In Illustrator

First, load Adobe Illustrator. Go to File → Open and locate and open your .eps file.

With the Selection Tool (V), select the resultant shape. Copy it by going to Edit → Copy (CTRL + C).

In Photoshop

Load Adobe Photoshop and paste your clipboard (Edit → Paste or CTRL + V).

Above is the dialogue box you’ll see with four options. Either of the last two will work.

Path will just add a new work path:

Shape Layer will add a new work path and create a new shape layer using your current foreground color:

Open your Paths window by going to Window → Paths. Select the path for your shape.

Go to Edit → Show All Menu Items (for newer versions of Photoshop) → Define Custom Shape… and enter a name for your shape in the dialog box.

To use your custom shape, select the Custom Shape Tool (grouped with the other shape tools in your Tools panel). Click the “Shape:” dropdown and select your new shape.

You can save your custom shapes, too. Just go to the Shape panel menu, select Save Shapes… and save as a .CSH file.

Hope this is helpful. Thanks for reading!

For two days of work, I wasn’t particularly displeased. I was impressed with the ease with which one can build a Wordpress theme, proud of myself for having done so with swiftness, and satisfied with the visual component of the design.

Queue the Querulousness

As time wore on, however, the flaws became increasingly apparent—I’d taken too many shortcuts, hadn’t done enough planning, left out details. I eventually became so unhappy with the site I didn’t want to update for fear new visitors would recognize these doofy indiscretions. Keetee just didn’t meet my standards for design, and my desire to use it gave way to evanescence.

With a steady few hundred hits a day, I kept it running so people could benefit from old articles. One of my readers, Yopladas, sent me an e-mail in May asking for updates. “Nah,” I responded, “Keetee is dead.” Indeed.

Rekindling Keetee

When summer began, I resolved to reform my disappointing brainchild. I cooked up a new design that retained some of the same visual elements in the spirit of realignment.

There are a number of things that are very dull about this version, but it was a starting point. I let it simmer for a few weeks, then kicked off a week-long sprint of planning, designing, and coding to bring the design up to par.

Here are a few things I think I did right:

1. Improved Spacing

It’s important to have a big-picture view when you’re styling dynamic content. The first time around I didn’t do enough planning, created a lot of delicately interdependent styling, and ended up using ghetto spacing workarounds because of it.

2. Details, Details, Details

I spent a lot of time on the little things. There are the literal little things like accents, icons, and decorative images, but I’ve also very carefully positioned the layout. Everything is on a grid, the main containers follow the rule of thirds, and a couple special areas pull proportions from the golden ratio. By mocking up all the details first, there was little experimentation to do when it came down to the code.

3. No Half-Assing

Having been new to Wordpress the first time around, there were naturally things I wasn’t sure how to do. There were several cases where I settled for the default look or setting rather than going the extra mile. This time I spared no expense, ensuring everything looks and works precisely as planned.

I Hope You Like It

I spent a full workweek on this new design, so believe me when I say it’s a labor of love! I hope you like my final product. Drop a comment and let me know what you think.

1. Grab a pair of headphones.
2. Plug them into your microphone jack. (That’s the pink one!)
3. Open an audio-recording program and start recording. Test speaking in both sides of the headphones to see which picks up sound.

I like Audacity and VirtualDub for open-source audio and video recording and editing. I hope this is helpful, and don’t forget to submit your clip to Abduzeedo! :)

The Five Ways

1. Put in one-on-one time

Take time out during your session to give students personal attention, even if they don’t ask for it. In large classes, break students into groups and address each group individually. When you speak with students directly, rather than “at” them through lecturing, you expand their comfort zones—they’ll be more inclined to ask you questions during class and seek help from you outside of it.

2. Be prepared and confident

Knowing the structure of your class can be as important as knowledge of the material. When students get the impression you’re bumbling through a training session, they may become disinterested, question your credibility, or feel like you’re wasting their time.

3. Be available

Take every opportunity to remind students that you’re available, both verbally and through your actions. Tell students to let you know if they have further questions when you speak with them one-on-one or answer their e-mails. Avoid procrastinating on e-mail responses and automate your lessons (see #4) so that you’re free to help in class.

4. Automate

Take advantage of being in a computer lab by using the computers to teach your lesson—create documents containing step-by-step instructions that you would have otherwise lectured. Have students follow these steps while you “patrol” for those requiring help. This will prevent the whole class from being stopped by a few slow students, allow for your increased availability, and make students more comfortable with asking questions.

5. Smile

When you’re lecturing, students often stare blankly at you and give no indication as to whether they understand what you’re saying. Responding with a great big smile is one great, easy way to warm them up. If you seem happy and excited to be teaching them, they’re much more likely to feel the same way about learning.

My Result

At the end of every semester, my department asks students to evaluate their lab session. Here are a few quotes that demonstrate my success in using the five ways:

She was amazing! She was so willing to help us whenever needed and went above and beyond to make sure that we knew what we were doing and could complete the assignments!

If it wasn’t for your extra help, I never would have understood some of those lab assignments—so thank you! Allison is very knowledgeable and helpful!

Allison really wanted you to learn in the lab and would do anything to help. She made me look forward to coming to the lab each week.

To summarize, building good relationships with your students → better understanding of the material → better measured performance on everyone’s part.

Keetee is powered by Wordpress with a custom theme built from scratch.