Oh what a case of the Monday’s.

Today was absolutely freezing. Then again, as a native Texan, I find 80 degree weather cold. Barack Obama visited my school today to give his speech before the tomorrow’s primary. I had planned on going, but had a late start because of my classes. By the time I had got there, the line was literally a mile long. It was absolutely ridiculous. And as a kicker, the weather was cold. So, my conclusion: no Barack Obama for me today.

So here I am, with the case of the Monday’s. My creative mojo is dead, and the Starbucks isn’t helping. So I hopefully, for those of you who are going through a Monday, today’s edition of Monday Magic will help get you through.

Most Original:

I’ll be honest. When I first visited Qwert City, I was not impressed. I didn’t like the design at all, nor did I agree with the color scheme or layout. But as I visited it a few more times, it started to grow on me. The small details really made it stand out, and when I began to appreciate the site’s cartoonish theme, I began to appreciate the site even more. Qwert City has taken your average blog layout and applied a really neat theme and style to really separate it from all the rest. What really makes the site are the small details such as the stitchings, peels, and drop shadows that really give the site a 3D paper feel. Kudos.

Tip: Pay attention to details! Small patterns, drop shadows, or accents can really make or break a design. Usually less is more, but I love detail, and I love it when I can tell a designer has put time into their designs. That means a lot to the public as an image. Remember, what we do is art - let’s work as if it is.

Boldest Design:

As designers, we used to be taught not to lay out our main content beneath the fold. The myth was was that people hated to scroll. And that was true. Until everyone began to realize the magic of the scroll wheel. Designers now are beginning to appreciate the scroll wheel and it isn’t thought of as detrimental to a design any more. But how about Omspace? This site practically challenges you to scroll because you can’t even see any bit of the content without scrolling down. Stupid? No. Bold? Yes.

Tip: Break the norm. Repeatedly. Rebel. But don’t do it blindly. That is all grasshoppa.

Most Professional:

I love the Finchley website! It’s clean, simple, and very professional. I love the hands. I’m not sure if that’s completely original or not (it can’t be!), but I love the way it’s applied here. The color scheme really strengthens the corporate identity. It’s got a very fresh feel to it that really sets itself apart from competitors. Kudos to Finchley!

Tip: A web design shouldn’t be seperate from a company’s brand or identity. It’s equally important to use the web to strengthen the identity. Use color schemes, themes, and details to match with your client’s brand. Try adding or imagining another company’s logo or brand in place of your client’s. Does it fit? If so, you’ve most likely failed.

Most Innovative:

I’ve always been a fan of the UPS marketing campaign with the guy drawing on the dry-erase boards. Now Microsoft has created a similar marketing campaign that focuses on hand drawn characters that drive the website. I love the innovation here. You don’t feel like you’re on a website at all, and rather, watching a movie or cartoon. The animations are extremely fluid. The navigation (albeit a bit hard to navigate) were innovative and fun. The layout formed nicely, and the site definitely strengthens the product’s theme.

Tip: Have fun with your designs! Flash isn’t entirely out yet, and this is a great example of a full flash website that really hits home. Great ideas and animations, and awesome drawings really bring out Microsoft’s marketing branch’s right brain.

Site of the Week:

Helldesign is one of the best websites I’ve seen in a long time. It’s innovative. It’s got a great portfolio layout and navigation. I love the way they’ve set up their website because it also makes it bold. It’s clean, professional, and I could’ve easily fit it into any of the categories above. This is hands down the site of the week. Great job Helldesign, I can’t wait to see what else you got up your sleeve.

Tip: Your portfolio is your main weapon in gaining client work. Make sure that it speaks for you. Helldesign’s done a great job displaying their work in an innovative and bold way that’s sure to grab attention. And I bet it’s paying off too.

Artist of the Week:

I can not stop raving about Jack Johnson’s newest CD, Sleep Through Static. It’s one of the best CDs that I’ve heard in a long time and I’ve been recommending it to all of my friends. It’s not necessarily old school Jack apparently, but it’s got great flavor to it. It’s slow, and works best for creative minds. It’s written beautifully and rival’s John Mayer’s Continuum in my opinion. Definitely a buy.