• 8 Feb

    Designing for responsive websites can be a bit challenging at first because the process is so different.

    As designers, we’ve gotten used to building pixel-perfect mockups as our web blueprints. But responsive design takes a different approach.

    A designer’s role is no longer to produce a mockup and then pass it off to the developer because responsive design is not just a two step process, it is a series of revisions. Most of which are made in the browser. It is a collaborative effort between the designer and developer, no longer two separate tasks.

    Here are some tips and a general workflow to make the transition from designing static sites to designing responsive ones a little easier.

    Read more

  • 2 Feb
    How to make your type more appealing on the web

    It’s not uncommon for a designer in today’s world to pay little attention to how type is laid out, especially with the ever-so-convenient default settings of heading tags and web safe fonts found universally on the web.

    If we as interactive designers we’re able to take a little more time when it came to typography, than the results would show a unique, well thought of design as oppose to a “run of the mill” creation.

    There is a good chance that the majority of designers and designs you admire showcase good examples of typography.

    I’ll show you a few steps I take in tweaking set type to be more appealing than those default scenarios of 24px H1 tags along with 13px set in Times New Roman. Read more

  • 31 Jan
    Web designers, what to look for in a CMS

    There are a whole bunch of CMSes out there ranging from lightweight micro-blogging platforms to huge enterprise packages.

    I don’t want to mention any names here or tell you what to use.

    Instead, I’m going give you some important points to consider, so that you can make an educated decision on your own.

    And hopefully, not invest a huge amount of time and energy into a CMS you will have to abandon a year or two down the road.

    Read more

  • 19 Jan

    Designing a new website is great, but not everyone loves taking their PSD designs and converting them into actual, working HTML and CSS.

    In fact, there are some designers who positively hate it (and often get someone else to do that part for them rather than suffer through it themselves).

    A PSD to HTML service can be a huge time-saver even for designers who don’t mind coding their own designs. After all, the coding of a basic theme or template can be time-consuming even though it’s a relatively simple process.

    Why not outsource it so you can focus on the creative aspects of creating websites? Read more

  • 16 Jan

    The January edition of what’s new for web designers and developers includes new web apps, frameworks, jQuery plugins, color tools, and a number of great new fonts.

    Many of the resources below are free or very low cost, and are sure to be useful to a lot of designers and developers out there.

    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

  • 9 Jan

    When you already have a full plate of client work, it can be difficult to get into new technologies. Responsive design is a big buzz-phrase right now, but it’s unnecessary to force it on a client unless their users will see a benefit from it.

    At 352 Media Group, we recently saw an opportunity to make a fully responsive site for a client, Purple Communications. They make software for people with hearing loss who would otherwise be unable to make a phone call. Using their computer, phone, videophone, or other electronic device, they can communicate with others using a video relay service.

    Purple Communications offers apps for multiple phone platforms, so a substantial part of their web traffic is from mobile devices. Looking at their traffic, it became abundantly clear that the best solution for the client was to make a fully responsive site. Our company has done mobile sites before, but this was the first time that one site would serve both the mobile and desktop users. If you’re interested in incorporating some responsive web design features into your company or client’s website, here are some tips to keep in mind:

    Read more

  • 5 Jan
    foundation

    Zurb has a long history of providing awesome web apps and resources for designers and developers. Their apps include Notable, Axe, Enroll, and Spur, among others.

    Other resources from Zurb include everything from downloadable sketchsheets and grid paper, CSS buttons, CSS3 tools, visual effects & animation examples, and a lot more.

    Zurb has recently launched a new tool for designers, called Foundation, a free rapid prototyping framework.

    Zurb’s Lead Designer, Jonathan, answered some questions for us about the new project. Read more

  • 15 Dec
    creating a wordpress child theme

    Whether you just want to create a slightly customized theme or something completely unique, creating a WordPress child theme can greatly speed up the development process.

    Child themes let you start with the basics of an existing theme, so you’re not having to reinvent the wheel. You can pick a theme that has the functionality and basic layout you need, but then customize everything about it as you would designing a theme from scratch.

    For this tutorial, we’ll be creating a child theme based on the newest WordPress default theme, Twenty Eleven. We’ll also be using some handy plugins and other tricks to make it even easier to create a child theme.

    You’ll need some very basic HTML and CSS knowledge, but the good news is that for a basic child theme, you don’t need to know any PHP! The theme created is very basic, but it will give you the building blocks you need to get started creating your own themes, even if you’ve never created a WordPress theme before! Read more

  • 7 Dec

    What designers can learn from different animalsDesigners of all types can gain inspiration from animals found in the wild. Many great designers exhibit behaviors similar to the movement, characteristics and instincts of nature’s creatures.

    Accomplished designers understand that there is no greater and more perfect creation than what can be found in nature. Designers that adapt the behaviors, instincts or habits of animals into their approach will find that they will develop designs that are innovative and efficient.

    This article will examine how animals can inspire designers of all types to greatness.

    Each species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius. – Edward O. Wilson

    Read more

  • 30 Nov

    The use of illustration in web designIllustration is an incredibly versatile tool that can find many different uses in design. And when it comes to web design we can find an extremely wide variety of implementations.

    Today I want to dig into some key ways that this tool has been put to work so we can draw new ideas to inspire and challenge the designs we produce.

    Let’s begin someplace I seldom do, with a basic definition: Illustrated: 1) To make clear; 2) To make clear by giving or by serving as an example or instance; 3) To provide with visual features intended to explain or decorate.

    It seems that in the real world of web design, illustration tends to perform both functions at one time. It beautifies while it clarifies. And if it is only doing one of these you might need to ask yourself why. Perhaps by putting illustration to work fulfilling both roles is the way to truly leverage the design element for all it is worth.

    This is, of course, not to say that a design can’t be successful if it only handles one or the other; certainly it can. But in order to get the most out of our work I find that challenging our thinking is always helpful. As usual, let’s dig into some groupings of samples to see what can be done with this visual device. Along the way, consider if each approach provides clarity or decoration, or both. Read more

  • 21 Nov

    Webfont embedding is so widely supported by modern browsers at this point that there’s really no excuse not to incorporate them when appropriate in your designs. There are hundreds of free fonts available for embedding, as well as plenty of paid services that allow you to include commercial fonts in your designs.

    A lot of designers, it seems, are intimidated by the idea of @font-face embedding though. Even though it’s been gaining popularity and support for the past couple of years, a lot of designers still stick to their usual collection of web safe fonts for the vast majority of their designs. On the rare occasion they do step out of their comfort zone and include a web font, they just go with a webfont subscription service rather than looking into DIY embedding or something like Google Web Fonts.

