On the home-front here, though, I have been pursuing some clients that are very dear to me – trail runners! My three most recent portfolio items are all trail related, but each completely unrelated.

• Liza Howard is a top competitive ultra-runner and good friend who has helped me learn the ropes of trail running here in San Antonio.
• Inside Trail is a trail race commentary site and moving towards event production and management.
• Trail Runner Nation is a community driven largely by podcasts offering unique trail running advice and tips, and supported by large community discussion and resources.

With the completion of these sites, however, I am getting a bit eager to try some new designs…and the future is looking bright.

1. Aston Shuffle Feat. Lovers Electric – Start Again (Hook N Sling Remix)

2. Jay Z ft Rihanna VS Sebastian Bach – Run This Town

3. Redial – Anxiety

4. Mt Eden – Omen

5. Steve Aoki & Laidback Luke ft. Lil Jon – Turbulence

6. TV Rock & Hook N Sling ft. Rudy – Diamonds In The Sky

7. Avicii – ID

8. Diddy – Dirty Money Feat. Skylar Grey – Coming Home (Dirty South Club Mix)

9. Kraddy – Android Porn

10. Hard Rock Sofa & St. Brothers – Blow Up

11. Project Bassline – Clean Up That Filth

Facebook recently rolled out it’s latest round of changes which are geared specifically at revamping the Pages area. With these changes come many new additions; page administrators may now interact with other pages; pages can “like” other pages; pages can no longer use the FBML app that allowed for custom tabs. Wait, what?!

This was a notable change for many developers who had previously relied on FBML tabs to create custom content for clients, showcasing unique content that was out-of-the-box compared to other Facebook tabs. With this option eliminated, we are now presented the ability to use iFrame content on custom Facebook tabs. After much thought, I am very happy with this (as are most other developers it seems). The benefits of this are as follows:

• Add all your content from a single location
• Clients have the user-friendly WordPress admin area to work with
• With WordPress 3.1, Internal Linking to pages and posts is easier than ever

See how it all comes together now…

What we are going to do here, in a nutshell, is create a WordPress page with a custom WordPress template and have a custom Facebook App pull this data into a custom Facebook Tab.

1. Creating the Page

This is the simple part. Simply create a typical WordPress page in your admin area. It does not matter where this page is located.

2. Create the Custom Template

I will not divulge into the specifics of creating a custom template. If your company needs this service, KGBTexas is highly proficient in this practice and would happy to accommodate you. Keep in mind this template should adhere to Facebook’s tab dimension restrictions which is currently 520 pixel width. Height does not matter. I will link some template resources if you would like to learn about coding them on your own.

• http://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Development
• Chris Coyier’s Lynda Guide on Template Building (awesome tutorial, well worth it)

3. Create the Facebook Application

Creating the Facebook custom tab requires us to pull content from a Facebook Application. Setting this up is very straightforward. Please follow this link for a very thorough walkthrough. Essentially, you want to create a new Facebook application and point this at our WordPress page’s URL and select the option within the application to use an iFrame.

4. Add the App to your Tabs

You must now connect the application to your fan page.

• Open your application and choose the option on the very bottom left to “Add to My Page”
• This will give a pop up box where you may select which page to add this to
• Now that the application is added to your page, head over to your page and click the option at the top right to edit it
• You will be directed to the admin area for your page
• From here, select the applications option at the bottom of your left navigation
• A list of all your current applications comes up in the page content area.
• Select the Custom Application options you created and make sure it is set to show on your tabs.

You should now be able to view your page normally and witness the custom tab on the left side navigation. Clicking the tab icon (customizable in the app settings!) will open the iFrame on your page! Keep in mind, if users are on a secure Facebook connection, you need to make sure your secure callback URL is set properly in the application settings. Good luck!

Wireframes are NOT…

Wireframes are not a final product. They are not ready for the real world. They are not even technically a prototype. Wireframes are meant to be slim, lacking content and not particularly appealing.

So what ARE wireframes?

Wireframes are a tool to help encourage communication between the client and designer. Wireframes shed some light early in the production stage of a project regarding the direction a design is headed. The wireframe gives both parties some building blocks to work with and begin communication on design matters or structural features.

