Ajax Wireframing Approaches. This is the second of three installments of A Designer’s Guide to Prototyping Ajax.
Be sure to also check out the Introduction and the final installment on JavaScript Basics for Prototyping. Introduction Last week we introduced the concept of prototyping as a solution to the problem of representing Ajax at the early stages of designing an interface. We talked about some general strategies and attitudes we should take when starting a project (like not being a hero and establishing good relationships with our programmers) and reviewed some fundamental XHTML and CSS skills we should have in our arsenal before beginning the prototyping process.
In this installment, we’re going to go over a few techniques and approaches we use to create the foundation of every prototype—wireframes. Creating an XHTML/CSS wireframe is easy enough, basically you just build the web site with your editor of choice (we like TextMate and Skedit on OSX and Notepad++ on XP). Keyframing Stacking Using Useful Class Names. Thumbstacks.com - Live presentations on the web! Current style in web design. In this article I try to sum up the current state-of-the-art in graphic design for web pages (late 2006, but still highly relevant today), and identify the distinctive features that make a modern web page look fresh, appealing and easy to use.
The key feature of modern web design is simplicity. To learn how to apply simple web design to your own sites, you need to read “Save the Pixel – The Art of Simple Web Design”, which takes you through a full set of simple design tools, illustrated with 22 before & after redesigns. I’m glad to say that web design is better today than ever – and it’s continuing to improve. That’s not just because there are more web sites out there, so more good stuff to look at. There’s still an awful lot of crud too.
The examples below (which I’ll roll over time) show excellent modern graphic design technique. Hotties I’m not saying these are the very best sites out there, just that they’re typical of today’s best design. Common features Simple layout. Online Portfolio of Stefan Asemota - New Media Creative. Michal Svec - new media designer. Web design and coding, branding and corporate identity. Ordered List by Steve Smith. Wtf 2.0. The worst thing about all the Web 2.0 hype is the complete loss of business perspective.
There's a few companies out there that seem to get it but just about every other new website I've seen lately is nothing but features parading as businesses. Sure, these guys get to be entered in the "Flip It Quick Acquisition Lottery", but beyond that, none seem to be creating anything of any real value. Yeah, I've bitched about this before, but hey... today seems like a good day to start in again. I mean, not only is Bloglines not updating so I don't have much else to write about, but I saw Jeremy's link to the 16 ways to think in Web 2.0 and sure enough, not one of the points included anything about actually making money or creating a lasting business. It's like the hype has climbed to whole new levels overnight.
What part of "Version 2" don't these people get? Let's go back in history (2004) to the conception of the term "Web 2.0" itself - the shining examples then were Amazon.com and eBay. Online stickynotes.