The Difference Between Timeless And Classic Logo Design
october 2011 by alexhansford
When a designer goes about creating a logo, the first thought that should always come up is the hope to create a logo at a high enough level that it could still be used decades from its creation. Despite that being the common hope, there are two different ways in which how a logo can transcend time and use. These two types being known as timeless and classic. Now logo designs that are fortunate enough to be qualified for either of these categories have many similarities, so much so that it is easy to confuse the two. Before going into the two highest level of acclaim a logo design can get, we first need to do a quick run through on the basics.
The 4 Basic Logo Types
No matter how you design your logo, with whatever inspiration you can think of, it is going to be classified as one of these logo types. Having the knowledge of these different types improves the quality of your design by providing more direction into what your best route is for your logo when considering the company or group it represents.
Emblem Type
An emblem type logo is one that incorporates the companies name within the design.
Examples:
UPS
Harley Davidson
Letterform
In this type, the logo is created by using letterform design(a letter’s shape) to create a symbol.
Examples:
Roger Federer
Associated Press
Text Type
A text type logo only utilizes letters and in some instances typographic design is incorporated.
Examples:
FedEx
Visa
Representation Type
In this type an image is used as a pictorial representation of the company. It can also be representing its reputation, perception, or attitude.
Examples:
Shell
Apple
Important Things To Keep In Mind
Always convey your message first.
A proper color scheme can make or break a logo.
Make sure that it is easy to understand.
Your logo should be adaptable, needing no changes for any environment.
Don’t let the creative in you try to make the design overly complicated.
Okay now that we have covered the basic logo design types and went over some of the important things to consider when designing a logo, we are now ready to take a look at what timeless and classic logo designs are and how you can achieve this acclaimed status.
What Is A Timeless Logo
A logo that has reached the status of being timeless means that it is able to maintain the same high level of acclaim long after its creation. However, logos in this category also need minor alterations occasionally to remain relevant as the years go by. These alterations could be anything as long as it makes a change, but the base structure is never altered in any way. For example, lets take a look at the logo of MTV.
Original MTV Logo
As you see above, this is a very well designed text type logo. It utilizes a great color scheme for the loud, brash, unruly, and whatever other youthful rebellious urge all teens and young adults have.
Current MTV Logo
Now take a look at the original logo of MTV, and then take a gander at the current one. The current one has a heavier font weight for the letters involved, the t and v are less playful, but the most noticeable and important change is the removing of the music television from the logo. As mentioned earlier, the most important thing a logo is responsible for is properly conveying the identity it represents. The music television tagline that was once at the bottom of the logo had to be removed, because MTV has become known more so for reality TV than actually playing music. That was the only mishap played by the original logo, assuming a company called Music Television would continue to have a network comprising of mostly music related content.
What Is A Classic Logo
There isn’t that much difference between a classic logo and a timeless logo. The only differentiating factor here is that a classic logo will never come across the need for a change because it complies to one of the top important things to be considered when designing a logo. This being adaptability. The logos that are able to be apart of the classic group have designs that can adapt to any type of environment you can think of, and it still will be able to do well. Let’s take a look at the ABC logo, probably the most iconic classic logo.
ABC Logo
Everything that can be said about this logo, has already been covered for awhile now. This logo is simplicity at its best, and won’t be seeing any changes coming its way.
How To Create A Timeless or Classic Logo
By now your probably wondering what is the best method to go about for achieving a logo design that can be categorized into one of these two categories. Well its a lot easier than it seems, and here are some tips to help you with that.
Always have the represented organization’s desirably perceived attitude, or message, showcased
Never overlook adaptability. Your logo should look just as good in your original color scheme as it does when stripped down to black and white.
Focus less on the type of industry the logo is being designed for. If your focus your design for a particular industry, and try to approach it with incorporating that vibe into your design, than it won’t be able to go beyond that industry.
Don’t be afraid of trends. In essence, a trend is simply an original style or technique that just became popular. You’re a creative, put your own spin on it.
Embrace your own design style. How do you expect to get the best results when your competing with your natural inner creative?
Conclusion
The difference between a timeless logo and a classic logo is all in the details, the little things if you will. A timeless logo design is one that is great in concept, but may need an alteration done to remain relevant. A classic logo design is fine the way it is, and probably will never see the drawing board again. Logo design is a very complex creative job that requires much to consider throughout the entire process. To achieve either one of these classifications is very possible, all it takes is to focus on the little things.
Tips
Web_Design
logo
logo_types
from google
The 4 Basic Logo Types
No matter how you design your logo, with whatever inspiration you can think of, it is going to be classified as one of these logo types. Having the knowledge of these different types improves the quality of your design by providing more direction into what your best route is for your logo when considering the company or group it represents.
Emblem Type
An emblem type logo is one that incorporates the companies name within the design.
Examples:
UPS
Harley Davidson
Letterform
In this type, the logo is created by using letterform design(a letter’s shape) to create a symbol.
Examples:
Roger Federer
Associated Press
Text Type
A text type logo only utilizes letters and in some instances typographic design is incorporated.
Examples:
FedEx
Visa
Representation Type
In this type an image is used as a pictorial representation of the company. It can also be representing its reputation, perception, or attitude.
Examples:
Shell
Apple
Important Things To Keep In Mind
Always convey your message first.
A proper color scheme can make or break a logo.
Make sure that it is easy to understand.
Your logo should be adaptable, needing no changes for any environment.
Don’t let the creative in you try to make the design overly complicated.
Okay now that we have covered the basic logo design types and went over some of the important things to consider when designing a logo, we are now ready to take a look at what timeless and classic logo designs are and how you can achieve this acclaimed status.
What Is A Timeless Logo
A logo that has reached the status of being timeless means that it is able to maintain the same high level of acclaim long after its creation. However, logos in this category also need minor alterations occasionally to remain relevant as the years go by. These alterations could be anything as long as it makes a change, but the base structure is never altered in any way. For example, lets take a look at the logo of MTV.
Original MTV Logo
As you see above, this is a very well designed text type logo. It utilizes a great color scheme for the loud, brash, unruly, and whatever other youthful rebellious urge all teens and young adults have.
Current MTV Logo
Now take a look at the original logo of MTV, and then take a gander at the current one. The current one has a heavier font weight for the letters involved, the t and v are less playful, but the most noticeable and important change is the removing of the music television from the logo. As mentioned earlier, the most important thing a logo is responsible for is properly conveying the identity it represents. The music television tagline that was once at the bottom of the logo had to be removed, because MTV has become known more so for reality TV than actually playing music. That was the only mishap played by the original logo, assuming a company called Music Television would continue to have a network comprising of mostly music related content.
What Is A Classic Logo
There isn’t that much difference between a classic logo and a timeless logo. The only differentiating factor here is that a classic logo will never come across the need for a change because it complies to one of the top important things to be considered when designing a logo. This being adaptability. The logos that are able to be apart of the classic group have designs that can adapt to any type of environment you can think of, and it still will be able to do well. Let’s take a look at the ABC logo, probably the most iconic classic logo.
