Interview: with Cameron Moll

This month we feature an interview with Cameron Moll, one of the more influencial and reveered new media designers of our time. From writing a new book on Mobile Web design to designing acclaimed Web sites, there doesn't seem to be anything this creative design guru can't do. Like most of you - we wanted to know what makes the man tick....

Q) How did you get started in Web design, I heard rumors that it was a toss up between that or being a stuntman?

Yes! Don't all designers aspire to be stuntmen? The bravery, the dramatic sequences, the unbearable pain -- it's all worthwhile preparation for dealing with clients.

Q) Where do you get inspiration for your designs? Is there any unusual place or thing/site that has inspired any of your designs?

I try to look beyond the given genre within which I'm working. One's surrounding environment contains a wealth of inspiration. Everything from nature to children to music and so on. Perhaps the most memorable source for me came from a grammatical figure known as "chiasmus" (inverted parallelism) often used in poetry, which served as the inspiration for a brochure's page structure.

Q) You've done quite a number of projects, which one would you describe as your shining glory, and why?

I don't know that I could pinpoint a single project as my piece de resistance. I'd have to say any project that pleases the user, the client, and myself is something I'm proud to be a part of. I wish I could say every project satisfies all three, but regrettably that's not always the case.

Q) What do you see as the next trend in Web design and what trend would you bring back?

Ha, I've tried my hand at predicting web trends in the past (see www.cameronmoll.com/archives/000031.html and www.cameronmoll.com/archives/000666.html ). I think I'll abstain from doing so for a little while.

Q) You're currently in the process of writing a new book, "Mobile Web Design: A guide to publishing web content beyond the desktop". Have you set a release date yet? How is publishing for the mobile Web different from publishing for desktop?

No release date yet, but hopefully early 2007. Publishing for the mobile Web today is much easier than it was just a few years ago. Nearly all devices sold today are WAP 2.0 devices, and XHTML Mobile Profile, which will be familiar to anyone who has worked with XHTML Transitional or Strict, is the preferred markup language for those devices. We're not entirely clear of WML just yet, but we're getting there. Long story short, the learning curve is much smaller today than it was just a few years ago.

Q) What motivated you to write a book on mobile Web design?

There's really no definitive resource that traditional "desktop" web designers and developers, specifically those with experience in XHTML and CSS, can turn to when learning to publish mobile web content. That was the underlying reason for penning a book on the subject.

Q) Last 5 items in your history:

Gmail
Mint (haveamint.com)?
Dictionary.com
Netvibes.com
Wikipedia

Q) How would you describe your style?

I tend to have a thing for texture. I love layered designs, repeating background patterns, and worn/distressed aesthetics.

Q) If you could change or add one thing to Opera, what would it be?

Are we talking mobile or desktop? I'll oblige myself and do both. I'm a HUGE advocate of Opera Mini. But if there were one thing I'd change, it'd be to remove the default "www." in the web address field on the start page. I tire of having to remove that when typing urls such as m.popurls.com. As for the desktop version of Opera, I'd probably change the UI to be a bit more conventional. The arrangement of the address bar, tabs, and other elements, while unique, is a bit less intuitive compared to other browsers.

Q) What do think will be the thing that will happen or needs to change for the mobile Web to take off in a big way?

Greater consistency among devices and browsers in the way that they render markup. The easier it is for us to develop, test, and publish content across a variety of devices, the more resources will become available for the end user.

Q) Your thoughts on DotMobi?

They've received a lot of flak for introducing a new top-level domain just for mobile, but I think it's a step in the right direction. They've already proven they're not just out to make money, but also to provide development resources (e.g. dev.mobi) for the mobile web community. We need more of that from other organizations.

Q) Your pet hate in Web design?

Failure to pay attention to detail. I've been saying that for years, and yet it still stands as my all-time peeve. I don't consider any design completed until the final details -- big or small -- have been refined, finessed, and polished.

* If you haven't read Cameron's blog, Authentic Boredom www.cameronmoll.com, you had better start!