    In this article, I’ll give you everything you need to know to start embedding your own fonts, and to start using Google Web Fonts. The code itself is simple, and I’ll also break down exactly why we’re using the code we’re using. I’ll even give you ten great examples of web font combinations that you can implement on your own designs in case you’re not yet comfortable with typeface combos. Read more

  • 3 Nov

    Navigation is one of the most important aspects of any website. Without good navigation, a site becomes useless to visitors. They can’t find the information they need, and then seek out competing sites instead. It’s vital that your sites be easy to navigate if you want to be a successful designer.

    iBut there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to navigation. What works great on a news site might not work well for a personal site. Something that’s incredibly user-friendly on a blog might be frustrating on an e-commerce site.

    Below are ten common types of sites, with suggestions for the kinds of navigation patterns that work well for each one.

    There are also examples, to give you a better idea of what we’re talking about. Feel free to share more great examples in the comments! Read more

  • 27 Oct
    Testing Mobile version of your site

    The mobile revolution has inspired major and minor websites alike to have a mobile version. Mobile versions can be created using themes, extensions, and other modifications.

    While developing mobile version, you may want to test it on two, three, or even five different mobile handsets. After development, you are not aware how it will appear in each mobile present on this Earth as you have to buy each of them to test it manually.

    Let us make this work simple for you by collecting some tools in this article to test the mobile version of your website.

    You can test your mobile website on these tools, analyze it for the mistakes/errors, and then optimize it according to the recommendations. Let us have a look at some of the mobile testing applications available online. Read more

  • 26 Oct

    Create a blog with Squarespace[Editor's note: This is a sponsored review for Squarespace]

    Whether you want to create a blog, a brochure site, or something more involved, the platform you choose to create it on is important. There are a lot of blog and website building and hosting platforms out there, some free and some paid. There’s also a huge variation in the quality of the services these sites have to offer.

    Some are reminiscent of the old Angelfire and Geocities websites of the 90s and early 2000s, with little storage space, hideous stock templates, non-existent support, and very limited control.

    Others include enterprise-level hosting, attractive templates, full control over look and function, and business-class support.

    Squarespace definitely falls firmly in the latter of these two categories. While website builders and hosting services of this kind aren’t always appropriate for designers and developers, when they are, you want to work with a company that understands what you want as a creative professional and gives you the control you need. Read more

  • 25 Oct

    Good call to action pages (including landing pages and sales pages) are an important part of any website that either sells or asks visitors to sign up for something.

    An effective call to action page can increase conversions and signups by a hundred percent or more (sometimes much more). As designers, we should know exactly what makes an effective call to action page, both in terms of actual design and the kinds of content they should ideally include.

    Here are more than a dozen do’s and don’ts for crafting great call to action pages. In general, they’re not difficult to design well, but there are certain guidelines that sometimes run counter to a designer’s instincts, or what might work on other kinds of pages.

    The main thing to remember is the purpose of a call to action page: to get a visitor to perform a specific action. If you keep that in mind while you’re designing, you’re likely to have a more successful result. Read more

  • 20 Oct

    web design podcastsBeing a designer is not your average job: your work is constantly evolving, giving you new tools to either become more productive or to simply create better work. For that, we all do our best to read books, brush up our skills following some tutorials, subscribe to blogs or attend design conferences. However, we often overlook one medium: the podcast.

    If you are a seasoned multitasker, you can listen to podcasts while working. Otherwise, the other big advantage of podcasts is that you can take it anywhere and listen to it whenever you want, while riding the bus to work or doing the dishes.

    To find the perfect podcast is hard, but there are many good shows out there, especially for designers. Good podcasts usually have the following: a great host that chooses good topics and quality guests, good sound quality and jingles, show notes and links.

    The following shows usually combine all those properties, check them out! Read more

  • 19 Oct

    The topic of social media is all over the web, and it is important to consider it when designing a website.

    The way you display social media icons or links has a direct effect on user engagement.

    You have to consider many details when laying out a page, including the layout, the flow of content and the main area of rest on the page.

    Whether you end up with typographic links in the header or icons in the footer, you should test out colors, shapes, typography and iconography to ensure that your social links are thoughtfully combined, engaging and well designed.

    Here, we’ll show you some examples of how websites display their social links so that you can see the variety of options out there. Check them out, and let us know what you think.

    Read more

  • 17 Oct

    Asymmetrical balance in web designWhen I first covered the idea of symmetrical design patterns here on Webdesigner Depot I had no intention of digging into the notion of asymmetrical design.

    However, the more I thought about it, the more I felt compelled to cover the topic to contrast some of the ideas revolving around symmetrical design patterns.

    In asymmetrical design we find designs that contain elements that do not create a mirror image. Most often, these asymmetrical designs are in fact balanced, but just not through perfectly similar halves.

    This sort of design is actually far easier to come by, considering most content doesn’t lend itself to perfect symmetry.

    Let’s consider a variety of sites that put this design approach to work and perhaps discover some ideas that can impact your own design work. Read more

  • 13 Oct
    WixMobile

    [Editor's note: This is a sponsored post for Wix Mobile]

    Considering the growth of the mobile web, not having a mobile accessible version of your website is akin to ignoring a huge segment of the internet population.

    With more than 77 percent of the world’s population using mobile phones, and more than half a billion people accessing the web over 3G or faster connections, many of whom are mobile-only users (they rarely ever use a desktop, laptop, or tablet computer to access the web), ignoring this access point can severely limit your traffic and the success of your website.

    While some mobile devices can handle websites aimed at desktop users, other phones don’t work as well. Smaller screens can become a nightmare with tightly-packed links or content that doesn’t adapt. This is why a mobile website can be a great option, rather than expecting mobile users to access your full website. Read more

  • 11 Oct

    Clean, elegant, and beautiful web design is often a matter of personal perspective. I look at hundreds of websites every week, and several of them stand out to me, but not all of them are necessarily effective.

    Too often designers boil a concept down too far, producing a final design that is nothing more than text and a grid. While these minimal designs have their aesthetic appeal, particularly when paired with excellent typography, they risk falling short of notice.

    Personal opinions aside, there are certain features of a design that allow it to be proudly labeled as clean or modern and enhance its usability and likability on a universal level. Simplicity is not a design trend, but rather an attribute of good design.

    Photoshop grants us a versatile set of tools for creating depth and interest, and invites us to integrate subtle detail where we would leave a blank space. You need only a handful of these tools to infuse the qualities of modern design into a layout. By mastering them, you can create clean designs that express functionality clearly and effectively. Read more

  • 7 Oct

    In this day and age, if you are not selling your product online or at least making it available online, you are missing out on a ton of money. Unfortunately, the makers of these sites are most interested in making a dollar rather than making sense (did you catch the pun?).

