy Story,

    This Interview is taken by Charlies Rose & It is Dated Wednesday 30th October 1996

    An interview with Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, about his company, Pixar, which creates animated characters and movies with computer software, and John Lasseter, the director of the Pixar film, “Toy Story”, which follows toys that come to life.

    Thanks & Regards
    Mandar Apte

  • OpenSource GnuCash Accounts Books Keeper Application for Macintosh OSX, A User Experience & User Interface Review

    Introduction to Application
    I was searching for Macintosh OSX Application that can keep my Accounts Books for free & perfectly.
    I found the Mac OSX application called GnuCash, I was excited & happy as it was free & open-source…

    Solution

    • I downloaded the application, Opened the DMG file, Copied GnuCash Application to Mac OSX Application folder,
    • Application Icon was pretty much ordinary with flat colors no 3D or gradients or shadows
    • Worst thing was it was having big & Microsoft Windows like GUI (Graphical User Interface)
    • Button Clicking was not working
    • It had confusing approach for user to where to start from or just how to use it
    • GnuCash is alien Application for family of application of Mac OSX
    • It gave hint that HCI – UX & UI designer of GnuCash never used the mac before
    • GnuCash looses big time even being only open-source application in it’s category
    (more…)

  • Why we don’t do Pilot Projects or so called Free Mockup Designs? & Why Pilot Projects & Free Mockup design doesn’t work?

    Few collection of thoughts from my experience of design freelancing & pursuing design processes & doing design oriented business for living for last more than 4 years.

    When somebody asks for Mockup before starting any paid & finalised project,

    Following situations can be seen & felt by designer

    • Client is unsure about prospect of project
    • Client has unpractical approach towards project
    • Client lack proper investment & money
    • Client is hesitant about future of project
    • It’s just real waste of time if you are not going to paid for it
    • There is confusion in conversation of respective parties client & designer
    • Time is blocked by unpaid Mockup design process
    • Designer can’t take more interesting & paid work because he is occupied by just making Mockups
    • Mockup has no value for showcasing in real world because people want what is more sellable content & design & finished product

    Now you can understand why we don’t do Mockups for any clients or any prospective client.

    Thanks & Regards
    Mandar Apte

  • User Experience Notes from implementation of Google Adsense in website

    I have realized after implementing Google Adsense in my blog with right background with borders while matching it to style of Adsense ads they are surrounding to,

    CTR i.e. Click Through Rate is increased now with 100%

    I am getting good results & comments offline & online, Nobody feels presence of ads distracting or useless or nobody asks about why I am using Google Adsense.

    Simple answers I use to give that to monetize my blog & fund my online projects with website’s self-sufficiency.

    But I now can tell you that use right CSS Backgrounds in Website’s HTML & Color Styles in Adsense Templates your CTR will increase & you will find difference in few days or two.

    Best Luck… Design Buddies…!!!

    Thanks & Regards
    Mandar Apte

  • Preferred Apple Mail Settings for GMail (Google Mail), Yahoo Mail & Also for Private Domain Mail Accounts

    Here is My Take on Apple Mail Settings for GMail, Yahoo Mail & My Private Domain Mail Sever…

    I Have Selected Options As Follows:

    1. Draft: Option Unchecked
    2. Notes: Option Unchecked
    3. Sent: Option Checked & Delete Sent Message Option Selected as ‘Never’
    4. Junk: Option Unchecked
    5. Trash: Option Checked & Move Deleted Message to Trash Mail Box Option Checked, Store deleted message on server option checked, Permanantly erase deleted message when ‘One Month Old’ checked

    I am using this mail settings for my own personal use in my daily life, I hope it helps you…

    Thanks & Regards
    Mandar Apte

  • Using large font size for web content which is what works in real situations in daily website browsing life

    Designing Websites through CMS – Content Management Systems is big business nowadays.

    Designing Website themes with Font that seems right to eye than seems more readable to eye & become eye candy of viewer is big challenge for designer.

    Designing website with font variation from font size from 5px to 25 px is big trend that captured the whole designer community world wide.

    What I think readability & getting attention of reader through large or more readable font size should be criteria. Using font size of 14.5px to help reader to concentrate & not irritate his eye to read small font size of so called ‘content’ area.

    Using large font size & grading content on basis of maximize of 14.5px font size should be right direction to move forward.

    Large font size for content like 14.5px helps communicator to convey message to reader & gain effective result of making him frequent visitor to website to which he loves to read the content from.

    Here are Pros of using 14.5px font size or more

    (more…)

  • Sex Don’t Sell Product or It’s Just Communicates a wrong message, Here is why…!!! A Story of Airline called Kingfisher, ‘King of Good Times’.

    There is or there was one airline in India called ‘Kingfisher’, Who tried to market it’s airline through bikinis’ & girls on bitches. This will give you hint what I mean.

    Kingfisher started it’s work in Year 2005 & Today in Year 2010-11 It called itself bankrupt of INR 7,000 Crore of Debt.

    All marketing strategies were based on girls with less cloths or just so called bikinis, Which practically did not worked for them as it seems. They are unable to pay their employees’ salaries for last three month…

    Then what’s the use of showing beautiful girls with less cloths on bitches & showcasing them & selling them as New Years Kingfisher Calendar girls when Product doesn’t seem to be survive in market for even more than 5 years.

    It shows misconduct of investing money in word called ‘SEX’ than product it has to sell.

    It proves the point that, ‘Sex Don’t Sell Your Product!!! & It’s Communicate Wrong Message with that…!!!’

    Thanks & Regards
    Mandar Apte

  • Is Photography is an Art? or Just a technique?

    When camera was first invented & made available to public at large to buy,

    It was caught up with the idea of capturing the moment in still image, or preserving the moment in film.

    But as time progressed GUI – Graphical User Interface enabled computers were started to use by public with introduction of Macintosh in Year 1984.

    With Macintosh came Photoshop. And it changed DTP – Desktop Publishing Industry, Graphic Design, Print Design Industry & it had large impact on an Art called Photography.

    Because it introduced ‘Post Production in Photography through Photoshop touch-ups’.

    & then through my point of view Photography doesn’t remained the Art Form at all.

    With Faster & Smarter Photoshop came Quad Core Mac that runs in blazing speed, Then Hand Held Digital Point & shoot cameras introduced by companies like Canon, Nikon. Point & shoot camera are so cheap & with higher mega pixel with higher density it became household thing to own Digital Point & Shoot camera.

    (more…)