• 31 Aug
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    Do you browse the internet often? Are you amazed at how many internet web pages there are in the world today? Don’t you wish you could get a piece of that action?

    You’re probably thinking that in order to build an internet web page, you have to be some kind of computer genius. You probably think you have to go to college for at least one year to learn to make internet web pages.

    Well, that used to be true, but not anymore. I’m going to show you how you can create an internet web page today in just a matter of minutes — even if you’ve never been trained in any kind of electronic technology. That’s right — you don’t have to be a 1-year college graduate or any other kind of electronic genius.

    Just follow the step-by-step instructions described in this article, and you’ll have your very own internet web page for everyone to see. Read more

  • 30 Aug
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    Icons can add a lot of meaning to a website or web app design.

    Used appropriately, they can make it faster for your visitors or users to complete the tasks they need to complete. But not every website design has space for normal, full-size icons (often 32×32 to 48×48 or sometimes even larger).

    That’s where mini icons can come in handy. With the smallest versions of these icons sometimes coming in as tiny as 8×8 pixels and the largest generally being 16×16 pixels (though sometimes they’re slightly larger than that), they can fit into virtually any design.

    And there’s a huge variety out there that can fit with almost any aesthetic style. Here are more than 35 of the best sets of mini icons out there (most featured here are free, though we’ve included a few premium sets, too). Read more

  • 29 Aug

    Every week we tweet a lot of interesting stuff highlighting great content that we find on the web that can be of interest to web designers.

    The best way to keep track of our tweets is simply to follow us on Twitter, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick and useful compilation of the best tweets that we sent out this past week.

    Note that this is only a very small selection of the links that we tweeted about, so don’t miss out.

    To keep up to date with all the cool links, simply follow us @DesignerDepot Read more

  • 28 Aug

    Every week we feature a set of comics created exclusively for WDD.

    The content revolves around web design, blogging and funny situations that we encounter in our daily lives as designers.

    These great cartoons are created by Jerry King, an award-winning cartoonist who’s one of the most published, prolific and versatile cartoonists in the world today.

    So for a few moments, take a break from your daily routine, have a laugh and enjoy these funny cartoons.

    Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below as well as any related stories of your own… Read more

  • 27 Aug
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    Let’s face it, we designers love to start from scratch. For example: How may times do we revamp our own portfolios? Staying simple is crucial when starting from scratch.

    We hear this “staying simple” phrase a lot these days. Is it just a bunch of jargon or is there something to it? We found one approach that you probably haven’t considered.

    We all know that we need to focus the website visitor’s attention on a few core features which bring value to the visitors. The minute you start adding too many features to please every visitor, you bargain for too much attention.

    The result is that visitors get overwhelmed and confused without understanding the value. You’ve got to show the value to the user right away. You can’t waste too much of their time.

    So the question becomes: what do you do when you have a crucial core feature that you want to add to a web product but you fear it might push the product too far from its core and overwhelm your visitors without showing value? The answer is: you build a new product. This is not just a theory. We tried it, and it worked like a charm. Read more

  • 26 Aug

    thumbnailFor years, web designers have been using graceful degradation principles to make sure visitors in older browsers can at least see the content on their websites, even if they don’t see it exactly how the designer intended.

    Graceful degradation let designers design for the newest and best browsers without completely alienating those using older browser versions.

    And just because those with older browsers often got a less-than-optimal user experience didn’t deter designers from placing their focus squarely on the newest technologies and techniques, rationalizing that those using older browsers were either used to it or should just upgrade.

    Progressive enhancement gives us a better option. Rather than focusing on browser technologies and support, PE focuses on content.

    As most designers would certainly agree, content is the most important part of virtually any website project. But a lot of designers don’t fully understand progressive enhancement, how it works, and why it’s a better model than graceful degradation.

    Read on for answers to those questions and information on how to use progressive enhancement on your next website design project. Read more

  • 25 Aug
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    Who’s ready for some great freebies? This time, we’ve partnered with Sticker Mule to bring you another awesome giveaway.

    If you haven’t heard of Sticker Mule yet, they make truly awesome custom stickers in all different shapes and sizes as well as skins that you could use, for example for your laptop, iPhone or iPad. These are not only great fun but can also be used as promotional tools, or even gifts.