    At any rate, some folks get the job down. They understand that design is a way to communicate and get their point across, rather than something that needs to be pushed to the side in order to get people to buy. Good companies understand good design can mean a better bottom line.

    If you need inspiration for your upcoming e-commerce site or you just like this type of thing, we’ve put together some sites that get their audiences moving—not just through pretty decorations and design but through good usability, interfaces and interactions. Not all sites are perfect but you are sure to learn a thing or two from these 30 sites. Read more

  • 3 Oct

    If you’re going to design a WordPress site, there are a few ways you can start. Many designers start with an HTML template that they then add WordPress code to.

    Others start with the basic WordPress code and design around that.

    But others begin with a starter theme or framework, which is arguably the most efficient way to create a WP theme.

    So you know you need a framework if you want to be more efficient in designing WP themes, but there are dozens of starter themes and frameworks out there. Where do you begin?

    The answer to that is with the list below. Check out the free and premium frameworks and starter themes below. Try a few of them out and then decide which one(s) work best for your projects. Read more

  • 12 Sep

    The September edition of what’s new out there for web designers and developers includes new web apps, JavaScript frameworks, a couple of fun dummy text generators, useful apps for working with clients, and a number of great new fonts.

    Many of the resources below are free or very low cost, and are sure to be useful to a lot of designers and developers out there.

    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

  • 7 Sep

    Fixed position web elementsThe usage of fixed position elements has grown in popularity and become a common element on the web.

    This technique involves fixing some element in the browser while the rest of the page scrolls. Most often we find this done on header elements including the main navigation for a site. This is also a popular approach on single page sites where the in page navigation needs to be ever present. We also find various elements of web pages locked in place using such techniques.

    There are many situations we can find where fixing an element in the page is a good thing, but it all comes back to a single purpose. In almost all of these situations the fixed element keeps a critical part of the page in front of users at all times.

    The importance of these elements varies, but to some degree the fundamental goal is to keep some part of the page perpetually in the view port.

    As you consider using this technique I highly recommend you carefully consider why and how you do so. Keep in mind that whatever part of your page doesn’t move will automatically draw lots of attention. So be sure you are putting it to work. Let’s dive in! Read more

  • 1 Sep

    Responsive design is the new darling of the web design world. It seems that not a week goes by that there aren’t new resources for doing it, opinions about how to do it or even whether to do it at all, and new sites that make beautiful use of it.

    It can quickly get overwhelming trying to keep up with it all.

    Here we’ve compiled a list of more than seventy resources for creating responsive designs.

    Included are articles discussing responsive design and related theories, frameworks and boilerplates for responsive layouts, tools for testing your responsive designs, techniques for resizable images, and a whole lot more.

    Then, to top it all off, we’ve collected a hundred of the best responsive designs out there right now to inspire you and give you some real-world ideas. Read more

  • 29 Aug

    Characteristics of a modern portfolio siteOf all of the types of websites, the portfolio site has to overcome what might be some of the most difficult hurdles. Talk to almost any designer and they will agree, launching your own portfolio site is a painful process. Most frequently, this process includes numerous versions and, often times, a launch out of sheer frustration.

    The upside to this in my opinion is that the portfolio site can be a window into the future of web design. I suggest this because when an individual designs their own site they are only under self-imposed limitations. There is no client to dictate things, no committee to destroy the design, and no approval process to drag things out and destroy momentum.

    But not all portfolio sites are created equal. Despite the insane amount of sample portfolio sites available, there are surprisingly few that feel distinct and interesting enough to talk about. It is these sites, though, that raise the bar and expose what the future might hold for web design.

    Let’s dive into a large set of stunning portfolios and look for some common elements that make them work. Some of these elements expose industry wide trends, while others demonstrate simple and common design flourishes. Not all have huge meaning, but they all add up to fantastic designs that will challenge you to create a truly extraordinary portfolio site. Read more

  • 25 Aug

    We often look at application design and website design as two different, if related, fields.

    The lines blur a bit with web apps (which are technically both apps and websites), but we still tend to try to compartmentalize them. Even designers who work on both kinds of designs often view them as separate things.

    But there are a lot of lessons that app designers and web designers can teach each other.

    Each type of design has emerged to have its own strengths and weaknesses, often complementary to the strengths and weaknesses of the other field.

    Below are six lessons that app and web designers can teach each other. Read more

  • 1 Aug

    Step with me, if you will, into my humble DeLorean, and travel back in history to that time you fell asleep in your design theory course.

    You didn’t need Gestalt theories, you thought. You already knew how to make a killer logo. You had more important things to do, like daydream about becoming Sagmeister’s next protegee.

    I hate to break it to you, but those fundamentals of perceptive organization go way beyond just making a pretty picture.

    In fact, they are the keystones of the cognitive-emotional-behavioral process, and understanding their practical application enables us to engineer more powerful user experiences.

    Read more

  • 25 Jul

    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

  • 19 Jul

    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

  • 15 Jul

    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

  • 13 Jul

    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

  • 6 Jul

    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

    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

    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 Jun

    Trends can be born so silently and subtly that we seldom notice them.

    And when you survey hundreds of websites, you often see patterns that you would otherwise miss. One such pattern is the frequent use of tags and ribbons.

    These small flourishes have become increasingly popular. This article addresses the two elements because they are used together so frequently.

    While ribbons are self-explanatory, by tags I mean the faux labels that hang down from the top of the screen, like a tag on a t-shirt.

    The websites that use these elements are truly outstanding in quality. Putting together this gorgeous showcase turned out to be remarkably easy. Few trends are like this: one usually has to wade through many poor examples to find the tasty ones.

    Read more

  • 27 Jun

    “ … One of the roles of design is to bring humanity, intelligence and beauty to the world of business, and indeed to everyday life.” – Michael Beirut

    Is design losing its humanity? No one would suggest that computers are as adept as talented humans at creating innovative designs — yet — but technology has been making a significant impact on design-related professions in the last few years.

    In some cases, technology has lessened the amount of contact designers have with clients, colleagues and professional development organizations, causing a shift in the way the public relates to the profession.

    But when used judiciously and with some forethought, technology can reintroduce a strain of much-needed humanity into these essentially creative disciplines.

    Read more

  • 22 Jun

    We’ve all seen or heard about the horrors of failed redesigns.

    Regardless of the size or scale of a site, any redesign is frought with potential perils and pitfalls. Alienating your existing users is probably one of the biggest dangers of any redesign project.

