Principles of good visual design have always been applicable to web design: balance, proportion, contrast, color, and typography. As a visual medium, the Web has always had its own set of unique attributes: screen resolution, browsers, platforms, and multiple devices. With Web 2.0, these attributes have expanded to include a new array of services to remix and distribute micro-content (APIs, RSS), as well as participatory content created by the community. How can visual design enhance user experience when your audience might be coming from a browser, an RSS feed, or a widget? How does visual design communicate your brand when your brand is created daily by your community?

In this two-part session, we'll show real-world strategies and techniques for designing your visual ecosystem through two case studies: one focusing on a redesign of an existing site; the other, a startup with a ground-up new UI and user experience design.