    One week from today, we’ll be giving away 5 vouchers worth $100 each, with which the winners can choose any of Sticker Mule’s stickers or skins.

    The winners will be chosen at random on September 1st. Read on more for details on how to participate as well as some examples of stickers and skins… Read more

  • 24 Aug

    thumbnailWhen designing a website with a minimal number of pages and not a ton of content, a single-page design can be an innovative way to set the site apart.

    Single-page websites often utilize JavaScript and Flash, along with HTML and CSS to fit more content on a page without substantially increasing load times.

    Navigation has to be given some special consideration when it comes to single-page sites, to make sure visitors can get back to the home section of the page without issues, and navigate from any one section to any other section. This is often achieved through sticky headers or repeating navigation in each section.

    The sites below are all excellent examples of single-page websites. They’re both usable and aesthetically-pleasing, and take full advantage of the single-page format. Read more

  • 23 Aug
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    We often complain about the multitude of limitations which we’re faced with every day as designers.

    From browsers, to screen resolutions, to user interactions, we seem to constantly be struggling to find some way of thinking outside the tiny little box of “best practice” which we’re constrained by.

    Limitations are abundant but are they really such a bad thing? Is it possible, even, that they actually produce far better results than if we did not have them?

    Ikea for example, starts with price and then work backwards. Their main concern is the price of the product to the end user. It’s up to the designers to create something appealing which fits within that.

    37Signals wrote a whole book about how they operate with similarly heavy restrictions when building web apps; they set a date to launch and then they stick to it, no matter what.

    Read more

  • 22 Aug

    Every week we tweet a lot of interesting stuff highlighting great content that we find on the web that can be of interest to web designers.

    The best way to keep track of our tweets is simply to follow us on Twitter, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick and useful compilation of the best tweets that we sent out this past week.

    Note that this is only a very small selection of the links that we tweeted about, so don’t miss out.

    To keep up to date with all the cool links, simply follow us @DesignerDepot Read more

  • 21 Aug

    Every week we feature a set of comics created exclusively for WDD.

    The content revolves around web design, blogging and funny situations that we encounter in our daily lives as designers.

    These great cartoons are created by Jerry King, an award-winning cartoonist who’s one of the most published, prolific and versatile cartoonists in the world today.

    So for a few moments, take a break from your daily routine, have a laugh and enjoy these funny cartoons.

    Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below as well as any related stories of your own… Read more

  • 20 Aug
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    When creating a website, so many things need to be planned and considered before even beginning the design — content, audience, goals, usability, color schemes, and so much more.

    The design of a microsite, on the other hand, would seem to be an easier task to execute. But this isn’t always the case.

    A microsite will sometimes have more sensitive issues to deal with, and could see just as many design iterations — possibly due to branding issues, or a host of other factors that arise due to company politics.

    Because of the vast array of possibilities for designs of microsites, there really is no way to properly define any “best practices” in this area of web design.

    Certainly many of the same habits and practices would apply (valid code, progressive enhancement, usability, etc.). So, while I’ll be refraining from making any definite statements here, I think it would be valuable to consider the different ways to approach the design of a microsite, discussing some of the potential benefits and drawbacks to each one. Read more

  • 19 Aug

    Today we’re giving away a wonderful set of social media icons designed exclusively for WDD by Orman Clark, a web designer from the UK.

    The icon set is called “Buddycons” and includes 126 vector social media icons. Included in the set are PNG versions of all 126 icons in both circular and rounded variations as well as a vector source file for easy resizing.

    The icons are free to use for personal and commercial usage, however, redistribution is not allowed, so if you’d like to share these icons with your friends, please direct them to this page so that they can download their own copy from here.

    See a full preview of the icons and the download link after the jump. Thanks to Orman for this fantastic set and we hope you enjoy the new icons! Read more

  • 18 Aug
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    As designers, we need to be creative in order to be successful at our jobs.

    Coming up with ideas and creative solutions to problems is what we do on a daily basis. But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to do so.

    Sometimes we get blocked creatively, and it seems like no matter how hard we try, we just can’t come up with a creative solution to anything.