    Of course, the larger the site, the greater this danger becomes. But even a small site can suffer from ill-will if they don’t consider their existing visitors when tackling a redesign project.

    The following guide should keep you on the right path for creating a revamped and re-imagined site that keeps your users happy.

    And if you’ve already found yourself in the midst of a failed redesign, we’ve got help for you, too. Read more

  • 16 Jun

    Typography is defined as the style, arrangement, or appearance of typeset matter. A look around your surroundings will reveal how much typography has influenced the world. But does it matter, particularly with the likes of YouTube, Flickr, and other forms of media growing so rapidly?

    It doesn’t have depth, color, motion. It doesn’t generate feelings or emotions. It provides us with information; line after line of monotonous information. It’s text!

    The YouTubes, Vimeos, Flickrs, and Instagrams of today’s generation feed those who want to forget about typography. They want information with visual and audible cues. As one would expect, gobs of text doesn’t exactly inspire them.

    But the Web is still young. Things are growing at a rapid pace, much faster than before. We could, in a large part, thank Internet Explorer 6′s demise for this progression. Now we have the freedom to run wild, explore our creativity, and make typography something that does more than present information.

    Will we take advantage of this rare opportunity? Read more

  • 13 Jun

    New apps and websites appear on an almost daily basis, but trying to find the good ones among them can be tough, especially considering how many are not that great.

    That’s why every month we research and showcase some of the best and latest resources available for web designers.

    Below you’ll find forty fantastic books, articles, apps, tools, fonts, icons, and more for web designers, all released or updated within the past few weeks.

    As always, if we’ve missed something, let us know in the comments. And if you know of a product/service for designers that you’d like to see included in the next roundup, please tweet it to @cameron_chapman.

    Read more

  • 16 May

    New apps and websites appear on an almost daily basis, but trying to find the good ones among them can be tough, especially considering how many are not that great.

    That’s why every month we research and showcase some of the best and latest resources available for web designers.

    In this May installment we’ve rounded up about thirty great apps, fonts, and other resources for web designers and developers.

    As always, if we’ve missed something, let us know in the comments. And if you know of an app you’d like included in the next roundup, please tweet it to @cameron_chapman. Read more

  • 11 May

    As the number and variety of devices from which we access the internet increases, new web design challenges present themselves.

    It’s no longer simply enough to have a mobile version and a browser version. Now, we have to consider whether the person visiting our site is visiting from a tablet, a smartphone (and whether that smartphone has a high-res screen or not), a netbook, a desktop computer or full-size laptop (and whether it’s one with a high-res or low-res screen), or some other device entirely.

    And optimizing the experience for all of those different possibilities is becoming more expected among savvy internet users.

    A few years ago, a designer would have looked at the list of devices they had to design for and then set about creating individual website designs for each device. But as the number and variety of devices increases, that becomes an impractical, time-consuming proposition.

    Instead, designers should create designs that adapt to the needs of each browser, regardless of the device. Read more

  • 4 May

    If you run an online business, drawing customers to your website is vital for your continued success.

    While lots of effort tends to be spent on SEO and gaining new visitors, ensuring they return is another matter. Email newsletters are the perfect opportunity to inform your past visitors of reasons to return.

    Even if you don’t use email newsletters for your own business, you’ll likely run into a client who wants to use them sooner or later.

    Email is one of the oldest forms of online communication, and one that hasn’t evolved much since it’s inception due to it’s use on a wide variety of devices and a lack of solid formatting standards.

    Therefore, it’s safe to assume that at least one of your subscribers is going to be viewing your email on a 20-year-old computer running an obsolete operating system and you should take that into account. Read more

  • 27 Apr

    Buttons and navigational elements are quite possibly the most commonly used interface objects in both desktop and mobile design. They pull an interface together, allowing users to get from A to B in a single click.

    Most importantly, a button has to look good. It has to scream “Click me!,” or else it simply won’t be as effective as it needs to be. Buttons are commonly used to “”Search,” “Submit,” “Send,” “Buy” and “Upload.”

    In this article, we’ll look at seven common button elements in modern interface design: textures, patterns, 3-D, pixel-perfect strokes, indented backgrounds, glows and highlights.

    You’ll find 35 fantastic examples of these techniques as well as a handful of mini-tutorials for Photoshop. Read more

  • 20 Apr

    The second installment of The Web Designer’s Idea Book takes the best methods of organizing content from a variety of online galleries and combines them to create what could be the most well-thought-out source of design inspiration available.

    This book provides a great compilation of the best themes, trends and styles in today’s web design.

    We reviewed this book a while back on WDD and you can read our full review here.

    Today, we’re giving away 5 copies of this amazing book to 5 lucky WDD readers…. read on for more information about the book and how to participate… Read more

  • 18 Apr

    New apps and websites appear on an almost daily basis, but trying to find the good ones among them can be tough, especially considering how many are not that great.

    That’s why every month we research and showcase some of the best and latest resources available for web designers.

    In this April installment we’ve rounded up more than thirty great books, tools, apps, fonts, and other resources for web designers and developers.

    As always, if we’ve missed something, let us know in the comments. And if you know of an app you’d like included in the next roundup, please tweet it to @cameron_chapman. Read more

  • 14 Apr

    Adobe products have been the standard in web and print design for a number of years, particularly after they bought out Macromedia (and took over Dreamweaver and Fireworks).

    But Adobe products are also very, very expensive. So expensive that many new (and even experienced) designers have little choice but to use pirated copies, or turn to less-polished, less-powerful open source alternatives. Neither one is an ideal solution.

    Adobe CS 5.5, though, which should be out in the first half of May, offers a new alternative: a monthly subscription plan. Pay one rather reasonable monthly fee and you’ll get access to the software you need.

    Last week Adobe gave WDD an exclusive sneak peek at the new CS 5.5 and in this post we’ll take a look at what CS 5.5 is and what it means for designers.

    Read more

  • 12 Apr

    The Mac App Store opened for business on January 6, 2011 with 1,000 apps.

    Designers will be happy to know that there is an entire category devoted to Graphic & Design Apps.

    While some Apps may cross-over into other categories such as Photography, Utilities, and Developer, there is a growing list of Graphic & Design Apps and new titles are literally added every day.

    Users can login with their iTunes password and can purchase a new application and download it immediately without the need for serial numbers and time-consuming installation processes. They’re also updated automatically through the Mac App store.

    In this post we bring you a selection of some great Graphic & Design Apps found in the Mac App store. Read more

  • 4 Apr

    Over the years, web designs and layouts have increased in complexity. Yet, while our work becomes ever more polished and interactive, moving away from the static boxy layouts that dominated the ’90s, the central goal has not changed.

