Timur Gafforov has given us Preloaders which allows you to select size, speed, and from a set of 3D spinners. Make your users wait in style!

Ajaxian » Forget Chuck, Preloaders 3D right now!

Functioning Form - Visually Communicating Selection Dependent Inputs

Just as fast as George Bush left for Texas, the new Barack Obama administration website was launched. It’s quite slick and wants to communicate with you via a blog, RSS, an e-mail newsletter and more.

Obama Brings in a Useful New White House Website - LAist: Los Angeles News, Food, Arts & Events

… there are basically five different ways a valid phone number could be specified in the United States. A simple script can check to see if one of these has been used and then submit the information in whatever format the back-end system requires. The chore of adhering to a specific format is taken off the person providing an answer and instead given to a small bit of code.

Functioning Form - Signaling Flexible Inputs

I think those interface features are the key in selling a consumer technology product. Sure, your computer or mobile phone may have more storage space and a faster processor, but those things are invisible. The user cannot see or touch them — they’re just numbers. Yes, they may feel an increase in performance, but this is nothing like using and experiencing interface features like a buttonless glass trackpad that they’ve not seen on a competitor’s product.

Usability Post » Interface Features

A search box should be a box. Reason? Your visitors don’t read the page; they scan it. The most common design for the search function is a box, with the input field being a relatively wide box. Users tend to scan for this pattern on a Web page, so as good practice, try to avoid any other kind of design, such as linked text or a button without a text field.

Designing The Holy Search Box: Examples And Best Practices | Design Showcase | Smashing Magazine

A search box should be a box. Reason? Your visitors don’t read the page; they scan it. The most common design for the search function is a box, with the input field being a relatively wide box. Users tend to scan for this pattern on a Web page, so as good practice, try to avoid any other kind of design, such as linked text or a button without a text field.

Designing The Holy Search Box: Examples And Best Practices | Design Showcase | Smashing Magazine

Nothing says “I am a user interface” than 100 form fields crammed into about 850×550 pixels.

Ahh, they don’t make ‘em like they used to…- 90 Percent of Everything

The amount of information that the maps show is enormous. We have state and county level demographics data such as age, race and education from the U.S. Census and voting history of states and districts back to the 1980’s. We also mapped individual contributions to the presidential candidates as well as every single candidate for a seat in the Senate and House of Representatives. Not a lot of our competitors have that kind of depth. In fact, I can’t recall one that has this much variety of

Behind the Screens of Msnbc.com Election Maps - information aesthetics