Nathan Smith talks about the CSS framework that he created called Formalize, which allows designers to have more control over styling form elements. He sees it as a reset for forms, and created it because he was frustrated about the gap between the original design intention and the final implementation. He also talks a bit about the 960 grid system, which he also created, and how he got involved with the Drupal community. He also talks a bit about mobile design, and how the larger variance of screen sizes has created different design demands and implementations like the 960 grid on jQuery mobile system. read more »

Aaron Stanush talks about some of the web font hosting services and how to integrate them within a Drupal theme. He talks a little bit about some of different web font hosting services such as typekit, KERNEST, and Monotype's fonts.com web fonts. These fonts are implemented via CSS, are accessibility and ensure cross-browser compatibility. He talks a bit about the @font-your-face Drupal module to integrate the web font hosting services mentioned above in addition to Google Fonts, Font Squirrel and Fontdeck.

For more information, be sure to check out his presentation "The type revolutionary's cookbook" at DrupalCon Chicago. read more »

Jake Strawn (aka himerus) talks about the Omega Base Theme, which implements the 960 grid system, supports HTML5, and provides some controls for laying out regions. He also talks about Omega's integration with the Context module via the Delta module in order to provide contextual layouts as well as his work on the associated Omega Tools and Omega UI modules. For more information, be sure to check out the Omega project page as well the Omega Theme microsite for more information and videos.

Jen Simmons gives more information about HTML5 and highlights from her Rockin' HTML5 with Drupal presentation at DrupalCon Chicago. She talks a bit about the HTML Tools module, which works with the Elements module, as well as the HTML5 Base theme. Simmons also talks about some of the plans for HTML5 in Drupal 8 as well as the larger trend of websites moving more towards creating "app"-like functionality, which can be achieved with a combination HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript. For more information on HTML5 and Drupal, then be sure to check out the HTML5 group on groups.drupal.org as well as the outline for Simmons' Core Conversation talk called Let's HTML5-ify Drupal!

UPDATE: For more information on the HTML5 in Drupal 8, then be sure to check out Jacine Luisi's blog post on the HTML5 Drupal 8 Initiative or Dries' HTML5 in Drupal 8 annoucement.

Moshe Weitzman talks about the new Page rendering flow and hook_page_alter() functionality in Drupal 7, which allows a more control over what appears on each page load. This will enable one-off customizations to the page loads in a much easier way. He talks about how Drupal 7 themes can now implement alter hooks, and how the page render arrays use the same approach as forms and nodes. Weitzman suggest that if you're new to the concept of render arrays to check out either the Pro Drupal Development book or some of the other training resources such as a workshop or other training videos.

John Albin Wilkins (aka JohnAlbin) talks about some of the new extensions to the theming system that are new in Drupal 7 including render elements, hook_page_alter(), show, hide, theme_get_suggestions(), and improvements to theme_links(). He also talks about the theme administration page overhaul, how it's now a lot easier to create "mega-menus" dropdown panels when hovering over the primary navigation, as well as another presentation that Palantir gave on previewing Drupal 7.

For more detailed information on what's new in Drupal 7 for themers, then be sure to check out John's DrupalCon presentation titled "Design and Theming: What's new in Drupal 7?" read more »

Emma Jane Hobgin (aka emmajane) gives an overview of her DrupalCon San Francisco presentation on PHP for Designers. She talks about the importance of pattern recognition and forensic coding, some helpful modules such as Devel Themer as well as some of the basics of Drupal theming with tpl.php files and preprocess functions within the template.php.

For more information, be sure to check out her PHP for Designers presentation.