    Visibility is as important to designers today as ever. It’s about our ability to focus the user’s attention on the meaningful content that helps to sell goods and encourage subscribers, and it helps websites gain regular readers.

    With people increasingly taking advantage of pre-built solutions, giving websites just enough distinction and personality to cultivate user interest is important.

    After all, the whole point of a website is to be unique, not to follow others or to offer a usable yet generic and lifeless layout. With this in mind, let’s examine how the compulsion to overuse certain design conventions and patterns could favorably or adversely affect users. Read more

  • 1 Apr

    Not every designer wants to (or knows how to) code. Sometimes all you want to do is design, and leave the coding to someone else.s

    Or maybe you’ve just taken on more design work than you can handle, and don’t have time to code everything yourself.

    In either case, PSD to HTML services can be a great way to save time and energy, while still getting a hand-coded design.

    In this post, we’ve compiled a hundred PSD to HTML services that might be just what you need for coding your next project.

    Some of the services below also offer CMS implementation and other add-on services. The better services take as much time and care with converting your design as you would take yourself, so be sure to shop around and compare not only on the basis of price (which starts as low as $29), but also quality and service.

    When picking a service like this, make sure you find a company that either provides samples of their work or a money-back guarantee (preferably both). A non-disclosure agreement is also a good idea, especially if you’re using them for client work. Read more

  • 28 Mar

    When it comes to designing and building websites, it never seems to happen fast enough.

    Given this fast pace, many small details that are eventually required to build the website are often left out of the design process. While these details might be minor, they are what take a website from nice to truly awesome.

    These details are often easy to miss because they don’t drive the overall look and feel of the website. The problem is that as your development team works through the design, it will be forced to design and create these elements for you anyway.

    You could adjust the production cycle so that the developers have time to return these assets to you, but why not just get it all done up front so that the process is that much cleaner? Read more

  • 21 Mar

    Art-directed blogs (sometimes also referred to as “blogazines”) are making strides in the blogosphere.

    Looking at them, it can be tempting to jump on the bandwagon and start creating your own art-directed posts. But it’s not that straightforward.

    There are a lot of pros and cons to designing each and every post on your blog.

    Below, we’ve covered the most important advantages and disadvantages to creating custom designs for your blog posts and we also included a collection of some great examples.

    Please feel free to share your thoughts about art directed blogs in the comments… Read more

  • 7 Mar

    New apps and websites appear on an almost daily basis, but trying to find the good ones among them can be tough, especially considering how many are not that great.

    That’s why every month we research and showcase some of the best and latest resources available for web designers.

    This round up includes great tools, apps, fonts and other great resources for web designers and developers.

    As always, if we’ve missed something, let us know in the comments.

    And if you know of an app you’d like included in the next roundup, please tweet it to @cameron_chapman.

    Read more

  • 24 Feb

    There are some definite downsides to building websites with Flash (key being the lack of support for Flash on iOS), but there are still plenty of sites out there that are built on Flash, and that’s unlikely to change any time soon.

    And sometimes you’re going to have clients who are dead-set on having a Flash website.

    But what if you don’t know how to use Flash? Do you spend hours trying to adapt a template, learning as you go? Or is there a better way?

    Wix is a great option for anyone who wants to create a Flash website without learning Flash.

    Unlike a lot of website creators, it lets you customize virtually every aspect of the sites you create, whether you start from scratch or build your site from a template. Read more

  • 22 Feb

    Everyday more and more businesses around the world are creating presences on Facebook.

    Some companies opt to bring users directly to the page wall or other tabs (e.g. info, photos, RSS/blog, discussions and links) and use product images or company logos instead of more elaborate landing pages.

    Regardless of where a user lands when they first arrive, something needs to capture their attention.

    As we’ll see in the examples of pages from the 50 Top Facebook Pages of Brand’s Worldwide represented below, some pages may come right out and ask for the “like”, some may have a variation on the call to action with a contest, gift, upload, sign-up now, or shop now type message. Some may appeal to emotions. Some will be memorable. And some, quickly forgotten.

    In truth, Facebook is about more than the ongoing interaction between businesses and users via status updates. We believe it’s also about the art and design of engagement and a vital new component to the corporate brand identity—the Facebook page design.

    Read more

  • 14 Feb

    The 80/20 Rule in Web DesignHaving recently started reading a little more on design principles, I came across an interesting principle called the 80/20 Rule, also referred to as the Pareto Principle, Juran’s Principle, the Vital Few and Trivial Many Rule, and the Principle of Factor Sparsity.

    This principle, which I’ll refer to in this piece simply as the 80/20 rule, when considered in the context of website and web app design can have a profound effect on the user experience, and ultimately on the effectiveness of the content or functionality of your website or web app.

    In this post, I’ll first provide a basic definition, then I’ll consider some specific examples of how the 80/20 rule proves beneficial, and then I’ll summarize some lessons that can be gleaned from having knowledge of this rule. Read more

  • 10 Feb

    New apps and websites appear on an almost daily basis, but trying to find the good ones among them can be tough, especially considering how many are not that great.

    That’s why every month we research and showcase some of the best and latest resources available for web designers.

    Included below are twenty-five great ebooks, fonts, apps, resources, and other tools for web designers and other useful resources for designers from the past few weeks.

    As always, if we’ve missed something, let us know in the comments. And if you know of an app you’d like included in the next roundup, please tweet it to @cameron_chapman.

    Read more

  • 31 Jan

    Apple.com has undergone some adjustments to its design in the past week or so, changes that, if you weren’t paying close enough attention, you may not have even noticed.

    Although many reports are referring to this as a “redesign”, I think it’s difficult to classify it as such. There certainly are some significant changes, but the changes are not exactly a complete overhaul as was the case for CNN.com in late 2009.

    Nonetheless, the changes are significant to web designers, so I’ll briefly look at them here. If there’s anything about the changes that I’ve neglected to mention, feel free to comment. Read more

  • 27 Jan

    If you don’t like the idea of working for somebody else and you’re quite attracted to idea of world domination then starting a web design business might be right up your alley.

    Unfortunately though, contrary to popular speculation, it’s not an easy ride.

    In fact it’s probably the number one most difficult path which you could choose to follow in this industry.

    But, if it’s the right decision for you, then it’ll all be worth while regardless of whether you’re a student or working at a full-time job and looking for a change.

    In today’s post we’re going to cover the most important things you need to know about starting a web design business, and get input from other people throughout the industry.

