Web Developers | Webdesigner Depot

26 Jan
7 mistakes developers make
Design, Development, Web Developers
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Great websites always seem to combine great design with great code. Since building a website is a pretty simple task you find many people learn HTML and CSS and figure that if they can learn that then they can design any website they want. While technically they can you will often find that there are some key mistakes they make because they don’t wish to take the time to actually learn about design.
Programmers are designers in their own right, but they design code and wonderfully architected systems. To design something visual is completely different and just because you have a good eye for design doesn’t mean you have a good mind to apply it.
Since so many programmers have personal projects that usually means they have to create their own websites. If you are a freelance coder, one of the greatest assets you can have is knowing the full web development process from beginning to end, and this includes design.
Here are eight mistakes that I often see developers make when applying design to a website.
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19 Dec
Web design predictions for 2012
Interviews, Web Designers, Web Developers
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Everything changes. The Internet and web design are certainly no exceptions to the rule.
As we move through the days and months ahead, it’s likely that in short time we’ll find ourselves talking about new design developments that haven’t rolled across our lips or screens yet.
We asked some of the leading web and user experience designers in the field for their predictions about what we might expect to see in the web design world in 2012.
Joining us are: Adelle Charles, Whitney Hess, Lis Hubert, Randy J. Hunt, Franz Jeitz, Michael Martin, Eric A. Meyer, Sarah B. Nelson, Jason Pamental, Jon Phillips, Dan Rose, Jared Spool, Nick Walsh, Tim Wright and Jeffrey Zeldman.
After you’ve had a chance to read their prognostications, please take a moment and tell us yours, too.   Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and well-designed 2012! Read more
15 Jun
Why developers cannot afford to ignore design
Design, Opinion, Web Developers
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We developers sometimes take design for granted. And let’s be honest: who doesn’t hate taking things for granted.
Some say we will never truly appreciate the importance of design until we have been trained in the essence of design and beauty. Well, I say BS to that. I want to break us our of this box and clear away the cobwebs from our code-oriented minds.
Development, by its very nature, reflects the knowledge base of the person in charge. And the skills required to develop such a knowledge base can leave us in the dark about design. Developers often sweep design under the rug in order to be able to learn the intricacies of PHP and MySQL.
But as someone who has been writing code for 13 years, I can tell you it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, many of the world’s greatest developers have an excellent grasp of UI and UX and of what their users want. The best way to get a handle on it is to figure out what you want in a UI. Read more
15 Nov
MightyDeals is Officially Unleashed!
Web Designers, Web Developers
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We teased you long enough…. but now the wait is finally over, and it’s very much worth it!
We’re super excited to officially announce the release of MightyDeals.com
Our new website has just been unleashed and it’s now live! MightyDeals is the ultimate destination for amazing discounts and impossible unbelievable deals for creative professionals.
The site will feature deals for applications, services, software, resources and everything in between. There’s only one deal promoted at any given time and these deals last between 24 to 48 hours and then they magically disappear into thin air…
The deals are really varied so if you don’t see something that you want one day, don’t despair, we have multiple deals per week and the next deal might be just what you’re looking for
The products and services featured will be heavily discounted (sometimes up to 90%) and we have already lined up an amazing number of deals from great companies which will be rolled out over the coming days…
And we kick off our launch today with a mega mighty deal for all of you!
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2 Aug
Will the Real Browser Stats Please Stand Up?
Browsers, Web Designers, Web Developers
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Recently, Mashable published an article entitled “IE6 Finally Nearing Extinction”, announcing that IE6 usage in the United States and Europe has finally dropped below 5%.
That news probably warmed the cockles of the hearts of web designers everywhere. Thus, it seems designers and developers now have even more incentive to stop supporting IE6, following the pattern set by Google, notably with regards to YouTube.
The stats in the Mashable article are based on StatCounter Global Stats. In this article, I’ll provide some food for thought by way of some alternative statistics that in many ways contradict the sources for the article published by Mashable.
These stats should drive home the point that every website is different, and that in some cases it may still be necessary to provide a fairly decent experience in IE6, while progressively enhancing design and functionality for newer browsers. Read more
10 Jun
WordPress: From Kubrick to Twenty Ten
Web Developers, Web Development, WordPress
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Kubrick, the default theme for WordPress since 2005, got many Web and open-source enthusiasts through some pretty tough times.
Developers have modified it, bloggers have learned HTML and CSS on it, and designers have made it their go-to template for designing blogs of all sizes for clients.
But let’s face it: five years on the Web is like a hundred years anywhere else, and Kubrick, even according to its creators, is due for an update.
Enter “Twenty Ten” the new default theme for WordPress 3.0, which is scheduled for an imminent release. Not only does it address general changes in Web standards and style guides, it takes into account the clamoring of designers who love WordPress but have had a hard time applying new principles to an older theme. Read more
25 May
7 Personality Types of Developers Today
Web Design, Web Developers, Webmasters
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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
22 Jul
30 Handy Cheat Sheets and Reference Guides for Web Professionals
Cheat Sheets, Code, Web Developers
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Cheat sheets and reference guides are useful for both beginners and advanced web professionals.
They can be used to help you remember syntax or as a tool to aid in memorization.
In this post, we aim to cover the reference guides for all of the most commonly used platforms, software and coding languages.
Below you’ll find a compilation of the 30 most useful and well-organized cheat sheets, checklists and reference guides.
If you know of a useful cheat sheet that we haven’t covered here, please share the link in the comments’ section at the end of the article.
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15 Jul
5 Pet Peeves Developers Have With Designers (and How to Avoid Them)
Web Designers, Web Developers
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Cats and dogs. Cain and Abel. Designers and developers. These are just a few of the great historical face-offs.
Designers and developers often seem to come from different planets and have completely different brains.
Developers want a website to work right, designers want it to look right.
A few weeks ago, we explored the main pet peeves that web designers have with web developers, and suggested some solutions for them.
Today, we will discuss the other side of the coin: the five most common gripes that developers have with designers. Read more
13 Jul
40 Great Adobe AIR Applications for Designers and Developers
Applications, Web Designers, Web Developers
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Adobe AIR is one of the most under-appreciated application platforms, but the number of applications available for AIR make it incredibly useful.
There are apps for everything from business to shopping to image management to video editing.
And plenty of applications are useful to designers and developers, including HTML text editors, Flickr search apps, color palette management tools and even ones to help with the business side of the industry.
Below are 40 awesome AIR apps that we have selected to help you streamline your design and development workflow. Read more
23 Jun
5 Pet Peeves Designers Have With Developers (and How to Avoid Them)
Web Designers, Web Developers
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Cats and dogs. Cain and Abel. Designers and developers. These are just a few of the great historical face-offs.
Designers and developers often seem to come from different planets and have completely different brains.
Developers want a website to work right, designers want it to look right.
While these goals have a lot of overlap (and, of course, I’m stereotyping here a bit), the differences often come down to the designer and developer’s expectations of success.
Managing expectations is a matter of communication: making points clearly to the other side, finding common ground, and agreeing on goals.
Okay, so maybe it’s not that easy, but it is important for both sides to at least try to understand each other.
In an effort to promote goodwill between designers and developers, I will share some pet peeves I have encountered and explore the issues that lead to them and their solutions. Read more