@font-face is one of the new CSS3 feature that has been implemented in every major browser beside IE, this is also the kind of stuff that can degrade really well in non compliant browsers. Let’s face it, sIFR is really painful to implement as with most text replacement techniques. @font-face could solve this problem, web designers will be happy and web developers can implement it in 30 seconds.
CSS3 @font-face is not as ready as you would thinkAugust 10th, 2009
Javascript For Designers: Getting on Your Feet FastAugust 10th, 2009
Web designers are a special breed – we’re one of a small group of professionals that actively seeks out to improve ourselves and our craft through any means possible. This generally means on our own, from each other, and through an awful lot of ‘guess, test and revise.’ Web design isn’t for the faint of heart or those with any fear of failure.
Flext: MooTools Auto-Growing Textrea PluginAugust 10th, 2009
A while back David Walsh published a list of 7 MooTools Plugins You Should Use on Every Website which included ‘AutoGrow’ a text area expander plugin. ‘AutoGrow’ is very similar in results to the class I wrote for Education.com, Flext. I decided to release this code as ‘AutoGrow’ has a few things I don’t like (mostly the flashing the scroll bars while growing, no max height, and the way it watches the textareas 3 times a second). Flext also has a few additional features:
Best Joomla Extensions - June 2009August 10th, 2009
Having trouble navigating the Components menu in the Joomla Administrator when you have dozens of extensions installed? Advanced Administrator Menu has been designed to give you the ability to create additional menus in the Administrator Menubar. Group components from your favourite vendor together, your most commonly used extensions or just balance the length of your component menus.
5 CSS3 Design Enhancements That You Can Use TodayAugust 10th, 2009
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is the language of Web design, and the next generation of CSS design properties are just chomping at the bit to be released.
Are you eager to start using them, but don’t know where to start?
Although many of the new properties are not yet “official”, some browsers have already implemented many of the features of the coming CSS Level 3 specifications.
The problem is that many browsers—most notably Internet Explorer—have not.
The trick to using these new CSS3 features is to treat them as design enhancements.
10 Great Domain Tools To Help You In Domain SearchAugust 10th, 2009
When you start a website, everyone talks about finding a domain name. But, going straight to Godaddy or some domain buyer does not help if the name you want is taken. Domain registrars are not very good at giving creative options to a particular word. That is why we have listed 10 good domain tools to help you get the best domain for your site.
40 (NEW) High Quality Adobe Photoshop TutorialsAugust 10th, 2009
Adobe Photoshop is probably one of the most popular graphic editing program used extensively. There is one simple reason for that. Photoshop is easy to learn and offer a variety of advanced tools to optimize and emphasize some impressive results.
In today’s post, you’ll find an assortment of new & high quality Photoshop tutorials that others have freely contributed to the design community for making your next photoshop effect.
10 New Design Blogs You Should Keep An Eye OnAugust 10th, 2009
We’re always scanning the web for new interesting stuff in the design field to show you guys the best finds. Today we have for you a list with the coolest newcomers in the blog business. Please feel free to add your suggestion in the comments and we’ll update the post. Cheers!
15 Great And Free Photoshop AlternativesAugust 10th, 2009
Adobe Photoshop is definitely the most powerful image editing software. It had a lot of great features and can be used by professional such as web designers and graphics designers. Its filters, plugins, actions, brushes and easy-to-use are the main reasons why most designers prefer Photoshop than other tools.
However, Photoshop is very expansive and not all designers afford to buy the original license of it. So, some designers try to look for free alternatives to Photoshop. If you are one of them, you consider yourself lucky as we are going to look into 15 Great And Free Photoshop Alternatives today.
Showcase Of 45 Mind-Blowing Signage, Street And Urban Typography PhotosAugust 10th, 2009
Looking for design inspiration on CSS and logo galleries and similar sites is great, but sometimes you need to take a good look outside the window and see what’s out there and get your creative juices flowing. Being a typography addict, I’m always looking for some examples of great-looking typography. I’ve always liked signage and street typography. So, here are 45 great examples!
Roundup of PHP Cheat Sheets & Free Quick Reference Guides for PHPAugust 10th, 2009
The following article is a list of PHP Cheat Sheets & Quick Reference Guides for PHP Web Designers, Web Programmers, Coders & for Web developers for Quick coding with PHP. These are very helpful for those of us who haven’t memorized all of the PHP functions, classes, properties, etc. This compilation of PHP cheat sheets should help speed up your web development
Mind-mapping the new age userAugust 10th, 2009
Studying the mind patterns of today’s web user has become very complex. The inherent contradictions are far too many. However a modern marketer has no choice but to follow the demands of this new-gen, new-psyche user.
