Feedback. Info. Ideation + Design | Presentations on Digital Product Strategy & Design. Cupcake Ipsum - Sugar-coated Lorem Ipsum Generator. Cupcake ipsum dolor sit amet. Lemon drops sugar plum cake fruitcake. Powder danish pudding cheesecake halvah pudding topping soufflé sugar plum. Cotton candy dessert brownie. Jelly macaroon danish chocolate cake cupcake pastry.
Candy canes liquorice gummi bears. Soufflé sesame snaps donut jelly-o bear claw. Cake gummi bears cake pie jujubes. Tiramisu gummi bears powder. Muffin powder cheesecake. Wafer chupa chups halvah sugar plum oat cake sugar plum. What to Ask a Client Before You Start Their Project. We all know the importance of fact-finding before starting any web design project. We can’t really get started on a project until we know exactly what’s needed, what the client wants, and who the site is aimed at. In fact, in most cases we can’t even create an effective proposal until we know those things. There are plenty of pages-long web design questionnaires out there. Some have forty, fifty, or even a hundred questions on them. The main problem with that, though, is that your clients or prospective clients are likely to rush through a questionnaire that long, leaving you with either inaccurate or incomplete answers.
A shorter questionnaire with more in-depth questions can uncover a lot more about what the client wants and needs, and they’re a lot less likely to skim over it if the questions presented take up less than a page. Below are eleven questions you should ask your prospective clients before you get started on their project. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Navigation patterns for ten common types of websites. Navigation is one of the most important aspects of any website. Without good navigation, a site becomes useless to visitors. They can’t find the information they need, and then seek out competing sites instead. It’s vital that your sites be easy to navigate if you want to be a successful designer. iBut there are no one-size-fits-all solutions to navigation. What works great on a news site might not work well for a personal site. Something that’s incredibly user-friendly on a blog might be frustrating on an e-commerce site. Below are ten common types of sites, with suggestions for the kinds of navigation patterns that work well for each one. There are also examples, to give you a better idea of what we’re talking about. All sites There are certain navigation patterns that work on virtually all sites. The first pattern is tabbed navigation.
The second pattern is header navigation. The final pattern that applies to virtually all sites is footer navigation. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Teaching Yourself Web Design While You Freelance. There is plenty of opportunity to make a decent living online. The field of web design is extremely popular in the current information age.
Everybody needs to have a website up and you can always find a few solid business clients. But what about building upon your already-existing techniques? I admit it can be difficult finding the time to study new web design skills. Constantly Push New Boundaries It can be a terrifying experience looking for a new project to work on. If you are still flaky in this area I recommend our HTML5 & CSS3 guide which goes into a lot of detail. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t figure out the process right away. Read Design Blogs Some professional designers have quit the freelance lifestyle to instead write articles and tutorials with their skill. It may pleasantly surprise you at just how much free information is available these days.
Another big piece to reading design blogs comes with keeping up-to-date on web trends. Ask for Help if Needed Use Fair Pricing. Practicing Perfectionism as a Web and Graphic Designer. The idea of artistic perfectionism lies in a duality. Most web designers try to perfect their work with creative updates and patches. Not only to code, but also in Photoshop mockups and Illustrator vectors as well.
There is a limit to this perfectionism mindset where you can take things too far overboard. I’m hoping to look a bit deeper into this topic as to what defines perfectionism. What are some of the key benefits to being a perfectionist, especially with digital artistic works? The Internet has grown dramatically and connects into billions of peoples lives. Thus you can see why designers are often combing their work 5 or 6 times! Levels of Attention The basic definition of a perfectionist is somebody who requires all work to attain 100% perfect status in completion.
If you are somebody who pays careful attention to pixel-perfect layouts in Photoshop, kudos! But there is another light to perfectionism which can reduce productivity dramatically. Develop Personal Guidelines Conclusion.
50 Free UI and Web Design Wireframing Kits, Resources and Source Files - Smashing Magazine. Advertisement Planning and communication are two key elements in the development of any successful website or application. And that is exactly what the wireframing process offers: a quick and simple method to plan the layout and a cost-effective, time-saving tool to easily communicate your ideas to others. A wireframe typically has the basic elements of a Web page: header, footer, sidebar, maybe even some generated content, which gives you, your clients and colleagues a simple visually oriented layout that illustrates what the structure of the website will be by the end of the project and that serves as the foundation for any future alterations.
