2011 July | Webdesigner Depot

31 Jul
Our favorite tweets of the week
Jul 25-Jul 31, 2011
Best Of, Compilation, Twitter
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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
30 Jul
Comics of the week #88
Comics, Funny, Humor
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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
29 Jul
50+ PSD UI Web design elements
Photoshop, User Interface
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I’m a big believer in not reinventing the wheel when it comes to web design.
If someone has already created something that fits what you need and/or want, and especially if that element is available for free, then why waste your time designing something that turns out virtually identical?
Your time and effort is better spent on creating new and unique parts of your design, while using what’s already available for other parts.
Below are more than 50 free UI element packs from a variety of designers. Buttons, form elements, media players, and similar stock elements are the most popular, though there are other elements included also.
And as a bonus, there are over half a dozen premium element packs at the end. Enjoy! Read more
28 Jul
Web design inspiration from modern art history
Art, History, Inspiration
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In my previous article, I presented a brief history of art and how principles from it might apply to the modern trade of web design.
Here, I’ll continue the theme, but focusing on modern design movements (mainly 20th century) that have lessons to teach us and inspiration to offer.
The challenge with modern design is that there are dozens of movements, and they all overlap each other in a tangled mess.
Things are no longer as simple as a century-long Renaissance or Baroque period. To keep it manageable, I have selected a few movements to review here.
Read more
27 Jul
70+ Awesome Tumblr themes
Compilation, Templates, tumblr
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Sometimes it seems like Tumblr is the most often overlooked blogging platform out there. People are never quite sure what to make of it.
It’s not quite like a “regular” blog platform (like WordPress or Blogger) and it’s not microblogging either. It’s tumblogging, but a lot of people don’t know what thadet means.
And it can be a little daunting for designers who are trying to figure out how to develop Tumblr themes considering there are seven post types (or eight if you count photo slideshow posts as separate from regular photo posts).
One thing that Tumblr definitely has going in its favor is the number of themes that are now available. Tons of free themes and a growing premium theme marketplace make it easy to find a theme you like, and most are easily customizable even if you don’t know tons of code.
Below are more than 70 awesome Tumblr themes, more than half of them free. Read more
26 Jul
Create a stereoscopic illustration using Illustrator and Photoshop
Illustrator, Photoshop, Tutorials
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Nowadays, 3-D technology is being used a lot in many media. Since James Cameron’s Avatar brought this technique to a whole new level, everybody is using it to try to attract more attention and create a powerful visual experience for consumers.
Today, we’ll learn how to create a simple but effective anaglyph illustration.
Before we begin, I suggest you buy a pair of 3-D glasses or read this guide on how to create your own.
We’ve included the Photoshop and Illustrator files at the bottom of this post; download them to explore more.
If you follow this tutorial to create your own anaglyph, please share your results and experience with us in the comments.
Read more
25 Jul
6 tips to create better one-page websites
Creativity, Web Design, Websites
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One-page websites are hot and popular — no doubt about that. But they aren’t for everyone or every business. It’s easy to want one because they’re popular; and if done correctly, yours could be a hit. But make sure you’re project qualifies first.
A good candidate for a one-page website is not super-heavy on content. You only have one page to get your point across, and there are only so many animations and tricks you can throw in before they get stale.
Plus, most one-page websites are unconventional in their layout. Trying to fit a lot of content onto one page without looking cluttered is pretty tough.
Potential uses vary, but some of the most popular candidates for one-page websites are personal portfolios and websites for businesses that sell only a few products or services.
If you qualify, make sure your website hits the mark. There are always certain things you have to follow through on when making any website, but the points below are especially critical to single-page websites.
Read more
24 Jul
Our favorite tweets of the week
Jul 18-Jul 24, 2011
Best Of, Compilation, Twitter
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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
23 Jul
Comics of the week #87
Comics, Funny, Humor
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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
22 Jul
40 useful APIs for web designers and developers
Code, Programming, Resources
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An application programming interface (API) is a set of rules and specifications that software programs can follow to communicate or ‘interface’ with each other.
As developers are well aware, there are hundreds of APIs out there for doing almost anything you could imagine online. Some are better than others, and some are definitely more useful than others.
Below are forty of the most useful APIs out there. The included APIs will let you do everything from shortening a URL to displaying a book preview on your site to interacting with your Twitter account, and everything in between.
Please share with us which APIs have you found most useful and feel free to recommend others that we may have missed… Read more
21 Jul
Web design inspiration from the history of art
History, Inspiration, Painting
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When it comes to the creative arts, a fundamental way to better understand the trade is to look to the past.
People in every trade do this, including those in photography, painting, sculpture and architecture. Why should web designers be any different?
Of course, we look to the very recent past through our countless web design showcases. But we can go much further back for inspiration, to the masters of old.