ABC Logo
Everything that can be said about this logo, has already been covered for awhile now. This logo is simplicity at its best, and won’t be seeing any changes coming its way.
How To Create A Timeless or Classic Logo
By now your probably wondering what is the best method to go about for achieving a logo design that can be categorized into one of these two categories. Well its a lot easier than it seems, and here are some tips to help you with that.
Always have the represented organization’s desirably perceived attitude, or message, showcased
Never overlook adaptability. Your logo should look just as good in your original color scheme as it does when stripped down to black and white.
Focus less on the type of industry the logo is being designed for. If your focus your design for a particular industry, and try to approach it with incorporating that vibe into your design, than it won’t be able to go beyond that industry.
Don’t be afraid of trends. In essence, a trend is simply an original style or technique that just became popular. You’re a creative, put your own spin on it.
Embrace your own design style. How do you expect to get the best results when your competing with your natural inner creative?
Conclusion
The difference between a timeless logo and a classic logo is all in the details, the little things if you will. A timeless logo design is one that is great in concept, but may need an alteration done to remain relevant. A classic logo design is fine the way it is, and probably will never see the drawing board again. Logo design is a very complex creative job that requires much to consider throughout the entire process. To achieve either one of these classifications is very possible, all it takes is to focus on the little things.
october 2011 by alexhansford
Code Editor Review: Sublime Text
october 2011 by alexhansford
As a designer and developer, I’m always trying to find the best possible tools to do my job and to have fun with it. I’m both a PC and Mac user, Notepad, Coda, Textmate, Dreamweaver, Komodo and Aptana are some of the many editors I’ve tried but none of those made an impact as big as Sublime Text.
Although it is still in beta, Sublime Text is in my opinion the best text/code editor in the market which is available for Windows, OS X and Linux. There is nothing like trying and seeing for yourself but its features, aesthetic, usability and price (although it has an unlimited trial at the moment) made me want to write about it.
“Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose. You’ll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features.”
Interface
Sublime Text interface
Themes
The first impression that will pop into your mind is how amazingly beautiful the Sublime interface is. I was especially impressed while using Windows because usually editors are only visually appealing under Mac OS, however, I would say Sublime Text is unique in this matter. Changing themes takes two clicks (for real) and by default you get 22 to choose from but you can download more themes if you like.
Minimap
Although the interface itself is extremely beautiful, usability and functionalities are even more impressive. Imagine something you would like to see in an editor and you will probably find it in Sublime Text. Let’s start from the basics and that would point us to the default layout. Sublime Text comes with a minimap which is available at the top right corner showing you every line of code you may have. However with the minimap my favourite part is that it made me stop using the scroll bar to scroll down the page because you will be able to do it much easier using the minimap. If you don’t like you can simply hide it.
Panels/Groups/Screen Modes
Talking about the good stuff, one of my favourite features is that Sublime offers you the possibility to display as many files as you want through one-to-four panels so basically you can see four files at the same time. If you have more than one file open, Sublime will automatically create groups and you can send a file to a group or select a group using the option focus. In the other hand, if you have a peaceful and calm personality and you like to keep things quiet you can use the Full Screen Mode (F11) or Distraction Free Mode (Shift+F11) which will hide all tabs forcing you to focus on your code/text.
Sidebar
Finishing the important aspects of Sublime interface, one last and also common feature is the sidebar. Sublime has it all and you if you don’t like tabs you can use the sidebar or vice-versa. You can also change everything from its original position.
Features
Sublime Text - Multiple selections
Multiple Selection
Although it’s a simple functionality, one thing that surprised me was the multiple selection option which does precisely that. Offers you the possibility of selecting multiple lines simultaneously and honestly I’ve never seen an editor with such possibility. This is something that helped me choose Sublime as my number one editor because I believe the small details design the big picture.
Auto-complete/Snippets
While expecting nothing less, Sublime brings you the auto-complete feature. However if you’re expecting the fantastic Dreamweaver-like auto-complete you can stop right there. Yes, it support snippets so write html and press TAB and the entire HTML head element appears. However, the auto-complete option itself is achieved by pressing ctrl+space which gives you a list of possible words based on the ones you have already written and this is where I feel it needs a bit more work because it does not give you a list of hints. This means you need to know how to code, so if you’re expecting a big help while writing your HTML you will find a hard time doing it.
Python/Community
Not satisfied because that option you really wanted is not there or isn’t great as you imagined? Don’t worry because you may have a way to make it look good. With Python plugins you can add as many features as you want to Sublime and if you’re not comfortable with Python you have a great and big community in their forum to help you out.
Customization
Every toolbar, mouse scroll speed, keyboard shortcut, etc can be customized at will so feel free to make yourself comfortable!
Complete Features List
Side by side multi-pane editing
Minimap: see your code from 10,000 feet
Full screen mode: use all your pixels, all the time
Nothing but text mode: the text, the whole text, and nothing but the text
Syntax highlighting for many languages with C, C++, C#, CSS, D, Erlang, HTML, Groovy, Haskell, HTML, Java, JavaScript, LaTeX, Lisp, Lua, Markdown, Matlab, OCaml, Perl, PHP, Python, R, Ruby, SQL, TCL, Textile and XML supported out of the box, and more available for download
Multiple color schemes, with several included, and many more available for download
Bracket highlighting
Auto save: never lose your changes, not even if the dog thinks power cords are tasty
Fully customizable key bindings, menus and toolbar
Rich key binding language including sequenced key bindings, regular expression key matches, contextual bindings and parameterized bindings
Python plugins with a rich API
Rich selection of editing commands, including indenting / unindenting, paragraph reformatting, line joining and much more
Multiple selections: Simplify many tasks that used to require macros or regular expression
Column select
Regular expression search and replace
Incremental find as you type
Preserve case on replace
Bookmarks: Makes navigating through long files a breeze
Spell check as you type
Bracket matching
Commenting and uncommenting blocks of text
Asynchronous file loading, so you’re never blocked when loading files off slow network drives
Macros
Snippets
Auto complete
Repeat last action
Build tool integration
Automatic build on save
WinSCP integration for editing remote files via SCP and FTP
Video Analysis
DevHQLessons made a good video analysis about Sublime Text which I recommend. Check the video below.
Sublime Text 2: Best text editor ever?
Conclusion
I’ve made a very quick and rough review of Sublime but it should be enough to make your eyes shine. So if you’re looking for a powerful solution Sublime Text is for you. You can try Sublime through the unlimited trial or buy it for only $59.
Download Sublime Text
Tools
Web_Design
code_editor
sublime
text_editor
from google
Although it is still in beta, Sublime Text is in my opinion the best text/code editor in the market which is available for Windows, OS X and Linux. There is nothing like trying and seeing for yourself but its features, aesthetic, usability and price (although it has an unlimited trial at the moment) made me want to write about it.
“Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose. You’ll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features.”