This article focuses on actual wireframing tools and standalone applications, as well as resources that you’ll need to build your own wireframe: wireframing kits, browser windows, form elements, grids, Mac OS X elements, mobile elements, which you’ll use in any typical graphics editor such as Photoshop or Illustrator. Yahoo! Web Browser Templates.
Intentional Environments: Designing a Culture of Co-Creation. What is an environment? Surprisingly, that seemingly simple question can be very difficult to answer, because environments are complicated. They are made up of all kinds of variables, physical and intangible, that affect how we feel, how we act, and what we do. Winston Churchill once said, "We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us. " Physical spaces do indeed elicit certain behaviors, but there is another invisible but powerful component at play in our environments: conditions.
We Can Create This Shift Through Intentional Environments An intentional environment is a philosophy about how to approach the design process. Ed Catmull, Pixar's president, attributes Pixar’s success to such an environment. What we can do is construct an environment that nurtures trusting and respectful relationships and unleashes everyone’s creativity. So how do you and I create environments like this? Designing an Intentional Environment An intentional environment begins with four steps: 1. 2.
23 Examples of Screenshots in Web Design. Whether you’re developing apps or websites, it’s a good idea to show potential customers what they’re getting in the form of screenshots. And if your product is good looking enough, you might just want to put them front and center, making them the focal point of the home page. For your inspiration, we’ve gathered some sites that are doing just that. In these examples, you’ll notice that many, if not all, of the screenshots are famed by a browser or the device their ment to be viewed on. This helps add context and is another layer of interest.
Theme Trust Fork Bellstrike Luccaco Kickoff innove Shopify Podio Syxer EEHarbor Tapp3 Media sketchdock webcontact.de nealite nosotros nclud Stylapps Due River of News envero GlobeConvert Foundation Six Pulse Source: The Best DesignsPattern Tap About the Author Gisele Muller loves communication, technology, web, design, movies, gastronomy and creativity. Related Posts 366 shares Colorful Logos for Your Inspiration Read More 727 shares. How to Create An Effective Complex Footer: Content Design and Examples. In the past, copyright information and the website name were the main elements found at the bottom of a website.
Sometimes, the most heavily used navigation links would be included as well. Users expect to get information from the internet faster and faster - and it's only going to continue. By creating a complex footer on your website, you can cater to the individuals looking for specific information quickly. The bottom of a website is more powerful than some might realize. The footer of a website is always there - vital information for your site is available on every single page, without crowding the sidebar or content area. The Basics A complex footer can include a number of items, but the most effective elements are navigation, contact information and social media icons. Navigation Breaking out navigation is helpful to the user because he or she can quickly scan the pages of the website, as if they were looking directly at a site map.
Contact Information Social Media Contact Form Grid. The Lost Art Of Design Etiquette - Smashing Magazine. Advertisement Endless layers in Photoshop. Overstuffed image folders. That jQuery plug-in that has 12 files associated with it. Hundreds or thousands of individual pieces go into making a website. No wonder we go off the deep end when we can’t find a closing div — er, section tag. Does it really need to be this way? Us Vs. The great divide between designers and developers is well documented.
Unfortunately, not every studio is a breeding ground for pixel-crafting harmony. The essence of teamwork. Web designers have the unique ability to communicate through layout, shape, typography and, ultimately, simplicity. We’re nibbling at the edges of websites that deliver a happy marriage between remarkable aesthetic and solid function. A Call to Arms Let’s start a revolution that has less to do with being nice and more to do with holding one another to higher standards. Make better websites, not war. More Than Just Chivalry Why etiquette? Personal Gain Here’s a plain illustration of my point.
Ouch! Information Dashboard. Also known as: Dashboard, Mashup, Executive Dashboard Tags: content, showing data Information dashboard organizes and presents the most important information from large amounts of data in a way that it is easy to read and understand for the user. Dashboards summarize information and focus on changes and exceptions in the data.Overview page on Mint, an online personal finance and money management app, follows several best practices for designing a good Information Dashboard. The design is very minimalistic and simple, but still aesthetically pleasing. The most important information, alerts for the user, are listed at the top of the page where user usually looks first.
