Code

It’s a classic case of Photoshop versus website. Existing wireframing and prototyping tools are incapable of accurately reflecting the environment of the web.

They produce static designs that can’t be seen through the variable known as the web browser. And when you build the final website, some elements won’t look exactly like their draft counterparts, and the client will notice those minor differences in fonts, positioning, etc.

You may be more comfortable with a graphics program, and rendering the design iterations may seem to take longer if you have to hand-code the HTML.

However, the advantages of creating a wireframe in HTML from the start are beginning to outweigh the alternatives: not only do we have new layout elements in HTML5 and more powerful selectors and styling in CSS3, but by combining them, we can throw together a simple layout quickly.

We’re hearing a new company every day (37Signals, Atomiq and others) explain its adoption of HTML prototyping. Their main reason is that the process is surprisingly easy when you have the right tools in place. You’re about to learn how easy this process can be, and when you’re done, you’ll have a head start on your next build.

Ashish says: Very nice article. This is really helpful to know the new deferent tags of HTML 5 and it's uses. Thanks for this.
3D

The amazing artwork showcased in this post consist of layers upon layers of glass, each and every one of which has been painted on.

Only when the glass is viewed in the correct order and from the right position is the true image really seen.

The post features two incredibly talented artists: American David Spriggs who focuses on explosive work, featuring fireworks, storms and blast like images.

The second artist is Chinese Xia Xiao Wan who takes a completely different and more disturbing approach to his work, with all of his 3D glass paintings featuring distorted and deformed figures.

What do you think of this type of art? Please share with us in the comments!

Psyched.bE.Blog says: Never seen anything like this before (though the slicing idea has been done before, I just didn't see this one coming, stunning,...
Best Of

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

Alexei Rayu says: Skater video beats the design this time! A great video, and great twins! I hope they wear a helmet when not being filmed.
Comics

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

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

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

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

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

Sanjay J. Khemlani says: lol at the moderate intelligent phone! nicely done guys!
Art

Since March 11, the tragedy in Japan has impacted the entire world in many ways and unfortunately continues to do so.

But can we make a difference? We certainly can! As artists and designers, we can support the people of Japan and their struggle with our art.

French Agency Creasenso did exactly that by gathering 11 talented illustrators to create some amazing designs for sale, in order to support the Red Cross in its efforts to aid refugees. They will donate 100% of all profits to this worthy cause.

The illustrations featured here are not only poignant and beautiful, but also evoke a powerful spectrum of emotions.

Take a look at the art below and feel free to leave your comments about these stunning pieces. Visit the Japan Flags website if you’re interested in supporting this cause, or for more information about each of these pieces.

Jatin Mehta says: Awesome work by all the designers. Thank You all for supporting Japan.
CMS

Selecting a content management system on which to run a business website is an important decision. Businesses have needs that are more targeted than individuals, and many of the hosted options available don’t quite fit the bill. Fortunately, there is a range of hosted content management systems that are packed with powerful features. Even better, these hosed platforms tend to be extremely easy to use and quick to develop on.

Before selecting a hosted platform, carefully asses your client’s needs. From there, you can narrow the field until you find a platform that suits the client perfectly. Given the broad range of options available, I have selected five top-tier options to review here.

Hosted CMS’ tend to be targeted to audiences that are keenly interested in simplicity. By contrast, most business-oriented hosted platforms offer a wide range of features. They essentially attempt to cover all of the basic features that a typical website owner might want. Because of this, you will find that many hosted platforms offer tremendous value and savings for your clients.

The hosted platforms covered below represent some of the most powerful content management systems available today. It is truly mind boggling how easy it can be to build a robust and beautiful website. Let’s dig in and see what these platforms have in store for us.

Troy Dean says: I'd be interested to hear what some the users of these systems have to say about support and customer service. I can...
Books

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…

Emma Poelsterl says: This book looks awesome! Thanks for reviewing!!! And yes, I would love a copy.
Blogs

Gabriela Herman is a fine art, portrait and lifestyle photographer who is recognized for her intimate approach and ease with her subjects.

Gabriela has traveled worldwide; her work has always traveled with her and as a result has been exhibited in several countries.

This post features Gabriela’s most recent portrait project, featuring nineteen shots of nineteen different reasonably well known bloggers.

The photographer reads blogs, and reads a lot of them. This project was inspired by the digital age and the ways in which we spend our time. In dark corners, bloggers are adding value to and changing the way we as humans interact with the world.

The bloggers emerge from their corners in this project, showing their faces (along with their computers) to the world wide web.

Web Developer says: I think the one of Robin Yang is my fav. I love this group of shots, simple yet exquisite. It is nice to put faces with the...