Interface
Sublime Text interface
Themes
The first impression that will pop into your mind is how amazingly beautiful the Sublime interface is. I was especially impressed while using Windows because usually editors are only visually appealing under Mac OS, however, I would say Sublime Text is unique in this matter. Changing themes takes two clicks (for real) and by default you get 22 to choose from but you can download more themes if you like.
Minimap
Although the interface itself is extremely beautiful, usability and functionalities are even more impressive. Imagine something you would like to see in an editor and you will probably find it in Sublime Text. Let’s start from the basics and that would point us to the default layout. Sublime Text comes with a minimap which is available at the top right corner showing you every line of code you may have. However with the minimap my favourite part is that it made me stop using the scroll bar to scroll down the page because you will be able to do it much easier using the minimap. If you don’t like you can simply hide it.
Panels/Groups/Screen Modes
Talking about the good stuff, one of my favourite features is that Sublime offers you the possibility to display as many files as you want through one-to-four panels so basically you can see four files at the same time. If you have more than one file open, Sublime will automatically create groups and you can send a file to a group or select a group using the option focus. In the other hand, if you have a peaceful and calm personality and you like to keep things quiet you can use the Full Screen Mode (F11) or Distraction Free Mode (Shift+F11) which will hide all tabs forcing you to focus on your code/text.
Sidebar
Finishing the important aspects of Sublime interface, one last and also common feature is the sidebar. Sublime has it all and you if you don’t like tabs you can use the sidebar or vice-versa. You can also change everything from its original position.
Features
Sublime Text - Multiple selections
Multiple Selection
Although it’s a simple functionality, one thing that surprised me was the multiple selection option which does precisely that. Offers you the possibility of selecting multiple lines simultaneously and honestly I’ve never seen an editor with such possibility. This is something that helped me choose Sublime as my number one editor because I believe the small details design the big picture.
Auto-complete/Snippets
While expecting nothing less, Sublime brings you the auto-complete feature. However if you’re expecting the fantastic Dreamweaver-like auto-complete you can stop right there. Yes, it support snippets so write html and press TAB and the entire HTML head element appears. However, the auto-complete option itself is achieved by pressing ctrl+space which gives you a list of possible words based on the ones you have already written and this is where I feel it needs a bit more work because it does not give you a list of hints. This means you need to know how to code, so if you’re expecting a big help while writing your HTML you will find a hard time doing it.
Python/Community
Not satisfied because that option you really wanted is not there or isn’t great as you imagined? Don’t worry because you may have a way to make it look good. With Python plugins you can add as many features as you want to Sublime and if you’re not comfortable with Python you have a great and big community in their forum to help you out.
Customization
Every toolbar, mouse scroll speed, keyboard shortcut, etc can be customized at will so feel free to make yourself comfortable!
Complete Features List
Side by side multi-pane editing
Minimap: see your code from 10,000 feet
Full screen mode: use all your pixels, all the time
Nothing but text mode: the text, the whole text, and nothing but the text
Syntax highlighting for many languages with C, C++, C#, CSS, D, Erlang, HTML, Groovy, Haskell, HTML, Java, JavaScript, LaTeX, Lisp, Lua, Markdown, Matlab, OCaml, Perl, PHP, Python, R, Ruby, SQL, TCL, Textile and XML supported out of the box, and more available for download
Multiple color schemes, with several included, and many more available for download
Bracket highlighting
Auto save: never lose your changes, not even if the dog thinks power cords are tasty
Fully customizable key bindings, menus and toolbar
Rich key binding language including sequenced key bindings, regular expression key matches, contextual bindings and parameterized bindings
Python plugins with a rich API
Rich selection of editing commands, including indenting / unindenting, paragraph reformatting, line joining and much more
Multiple selections: Simplify many tasks that used to require macros or regular expression
Column select
Regular expression search and replace
Incremental find as you type
Preserve case on replace
Bookmarks: Makes navigating through long files a breeze
Spell check as you type
Bracket matching
Commenting and uncommenting blocks of text
Asynchronous file loading, so you’re never blocked when loading files off slow network drives
Macros
Snippets
Auto complete
Repeat last action
Build tool integration
Automatic build on save
WinSCP integration for editing remote files via SCP and FTP
Video Analysis
DevHQLessons made a good video analysis about Sublime Text which I recommend. Check the video below.
Sublime Text 2: Best text editor ever?
Conclusion
I’ve made a very quick and rough review of Sublime but it should be enough to make your eyes shine. So if you’re looking for a powerful solution Sublime Text is for you. You can try Sublime through the unlimited trial or buy it for only $59.
Download Sublime Text
october 2011 by alexhansford
Ancient Web Design Practices that Beginners Should Avoid Part 2
august 2011 by alexhansford
Here comes part two of bad design practices that web designers should avoid. Part one mostly talked about the errors designers and developers make, here in part two we will also talk about the problem with what “webmasters” or website owners do to sully their names.
To all website owners out there who are wondering what’s wrong with their website, I suggest you read this (and part one) and learn from the grave mistakes of others. This is also good for people who are thinking of creating their own website. Be sure to read the comments because, very often, the gems are hidden there!
Too Much Pagination
Have you visited Cracked.com lately? Their articles are paginated, but that’s a good type of pagination since you’ll rarely see it exceed two. The problem with other websites is that they’re too concerned with page views that they tend to chop a 1000–word article into five or ten parts (seriously, I saw one news website do this)! Needless to say, I never visited the website again. This might not be the designer or developer’s fault, but internet entrepreneurs should be educated on how to deliver content well.
Hidden Text and Links
You have text in your navigation and content partly because of SEO, right? As mentioned in Part 1 by our readers, using images for navigation is okay, but how will search engines crawl them? Answer: “text-indent: -9999px” (it’s over 9000!), or hiding the text using CSS.
Now, this is something very controversial. In my search for free, and good, WordPress themes I stumbled upon this article by Siobhan which talks about hidden “spam” links on many free WordPress themes. These free themes are bad for SEO, Google has a policy about hidden text and links which states that intentionally hiding the text/link behind an object or out of the screen’s view may be cause for the removal of the site on Google’s search results page.
Click to read more about Google’s take on Hidden text and links.
In-line Styling
To demonstrate the evils of in-line styles and what damage they can do, here is James’ comment:
Again, this was pointed out in the previous part. Instead of using an external CSS, some insist on styling on the spot – which I am very guilty of! While the appearance will clearly be the same, this is still a bad practice because as the website grows, so does the styling for everything. While using an external master sheet may seem to be a daunting task for some, the ease of access to it is far superior than navigating through a series of HTML tags looking for the thing you need to change.
Again, stop in-line styling and create an external CSS. It’s also a good way to recycle codes, right?
Too many Social Media buttons
(website’s name is intentionally withheld for my safety; some are highlighted look below)
Competition is high, we understand, but having 10 social media buttons at the end of each article? Seriously? Today, people are content with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and sharing via e-mail (share via e-mail?) so let’s keep it at that. No need to add seven or ten buttons because 1) it doesn’t look good because it seems like you’re hogging, and 2) it’s not pleasing to the eyes.
