Articles - Page 214

Business / 20 Jan 2010

How to Make a Confident First Impression With Clients

When it comes to winning new clients, “confidence is key.”

Forgive the trite expression, but in this case it couldn’t be more true. Potential clients will judge the quality and professionalism of both you and your work based on their first contact. Screwing this up could mean spending months reshaping that individual’s image of you or even result in losing the client altogether.

Today we’ll go over some tips and techniques you can use to make a positive, lasting first impression with your clients.

Business / 18 Jan 2010

10 Pitfalls to Avoid When Using Stock Photography

Stock Photography is a tricky beast. The presence or lack of good stock imagery can make or break a design. My best advice is to use custom photography/artwork whenever possible.

However, I’m a big fan of stack art because there are tons of scenarios when it makes good sense to purchase someone else’s work over taking the time to create your own. To keep it classy, here are ten things to avoid when you’re working with stock images.

CSS / 13 Jan 2010

10 Amazing Examples of Innovative CSS3 Animation

CSS3 has brought about a number of aesthetically impressive new features. Perhaps the most fun of these to play with is CSS animation, which allows you to perform many motion-based functions normally delegated to JavaScript. Join me on my epic quest to discover the coolest, most innovative, and more importantly, nerdiest use of CSS animation on the web. Begin!

Business / 11 Jan 2010

17 Easy Ways to Backup Client Work

This article will showcase several ways to backup your irreplaceable client work using both offline and online solutions. Find the solution that fits your budget and workflow best and start backing up today.

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.