    The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do that can help you overcome a block in your creativity. First you’ll need to understand why you’re blocked, and then try some simple techniques to get over that blockage.

    In this article, we’ll also cover a few ideas for finding motivation when your lack of desire to work is the root of your creativity problems. Read more

  • 17 Aug

    In the past, we featured creative business cards on WDD that show incredible creativity in order to promote a business, however, business cards seem to pale in comparison to some of the card designs you’re going to see next.

    As you’ll see below, weddings invitations have been overflowing with creativity, with couples wanting the guests to start experiencing their special day from the moment they receive the invitation, way before the big event.

    This collection consists of 30 unique, crafty, and fun wedding invitations. You’ll see everything from circus-themed invitations to cards designed to look like comic book covers.

    Enjoy the collection, and share your comments at the end of this post as well as links to other great wedding invitations… Read more

  • 16 Aug
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    Flickr is probably the most famous of all photo communities on the web.

    It’s a place where photographers from all over the world come together, share their work and admire the work of others.

    Flickr however, like any other social network, has its own economy and social conventions.

    There are professionals, celebrities, enthusiasts, beginners, networkers, the list goes on.

    In today’s post we’ll cover main strategies which you can use to get the most out of Flickr if you’re trying to make a name for yourself.

    Read more

  • 15 Aug

    Every week we tweet a lot of interesting stuff highlighting great content that we find on the web that can be of interest to web designers.

    The best way to keep track of our tweets is simply to follow us on Twitter, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick and useful compilation of the best tweets that we sent out this past week.

    Note that this is only a very small selection of the links that we tweeted about, so don’t miss out.

    To keep up to date with all the cool links, simply follow us @DesignerDepot Read more

  • 14 Aug

    Every week we feature a set of comics created exclusively for WDD.

    The content revolves around web design, blogging and funny situations that we encounter in our daily lives as designers.

    These great cartoons are created by Jerry King, an award-winning cartoonist who’s one of the most published, prolific and versatile cartoonists in the world today.

    So for a few moments, take a break from your daily routine, have a laugh and enjoy these funny cartoons.

    Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below as well as any related stories of your own… Read more

  • 12 Aug
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    My name is Russell McGovern and I use Fireworks to design websites. There, I said it. I could be wrong, but it feels like I’m in a small minority; among web designers, the application of choice seems to be Photoshop.

    Agencies send me PSD files at work and ask for them in return; design blogs are full of Photoshop tips, tutorials and templates; other designers request the Photoshop files that they assume I must have used to build elements.

    It’s almost like being a second-class citizen. It’s like the only tool a truly professional designer would dream of using is Photoshop—the software equivalent of choosing a Mac over a PC.

    Yet Photoshop is not the only option. I’ve used Fireworks for many years now and find it to be by far the easiest and fastest way to get ideas out of my head and into pixels on the screen. Read more

  • 11 Aug
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    New apps and websites seem to appear on an almost-daily basis.

    Trying to find the best ones each week or month can be tough, especially considering how many come out that aren’t that great.

    Here we’ve compiled some of the best apps and websites that have come out in the past few months.

    Some are apps closely tied to a web designer’s daily work, while others aren’t likely to be used as often, but are still useful.

    If you want to share a recent web app or website useful to designers, please send a tweet to @cameron_chapman for inclusion in our next monthly roundup. Read more

  • 10 Aug

    For the past week, we’ve been running Bundle Hunt’s giveaway of 5 licenses of premium products and services.

    As you know Bundle Hunt is a premium resource pack aimed at empowering the creative community, offering more than $1,400 worth of outstanding apps, templates, icons, eBooks, hosting plans and premium memberships, all for less than $50. The bundle will be available only until August 16th.

    Today we have the results of the contest and 5 lucky winners will get a great bundle of goodies.

    The winners were selected at random and you can see the results after the jump. Read more

  • 9 Aug
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    Despite the somewhat provocative title, you shouldn’t really stop designing aesthetics.

    Gradients and colors and contrast are all good, but there’s a more important side to web design that many people overlook most of the time: Designing emotions.