Splash Pages and Pop-ups
Well, it actually depends. If it’s an 800 x 600 advertisement I probably won’t visit again. 1stwebdesigner is also guilty of this, and I’m pointing this out because I’ve seen comments and e-mails jeering the pop-up. The good news is, we will be limiting its appearance and probably remove it totally. For that, we’re sorry for any inconvenience it might have caused you. But, again, blocking the view is never a good practice, save for a limited-time campaign.
While I was looking for a cheap hosting company for my website there was this hosting company that won’t let me get out of their website. The first click on exit button there was a JavaScript pop-up telling me that they’ll offer me a 50% discount. What?
Also, I’m sure you’ve seen this “Share” button somewhere. I really hate this, and I’m sure many of you will feel the same. It pops out whenever the cursor is hovered over it and stays for a few seconds.
This will be my second time calling names. GooglePlusAnswers.com is a whole new level of splash/pop-up/irritating.
Why must I share or like or tweet or +1 your website or wait 30 seconds before you grant me access? Sadly, it does not stop there. If you don’t want to share, you’ll keep on seeing the same thing all over the website.
This lame stunt also happened during Facebook’s debut. “Like this to unlock content” my a–-!
Dark Background and Light Font Color
To demonstrate, click the image to open the website and read a line or two. After reading, open Google. It buuuurns!
Perhaps the greatest affront a designer can do to the world is…
…not striving to learn new techniques when the whole world is changing rapidly. As a designer, it is your duty to go with the flow, to commit necessary changes when the world demands it. Part of it is to educate those who are below you so that the spread of good practice will propagate. If there is enough reason to believe that your design is not doing any good, instead of waiting for it to work, why not find a different method to make things work?
So, what say you? I’m pretty sure I’ve missed quite a lot of bad practices, so fire them all below!
Up Next
Next time we will talk about the small things that web designers do which make people love them. Small things mean a lot, right? For instance, a simple horizontal rule to separate content smoothly, usability options for challenged individuals, and many more. Stay tuned!
Tips
Web_Design
bad_design
Development
website
worst_practices
from google
To all website owners out there who are wondering what’s wrong with their website, I suggest you read this (and part one) and learn from the grave mistakes of others. This is also good for people who are thinking of creating their own website. Be sure to read the comments because, very often, the gems are hidden there!
Too Much Pagination
Have you visited Cracked.com lately? Their articles are paginated, but that’s a good type of pagination since you’ll rarely see it exceed two. The problem with other websites is that they’re too concerned with page views that they tend to chop a 1000–word article into five or ten parts (seriously, I saw one news website do this)! Needless to say, I never visited the website again. This might not be the designer or developer’s fault, but internet entrepreneurs should be educated on how to deliver content well.
Hidden Text and Links
You have text in your navigation and content partly because of SEO, right? As mentioned in Part 1 by our readers, using images for navigation is okay, but how will search engines crawl them? Answer: “text-indent: -9999px” (it’s over 9000!), or hiding the text using CSS.
Now, this is something very controversial. In my search for free, and good, WordPress themes I stumbled upon this article by Siobhan which talks about hidden “spam” links on many free WordPress themes. These free themes are bad for SEO, Google has a policy about hidden text and links which states that intentionally hiding the text/link behind an object or out of the screen’s view may be cause for the removal of the site on Google’s search results page.
Click to read more about Google’s take on Hidden text and links.
In-line Styling
To demonstrate the evils of in-line styles and what damage they can do, here is James’ comment:
Again, this was pointed out in the previous part. Instead of using an external CSS, some insist on styling on the spot – which I am very guilty of! While the appearance will clearly be the same, this is still a bad practice because as the website grows, so does the styling for everything. While using an external master sheet may seem to be a daunting task for some, the ease of access to it is far superior than navigating through a series of HTML tags looking for the thing you need to change.
Again, stop in-line styling and create an external CSS. It’s also a good way to recycle codes, right?
Too many Social Media buttons
(website’s name is intentionally withheld for my safety; some are highlighted look below)
Competition is high, we understand, but having 10 social media buttons at the end of each article? Seriously? Today, people are content with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and sharing via e-mail (share via e-mail?) so let’s keep it at that. No need to add seven or ten buttons because 1) it doesn’t look good because it seems like you’re hogging, and 2) it’s not pleasing to the eyes.
Splash Pages and Pop-ups
Well, it actually depends. If it’s an 800 x 600 advertisement I probably won’t visit again. 1stwebdesigner is also guilty of this, and I’m pointing this out because I’ve seen comments and e-mails jeering the pop-up. The good news is, we will be limiting its appearance and probably remove it totally. For that, we’re sorry for any inconvenience it might have caused you. But, again, blocking the view is never a good practice, save for a limited-time campaign.
While I was looking for a cheap hosting company for my website there was this hosting company that won’t let me get out of their website. The first click on exit button there was a JavaScript pop-up telling me that they’ll offer me a 50% discount. What?
Also, I’m sure you’ve seen this “Share” button somewhere. I really hate this, and I’m sure many of you will feel the same. It pops out whenever the cursor is hovered over it and stays for a few seconds.
This will be my second time calling names. GooglePlusAnswers.com is a whole new level of splash/pop-up/irritating.
Why must I share or like or tweet or +1 your website or wait 30 seconds before you grant me access? Sadly, it does not stop there. If you don’t want to share, you’ll keep on seeing the same thing all over the website.
This lame stunt also happened during Facebook’s debut. “Like this to unlock content” my a–-!
Dark Background and Light Font Color
To demonstrate, click the image to open the website and read a line or two. After reading, open Google. It buuuurns!
Perhaps the greatest affront a designer can do to the world is…
…not striving to learn new techniques when the whole world is changing rapidly. As a designer, it is your duty to go with the flow, to commit necessary changes when the world demands it. Part of it is to educate those who are below you so that the spread of good practice will propagate. If there is enough reason to believe that your design is not doing any good, instead of waiting for it to work, why not find a different method to make things work?
So, what say you? I’m pretty sure I’ve missed quite a lot of bad practices, so fire them all below!
Up Next
Next time we will talk about the small things that web designers do which make people love them. Small things mean a lot, right? For instance, a simple horizontal rule to separate content smoothly, usability options for challenged individuals, and many more. Stay tuned!
august 2011 by alexhansford
10 Secrets to Be a Better Freelancer
april 2011 by alexhansford
The struggle in freelancing is quite far from the competition of regular businesses. The word “freelancer” was first used to describe a “medieval mercenary warrior” to point out that that lancer does not work under any lord. An out-worker has to experience as much contenders as there are drops in the sea.
