Articles - Page 181

Browse hundreds of articles, tips, and inspiring design collections. Find helpful design advice, or the perfect resource for your next project.

Mobile / 30 Aug 2011

More Than Scaling: How to Make the Leap From Mobile to Desktop

In the last decade, much discussion time has been given to how both interfaces and user experiences translate from desktops to smaller mobile devices. Recently however, the conversation has switched and we’re now seeing trends begin in the mobile environment and make the leap back to the desktop.

This leap is deceptively simple and merits significant inspection as to the fundamental differences between mobile and desktop platforms and how that can and should affect how interfaces and experiences are crafted.

Inspiration / 29 Aug 2011

Important Marketing Lessons From Outrageous Vintage Advertisements

I absolutely love looking at old ads from the early to mid 20th century. The themes covered and claims that are made are often so completely outrageous that you wonder how they ever made it to print. Looking at these, you can’t help but marvel how far advertising has come.

How much advancement have we really made in this area though? Aren’t the advertising ploys of past generations still the same tricks used by marketers today? Follow along as we take a look at some truly ridiculous ads and how they really aren’t so different from advertising we see today.

HTML / 23 Aug 2011

Mastering Markdown: 30 Resources, Apps and Tutorials to Get You Started

If you’re like me, learning Markdown has been on your todo list for months. I finally took the plunge and instantly became addicted to sorting through the wealth of resources, apps and other Markdown related materials available.

The following is a collection of the best Markdown resources that I’ve found. Whether you’re a complete Markdown newbie looking to learn the syntax or a seasoned expert in the market for a new iPad app, you’ll find something here that’s perfect for your needs.

CSS / 22 Aug 2011

Should Web Designers Know Code? Finding Compromise in a Tired Debate

Should web designers understand basic HTML and CSS? It’s a tired argument with two sides that refuse to yield, why even discuss it?

The purpose of this article is not to prove which group is right but to attempt to show that both sides do indeed make valid points and to see if analyzing these points brings us to a compromise that both parties can agree on.

Software / 18 Aug 2011

Why Adobe Doesn’t Understand Web Designers

Earlier this week Adobe launched a preview of a WYSISYG web design project currently codenamed “Muse.” Though it looked promising, disappointed and even angry reactions from the web community are already all over the web.

With all the time, effort and money that Adobe spends on creating a “code free” solution for designing websites, you’d think that they would be able to create something decently usable by now. So what’s holding them back? Today we’ll take a brief walk down memory lane, starting all the way back at PageMill, to see if we can discover any reoccurring themes in Adobe’s history with web designers.

Typography / 16 Aug 2011

5 Typography Do’s and Don’ts Everyone Should Know

So you love typography, who doesn’t these days? The question is, how sloppy are you when it comes to implementing type in your designs?

Today we’re dishing up some great and simple typography tips that everyone who works with type should know. Whether you’re an expert or a beginner, read on to see if you’re guilty of any of these pitfalls.

Business / 12 Aug 2011

Four Things I Learned From Designing in-Store Advertising

In-store advertising and marketing is a unique area of design that presents an interesting set of problems. Today we’ll talk about some of the lessons that I learned from the years I spent in this area and how all designers everywhere can apply these lessons in their own work.

Graphics / 9 Aug 2011

Tips for Designing With Multiple Photos

Photography is one of your most powerful resources as a designer. Here we’ll take a look at some clever and unique ways to create photo-centric designs using multiple images.

JavaScript / 8 Aug 2011

Developing a Digg-Style Input Form With CSS3 and jQuery

Digg is one of the most popular social news networks to date. They garner a massive audience in the millions of members. Recently the company has carved a new direction with the launch of Digg v4. The entire system has been replaced with new statistics and followers/following networking.

One of the most notable changes is in page aesthetics. With the launch of Digg v4 boasts a brand new design with a unique look and feel. In this tutorial I’ll be going over how you can create your own Digg v4 style input form using some basic CSS3 properties.

Graphics / 5 Aug 2011

Separating Content: 10 Ways to Draw the Line

The story is as old as graphic design itself: you have two different sections and you need a way to visually separate them. As a designer, I frequently spot myself reverting to the same old one or two tricks to pull this off. Why not mix it up a bit?

Today we’ll show you ten awesome ways to create two distinct sections of content. Each example is from a real website so you can click through to see it in action.

Typography / 4 Aug 2011

7 Quick and Easy Ways to Jazz Up Your Headline Typography

Headlines are one of the most important elements on your page and are often the starting point that sets the tone for the entire design. So why not make them great?

Today we’ll take a look at seven different design techniques that you can implement in a minute or less that will boost your headline from plain to awesome.