    Read more

  • 19 Jan
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    We all know the importance of fact-finding before starting any web design project.

    We can’t really get started on a project until we know exactly what’s needed, what the client wants, and who the site is aimed at. In fact, in most cases we can’t even create an effective proposal until we know those things.

    There are plenty of pages-long web design questionnaires out there. Some have forty, fifty, or even a hundred questions on them.

    The main problem with that, though, is that your clients or prospective clients are likely to rush through a questionnaire that long, leaving you with either inaccurate or incomplete answers.

    A shorter questionnaire with more in-depth questions can uncover a lot more about what the client wants and needs, and they’re a lot less likely to skim over it if the questions presented take up less than a page.

    Below are eleven questions you should ask your prospective clients before you get started on their project. They’re aimed at uncovering the root of what the project will entail without requiring you client to spend an entire workday answering questions. Read more

  • 18 Jan

    Design on the web has come full-circle from its early days.

    There’s been a revival of simple, understated website designs that put content squarely at the forefront, eschewing the bold graphics and gimmicks of the past decade or so, similar to the way the first websites placed the emphasis on function and content.

    But it’s likely the web, and the way it’s designed, will move in cycles, as most trends do. At some point in the near future, we may once again see sites with more overt “designs”, with content pushed down the scale of importance a bit.

    You’ll notice throughout this article that there are instances where I’ve put “design” in quotes. Of course, all websites are designed to one extent or another, and design doesn’t just mean graphics.

    The quotes are there to differentiate between overt, visually-dominating designs and the general practice of design. Read more

  • 12 Jan

    If you want to pursue full-time employment in the web design industry but not in an agency, then chances are that you’ll be looking at working as an in-house web designer or developer for an internet based company.

    This type of role comes with its own lists of benefits and challenges to consider before throwing yourself headlong down this career path.

    Today we’ll be exploring all those areas in detail and we’ll also be asking other people in the industry for their experiences to get a broad overview of the entire subject.

    Whether you currently work for an agency, as a student, or as a freelancer, there should be some relevant and important information here to keep you interested!

    Read more

  • 4 Jan

    As is most often the case with the Internet, many of the trends and products people are talking about today weren’t part of our collective lexicon two and three years ago. And some, weren’t even discussed as recent as the first quarter of 2010!

    As we head into the New Year, we were curious about what we can all expect to see in Web Design in 2011, and asked some of the leading Web Designers and Web Design Writers in the field for their predictions.

    After you’ve had a chance to read their illuminating thoughts, please take a moment and tell us your predictions, too.

    Best wishes for a happy, healthy and well-designed 2011! Read more

  • 22 Dec

    Our new website, BrushLovers, was just launched last month and is already becoming immensely popular, with thousands of free downloads every day of our unique designer collection of Photoshop Brushes.

    Over the past few weeks we’ve been adding loads of exciting new brushes, just in time for the holidays.

    As usual, most of the brushes are completely free, and to make the premium sets even more worthwhile, we’ve introduced very attractive lower priced premium packs.

    Today, we’re showcasing a few of our most popular Photoshop holiday brushes.

    Click on any of the images below to go to the respective pages on BrushLovers.com to download the brushes.

    Wishing you all Happy Holidays!

    Read more

  • 20 Dec
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    Client relationships almost always start out really well. You’re both excited to be working together, they’re looking forward to a new site and you’re looking forward to creating something really amazing.

    Sometimes it stays this way throughout the process and the working relationship between web designer and client goes smoothly. Other times… not so much.

    One of the most frustrating things about client relationships going south is that you often feel like there was absolutely no way to have anticipated it.

    Sometimes this is absolutely true but the majority of the time there are little warning signs which you can pick up on very early and use to your advantage.

    Today we’re going to be looking at how to deal with the difficult situations which arise when the project doesn’t go quite as smoothly as everyone anticipated.

    Read more

  • 17 Dec

    tips for improving a contact pageIf an organization’s goal is for people to inquire, then its website’s contact page is among its most critical assets.

    No matter what the organization promotes, the contact (or sign-up) page is the last step in the sales pitch. This is what the rest of the website, from the home page to the blog to the site map, lead to: enticing people to act.

    Yet the contact page gets relatively little attention. The home page usually gets far more. Naturally, the home page is important; it bears the burden of giving a first impression, explaining the website’s purpose and guiding people to the right content—and it has to do it within seconds.

    The contact page is a kind of anti-home page: focused, interactive, less persuasive, but more reassuring. Home pages provide information, whereas contact pages provide options. Read more

  • 2 Dec

    Have you ever looked at a website and felt that you could tell whether it was likely designed by a man or a woman?

    Studies have shown that men and women tend to have very different approaches in the way that they use design elements such as colors, shapes, objects and fonts – sometimes even having complete opposite views.

    In today’s post we’re showcasing an infographic, designed exclusively for WDD, which depicts some of the different approaches men and women tend to take with their designs.

    The graphic shows the different tendencies for each gender covering areas such as typeface colors, the use of straight lines and favorite colors.

    This graphic is by no means a rule or generalization for web design by either gender, but it does give us a very rough insight as to how each gender views design and it may even help to influence design decisions when creating a website that targets a specific demographic.

    Read more

  • 24 Nov
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    No one intends for their business to stagnate. In an attempt to advance their freelance work, many people turn to the wealth of advice on the Internet.

    But several age-old virtues seem to be lacking from the online conversation. This post is an attempt to rediscover them.

    There is more to the success or failure of a business than attracting new clients. Reputation is also important.

    How do you ensure that people say good things about you?

    Applying the seven virtues to your freelance enterprise could boost its reach and image among the masses online. Do your virtues need a bit of polishing? Read more

  • 2 Nov
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    In this article, we’ll look at some of the worst offenses committed in design and how to avoid them. When your design project is judged, will you be held accountable for any of these sins?

    A design project requires preparation. There are protocols to follow, theories to consider, briefs to dissect and, as we’ll see, sins to avoid!

    In any design project, pitfalls are to be expected. These pitfalls can impede progress or even derail the project. Most experienced designers are able to avoid them by recognizing the warning signs.

    The following seven deadly sins of design have their warning signs, too. They are worse than your average pitfall, though, because they can kill your design if you are not vigilant. So, stay on the straight and narrow and beware the traps on either side of the path. Read more

  • 25 Oct
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    New WordPress themes are released all the time, and it’s hard keeping up with the best that’s out there. And let’s face it: a lot of new themes aren’t very high quality.

    Below we’ve collected nearly fifty high-quality WP themes from around the web.

    A little over half of them are free themes, released under a variety of licenses.