In order to leave a mark in freelancing, one has to fight with a countless amount of people from different regions and work cultures. In this situation, a freelancer does not even know about how he can get over his opponent. To spot the imprint of a lancer’s matchlessness, one has to keep mounting his spirit high and has to set his own distinguish rules of work because only he is the boss of himself. There are plenty of ways showed by the rulers of this industry, on the basis of which I gathered points which in my opinion are necessary to identify and market the uniqueness of one’s freelance business.
1. Determine Your Strength
Every person has some skills which help them throughout their professional life. In order to be successful in this field you have to know where your mind is set. If you enjoy your work the outcome will always be better as opposed to working just for a paycheck. By realizing your strengths and doing what you really want, you can get the best results in terms of productivity. The question that naturally arises is “how do I identify my strength?” You can discover your strengths through:
Impulsive reactions of brain to find out the area where it can process efficiently.
Desired field in which you found yourself excited and craving for more.
Stimulation of mind for learning
Work that leaves you feeling energized
2. Cope Up With Your Weakness
To become successful in your line of freelance business you cannot neglect or ignore your weaknesses. Nobody can improve in any career without accepting, and knowing, their flaws. Pretending that you are free of blunders is the worst thing and will potentially ruin your career. Hiding your flaws is not a solution; you cannot get away from them. Identifying your weakness and acknowledging it is the ultimate solution. To cope with your weaknesses you should not forget:
To look at your work with a critical eye
To recognize, admit and fight with your gaffes
To stay attentive and avoid repeating past mistakes
3. Boost Self-Confidence
Confidence is a key strength everyone must have to achieve success. Confidence enables a person to conquer anything in this world. Self assessment is necessary to know what the individual has done and what he is required to do. This will give a person a focused view of his/her career and motivate him to move one step up in his freelance work since there is no one else to evaluate him. There is no particular way to boost self-confidence; this is only motivation and determination which will help freelancers in moving forward and enhancing confidence. So self-possession can be increased by:
Daily self assessment.
Challenging yourself step by step.
Getting out of your comfort zone.
4. Identify Client’s Demands
For freelancers, it is very important to be up to date with their customers demands. This can be done by knowing their target market and what they like and don’t like. Knowledge about red-hot topics of the relevant field plays a vital role in dealing with clients’ demands. This is because people want fresh ideas and love ground-breaking work. If you want to be unique and yearn to reach a milestone, then you have to keep following your customer’s demand without sacrificing work quality. Do:
Know what they want by feedback.
Provide what they need.
if it is clear that what they need is risky, or goes against the whole world, tell your client. This might save them too.
5. Keep Track Of Appreciations
A word of appreciation is like gas to a car in this business. Since freelancers don’t have anyone who analyzes and evaluates their performance, this positive reception can be obtained through client feedback. In this business, always try to get as much feedback as you can. Always remember that feedback is just an approval of work, never get overwhelmed with joy from it otherwise you will fall off of your path. This appreciation will also assist you in finding your “right track”. Tracking of appreciation will enable you to find out the right position in freelance business.
6. Give Positive Response To Criticism
Criticism is another form of feedback which lets you know whether the work has been accepted or not. Never take criticism negatively because this will lead to great frustration and stress. Criticisms will help you analyze the likes and dislikes of your clients. Apart from your knowledge of your weak points, criticism from your clients gives you a broader view of your work. Responding positively to criticism is like overcoming your weakness which will help you stand out amongst your competitors. This is the strongest way to stand out in the field of freelancing.
7. Keep Learning From Mistakes
Mistakes is the point where everyone loses confidence and might lose spirit also. There is no one on Earth who is perfect, even machines err. But coping smartly with mistakes will make you stronger. Mistakes should be treated as guide stones, telling you which way to go next time. The only thing which is necessary is to be vigilant. Mistakes are not a problem unless they are repeated. If you want to get noticed in freelancing, try and:
Prepare for the worst but do your best.
Not lose strength from blunders and keep the spirit high.
Learn from mistakes and do not repeat.
Go back to point 2 and know your weakness.
8. Be Aware Of New Trends
Trends change in a blink of an eye. To stay in the race, you have to set your eyes on the trends so that you are up to date. You can’t possibly beat several hundred competitors without knowing what’s happening in the world. This is unlike a full-time job where an employee does not need to know the trends; most office employees just do what the boss says. In freelancing, being up to date keeps you alive in the market.
9. Say “Yes” To Challenges
If you want to score a top position in the competition then embrace challenges with a happy face. This is because every time you want to provide the best for your client, you will come to realize that you are facing new challenges. Triumph can only be achieved by proving yourself in something that has not been attained by someone else before, or something you haven’t dared tried yet. You might get a good position in the market by constantly giving your best work, but this is not enough to achieve a remarkable feat. To stand out amongst your competitors, you have to come forward from the regular competition and do something different.
10. Never Forget Your Competitors
This is the most important point of all for a winning toss. Always keep your eyes open and stay informed about your competitors because they are also in the same race. In order to beat the others, you have to know their potency and limitations. Without knowing the traits of your opponent you cannot overcome their position. This will also help you learn. It is the trait of real conquerors that they capture knowledge regardless of the source as if it belongs to them.
Freelance
Web_Design
Advice
Freelancing
tips
tricks
from google
In order to leave a mark in freelancing, one has to fight with a countless amount of people from different regions and work cultures. In this situation, a freelancer does not even know about how he can get over his opponent. To spot the imprint of a lancer’s matchlessness, one has to keep mounting his spirit high and has to set his own distinguish rules of work because only he is the boss of himself. There are plenty of ways showed by the rulers of this industry, on the basis of which I gathered points which in my opinion are necessary to identify and market the uniqueness of one’s freelance business.
1. Determine Your Strength
Every person has some skills which help them throughout their professional life. In order to be successful in this field you have to know where your mind is set. If you enjoy your work the outcome will always be better as opposed to working just for a paycheck. By realizing your strengths and doing what you really want, you can get the best results in terms of productivity. The question that naturally arises is “how do I identify my strength?” You can discover your strengths through:
Impulsive reactions of brain to find out the area where it can process efficiently.
Desired field in which you found yourself excited and craving for more.
Stimulation of mind for learning
Work that leaves you feeling energized
2. Cope Up With Your Weakness
To become successful in your line of freelance business you cannot neglect or ignore your weaknesses. Nobody can improve in any career without accepting, and knowing, their flaws. Pretending that you are free of blunders is the worst thing and will potentially ruin your career. Hiding your flaws is not a solution; you cannot get away from them. Identifying your weakness and acknowledging it is the ultimate solution. To cope with your weaknesses you should not forget:
To look at your work with a critical eye
To recognize, admit and fight with your gaffes
To stay attentive and avoid repeating past mistakes
3. Boost Self-Confidence
Confidence is a key strength everyone must have to achieve success. Confidence enables a person to conquer anything in this world. Self assessment is necessary to know what the individual has done and what he is required to do. This will give a person a focused view of his/her career and motivate him to move one step up in his freelance work since there is no one else to evaluate him. There is no particular way to boost self-confidence; this is only motivation and determination which will help freelancers in moving forward and enhancing confidence. So self-possession can be increased by:
Daily self assessment.