Here is what I could see when I peeped into one such mind:
Social media marketing for small businessesAugust 10th, 2009
Social Media Marketing is ideally designed for small businesses. At the core of social media is something called ‘relationships’. For relationships, you need to invest time and not money really. While small businesses are in short supply of money, they can afford time.
Info Overload vs Info SynthesisAugust 10th, 2009
The term “information overload” was introduced about 35 years back.
Wikipedia defines information overload as a term coined by Alvin Toffler which refers to an excess amount of information being provided, making processing and absorbing tasks very difficult for the individual because sometimes we cannot see the validity behind the information. As the world moves into a new era of globalization, an increasing number of people are logging onto the internet to conduct their own research and are given the ability to produce as well as consume the data accessed on an increasing number of websites. As of February 2007, there were over 108 million distinct websites and increasing. Users are now classified as active users because more people in the society are participating in the Digital and Information Age. More and more people are considered to be active writers and viewers because of their participation. This flow has created a new life where we are now dependent on access to information. Therefore we see an information overload from the access to so much information, almost instantaneously, without knowing the validity of the content and the risk of misinformation.
Custom Design vs TemplateAugust 10th, 2009
We keep hearing the pros and cons of each often. Here, we attempt to simplify the concepts and the benefits associated with each.
For some, templates seem like the most convenient and economical answer, especially when launching a website for a new business. In the last few years, designers have created templates that are more appealing and more functional. Templates seem to be a quick fix when you need an event site, module or a small company site. They are so affordable. Using a pre-determined design takes away the pain of describing the needs to a designer. There is something visually available as a base to begin with. A major drawback in the case of templates is the exclusivity issue - you’re not the only website using that design. The same “smiling, energetic, enthusiastic businesspeople giving the high-five” can be seen in a bunch of business websites, and who knows, in your rival’s too!
Yellow Pages iPhone Application popularity soars in EgyptAugust 10th, 2009
Egypt Yellow Pages Ltd, the Local Search company and official publisher of Yellow Pages products in Egypt report that their recently released Yellow Pages iPhone application is now the Top Free Application download in the Apple Egypt AppStore.
Don’t let projects get stale.August 10th, 2009
Content First
It is always better, if not essential to have content gathered first. Good design is all about making color, layout and typeface choices that honor the content and overall goal. Designers need to know what they are working with before they can begin. It’d be like picking out spices and making a sauce for dinner before you know what you are cooking. BBQ carrot cake, gross. Also, this is the most effective preventive measure you can take in making sure you are fully fueled for the creative journey, however long it may be.
Stop Site DegradationAugust 10th, 2009
This is an ugly and expensive problem.
Too often, while browsing online portfolios and web design showcase galleries I come across a really great looking screenshot of a site the day it was launched, but when I visit the live version, it has fallen apart. The original, simple logo has been cluttered with extra elements. The navigation has either been broken in two or cluttered with extra links. The paragraph text word count has doubled and new images are either an awkward size, or just plain unattractive. Site maintenance is a part of every web presence, and everyone involved from clients to designers and developers has a role to play in preventing site degradation.
How to Work With CreativesAugust 10th, 2009
Brief them on the game plan.
While it is important to define a purpose, plan and scope for the creative project itself, I find it equally important to define how the roles and collaboration will work. Talk about who will be providing feedback and how much artistic freedom is warranted by certain aspects of the project. If a creative knows going into a project that there are a handful of specifications that must be carried out in a particular way, he or she will be able to address those, while spending time and energy on the open aspects that utilize his or her creative skill set.
Interweb PiracyAugust 10th, 2009
Frame bars are those foreign horizontal top-toolbar stripes superimposed by referring sites (the ones you click out of) onto the site you’re clicking into. The frame bar usage that will come to mind for most of us first is Google Image Search. Websites like Facebook, StumbleUpon, and Digg all have a symbiotic relationship with their users. They provide interesting and engaging ways of organizing and linking to our content online while we spend time creating the content that justifies their existence and fuels their business. Frame bars, in a variety of ways, are throwing this well-balanced symbiotic relationship out of whack.
