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Creating Bourbon Neat's Grid with Guide Guide
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on November 14, 2015
Since Bourbon Neat is based on the Golden Ratio and `em` units, I find that this post is the easiest way to set up a Photoshop document to be comparable to Bourbon Neat's grid system. -
Adding Advanced Custom Fields to Admin Screen Column
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on November 03, 2015
Due to the fact that I create websites for local businesses, Wordpress is generally the go-to solution. It's easy enough to use and, honestly, many business owners ask if I "can make them a Wordpress site". I want to customize the look of a custom post type's post index in WP-Admin and doing so seemed to make for a great tutorial. -
Removing WPFront User Role Editor from Wordpress Admin Menu
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on June 04, 2015
I spent entirely too long trying to remove the WPFront User Role Editor menu item from the Wordpress admin menu. After quite a bit of a hassle I figured it out. It's not that hard, actually. -
Creatives and Impostor Syndrome: You'll never live up to your own potential
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on December 23, 2014
You've been working on your new project or web app for ages and you can't quite seem to make it perfect. You've spent months upon months and can't quite seem to perfect it. Maybe you're not as good as others make you out to be; maybe you won't get that senior level position you've been hoping to get; or maybe you suffer from Impostor Syndrome. -
How to use Grunt Task Runner
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on December 02, 2014
Grunt task runner is exactly how it sounds. It is a task runner that can dramatically increase the speed of your web development workflow. Grunt task runner can be used to perform a great number of tasks including, but not limited to, compiling Sass, minifying CSS, running your JavaScript through JSHint, and even automatically reloading your devices and browsers every time you save your files.
The true power of Grunt task runner shows through its ability to allow all team members to install specific dependencies with the insertion of a simple line in the command line interface. Grunt will handle the rest, and voila, you and your teammates can say “bye bye bye,” because you are all in sync.
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I write bad CSS and I am going to stop
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on November 27, 2014
Recently I made the personal decision to start writing better CSS. Although I’ve always taken great pride in my code, it wasn’t until recently that I realized refactoring some of my old CSS was nearly impossible. Because of that something had to change.
With an increase in complexity in my work I found that my CSS was lacking to say the least. I realized I was replicating classes, adding needless classes to the end of my CSS, and simply not adhering to the DRY principles in the slightest. I needed to do something about that.
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Creating a Google+ Styled Header in jQuery
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on November 21, 2014
I’ve been using Google+ more and more over the course of the past few months. Although it’s not exactly the greatest of social networks, it’s really a great tool to meet and network with other developers, designers, and tech-savvy individuals. Since I started using it I fell in love with the UI. One of the UI features that I like the most is the sticky sub-header that they employ on page scroll. I decided to give recreating it a shot.
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The Detroit “D” is ruining design in Detroit
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on November 16, 2014
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not an authority figure when it comes to design. I will also admit that I’ve been doing this long enough to know bad design when I see it and unfortunately I see it a lot as make way around the Metro-Detroit area. What is the leading culprit? The Old English “D.”
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Web development work flow tools
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on November 13, 2014
Like any web developer, I find that I have a handful of tools that I use on a regular basis. Without those tools, I would go insane. The idea of having a work flow that doesn't incorporate these items is not a pleasing thought to say the least.
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Motivational web development lectures
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on November 01, 2014
Over the course of the last few minutes I’ve been compiling creative, design, and web development lectures from various well-known creatives in the industry. I’m more focused on front end development so there is a heavy skew toward that along with design and creativity in general. You’ll find talks from people like Jonathon Snook, Jason Santa Maria, and the one and only Jeffery Zeldman. If you like this list or feel like something should be added, just give me a shout out on Twitter and I’ll definitely add your video to the list!
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Six tips to optimize your web development work flow
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on October 29, 2014
Lets face it, web development isn’t exactly the easiest industry in which one can stay organized. Dealing with team members who don’t do things the same way as you, wishy-washy business owners, or simply trying to wrap your head around the organization of specific areas of your projects can be draining, both physically and mentally. We’ve all been there. Sometimes the thought of beginning work for the day is so overwhelming that it’s nearly impossible to actually get down to business.
Over the course of the Morning Pages redesign my partner Daniel and I had ups and downs in regards to productivity. At the start of the project, we flew through every bit of planning, design, and code. But as a long project moves on, it can become tedious, tiresome, and downright annoying. It was hard to keep our work flow steady.
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Saddleback Leather ID Wallet Review
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on October 05, 2014
After five years of using a money clip, I have decided to be a grown up and get a wallet. I didn’t, however, want a huge bulky hunk of leather that throws my hips out of alignment and causes me to hobble like an old man at the ripe age of 31. Jiu jitsu already does that for me. I needed something slim that I could toss in my front pocket and go on with my day. I’m all about spending money on quality items but sometimes breaking the bank for an every day item just doesn’t seem ideal. I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg so decided to do some window shopping on Amazon.
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How to install Sass
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on September 14, 2014
If you’re anything like me, you’re a bit scared of the command line or simply unexperienced to the point that you’re not sure where to start. Lucky for you, I made it over the first hump. I am by no means an expert but I will tell you that with a little effort and a bit of documentation that it’s not as bad as it seems! For those of you who don’t know what Sass is, I’ll give you the quick elevator pitch. Sass is a CSS pre-processor that offers users the ability to write CSS in a way that it should have been written all along. It allows simple ideas like storing values in variables, performing loops, and even doing math. Writing Sass allows one to modularize their code as much as they see fit, making it exponentially easier to make changes, edit, or add to their existing code.
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Codekit. You need it. Trust me.
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on September 01, 2014
The command line. The biggest fear for a noob like me. Things like “gem install sass” can be confusing. Huh? “gem install jekyll?”, “Why do I have to type ‘sudo’ before everything when the install instructions do not have it?” None of it made sense. Quite frankly it still doesn’t. Although learning command line is an important goal for any developer, the learning curve can be huge to say the least. That’s where Codekit comes in to save the day. What is Codekit you ask? Codekit is a program that essentially bridges the gap between every day development and things like pre-processors, grunt, gulp, and so on.
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I finally made the switch to Jekyll
Posted by Eric Ellenbrook on August 28, 2014
I’ll be honest, I’m a junior level developer. There’s absolutely no reason to pretend I’m not. I’m okay with admitting it because I’m learning every day and I’m becoming better with every tick of the clock. The reason I know I am getting better is because with every single project that I take on, I try and learn, incorporate, or perform a something that I hadn’t done before.