1. jQuery (better than Flash because it can be seen on most mobile devices)
2. CMS (open source is all the craze)
3. API (integrate with Google, Facebook, MailChimp, etc)

What it boils down to is the more you go the more indispensable you will become to your place of employment or the community you work in. The more you know, the more decisions you will be called upon to make. This cannot be a bad thing. The trouble now becomes how much time you can devote to both design and new web innovations.

Some more great reading on the same subject:

Amber Weinberg on Echo Enduring Blog

As she puts it “You should at least know the basics, especially about usability. You should know why there shouldn’t be 50 different link colors, why the nav shouldn’t be at the bottom and why the logo is always to the left. These sort of things will make your websites perform better and will save the sanity of your poor developer. Without this knowledge you’re not a web designer, you’re just a pixel pusher.“

Now that my excuse is out of the way, I can firmly say that I appreciated the atmosphere and speakers with the perspective that I have now. Being able to see students that have yet to sell their soul to corporate America was quite refreshing to me. It put a smile on my face and for that afternoon I became that wide-eyed designer ready for what the world was going to challenge me with. The conference was help in Dekalb, Illinois on the campus of Northern Illinois University on a Saturday in November. The conference was run very well and on time, both things that actually mean a lot to me and my overall experience. Signing up for a workshop during registration could have been more clear, but that could have honestly been my fault. All things aside, I got what I came for and that was the excellent speakers. I had the pleasure of hearing Kevin McConkey from Grip Design speak, Lance Rutter from Legendre+Rutter, as well as the newest Pentagram partner Eddie Opara. What attracts me to designers that speak well are their ability to relate to other designers at any stage of their career. Wether it is “bat shit crazy” client from hell or the “die by committee” issue that we all will experience, it comforts me to know that I am not alone and that there are people to share these experiences with. Mixed in with these candid anecdotes and your customary portfolio/interview advice (which I could always use) was the real heart of the presentations:

Have a reason for every design decision you made. And be able to convey this in words.

It is this that will separate the designers from the pixel pushers. It is quite a simple thought. Take some time to mull it over.

Honestly, this first post isn’t much for the viewing public, but more for my reference down the road.

I finally hit a point where I feel some confidence as a designer. It will always be a difficult profession, waking up each morning not knowing where your creativity will come from that day. Being creative is not a switch you can turn on each day from 9-5 and then shut it off when you go home. It follows you around when you are ordering food from a new ethnic restaurant or even scraping the frost off of your car windshield. My confidence has recently come from the act of listening better and feeding my creative monster everyday. How do I feed that insatiable beast?

Here are a few things that have worked for me:

• Listening to Studio 360, Design Matters or Type Radio Podcasts
• Reading Smashing Magazine, Brand New and Swiss Miss Blogs
• Taking time (30-60 minutes) each day for your own personal growth or projects
• Getting away from your desk during lunch and at set times during the day
• Listening more and talking less
• Taking the time to educate your clients and peers about design
• I have also come to the conclusion that I need to try meditation sometime soon