Max Kiesler - Designer

Dojo Tool Kit has come up with a new web based non-flash menu which is easy to use, and is loaded with the "wow factor". After ten years of designing with standard navigational constructs we finally have many new and exciting possibilities to help users navigate websites. The AJAX Fisheye List Widget is basically a javascript version of the Apple Dock. As a mac owner I love the user interaction with Apple's Dock, however, until now this has only been available on the web through Flash. Watch out, this could well be the next Yellow Fade Technique. More...

Combining RSS feed has always been problematic for a non-tech oriented blogger. Feedblendr has created an intuitive user interface for their web application that anyone can use to combine as many feeds as they like. The user interface is superb with oversized fonts and form input fields, overlapping header-to-content-area graphic and an effective use of color. An outstanding user interface and interaction experience. More...

TurboWidgets are essentially a library of very useful user interface and interaction widgets that are well designed and easy to implement. In most cases it's always better to design custom UI elements for each client or application. However, recently many clients who are more interested in being "first to market" with a product are fine with customizable "stock" elements for alpha launch. That's where products like TurboWidgets fit well into the design process. All of their AJAX widgets are highly customizable as their style is all CSS based. A very nice product. More...

Finally, someone has produced a blog that uses many of the current popular AJAX widgets along with web 2.0 social features. The seventeen year old developer has produced a great user experience with an inline admin, tagging, and rss support. Adding content is enhanced by inline editing, deleting and creating of all of the page content. The themes are controlled with one click. and since they are CSS based they are easy to develop and configure. More...

Wufoo uses flash objects and the Prototype JavaScript framework to create a very fluid user experience for building web forms of any kind. Currently, Wufoo is not released to the public, however, from the look of the demo, it will be a very easy to use, and a valuable tool to web designers and developers. The process of creating a form is very intuitive and and smooth. In short, I didn't need to read any instructions to create my first form. The user interface is a nice mix of color, readability and non-liner shapes which creates an excellent skin to the smooth user interaction. More...

BloxPress has created the first completely modular AJAX theme for a popular blog software. Their vision was to create a MyYahoo or NetVibes.com like interface with a blog backend. The user experience is superb with drag and drop modules, RSS, Flickr, etc... You can also add or delete as many modules as you like by simply clicking the Add / Remove Content link under the logo. Reseting to the original default settings is facilitated easily by clicking one link. Hopefully, at some point this type of web 2.0 / AJAX theme will be available for all of the major blogs API's. More...

I've been using CSS tabs for many years now and have always wished they had a bit more functionality. AJAX Tabs uses the time tested Sliding Doors method for CSS tabs and implements a very useful AJAX layer. This functionality could add some very dynamic user interaction. Among a few of the features offered are, the ability to specify default open tabs, AJAX preloading, and tab based javascript events. Think of the possibilities. More...

The user experience for most online calendaring systems is slow, non-ituitive, and frustrating. The thing that usually turns me off first about online calendaring is the constant page reloading. Reloading the calendar to add, delete, and edit entries is time consuming and cumbersome. Spongecell, solves all of these issues with the intelligent use AJAX features and widgets. For me the highlights include drag and drop event times into any date, instant event editing via AJAX popovers, and a fast send to friend feature. A great user experience! More...

In a day when many users have dozens if not hundreds of feeds, ratings and reputations systems are becoming increasingly important in the web 2.0 space. Ajaxian has implemented a nice wordpress hack of the votio rating system.The AJAX user generated ratings system is intuitive and fun to use. A good user experience with instant results. More...

Excellent use of color, oversized text, and a well designed map navigator are highlights of the Podbop start page. The interior uses the same high contrast and highly readable layout. The dark brown and lime green work well together with the white font. The site has a great user experience with inline previews of the band's mp3's categorized by date and location. More...