Let’s review some key art movements and the fundamental design principles they embraced. Based on these, we can review current web designs for elements to apply to our own work.
We’ll focus on Western art before the 20th century, and we will highlight only a few movements from among the many that took place.
Read more
20 Jul
Win 500 magnetic business cards from Uprinting
Business Cards, Contests
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Uprinting is back with another striking giveaway for WDD readers.
One week from today, we’ll be giving away 500 magnetic business cards to 3 lucky WDD readers.
Magnetic cards may not have been your first choice for your business card but they’re super cool and can be stuck on anyone’s refrigerator door, bulletin boards, and are sure to draw curious looks.
The cards are provided with a 13pt magnet gloss with front printing only.
Read on for more details on how to participate… Read more
19 Jul
60+ New WordPress themes, summer 2011 edition
Compilation, Web Design, WordPress Themes
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New WordPress themes are released on what sometimes seems a daily basis.
But not all themes are created equal. Differences in quality become more pronounced in free themes, but there’s even a lot of discrepancies in premium themes, both in terms of visual style and actual code.
Below are more than sixty new WordPress themes released since March. Roughly half are premium themes (ranging in price from around $15 to about $70) and half are free.
If you think there are other themes out there released during the same time period that should have been included, please let us know in the comments! Enjoy the collection… Read more
18 Jul
20 iPhone apps to help you create amazing photographs
Apps, Compilation, iPhone
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With the arrival of the iPhone in 2007, iPhoneography, a new art form for photography was born.
Developers have been working fast and furiously to keep up with the frenzy of interest with apps that are moving photography to a new level.
In this post we’ll take a look at a number of apps available for iPhones (and iPads) that compliment the native iPhone camera and in many cases, replace it entirely.
The apps listed here enhance the experiences for both amateur and professional photographers, and provide opportunities to participate in social communities where people can share their photographs and sources of inspiration.
Have we missed your favorite app? Please share it in the comments!
Read more
17 Jul
Our favorite tweets of the week
Jul 11-Jul 17, 2011
Best Of, Compilation, Twitter
Tweet View Comments
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
16 Jul
Comics of the week #86
Comics, Funny, Humor
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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
15 Jul
CSS Buttons: Tutorials and examples
CSS, Tutorials, Web Design
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Creating buttons with CSS is one of the most experimented-with web design techniques around. Examples and tutorials abound.
The biggest recent trend in CSS button design seems to be eliminating images, especially background images, from buttons. But there are plenty of other things designers are doing with buttons, some that do include images.
Below we’ve collected more than twenty tutorials, examples, and tools for creating CSS buttons, most of which use CSS3.
Included are buttons to suit virtually every design style. We’ve tried to focus on newer techniques here, leaving out the long-standing techniques (like the sliding door method for creating rounded corners) that most designers are already familiar with.
If you have other tutorials or examples you’d like to share, please do so in the comments! Read more
14 Jul
Interview with designer and typographer, Erik Spiekermann
Fonts, Interviews, Typography
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Throughout his illustrious career as a designer and typographer, Erik Spiekermann has created dozens of commercial typefaces (FF Meta, FF MetaSerif, ITC Officina, FF Govan, FF Info, FF Unit, LoType, Berliner Grotesk) and many custom typefaces for world-renowned corporations.
Erik and his wife Joan, revolutionized the world of digital fonts twenty-two years ago when they started FontShop—the first mail-order distributor for digital fonts.
This year, he was awarded the Federal Republic of Germany’s 2011 Design Prize for Lifetime Achievements— a most noble accomplishment. The exhibition, Erik Spiekermann, The Face of Type recently took place at the Bauhaus-Archive Museum of Design in Berlin.
Spiekermann is an Honorary Professor at the University of the Arts in Bremen, the author of the Adobe Press title, Stop Stealing Sheep, and the originator of the colorful map for the Berlin metro system.
He recently took time out of his busy schedule to speak to Webdesigner Depot about typeface design and what he sees next in his future. We thank Mr. Spiekermann for speaking with us and invite WDD readers to comment on how his contributions to typeface design have helped shape your work. Read more
13 Jul
25 examples of symmetry in web design
Graphic Design, Inspiration, Web Design
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Symmetry is an age-old device of the visual artist. The word refers to two halves that perfectly mirror each other. In design, symmetry is closely tied to balance. A perfectly symmetrical design achieves balance and a sense of stability.
There is also asymmetrical design, where the two halves are balanced but do not mirror each other perfectly. The majority of websites have an asymmetrical layout.
Most often we find the logo in the top left, balanced by some navigational elements on the right. In the body, the side columns are usually balanced by either the main content or other columns.
