Articles - Page 217

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

CSS / 4 May 2010

FontDeck: Exclusive Sneak Peek

Today we have an exclusive pre-release sneak peek into an exciting new choice for using different fonts on the web.

Below we’ll briefly discuss what FontDeck is and how easy it is to get setup on your site. Let’s get started!

Accessibility / 1 May 2010

Learning From Microsoft: 10 Design Pitfalls to Avoid

Today we’ll look into the web design practices and trends of the single biggest name in software to see if we can learn anything about some mistakes to avoid in our own work.

Feel free to comment to either agree or disagree with the suggestions below. As professional designers your insight is valuable and I look forward to your thoughts.

CSS / 30 Apr 2010

30 Gorgeous and Versatile CSS Menus

Sometimes the navigation menu can be one of trickiest parts of the design process. This single area can set the tone for the usability of the entire site.

Today we’ll look at 30 inspiring examples of good menu design. Though many are pure CSS, others add in some images and/or JavaScript to increase the aesthetic and functionality.

Inspiration / 27 Apr 2010

7 Lessons Web Designers Can Learn From Print

Looking outside of your area of focus is an excellent way to learn a thing or two about design. Today we’ll see what value thinking like a print designer can bring to your website building skills.

Whether you’ve ever engaged in print design or not, these tips will provide you with some great ideas, ready to be applied to your next design.

Interviews / 26 Apr 2010

In Depth With Paul Boag

If you’ve ever considered listening to a design podcast, or stay remotely in touch with the design industry in general, you’ll have come across Paul Boag. He’s the Creative Director of Headscape, the producer of Boagworld, and lives in the heart of rural Dorset.

In this interview we’ll be discussing where Paul started as a designer, which part of the job he enjoys the most, a typical “day in your life”, and how his faith affects the way he runs his business, and deals with employees and clients.

Business / 24 Apr 2010

Earning Extra Income Selling Stock Art

As a designer, you’ve probably used stock art quite a few times and can therefore attest to its usefulness. But have you ever considered jumping from the consumer side to the supplier side?

Today we’ll briefly go over everything you need to know to start making real money as a stock provider.

Graphics / 22 Apr 2010

40 Amazing Resources for Design Freebies

The web is a veritable wonderland of free design resources that can enrich and improve your designs. This post contains forty sites to bookmark and keep an eye on for a continual stream of amazingly useful resources.

CSS / 20 Apr 2010

Create a Color Changing Website Using CSS3

Though the changes implemented by CSS3 are still not supported on all browsers and cross-browser functionality across those that do support it can be a real pain, it’s still quite fun to experiment and see what’s possible.

In this brief tutorial we’ll take go crazy with CSS3 transitions in Webkit to create a simple web page that showcases some really nice color fade effects.

Graphics / 17 Apr 2010

How to Use Visual Hierarchy in Web Design

Sometimes you look at a site that may be attractive enough, but something is missing. It has great colors, nice graphics, perfect alignment and clever copy, but there’s just something a bit bland about it. Though everything looks nice, nothing is really coming through vividly on a greater level than anything else. This solution to this problem is visual hierarchy.

Designers are often intuitive enough to give the elements on the page a clear hierarchy without even thinking, other times the lack of intention in this area leads to a design like the one described above. This article will examine some of the basic principles of designing with a visual hierarchy of information in mind.

Business / 15 Apr 2010

10 Tips to Becoming a Healthier Designer

I’m sure the title of this article made more than a few readers scoff at the legitimacy of exploring such a topic, but the reality is being confined to a desk all day can take a serious toll on your health. When being a dedicated designer begins to directly affect your likely lifespan, it’s time to pay attention and make some changes.

This article will explore a few steps you can take to becoming healthier despite sitting on your can all day.

Graphics / 13 Apr 2010

How to Avoid Sticking in a Design Rut

Design ruts are the commercial artist’s equivalent of writer’s block. Sometimes you just seem to reach the end of your creative rope and can’t imagine thinking of any more good ideas.

Fortunately, all hope is not lost in these situations as there is plenty that you can do to both prevent and/or recover from a design rut. Today we’ll look at some different ways your creativity could potentially become stagnant and what to do in response.

Business / 8 Apr 2010

20+ Designers and Freelancers You Should Read, Watch and Follow

Today we’ll take a brief but personal look at over 20 designers and freelancers that have made an impact in the online design community through books, blogs, tweets and various other means. Some are huge names, ubiquitous in the design community, while others are just getting their start.

Most of the profiles below feature a quick bio and some links to find out more about the designer. I’ve also included a few expanded profiles for some of the better known individuals.