    Discussing emotion in design is a bit of a hot topic at the moment, it seems to be popping up in more and more blog posts and speaker sessions. In fact I saw at least three different web designers say that it was the subject of the talk which they had recently submitted for next year’s SXSWi.

    So what’s all the fuss about? Today we’ll take a look at what that means, how you can do it and why you should. This is taking design to the next level, beyond the norm. Read more

  • 8 Aug

    Every week we tweet a lot of interesting stuff highlighting great content that we find on the web that can be of interest to web designers.

    The best way to keep track of our tweets is simply to follow us on Twitter, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick and useful compilation of the best tweets that we sent out this past week.

    Note that this is only a very small selection of the links that we tweeted about, so don’t miss out.

    To keep up to date with all the cool links, simply follow us @DesignerDepot Read more

  • 7 Aug

    Every week we feature a set of comics created exclusively for WDD.

    The content revolves around web design, blogging and funny situations that we encounter in our daily lives as designers.

    These great cartoons are created by Jerry King, an award-winning cartoonist who’s one of the most published, prolific and versatile cartoonists in the world today.

    So for a few moments, take a break from your daily routine, have a laugh and enjoy these funny cartoons.

    Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below as well as any related stories of your own… Read more

  • 6 Aug

    At this stage, I’m sure not a single reader here needs a definition of Apple’s new revolutionary device; the iPad.

    You all know what it is, and you all know what it does – whether you see a purpose for it or not. It hasn’t been around for all that long, in fact only a matter of weeks in some countries, yet iPad owners already have a huge selection of inspirational and beautiful backgrounds to choose from to brighten up their iPads, both digital and photographic ones.

    Please note that iPad wallpapers are square (their default size is 1024×1024 pixels) so that they work both vertically and horizontally when the iPad is flipped from side to side.

    This round-up consists of 40 quality abstract and colorful iPad wallpapers and backgrounds, ready for you to download and use for free.

    Read more

  • 4 Aug
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    With the recent release of WordPress 3.0 we’re entering a very exciting time.

    For the first time in the history of the platform, nobody is working on the next version.

    All development outside of essential bug fixing has been stopped… and 3.1 won’t even start development until the beginning of September.

    The reason? Well, the core contributors aren’t taking a vacation to Hawaii, in fact they’re doing something much less relaxing: working on the WordPress community.

    Read more

  • 3 Aug

    Bundle Hunt is a premium resource pack aimed at empowering the creative community, offering more than $1,400 worth of outstanding apps, templates, icons, eBooks, hosting plans and premium memberships, all for less than $50.

    The design bundle will only be available for 15 days, from Aug. 2-16 and includes some of the most prestigious brands in the business.

    This is a premiere service within the design community, a project started by Noura Yehia, founder of Noupe.com, and curated by well-know authors in the design community, including Walter Apai of WebdesignerDepot; Steven Snell of Vandelay Design; Henry Jones of WebDesignLedger; Jacob Gube of Sixrevisions.com; and Jon Philips of SpyreStudios.

    Read on for more details on the bundle and a great giveaway… Read more

  • 2 Aug

    Recently, Mashable published an article entitled “IE6 Finally Nearing Extinction”, announcing that IE6 usage in the United States and Europe has finally dropped below 5%.

    That news probably warmed the cockles of the hearts of web designers everywhere. Thus, it seems designers and developers now have even more incentive to stop supporting IE6, following the pattern set by Google, notably with regards to YouTube.

    The stats in the Mashable article are based on StatCounter Global Stats. In this article, I’ll provide some food for thought by way of some alternative statistics that in many ways contradict the sources for the article published by Mashable.

    These stats should drive home the point that every website is different, and that in some cases it may still be necessary to provide a fairly decent experience in IE6, while progressively enhancing design and functionality for newer browsers. Read more

  • 1 Aug

    Every week we tweet a lot of interesting stuff highlighting great content that we find on the web that can be of interest to web designers.

    The best way to keep track of our tweets is simply to follow us on Twitter, however, in case you missed some here’s a quick and useful compilation of the best tweets that we sent out this past week.

    Note that this is only a very small selection of the links that we tweeted about, so don’t miss out.

    To keep up to date with all the cool links, simply follow us @DesignerDepot Read more

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