Challenging yourself step by step.
Getting out of your comfort zone.
4. Identify Client’s Demands
For freelancers, it is very important to be up to date with their customers demands. This can be done by knowing their target market and what they like and don’t like. Knowledge about red-hot topics of the relevant field plays a vital role in dealing with clients’ demands. This is because people want fresh ideas and love ground-breaking work. If you want to be unique and yearn to reach a milestone, then you have to keep following your customer’s demand without sacrificing work quality. Do:
Know what they want by feedback.
Provide what they need.
if it is clear that what they need is risky, or goes against the whole world, tell your client. This might save them too.
5. Keep Track Of Appreciations
A word of appreciation is like gas to a car in this business. Since freelancers don’t have anyone who analyzes and evaluates their performance, this positive reception can be obtained through client feedback. In this business, always try to get as much feedback as you can. Always remember that feedback is just an approval of work, never get overwhelmed with joy from it otherwise you will fall off of your path. This appreciation will also assist you in finding your “right track”. Tracking of appreciation will enable you to find out the right position in freelance business.
6. Give Positive Response To Criticism
Criticism is another form of feedback which lets you know whether the work has been accepted or not. Never take criticism negatively because this will lead to great frustration and stress. Criticisms will help you analyze the likes and dislikes of your clients. Apart from your knowledge of your weak points, criticism from your clients gives you a broader view of your work. Responding positively to criticism is like overcoming your weakness which will help you stand out amongst your competitors. This is the strongest way to stand out in the field of freelancing.
7. Keep Learning From Mistakes
Mistakes is the point where everyone loses confidence and might lose spirit also. There is no one on Earth who is perfect, even machines err. But coping smartly with mistakes will make you stronger. Mistakes should be treated as guide stones, telling you which way to go next time. The only thing which is necessary is to be vigilant. Mistakes are not a problem unless they are repeated. If you want to get noticed in freelancing, try and:
Prepare for the worst but do your best.
Not lose strength from blunders and keep the spirit high.
Learn from mistakes and do not repeat.
Go back to point 2 and know your weakness.
8. Be Aware Of New Trends
Trends change in a blink of an eye. To stay in the race, you have to set your eyes on the trends so that you are up to date. You can’t possibly beat several hundred competitors without knowing what’s happening in the world. This is unlike a full-time job where an employee does not need to know the trends; most office employees just do what the boss says. In freelancing, being up to date keeps you alive in the market.
9. Say “Yes” To Challenges
If you want to score a top position in the competition then embrace challenges with a happy face. This is because every time you want to provide the best for your client, you will come to realize that you are facing new challenges. Triumph can only be achieved by proving yourself in something that has not been attained by someone else before, or something you haven’t dared tried yet. You might get a good position in the market by constantly giving your best work, but this is not enough to achieve a remarkable feat. To stand out amongst your competitors, you have to come forward from the regular competition and do something different.
10. Never Forget Your Competitors
This is the most important point of all for a winning toss. Always keep your eyes open and stay informed about your competitors because they are also in the same race. In order to beat the others, you have to know their potency and limitations. Without knowing the traits of your opponent you cannot overcome their position. This will also help you learn. It is the trait of real conquerors that they capture knowledge regardless of the source as if it belongs to them.
april 2011 by alexhansford
10 Useful Tools For Cross-Browser Compatibility Check
february 2011 by alexhansford
Something that makes a website great is when it is compatible in multiple browsers regardless of version. Technically this is referred to as cross-browser compatibility.
Wikipedia defines cross-browser as:
The ability for a website, web application, HTML construct or client-side script to support all the web browsers.
Now, you may be confused on what is the difference between cross-browser and multi-browser.
Multi-browser means a website will work in several web browsers like Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer. While cross-browser means a website works in any browser, and any version of the browser, being used.
Image by: lagiamd
This can be a struggle for developers throughout the creation of their websites. If a user cannot view your website properly, he will not blame the operating system or his browser…he will blame the website itself. The goal as developers is to avoid that. That’s why there are tools available for free, or purchase, to make your cross-browser checking easier.
In this article you will find ten useful tools that you can use for your cross-browser compatibility check.
1. BrowserShots
BrowserShots is a free cross-browser tool that captures screenshots of the website in different browsers. This is the best known and the oldest cross-browser tool used by developers.
The browsers it supports are:
Google Chrome
Dillo
ELinks
Epiphany
Mozilla Firefox
Galeon
and more…
The operating system it supports are:
Linux
Windows
Mac
BSD
I read some feedback on the site and there are two things that appear to need improvement. The interface could be better. Though you just have to tick the checkbox, it will still take a lot of time to check all the boxes for the browser and browser versions you want to view your website in. The other thing people don’t like is that sometimes the tool is slow.
2. IE Tester
If you are a developer who is in need of a tool that just supports Internet Explorer, then this tool is for you.
IETester, a free web app that allows you to see the appearance of web pages by using Internet Explorer 5.5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Its interface resembles the interface of MS Word 2007.
I tried using this software and I have found that it does not respond well and should be debugged. I think it might be because of the operating system I use, Windows 7. If you also encounter this problem, you can refer to this page.
3. DotMobi Virtual Developer Lab
Do you need a cross-browser tool dedicated to device testing? Then you should check out this tool.
DotMobi Virtual Developer Lab is a free web-based tool that lets you check your websites on real devices including iPhone with the use of remote access technology.
To use this service, you need to have a credit card. This is for the purpose of preventing abuse of the devices.
4. Adobe Browser Lab
Adobe Browser Lab is an online tool for cross-browser checking. It shows screenshots of the website when viewed in different web browsers. This simple tool lets you compare results by displaying screenshots of web pages in a simple way.
How does BrowserLab work?
When the BrowserLab testing page loads, you will be asked to enter the URL of your website. After that, it will automatically render the screenshot. If you are using Windows, the default browser it uses is Mozilla Firefox 3 – OSX. Its interface is great because it shows the percentage it has already loaded. You can instantly change the browser by choosing from the drop-down menu or from the list in the middle of the interface.
You can also choose how you’d like to view the webpage: 1-up View, 2-up View, Onion Skin. 1-up View is when you just want to render a screenshot in a single browser. 2-up View lets you get screenshots of two browsers, and Onion Skin gives a screenshot of overlapped images of two browsers. This way, you can see the differences between them.
Comparing this to other cross-browser tools, it lacks support for operating systems such as Linux and other web browsers. For a free tool, the interface and current features are useful for daily use.
5. CloudTesting
CloudTesting is a tool that enables web developers to view a website using any of the web browsers listed below.
The browsers it supports are:
Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8
Mozilla Firefox 3, 3.5, 3.6
Apple Safari 3.2, 4.0, 5.0
Google Chrome Latest Version
Opera 9.6
Features:
For Web Developers and Testers
Find issues earlier. Test your current work in progress in multiple browsers at the same time, allowing you to find issues earlier in the development process.