I cannot express strongly enough that a wireframe is not a mock design. The real purpose of a wireframe is to present a visual representation of the work flow your designer has in mind. As a client, you should use this wireframe to submit feedback on whether or not this work flow matches your line of thought.

Epic wireframe analogy

I like to compare a good wireframe to a cocoon. The cocoon delivers a butterfly which looks hardly similar to the initial being that first entered the cocoon. The same goes for our wireframes. By way of productive communication, a designer’s wireframes help shape and mold the ideas of our clients into a beautiful website. Until spring when our websites all migrate north. We’re still working on that.

1. Time of Our Lives – Paul Van Dyk

A timeless classic. This is the epitomy of vocal trance. Uplifting and melodic, this song is good for any moment.

2. Higher State – Bailey

Easy listening here. Good melody carries you easily through rough work patches and a simple but effective message keeps a smile on your face.

3. Illmerica – Wolfgang Gartner

Effin Epic. Wolfgang is now a Texas native…I’m gonna have to kidnap him and demand some production lessons. This track was cooked in 100% pure awesomesauce.

4. Animal Rights – Wolfgang Gartner

Stepping up to the plate again, this time with powerhouse Deadmau5, Wolfgang went a bit funky with this beat. It worked though and I haven’t stopped bobbin my head since it came out. Caution – at 0:20 your head will explode.

5. Miami 2 Ibiza – Swedish House Mafia

Coming off their fresh hit, “One”, SHM serves up another delicious batch of serious audible goodness. If only I could have heard it live!. PS – I much prefer the instrumental over the vocals version.

6. Side by Side – Felguk

One of my new favorite groups – can’t believe I’ve missed out on their past work. I’m making up for it buy replaying this about 800 times a day and it never gets old. Track instantly picks up around 0:15 and leads you into a sort of melodic euphoria, only to shatter that and violate your eardrums with the sickest pickup EVER at 3:46.

7. Back in the Race – Umek & Beltek

I actually don’t listen to this one too often. If I did, I would have 50 speeding tickets, I’d be jogging 50 miles a day, and I would never sleep. The pickup at 1:00 is just too much for my lead foot and energetic nature. Damn you, Umek.

8. Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites – Skrillex

Such a unique tune. Starts super chill and melodic but then drop kicks you with the twist.

8. Rapture – Nadia Ali (Avicii New Generation Mix)

Classic trance jam remastered into a whole new monster (an amazing one). The transition at 0:48 gives me shivers. This might be one of those few sequels who can actually show up its predecessor.

9. Intro – Sander Van Doorn

NEED. LOUDER. HEADPHONES. This song ends way too quickly for the likes of me. I could listen to this beat for hours. The melody has the ability to really bring out raw emotion.

10. Black Magic – The Green Children (Moguai Remix)

So glad I came across this online. This track is perfect. Smooth, melodic intro that graciously builds into a crisp vocal track. The lyrics tease you into a relaxed state, when all of the sudden a volcano of epic synth and drums blast your pansy thoughts out of the water at 2:20, and it only gets better. If this don’t make your booty move, yo’ booty must be dead.

11. Let You Go – Chase & Status (Feed Me Remix)

I dig the original tons, but this version seems to hit me with more creative synergy. At 0:30 things get interesting, at 1:00 they start getting awesome.

12. Seek Bromance – Tim Berg

Hey I didn’t name the song. Nonetheless, this is an incredibly good track. Good friends, great times, amazing music (oh and ecstacy, wine, and driving half naked). Very uplifting song that is great for inspiration and keeping your creative energy groovin.

1. DJ Antoine – This Time

2. Rank 1 – LED There There Be Light

3. La Caution – Thé à la menthe

4. Riva Starr – I Was Drunk

5. Bingo Players – Devotion

6. Reel 2 Real – I Like To Move It (nerd points)

7. Paul van Dyk – For an Angel

8. Emalkay – When I Look at You

9. Alex M – Passion

10. Eminem – Till I Collapse