CSS can be compared to the sculptor’s tool set when crafting a sculpture. We as web designers utilize all the assets CSS brings forth to create structured layouts for our websites. Over the years this design process has become more organized and fitted. Rules have been put in place for best-practice procedures when coding. (more…)
We work with a great deal of very talented website designers and developers who create first-rate websites for their clients – aesthetically superb but not always the most search engine friendly they could be. Overall it can make the project more expensive for the client because it means that we as the SEOs have to go back under the hood of their shiny new website to make tweaks for better on-page optimization. (more…)
Think about the last time you were in an airport and had to find your way to baggage claim, or in a restaurant and wanted to locate the restroom, or in an office building and needed to find your way to the parking garage. How’d you get there? More than likely, a basic sign – be it a picture of a stick man or a glowing exit marker – led the way. But in addition to getting us all pointed to the right place, those dressed-down directionals pack a powerful lesson in communication: a simple design gets the message across quickly and clearly. (more…)
Work as a freelancer can be challenging, there’s no doubt about that. Not just physically, but spending so much of your day coding projects and writing e-mail conversations can take its toll on your mental capabilities. Task management is a huge part of running a successful freelance business. (more…)
You’ve decided to invest a lot of time and money into building a better web presence for your company. The last result you want to see from all this hard work and money is no growth in traffic or business from the new website. Before your company can reap the rewards of releasing a new website, you should take time to consider some of the key factors that lead to a more visible and customer friendly website. Here are a five major design blunders and what to do about them. (more…)
When you sit down initially to write out webpage content it may feel ultimately boring and a trivial task. But from a broader perspective you should understand just how powerful your writing will become. Each of your visitors interested in the content you write will spend at least a few seconds drilling through your pages. Often times even a couple minutes or hours over a few repeat visits. (more…)
Web designers and developers have many responsibilities when it comes to building websites. From creating a solid layout for the front-end, to writing clean code so that the site runs bug free – there’s a lot involved. However, one thing that is often neglected and should fall on both the designer and developer is search engine optimization. Here are seven ways designers and developers can practice better SEO. (more…)
Logo trends have been ever-advancing with the changing web. As digital artists are becoming more creative and mainstream we can see the crescendo of new ideas. Logos are some of the most important graphical pieces in any website, as they display your company and purpose to each visitor.
As designers are able to collaborate with quicker ideas it’s not uncommon to see the rehashing of old ideas in new logos. This process gives web designers a nostalgic perspective with their artwork. Below I’ve gone into a few great examples for amazing logo designs in 2011. We have seen some great releases and updates over the past few months which are sure to inspire any digital artist.
In 2003, acclaimed filmmaker Lars Von Trier challenged his idol Jorgen Leth to recreate his 1967 masterpiece The Perfect Human. Not only was he to recreate one of his best films ever, but he was to do it five times, each time being limited with a new more challenging list of constraints than the time before. They documented this torturous challenge in a fantastic film entitled The Five Obstructions. In this film we see a man fighting with his surroundings, resources, and even his own creative limits to reach a goal through constraints that seem all but impossible to achieve. The result? Unbelievable resourcefulness and creativity – And six amazing films! (more…)
Typography is an art form rarely covered in the spotlight. Web designers too often indulge into page graphics and CSS effects. Ironically page text is what carries the information you’re trying to spread, thus should hold much higher importance to your visitors. I find the problem isn’t with a lack of interest but a lack of knowledge on the subject.
When discussing typography there are many aspects concerning such a topic. Aside from font families you’re dealing with serif/sans-serif typefaces, weight, kerning, leading, and similar ideas. This article is meant to slowly introduce designers into the wacky world of digital type.