Multi browser. Compare what the website looks like in multiple browsers side-by-side.
Comparison Tools. Compare how the same webpage displays in two browsers using an ‘Onion-skin’ overlay tool.
Automated. Tests can be scheduled to run at regular intervals, freeing you from the tedious task of manually running them and storing the results.
Repeatable. Tests are repeatable day after day to track changes made to the website.
Verify all areas. Verify areas of your site not available to standard cross browser testing tools, such as shopping carts and search results.
Full debug. Have access to historical component information and timings, including HTTP requests and response headers, just like you get in Firebug, but stored by CloudTesting.
For Website Managers
Compare in multiple real browsers. See how your e-commerce or transactional website will look in a variety of browsers at the same time.
SaaS. There is no need to deploy multiple servers or virtual machines for your cross browser testing.
No administration. Browser versions and Operating Systems are kept up-to-date by Cloud Testing.
Reduced development times. The ability for cross browser testing to be scheduled on a regular basis, drastically reduces web development life cycles.
Earlier fixes. A key time-saving feature is the ability to look back over time and see when a defect was introduced, meaning earlier fixes.
Pay for what you use. The PaYT (Pay as You Test) model gives you the ability to cope with peak demand whilst not paying for it during quiet times.
Peace of mind. Give yourself peace of mind by running a sanity check in multiple browsers before launching a new website.
For pricing, check this link.
6. Browser Photo
Browser Photo gives you actual photos of how your web pages will look in different web browsers and platforms.
Service Details:
Browser Photo helps avoid display differences by showing you actual photos – not emulations – of your pages taken on 12 different browser and computer configuration combinations!
It’s Affordable! Building a test laboratory to get the same information that Browser Photo provides would cost at least $4,500.
Catch Errors Made By Your HTML Editor. Often FrontPage HTML works with Internet Explorer, but not other browsers. Browser Photo spots these problems.
Web Designers, show your stuff. Print-friendly reports show clients or bosses what you’ve done! Check out the Web Designer packages.
Browser Photo is an automated, easy-to-use tool that requires no downloads or installation and is continually updated.
Online Access Anywhere, Anytime. Through an internet connection, you can test your Web pages 24 hours a day from anywhere around the world.
7. Browsera
Browsera is a tool that tests the cross-browser layout of your website. You will see the differences and errors on your site.
Features:
Discover Cross-Browser Layout Problems Automatically
This feature of Browsera gives you a notification of possible problems the tool finds while testing your website. Instead of checking each screenshot, you will get a report that gives details on which pages of your site have possible problems.
Locate JavaScript Errors
Browsera is also capable of helping you find problems caused by scripts on your site. We know that scripting errors are a big viewer turn-off and that’s what this feature wants to resolve. Every time a page is rendered, this tool checks if the browser encountered any errors. After checking, it will give you a report showing the results.
Easily Test Entire Sites
This tool tests your website. Not just a page at a time, but your entire website. This means it takes less time to test and find errors, and since it tests the entire site you don’t have to worry about missing a page during the testing process.
Test Pages Requiring a Login
Browsera lets you log in first before testing your site. Very secure, right? It supports both HTTP basic authentication and application based logins, as well.
No Installation Required
Yes, no installation required. Everything that Browsera needs to run comes from their server cluster. All you need to have is a web browser and an internet connection. Ideal for developers that work remotely.
Test Dynamic Pages
Browsera can work with dynamic pages so if you use technologies such as AJAX and DHTML, this will not be an issue. Browsera will wait until pages are loaded prior to the testing process.
8. CrossBrowserTesting
CrossBrowserTesting is a tool that tests your website with a browser and remote VNC. With these tools, you can test your AJAX, JavaScript and Flash with any browser. You just have to provide the URL, select a browser then run the software.
To view their demo, click here.
The browsers it supports are:
Android Browser
Chrome Google 5 to 8
Dillo 0.8.6-i18n
Firefox 1.0 to 4 Beta
Internet Explorer 5.0 to 9 Beta
Mobile Safari
Mozilla 1.7
Opera
and more…
The operating system it supports are:
Android
iPad
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
Mac OSX 10.5.7
Mac OSX 10.5.8
Mac OSX 10.6
Ubuntu 8.10
Windows 7
Windows 98 SE
Windows XP SP2
Windows XP SP3
Windows Vista
This tool offers three plans to choose from and a free trial.
9. BrowserCam
An online paid service that allows developers to view web pages on different browsers and operating systems. It also supports mobile operating systems and browsers. This tool[…]
Tools
Usability
Web_Design
compatibility
Cross_Browser
from google
Wikipedia defines cross-browser as:
The ability for a website, web application, HTML construct or client-side script to support all the web browsers.
Now, you may be confused on what is the difference between cross-browser and multi-browser.
Multi-browser means a website will work in several web browsers like Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer. While cross-browser means a website works in any browser, and any version of the browser, being used.
Image by: lagiamd
This can be a struggle for developers throughout the creation of their websites. If a user cannot view your website properly, he will not blame the operating system or his browser…he will blame the website itself. The goal as developers is to avoid that. That’s why there are tools available for free, or purchase, to make your cross-browser checking easier.
In this article you will find ten useful tools that you can use for your cross-browser compatibility check.
1. BrowserShots
BrowserShots is a free cross-browser tool that captures screenshots of the website in different browsers. This is the best known and the oldest cross-browser tool used by developers.
The browsers it supports are:
Google Chrome
Dillo
ELinks
Epiphany
Mozilla Firefox
Galeon
and more…
The operating system it supports are:
Linux
Windows
Mac
BSD
I read some feedback on the site and there are two things that appear to need improvement. The interface could be better. Though you just have to tick the checkbox, it will still take a lot of time to check all the boxes for the browser and browser versions you want to view your website in. The other thing people don’t like is that sometimes the tool is slow.
2. IE Tester
If you are a developer who is in need of a tool that just supports Internet Explorer, then this tool is for you.
IETester, a free web app that allows you to see the appearance of web pages by using Internet Explorer 5.5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Its interface resembles the interface of MS Word 2007.
I tried using this software and I have found that it does not respond well and should be debugged. I think it might be because of the operating system I use, Windows 7. If you also encounter this problem, you can refer to this page.
3. DotMobi Virtual Developer Lab
Do you need a cross-browser tool dedicated to device testing? Then you should check out this tool.
DotMobi Virtual Developer Lab is a free web-based tool that lets you check your websites on real devices including iPhone with the use of remote access technology.
To use this service, you need to have a credit card. This is for the purpose of preventing abuse of the devices.
4. Adobe Browser Lab
Adobe Browser Lab is an online tool for cross-browser checking. It shows screenshots of the website when viewed in different web browsers. This simple tool lets you compare results by displaying screenshots of web pages in a simple way.
How does BrowserLab work?