    The rest are premium themes, ranging in price from around $30 right up to $200, depending on the creator and licensing options.

    Have we missed any good ones here, feel free to add their links in the comments! Read more

  • 19 Oct

    thumbnailIf you spend enough time online, it’s surprising how much most websites start to look alike.

    Sure, there are variations, but to a large extent, web design is pretty standardized.

    Swap out the graphics or color scheme and you can make almost any website look similar to almost any other website.

    But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t websites out there that are doing something really different and funky.

    Below are over 30 websites that have added some funky elements to their designs. Whether it’s the layout, color scheme, graphics, or some combination of the three, these sites are pushing beyond the standards of web design conventions. Read more

  • 13 Oct
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    Today’s post is a big one and it’s most definitely one for your bookmarks menu, because from time to time when speaking with clients it becomes necessary to have material to backup the statements which you are making.

    Sometimes clients will suggest things such as forcing all users to register with a six page long form before they can even access the site. They aren’t web professionals, it’s not their fault for not knowing that this isn’t a good idea from a usability perspective.

    If you’re going to convince them that this is a bad idea, however, then you’re going to need some rock solid material to back that up. While an element of trust is always important to a working relationship, you have to respect that sometimes clients will just need to see the facts in front of them to fully understand that what you’re saying is correct.

    So, what we’ve done for you today is compiled a list of some of the biggest, most compelling usability articles which address common issues. Hopefully this should help you during tough conversations about what does and doesn’t work on a a website.

    Bookmark this post, come back to it, use it in meetings and educate your clients on the things which work for other websites, so that they might also work for them.

    Read more

  • 5 Oct

    design-process-mass-producedThe trouble with the word “template” is that its meaning depends on one’s point of view.

    To some, a template is a ticket to an instant website. Many content management systems allow owners to change plug-and-play themes as easily as they change clothes, and inexpensive skins are just a Google search away.

    To others, templates are learning tools. Studying samples of real-world code and style is more practical for them than following examples in a book or reviewing lecture notes.

    Templates can represent independence. Anyone, even someone without basic design or development skills, can choose from hundreds of templates without fear that a “design expert” will question their decision. Read more

  • 28 Sep
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    In a world filled with CSS galleries and showcase websites, everything starts to look the same.

    Gradients, rounded corners, drop shadows, it’s extremely hard to get away from the strongest of trends in our industry.

    Each year however, some people manage to set themselves totally apart from everyone else and produce stunning designs with inspiration seemingly flowing directly out of their fingers and into their work.

    In this post, we’ll take a look at a few of those people and some of the things which they do to be unique from everyone else.

    Read more

  • 27 Sep

    In the past few years, the popularity of WordPress has skyrocketed, which has led to a growing demand for themes. With this growing demand, we’ve seen new premium or commercial WordPress theme shops popping up everywhere.

    Some may say that the premium WordPress space is getting a bit saturated, and they’re probably right. However, more premium theme providers does mean a wider selection for those seeking more than what a free theme can offer.

    The only problem is being able to find quality and professionalism in the vast sea of premium themes. It seems that the majority of premium theme designs out there are lacking, and appear a bit amateurish.

    So for this post, we’re showcasing 10 great places where you can purchase professionally designed WordPress themes.

    All of these shops are run by either designers or people that understand design – and as you can see, it shows in the quality of each theme. Read more

  • 20 Sep

    Simpler Blog DesignDo you want a simpler design for your blog? One that’s lean, elegant and attractive?

    Well, there are five easy steps to making your blog look better and to attracting more subscribers, customers and members.

    And you don’t have to be a design ninja or have worked at Apple to pull it off!

    These steps are simpler than you might think. Those who aren’t sold on simplicity might ask: why would I want it?

    Here are three convincing reasons that may work for many blogs: Read more

  • 15 Sep
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    Being a designer has never been easy. Working with clients, creative directors, marketing managers and other designers can take a toll on your patience and passion.

    It’s important, as a professional designer, to avoid practices that could hurt your career or the company you work for.

    Whether you work as a freelance designer or in a firm, avoid the following 15 bad habits that might be killing your design career.

    What other habits do you think should be avoided in your design career? Please let us know in the comments section. Read more

  • 10 Sep
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    As websites like Carbonmade and Dribbble (where designers share and promote their portfolios) make their way into the mainstream, there is an ever growing demand for branding work.

    In this environment, professionals can dive into the web head first and share their prized designs, without having to host their own portfolio.

    Forrst is the latest addition to this niche. Though hiding behind an invite-only system, Forrst is an amazing community of knowledgeable web designers and developers who share snippets of code and design work. You can ask questions and share interesting links with your followers, creating a Twitter-like experience for us web designers.

    I conducted a short interview with the website’s developer and founder, Kyle Bragger (@kylebragger). Bragger gives us a brief history of how an idea turned into Forrst, he discusses the design and development process that goes on behind the scenes, and he shares his hopes for the future of the web app. Read more

  • 9 Sep
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    Last year we published a post on 7 Great Podcasts for Web Designers which went down well with our readers.

    Since then, several of the podcasts have dropped off the radar including arguably the most famous one of all time: BoagWorld.

    At the same time a whole load of new web design related podcasts have sprung up, so today we’re going to take a look at the best way to get your web design news fix in audio format.

    All of the podcasts covered here are linked directly through to iTunes so that you can instantly subscribe and download them straight from the source.

    Enjoy, and don’t forget to tell us what you think in the comments!

    Read more

  • 6 Sep
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    Sometimes, web stores get too artsy with their designs. Some use flash animations that can slow down the shopper’s browser, while others use color schemes that send the wrong signals to shoppers.

    There are many cases where experienced web designers might overlook usability issues, though creative elements might look very attractive from the design standpoint, they can be a nightmare for online shoppers trying to click their way to checkout. A/B testing helps put those in perspective to achieve the best results.

    With more than ten years of experience in the e-commerce industry and designing online storefronts, we at 3Dcart have a list of “dos and don’ts” when designing web stores that has increased our merchants profits.

    Here are ten tips on how you can turn visitors into customers and improve your conversion rates by employing simple design techniques. Read more

  • 2 Sep
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    The most obvious job for a web designer is working for a web design agency, but if you’ve never done that before… then how do you know what to expect? Is it even the right path for you?

    Setting foot in an agency for the first time can be daunting. It’s filled with people who have probably worked in the industry longer than you and who probably know a lot more than you.

    Perhaps you’ve just finished a degree and you’re looking for a first job, or maybe you’re about to go back to office life after a few years of freelancing under your belt.

    Either way, today we’re going to look at the ins and outs of agency life and what you can expect from it.

