Today we’re going to compare the websites of two monumental companies: Apple and Microsoft.
The two giants pride themselves for producing cutting edge consumer and business products, and are leading the developments in software and hardware.
But what about their websites? How do they both compare, and more important, which one is better and more usable?
Well, in this article we’ll take a look at both websites for closer examination from a usability point of view. Read more
I don’t know about you, but if you’re anything like me, you probably can never have too many design goodies such as brushes, vector shapes or fonts. I collect these on a weekly basis and I love them!
I’ve partnered with Designious to bring a massive giveaway of Photoshop brushes, vector shapes and fonts to the WDD audience.
The prizes are really amazing and include: 10 Mega Packs, 10 Brush Packs, 10 Vector Packs and 5 fonts! (each of these packs contain multiple graphics).
To participate in this giveaway, simply leave a comment below about what you love about Designious or what you would like to see next in the Designious website.
[UPDATE] The contest has ended, thanks for the massive participation. All winners will be contacted by email shortly, however, if you do not receive this email, please contact us. The winners were selected at random and are the ones with these comment numbers: 228, 43, 441, 404, 5, 101, 31, 301, 179, 379, 314, 199, 388, 340, 382, 425, 219, 218, 251, 401, 82, 227, 447, 391, 444, 335, 416, 448, 232, 236, 297, 220, 250, 155, 191.
The 960 Grid System was created by Nathan Smith as a way to streamline web development workflow by providing commonly used dimensions, based on a width of 960 pixels.
The 960.gs (or any CSS framework) was primarily developed for rapid prototyping, cutting down on repetitive and tedious tasks, but is also more than suited to be used for any web design project.
It will give your site a structured and solid foundation for you to build and style your design upon.
In this article, you’ll find tutorials, a showcase of sites designed using the 960.gs, spin offs, basic WP themes built on the 960.gs and possible alternative frameworks, if for some reason you don’t like the 960 grid system. Read more
Paper art can be traced back to Japan, where it originated over a thousand years ago.
From complex paper cutting to book carving, this is an ever expanding area of design that is hardly talked about.
These intricate paper designs grace museums and exauhibitions throughout the world and is becoming yet another exciting medium of expression for many designers.
Some of the artists featured here use simple materials, such as A4 printing papeel, while others resort to unexpected materials, such as actual books, as their prime materials.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 13 remarkable artists and showcase their truly amazing pieces of paper art. Read more
Cell phones have evolved immensely since 1983, both in design and function.
From the Motorola DynaTAC, that power symbol that Michael Douglas wielded so forcefully in the movie “Wall Street”, to the iPhone 3G, which can take a picture, play a video, or run one of the thousands applications available from the Apple Store.
There are thousands of models of cell phones that have hit the streets between 1983 and now.
We’ve picked a few of the more popular and unusual ones to take you through the history of this device that most of us consider a part of our everyday lives. Read more
In these tough economic times, many designers find themselves applying for jobs and freelance gigs on a regular basis.
So, how can we stand out from the rest and grab the attention of a design agency when they’re usually bombarded with hundreds of applications?
The best way to do this is in the design of your resume. Assuming that you have the skills that they’re looking for, a striking and visually appealing resume will go a long way at getting you the creative job that you want.
In the worst case scenario, it will at least buy you a few seconds by catching the eye of a recruiter and may become the difference between getting hired or not.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 30 creative resumes that can inspire you to think outside the box when designing your own resume. Read more
It’s really easy to find yourself wondering how your CSS got to be such a mess.
Sometimes it’s the result of sloppy coding from the start, sometimes it’s because of multiple hacks and changes over time.
Whatever the cause, it doesn’t have to be that way. Writing clean, super-manageable CSS is simple when you start off on the right foot and make your code easier to maintain and edit later on.
Here are 11 tips for speeding up the process, writing CSS that is slimmer, faster and less likely to give you a headache. Read more
A graphic symbol is often used as part of logo design in order to convey a particular idea or concept in an effective and eye catching way.
The shapes of these graphic symbols vary a lot, but one of the most commonly used shapes is the circle.
Circular logos have been some of the most popular trends in logo design. A circle is timeless, simple and memorable.
In this article we’ll take a look at 50 excellent circular logos. These logos make use of the circle in many creative ways, sometimes containing typefaces, symbols and images as seen in the examples below. Read more
First of all, what is a brand? A brand is a symbol. Symbols are designs which represent something else, and a brand is meant to package all of the associations, experiences and characteristics into an abstract construct.
This construct can be evoked using consistent imagery, sounds, phrases and logos with which people come into contact.
Brands are very important as they help you win customers and they also help you to keep them.
They do this by awakening the associations and experiences you previously had with the brand, or have seen through advertising, when you come into contact with the brand at key stages. For example, when deciding what product to purchase out of a selection of similar items.
Here are 9 tips to help you to build a brand with web design. Read more
Whichever business you’re in, and especially for anyone in the field of design, such as web designers, a business card can be as important as your website identity.
A business card creates a physical connection and bond between you or your business and your customers.
Just like in a website, business cards can become great interactive elements, but with the added ability to have real textures, different materials and shapes.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 100 truly outstanding business card designs which show that there are truly no limits to the design of a business card. Read more
In this tutorial we’ll create a realistic 3D text scene using Photoshop with a little help from Illustrator for the 3D text.