In the middle appear top movers and shakers in the user’s stock portfolio. At the bottom of the page graphs display visually clear comparison to the budget targets without reading the numbers on the bars. What problem does the pattern solve? When to use it? How to use it? Why to use it? Sources Useful links Last.fm dashboard. UI Design Pattern Library. Opacity and Overlay Techniques in Web Design. Variations in opacity and overlay techniques are a very common trend in web design, and can bring any boring design into the modern era with a touch of style. It's great for creating depth and a sense of realism, and can often times be a better alternative than cutting off images, textures, and patterns. While the overall trend is the same, there are many variations when working with opacity in web design.
We can learn a lot through examples, and even come up with our own techniques by examining transparent or semi-transparent objects in the real world. They can be clear, blurry, warped, dark, light, colored, and more. Dark Overlay An overlay with black or a darker gray is the most common we see in modern web design. WWF The WWF website is a very nice example of this. Second Story While the first example just used navigation elements within the header for transparency, the Second Story website has an entirely different approach. Light Overlay Color Mixes Tutorials & Resources Conclusion. User interface design for iPhone apps. Useful Photoshop Tutorials for Designing Abstract Backgrounds - Noupe Design Blog. Apr 29 2011 An attractive and compelling background adds depth to your graphics, banners or ads; and for this reason is of great importance. Sure there are some people who might not notice backgrounds, but the role they play in making the entire artwork look more interesting and visually alluring is paramount.
They really do help to tie the entire piece together, no matter how simply or aggressively they are employed. Here, we are showcasing some of the web’s truly amazing Abstract Background Design Photoshop Tutorials for our readers. Be you a PS enthusiast or junkie, you will surely want to take a look at the offerings we have compiled. Feel free to share your opinion with us. Abstract Backgrounds Tutorials Abstract Kaleidoscope Poster – Photoshop CS5 This tutorial lets you learn how to create an attention-grabbing kaleidoscope type poster in Photoshop CS5 by combining basic colors, shapes and brushes. Easily create planetary ring via cloud and twirl filter in photoshop. (rb)
The Whys And The Hows Of Textures In Web Design - Smashing Magazine. Advertisement Texture is becoming integral to design. It’s gone beyond being a trend — it’s now a simple and effective way to add depth to a website. Wielding the power of texture is a great responsibility. It increases the effectiveness of websites and is a quality tool in the arsenal of designers. It can guide the user’s eye and emphasize the importance of key elements. However, texture has long been synonymous with “dirty” or “grungy” design. Textures vs. Before we get into textures in depth, let’s distinguish between patterns and textures. The Function Of Textures We love texture on the Web for a multitude of reasons. Grabbing Attention With a Call to Action Texture can highlight elements such as titles, headings, icons and buttons. When used minimally, texture separates the content from the rest of the website.
Notice how Poco People2’s grunge logo is accentuated against the clean background. Cultural Solutions UK3’s branding is the opposite: a clean logo against a textured background. Teach Yourself Graphic Design: A Self-Study Course Outline. Fortunately, it isn’t required to go to design school in order to be a graphic designer. A good foundation in graphic design history, theory, and practical application will help you hit the ground running. There are plenty of resources available in which you can learn graphic design on your own. Don’t set your expectations to high at first, as it will take enthusiastic study for years to become great. You can do it though! If you would like to learn graphic design from the ground up, through self directed study, then this article lists some great resources that will get you started with your design education. 1. There are a few graphic design principles that effect every project you’ll create.
Shape, Spacing, and Rhythm I remember first learning these basic design principles , and they seamed so foreign at first. The Principles of Design by Joshua David McClurg-Genevese What is Graphic Design? Color, Texture, and Imagery Principles of Color Design by Wucius Wong Texture in Graphic Design 2.
Essential Elements of a Design Agency Website Layout (with 30 examples) How To Keep Up To Date As A Designer. Educational Resources for Studying Graphic Design - Noupe Design Blog. Appetizing restaurat.