While perfect symmetry is certainly not new to the web, it is gaining momentum. Expanding screen sizes and the proliferation of platforms and viewing options are making it a more attractive option. By mirroring the halves of a design, you not only get a greater sense of balance, but also improve the flow from top to bottom.
Read more
12 Jul
30 Creative QR code business cards
Business Cards, Compilation, Print
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There is a lot of buzz around QR codes at the moment, so we thought we would take a look at some of the most creative and stunning QR code business cards on the web.
We love QR codes as they connect offline and online while challenging traditional design at the same time.
First of all, in case you have been living under a rock, let’s answer the obvious question. What the hell is a QR code?!
A quick response (QR) code is a two dimensional code that can be scanned and read by smartphone cameras to transfer information. The information can then be encoded to text, add a vCard contact, open a URL or much more.
So, by placing them on a business card, you can digitally pass on your contact details, direct people to a website, send them to a Flickr photo set or Facebook fan page or offer a special discount etc.
Hopefully the examples below will help to inspire you on how QR codes can be incorporated creatively in your designs. Or at least, provided a few interesting ways that they can be used to connect offline and online media.
Read more
11 Jul
What’s new for web designers – July 2011
Applications, Fonts, Resources
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This month’s edition of what’s new out there for web designers and developers includes a number of new smartphone apps (for both iOS and Android), as well as a few great web apps and some desktop apps.
There are also new tools and resources for web design and development, and twenty great new free and paid fonts.
As always, if we’ve missed something you think should have been included, please let us know in the comments.
And if you have an app or other resource you’d like to see included next month, tweet it to @cameron_chapman for consideration. Read more
10 Jul
Our favorite tweets of the week
Jul 4-Jul 10, 2011
Best Of, Compilation, Twitter
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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
9 Jul
Comics of the week #85
Comics, Funny, Humor
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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
8 Jul
Chilling Underwater series by Erin Mulvehill
Compilation, Inspiration, Photography
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Erin Mulvehill is a young photographer based in Brooklyn, who graduated with a BS honors degree in photography from Syracuse University.
Unlike many modern photographers, she shoots on analog 35mm film (she scans the negatives to do post-processing in Photoshop).
In this post you’ll see the breath-taking photos captured in her Underwater, to be reborn series, which has been dedicated to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Underwater series includes images of what resembles girls trapped under ice, frozen in time. The photos are chilling and hauntingly beautiful.
There are twenty four images in the series, with at least a dozen different models. The idea for the series, according to Erin, came to her in a dream. And despite appearances, the photos were shot in a studio, not underwater. Read more
6 Jul
20 Fantastic pseudo-Flash websites
Flash, HTML 5, Web Design
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A pseudo-Flash website is one that looks, feels and acts like a Flash website but is in fact built on good old-fashioned HTML and CSS.
There is usually also a dash of JavaScript to bring things to life and round out the interface.
The result is often beyond what we have come to expect of HTML and CSS, which is why we might assume the website is Flash-based. Right-click, though, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
I am keenly interested in pseudo-Flash websites, and I talk about the topic frequently. Flash has obviously lost some of its edge (though is by no means gone), and the focus has shifted to the core technologies of the web (HTML, CSS, JavaScript). Read more
5 Jul
Keynote as a collaborative wireframing tool
Apple, Clients, Web Design
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Some people collect stamps, others spot trains; I have become obsessed with wireframing software.
I have tried and fallen in love with countless applications, from Balsamiq to Mockingbird to FlairBuilder. Although each has felt like true love, over time my gaze has wandered, and I find myself flirting with another tool.
They all look so alluring, but over time I see their shortcomings. Perhaps I am just too fussy. Perhaps my needs are too unusual. What I really want is a tool that fits the way I do things, rather than me having to fit the tool.
Do you have a favorite wireframing tool of your own? Do you even see the need for one? If so, do you go for all the bells and whistles or just a quick and dirty solution?
Read more
3 Jul
Our favorite tweets of the week
Jun 27-Jul 3, 2011
Best Of, Twitter, Web Design
Tweet View Comments
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
2 Jul
Comics of the week #84
Comics, Funny, Humor
Tweet View Comments

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
1 Jul
Minuscule photo collection by Maite Guerrero
Compilation, Inspiration, Photography
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“Another way to see the world, the little things are more important than we think…” – Maite Guerrero
Search for photo manipulations practically anywhere online and you might be surprised at the varying quality you’ll find.
The majority of photo manipulations are unconvincing at best, and some are downright awful. Not so the work of Maite Guerrero.
Guerrero’s Minuscule collection of photo manipulations is truly magnificent. So much attention has been paid to detail, composition, and scale in this series, that it’s easy to believe the images are real.
In this post you’ll see a collection of photos of the Minuscule series. Look closely at how they’re composed, and the way everyday items are made surreal by the addition of miniaturized living subjects. Read more