    We’ll also be asking other people in the industry for their experiences to get a broad overview of the entire subject.

    Read more

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 9 Aug
    preview

    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

  • 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

  • 20 Jul

    A/B testing (also called split testing) is a testing method generally used in marketing to compare results between two samples with the goal to improve conversion or response rates.

    In web design, A/B tests are generally used to test design elements (sometimes against the existing design) to better determine which design elements will get the best response from visitors.

    A/B tests, by definition, compare only two variables (design elements) at a time. There is also multivariate testing, which compares more than one variable.

    Each one serves a purpose and can help your clients make better decisions that will result in a more successful website.

    Here we present a thorough guide to A/B testing, including the benefits of using it and how to administer A/B tests on your own projects. Read more

  • 8 Jul

    Lex parsimoniae is the Latin expression of what is known in English as Occam’s Razor, a philosophical rule of thumb that has guided some of the world’s best and brightest minds (including Isaac Newton).

    It is named after the 14th-century logician and theologian William of Ockham.

    But what the heck does Occam’s Razor have to do with web design? I’m glad you asked. To put it plainly, Occam’s Razor states that the simplest explanation is usually true.

    For our purposes, to use Occam’s Razor is to do something in the simplest manner possible because simpler is usually better.

    In this article, we’ll show you how to use Occam’s Razor to create better websites and to enhance the user experience, both for yourself and your clients. Read more

  • 5 Jul

    Some designers view frameworks as constricting and limiting in their creative efforts. They look at a framework as something they have to bend their work to fit.

    And for a lot of designers, that’s just not something they want to do. But with the dozens of frameworks available out there, why not look at it the other way around: why not find the framework that fits within your design projects?

    To that end, we’ve compiled 30 of the best design frameworks out there. These frameworks are purely for design (you won’t find JavaScript or Ajax frameworks here, which, for the most part, fall more under development frameworks).

    There’s almost certainly a framework listed here that can be adapted to your particular project, rather than the other way around. Read more

  • 24 Jun

    It’s always so interesting when you go to a website you’ve been visiting for months or years to find they’ve been redesigned.

    Some redesigns are immediately evocative of the old design, and can even leave you wondering if they have, in fact, been redesigned, or just done a little revamping. Others are so complete you have to double-check and make sure you’ve landed on the right website.

    Remember that keeping some elements consistent from your old design to your new one can aid visitors in knowing they’ve arrived at the right place. Otherwise, they might assume your company has been bought out or closed and the domain has been taken over by someone else.

    Below are thirteen awesome redesigns from the past year or so… Each one also has some in-depth analysis of what’s been changed and what hasn’t, and the effect that they may have on the site’s visitors. Read more

  • 22 Jun
    photoshop curves control

    Photoshop’s Curves is a flexible control that can brighten or darken parts of a layer based on the layer’s luminosity.

    Editing tones in an image—not just grays and not always photos—can do more than fix highlights and shadows.

    Curves can be used to edit photos, masks, graphics and even hues. But using it requires a little know-how and imagination.

    Read on for more details about what Photoshop curves are, as well as how to use them properly for your designs.

    As usual, feel free to leave us your comments at the end of this post. Read more

  • 21 Jun

    The World Cup is currently taking place in South Africa and people all over the world are glued to television sets at home, in bars and in town squares, to watch their country play.

    The World Cup is actually everywhere one looks – all over TV, the Internet and even supermarket products.

    A lot of interesting graphic design is coming out of the World Cup, so we’ve put together a compilation of some of the best designed World Cup 2010 websites. We’ve also included a few African websites for more inspiration.

    Drop us a comment and let us know which of these websites you like the best, and if you know of any other inspirational World Cup sites ones that we may have missed. Read more

  • 3 Jun
    signposts

    Navigating unfamiliar information on the web requires aids.

    These aids don’t have an agenda or bias the way advertising does. Instead, navigational aids help people find the right path based on their interests.

    Signposts are one type of navigational aid. They provide the information people need to make their own decisions while searching and surfing the web.

    Should a designer worry about a website losing readers? Many websites compete for attention by luring audiences with vibrant illustrations, catchy typography and rich user interfaces.

    In addition to being attractive, other websites strive to be useful. The goal of usability isn’t to get attention, but to get repeat visits. Advertising loses readers, in the sense that it directs them to other websites, whereas usability is about making sure they don’t get lost. Read more

  • 1 Jun

    It’s been nearly five years now since the redesign vs. realign debate began.

    Many designers are still approaching website changes as redesigns, with little thought to whether they should be redesigning or realigning the site for their clients.

    In fact, many designers are still a bit confused about which one is appropriate for which projects, or even what the difference really is.

    Understanding the difference between redesigning and realigning can result in happier clients who are better reaching their website goals.

    There are times when redesigns are appropriate, and there are other times when realignments are appropriate. It all depends on how the client’s current site is working for them, and what their goals are.

    Read on to find out more about the differences between redesigning and realigning, and how to determine which one fits your current and future projects. Read more

  • 25 May

    Developers and programmers are meticulous individuals, and developers sometimes stand out even among themselves.

    We introduced you to 7 types of designers in our article 7 Personality Types of Designers Today. Developers have peculiar traits and habits of their own. This article looks at 7 types of developers today and their defining characteristics.

    “The best programmers are not marginally better than merely good ones. They are an order of magnitude better, measured by whatever standard: conceptual creativity, speed, ingenuity of design or problem-solving ability.”
    —Randall E. Stross

    Stereotyping is generally not good practice. But we’re not trying to squeeze individuals into categories. Rather, delineating these types can help you figure out where you stand and help you understand others. Read more

  • 24 May

    Designers often don’t take the time they should to learn about how basic psychological principles can effect the experience their visitors have on the sites they build.

    Psychological principles are either looked upon as unnecessary, or too complicated. But the truth is that they’re neither.

    There aren’t that many concepts associated with basic design psychology, and most are relatively straight-forward and easy to learn.

    They’re also mainly easy to implement, though some take a bit more care and planning than others.

    Read on to learn more and please leave your feedback and comments at the end of this post. Read more

  • 18 May

    Purists will say that great design is timeless. Yes, in an ideal world, we should ignore trends.

    Pragmatically speaking, though, there is a lot of value in monitoring and incorporating design trends, especially with regard to websites.

    Let’s face it: the web changes at a rapid pace. Unlike in other media, design trends on the web are not just driven by aesthetics.

    Technology is changing that can drastically alter the capabilities of the medium.

    In 2010, we’re seeing designers continuing to push the boundaries of web design, setting the following clear trends… Read more

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