Articles - Page 196

CSS / 8 Jan 2010

12 Killer Tips for Designing in the Browser

How do you mockup a website?

The typical workflow starts in Photoshop and then transitions over to HTML and CSS to mimic the original PSD as best as possible. However, there is a growing trend in web design to scrap the Photoshop step in favor of creating the initial comp right in the browser with your favorite editor. I’m sure right about now your head is buzzing with reasons why this approach would limit your design, but there’s actually a lot more you can do right in the browser than you might think. This article will provide you with the tools and tricks you need to create brilliant, working mockups as your very first step in the design process.

Graphics / 5 Jan 2010

10 Techniques for a Fantastic Footer

A strong footer can leave your visitors with a lasting positive impression.

There are tons of creative ways to boost the cool factor of your footers by focusing on both form and function. Below you’ll find 10 simple ideas to inspire you towards footer greatness.

Articles / 29 Dec 2009

5 Realistic Resolutions for Web Designers

It’s that time of year again, where we all have the chance to reflect on the past twelve months and plan ahead for the year to come. It always leaves me feeling fired up, and I’m already excited to what’s in store for 2010.

There’s always a danger of setting resolutions, or goals, that are slightly unrealistic and far fetched. Today I’ll be taking a look at various goals and projects you may want to consider as a web designer – ranging from starting up a personal side project, to spending a little more time out of the office!

News / 26 Dec 2009

Happy Christmas!

I’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone who has contributed to the site this year, written an article, or submitted their design. We’re certainly ending this year on a high, and are looking forward to everything we have in store for 2010.

I hope that you have a wonderful rest over Christmas, take the time to recharge your batteries, and start the New Year full of fresh, creative inspiration.

Thanks for reading Design Shack, and Happy Christmas from myself and Josh!

Inspiration / 23 Dec 2009

10 Useful Tips for a Captivating Contact Form

The “Contact Us” form too often gets thrown in as a quick afterthought rather than an element that sets the tone for the communication. Today we’ll take a look at several easy techniques you can use to take your contact forms from boring to brilliant.

Along the way we’ll see several examples of great contact forms along with resources on how to recreate the effect on your own site.

Articles / 20 Dec 2009

Interview With Alen Grakalic of CSS Globe

Today we’re talking with Alen Grakalic, of CSS Globe. He’s a talented designer, an amateur triathlete competitor, and has recently launched an interesting JavaScript framework!

We’ll also take a look at the tools and workspace Alen uses to get the job done, along with a few pointers for places to find inspiration online.

Competitions / 15 Dec 2009

Winner Announced: Win a Copy of CSSEdit

I’m pleased to announce that we’re giving away a copy of CSSEdit to one lucky reader. CSSEdit is a brilliant piece of software for dealing with style sheets on your Mac, with visual editing, live preview, an “X-Ray inspector”, and a thorough selector builder that can save you a headache.

All you need to do to enter is follow @designshack on Twitter, and post your username in the comments. It only takes five minutes, and we’ll be announcing the winners in one week – on the 19th December.

Good luck, and thanks for reading Design Shack!

Articles / 12 Dec 2009

Take Part in the BaseKit Beta

Various services are available for converting PSD files to HTML code, all competing from a different angle. Some offer a very quick turn-around, others a ridiculously low price. Whilst some designers regularly use them as part of their working process, there are various advantages to completing the process yourself.

BaseKit is a new web service that allows you to maintain control over this process, easily moving from a PSD to a fully marked up website. It’s still in Beta, but we have 50 invite codes to give away. Read on for a preview video of the service in action, and information on how to apply for an invite.

Business / 10 Dec 2009

The Business of Selling WordPress Themes: Part 2

This is the second article in our series on making money selling WordPress themes. In this post we’ll look at what kind of features users look for in a professional WordPress theme.

Read through the list and use the comments below to let us know what features you think are most important in a WordPress theme.

Business / 8 Dec 2009

The Business of Selling WordPress Themes: Part 1

WordPress is to professional blogging what Photoshop is to design. Sure, there are widely used alternatives, but it’s definitely the standard to beat. This post will examine how to sell, price and promote your WordPress themes.

CSS / 4 Dec 2009

18 CSS Compression Tools and Techniques

Learning to write clean, optimized CSS requires lots of practice and an unstoppable compulsive desire for neatness. Keeping your CSS trim and tidy isn’t all about feeding your crazy psychological need for cleanliness though, in the case of particularly large websites, the payoff is faster loading pages. Faster loading times equals increased usability and higher user satisfaction.

This post will examine several techniques you can use to optimize your CSS as well as several online tools that can automatically compress your code.

Reviews / 2 Dec 2009

20 Mac & Windows Apps for Desktop Blogging

Every blogging platform has a built-in blog editor, some better than others. However, you’ll be hard pressed to find an online editor that can offer the richness found in many desktop applications. Features like offline editing and posting to multiple blogs at once make desktop solutions a must have for professional many bloggers.

Here’s a list of 20 applications that allow you to create blog posts from the comfort of your operating system environment, no internet connection required.