Subvert posted a list of what they think are top 10 interactive design agencies but, as is common with such lists, the debate continues. Nobody denies their excellence but some dispute it should be renamed into “top web standards development agencies” or some such… that there are many agencies that rank higher, operate with higher budgets, attract bigger clients etc.

I think that’s a valid argument, after all… if you’re a fortune 500 CEO you likely don’t really give a damn about web standards. You want the job done regardless of how things work underneath. The Subvert list basically gives you a runthrough of standardista blog movement celebrities ignoring the much larger segment of the “real world agencies” that just get the job done (and get paid by people who don’t care and can afford not to care).

However, they should all strive to become the top 10 on Subvert list…

23 Lessons from Eye-Tracking Studies
via UX Magazine

Some obvious ones…

Readers ignore banners. Ads may be the bread and butter of your site, but studies have shown that readers largely ignore banner ads, often focusing for only a fraction of a second. If you’re trying to make money from ads, you need to be creative in your ad placement or in the types of ads you have on your site.

Some perhaps less so:

Fancy formatting and fonts are ignored. Why? Because users assume they are ads and don’t have the information they need. In fact, studies showed that users had difficulty finding information in large colored letters formatted in this way because visual clues told them to ignore it. Keep your site streamlined and not so shiny that important elements will be glossed over.

I guess it wasn’t mentioned in my job description but among my regular duties I’ve been tasked to search for opensource/freeware/cheap alternatives to common windows based tools used for video & photo editing, 3D modelling, DTP etc. that are a part of the usual software porftolio in a design studio (web/print/video/whatever).

I found some interesting options that might be of use to someone but to be honest from the start – although many of these are actually quite capable I’ve found a number of missing features that would be a deal braker for my personal use. But if you’re just starting out or are on a serious budget or there are some specific circumstances (that’s why I’ve been researching this in the first place) then these should do just fine.

Just one more thing… some of these might not be free but cost considerably less than the industry standard.

sound editing:

• Audacity
• GoldWave

3D graphics:

• Blender

Photo editing:

• GIMP
• GIMPShop (GIMP offspring that looks like Photoshop)
• CinePaint (GIMP offspring for the film industry with some specific features)
• Picture Window Pro ($90)
• Photoshop Elements 6 ($100)

Vector graphics:

• Inkscape

Non linear video editing:

• Jahshaka (free, latest release oct 06)
• ZS4 (free, latest release feb 07)
• Cinerella (free but only available on Linux)
• Adobe Premiere Elements 4 ($99)
• Pinnacle Studio Plus ($99)
• Pinnacle Studio Ultimate ($130)
• Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum ($120)
• Avid Xpress Pro Academic ($295)
• ULEAD Media Studio Pro ($400)

Desktop Publishing:

• Scribus
• QuarkXpress ($195)

As I said… I’m not switching completely but these might be very attractive to some.