You need to have medium to advanced knowledge of Photoshop in order to complete this tutorial.
To get started, go ahead and download all the images used from the Sxh.hu website. All images are free to download and here are the links: 1, 2, 3, 4
Let’s get started and create a truly awesome 3D effect in just a few short steps. Try it out and feel free to post links to your own variations, we’d love to see what you come up with.
Do you want to enter the blogosphere like a quiet librarian enters a classroom, or do you want to rock the stage? I am definitely one to rock stuff out and in this article I will share a few tips to help you make an attention grabbing launch.
If you want to give your blog an exciting launch, your blog needs to be valuable to your target audience, otherwise your hard work will be in vain.
Ask yourself this simple question “Does my blog provide something that a thousand other blogs don’t?” If you don’t have something special to offer, no one will care when you launch or how you launch.
There will always be a certain category of blogs that will not qualify for a special launch and it is up to you to determine if your blog fits that category. Now let’s look at 10 ways that you can launch your new blog with a ‘bang’.
I’ve always been fascinated by how 360° panoramic photos draw one into the scene. It’s almost like you’re really there and taking it all in.
In this article we’ll take a look at 20 stunning panoramic photos of landscapes from around the world. To view the fully interactive 360 degree versions, simply click on any of the images below.
Please note that you need to have Quicktime and Flash installed in order to view these photos. If full screen versions are not loaded at first, just click on the full screen icon to enlarge.
So browse away and enjoy your virtual trip to all of these amazing locations….
Two characteristics that represent most web designers are a need for productivity and a love for technology.
This desire for increased efficiency and productivity leads many designers to look to technology for methods that will improve their work flow.
One common approach for designers (and others who want to improve productivity) is to use multiple monitors. Using two or more monitors can bring a number of significant advantages to designers.
In this article we’ll present some basic pros and cons of using multiple monitors, general instructions for setting them up, as well as a showcase of workstations that feature multiple monitors. Read more
When choosing one product over another, the design of the packaging probably influences your decision far more than you realize.
Effective packaging design breaks away from the standard rules and conventions that we are accustomed to, giving the product a unique edge to stand out from the rest.
The packaging should appeal to your target market. It’s also vital to ensure that you’re conveying the necessary information about the contents and quality of the product, while triggering the desired emotion in your customer.
Here are 50 beautifully designed packages that you can draw inspiration from. Read more
We’ve arranged a massive list of events of interest to graphic design professionals.
Listings are arranged by country and date. All prices listed are for the packages that give you complete access to the event, without discounts or early-bird rates. Cheapefitr packages are generally available with more limited access to the events.
Please note that some conferences or events may already be sold out at the time this article goes live. Also, please take into account that this article is presented for informational purposes only and is not meant as an endorsement of any of the events.
We purposely did not include events that had “sold out” on their website, like UX London. We also didn’t include events that have already taken place.
If you know of an event that you believe should be added, please leave a comment or email us and we will update the page regularly based on your feedback. We will only include events that are of interest to web design professionals. Read more
Because the web is a changing and ever evolving organism, it’s important to build sites that can grow with it and easily ride the current instead of drowning when a new wave approaches.
Clean markup and building with web standards not only helps you do this, but will save you both time and money in the long run.
As the web expands, so the technologies that it uses grow with it. While HTML has been around for a long time, it has acquired quite a few sidekicks along the way.
First Javascript, then CSS, XML and later AJAX. Wide adoption of HTML 5 is just around the corner, with Firefox, Safari, Opera and Chrome already enjoying nearly full HTML 5 support (the slow kid on the block, Internet Explorer, is lagging behind as usual).
In this article, we’ll review the basics of web standards, what they are, what they mean to you, and some important tips to help you deal with this important and often neglected issue.
Read more
The iPhone is a fantastic phenomenon. It’s a communications device, a multimedia platform and much more all rolled into one single tool. Everyone wants in on this device.
The Apple store has just passed the one billionth application download (I alone account for 3% of that…) and there is a wide array of applications from the amazingly useful to the bizarrely redundant.
With millions of iPhones out there, it makes sense to have your content, or application available on that platform, but how do you go about doing this? Where do you go to get started? And what are the steps you need to take to get there?
This article is an introduction to the various ways of getting content and applications onto the iPhone. It is by no means a full guide, but hopes to point you in the right direction and give you an overview of what is involved in the process. Read more
Whether you are a web designer or a copy writer, if you’re going to freelance, you need to learn how to look your best on a job application.
Having worked on both sides of job applications, I’ve seen enough to recognize what gets a person through to the interview and what gets their applications tossed.
I’ve even been able to go back over some applications I’ve sent in the past and determined what may have affected my chances for being considered. In a blatant attempt at reverse psychology, here are some of the major mistakes I’ve seen made, and made myself on applications for freelance work. Read more
Simplicity is key to any successful website or web app.
If your site is too complicated, the user will have to go through too many hoops to find what they are looking for and won’t even bother trying it out.
The Jackson 5 got it right back in the 70′s when they sang “easy as 123″.
A simple and effective approach is to break down your services, signups and checkouts into 3 easy steps. This will improve usability, increase sales, signups and conversion rates.
In this article, we’ll take a look at 20 great examples of the 3 step approach for effective website usability. Read more
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