When the BrowserLab testing page loads, you will be asked to enter the URL of your website. After that, it will automatically render the screenshot. If you are using Windows, the default browser it uses is Mozilla Firefox 3 – OSX. Its interface is great because it shows the percentage it has already loaded. You can instantly change the browser by choosing from the drop-down menu or from the list in the middle of the interface.
You can also choose how you’d like to view the webpage: 1-up View, 2-up View, Onion Skin. 1-up View is when you just want to render a screenshot in a single browser. 2-up View lets you get screenshots of two browsers, and Onion Skin gives a screenshot of overlapped images of two browsers. This way, you can see the differences between them.
Comparing this to other cross-browser tools, it lacks support for operating systems such as Linux and other web browsers. For a free tool, the interface and current features are useful for daily use.
5. CloudTesting
CloudTesting is a tool that enables web developers to view a website using any of the web browsers listed below.
The browsers it supports are:
Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8
Mozilla Firefox 3, 3.5, 3.6
Apple Safari 3.2, 4.0, 5.0
Google Chrome Latest Version
Opera 9.6
Features:
For Web Developers and Testers
Find issues earlier. Test your current work in progress in multiple browsers at the same time, allowing you to find issues earlier in the development process.
Multi browser. Compare what the website looks like in multiple browsers side-by-side.
Comparison Tools. Compare how the same webpage displays in two browsers using an ‘Onion-skin’ overlay tool.
Automated. Tests can be scheduled to run at regular intervals, freeing you from the tedious task of manually running them and storing the results.
Repeatable. Tests are repeatable day after day to track changes made to the website.
Verify all areas. Verify areas of your site not available to standard cross browser testing tools, such as shopping carts and search results.
Full debug. Have access to historical component information and timings, including HTTP requests and response headers, just like you get in Firebug, but stored by CloudTesting.
For Website Managers
Compare in multiple real browsers. See how your e-commerce or transactional website will look in a variety of browsers at the same time.
SaaS. There is no need to deploy multiple servers or virtual machines for your cross browser testing.
No administration. Browser versions and Operating Systems are kept up-to-date by Cloud Testing.
Reduced development times. The ability for cross browser testing to be scheduled on a regular basis, drastically reduces web development life cycles.
Earlier fixes. A key time-saving feature is the ability to look back over time and see when a defect was introduced, meaning earlier fixes.
Pay for what you use. The PaYT (Pay as You Test) model gives you the ability to cope with peak demand whilst not paying for it during quiet times.
Peace of mind. Give yourself peace of mind by running a sanity check in multiple browsers before launching a new website.
For pricing, check this link.
6. Browser Photo
Browser Photo gives you actual photos of how your web pages will look in different web browsers and platforms.
Service Details:
Browser Photo helps avoid display differences by showing you actual photos – not emulations – of your pages taken on 12 different browser and computer configuration combinations!
It’s Affordable! Building a test laboratory to get the same information that Browser Photo provides would cost at least $4,500.
Catch Errors Made By Your HTML Editor. Often FrontPage HTML works with Internet Explorer, but not other browsers. Browser Photo spots these problems.
Web Designers, show your stuff. Print-friendly reports show clients or bosses what you’ve done! Check out the Web Designer packages.
Browser Photo is an automated, easy-to-use tool that requires no downloads or installation and is continually updated.
Online Access Anywhere, Anytime. Through an internet connection, you can test your Web pages 24 hours a day from anywhere around the world.
7. Browsera
Browsera is a tool that tests the cross-browser layout of your website. You will see the differences and errors on your site.
Features:
Discover Cross-Browser Layout Problems Automatically
This feature of Browsera gives you a notification of possible problems the tool finds while testing your website. Instead of checking each screenshot, you will get a report that gives details on which pages of your site have possible problems.
Locate JavaScript Errors
Browsera is also capable of helping you find problems caused by scripts on your site. We know that scripting errors are a big viewer turn-off and that’s what this feature wants to resolve. Every time a page is rendered, this tool checks if the browser encountered any errors. After checking, it will give you a report showing the results.
Easily Test Entire Sites
This tool tests your website. Not just a page at a time, but your entire website. This means it takes less time to test and find errors, and since it tests the entire site you don’t have to worry about missing a page during the testing process.
Test Pages Requiring a Login
Browsera lets you log in first before testing your site. Very secure, right? It supports both HTTP basic authentication and application based logins, as well.
No Installation Required
Yes, no installation required. Everything that Browsera needs to run comes from their server cluster. All you need to have is a web browser and an internet connection. Ideal for developers that work remotely.
Test Dynamic Pages
Browsera can work with dynamic pages so if you use technologies such as AJAX and DHTML, this will not be an issue. Browsera will wait until pages are loaded prior to the testing process.
8. CrossBrowserTesting
CrossBrowserTesting is a tool that tests your website with a browser and remote VNC. With these tools, you can test your AJAX, JavaScript and Flash with any browser. You just have to provide the URL, select a browser then run the software.
To view their demo, click here.
The browsers it supports are:
Android Browser
Chrome Google 5 to 8
Dillo 0.8.6-i18n
Firefox 1.0 to 4 Beta
Internet Explorer 5.0 to 9 Beta
Mobile Safari
Mozilla 1.7
Opera
and more…
The operating system it supports are:
Android
iPad
iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4
Mac OSX 10.5.7
Mac OSX 10.5.8
Mac OSX 10.6
Ubuntu 8.10
Windows 7
Windows 98 SE
Windows XP SP2
Windows XP SP3
Windows Vista
This tool offers three plans to choose from and a free trial.
9. BrowserCam
An online paid service that allows developers to view web pages on different browsers and operating systems. It also supports mobile operating systems and browsers. This tool[…]
february 2011 by alexhansford
6 Places Where Freelancers Can Work Comfortably At
february 2011 by alexhansford
Freelancing is now becoming popular as a source of income for many people. There are a lot of reasons why many are attracted to this kind of work. One reason that I find very attractive is I can work anywhere I want! The way you work affects the quality of your output, and your workplace affects how you work. Therefore, you should choose a good place to work from. You need to find a place that will give you comfort while working and where you won’t easily get distracted. In this article, I will be giving you a list of places where you can work comfortably. Have fun reading!
Rent an Office
A great place where you can focus solely on your work is at an office. The ambiance makes you want to work, and you can really focus on completing tasks. Renting an office may be an option for freelancers who have a steady source of income. Since you need to pay the rent, the electric and internet bills, you may ask your friends who also work as freelancers to share the space and cost with you. Having someone around when you’re working also gives you a chance to socialize.
Advantages:
Office is a great place where your focus will only be on your work.
There are fewer distractions and more productive hours for you.
Working in an office teaches you to be disciplined to get up early, stay on schedule and go at work.
Disadvantages:
You are required to pay the bills like the rent and utilities.
You need to buy things for your office set-up such as cabinets, tables and chairs.
You need to travel from your home to the office.
Image by: Geneva Sound
At Home
Many freelancers work at home. One thing I like about working at home is that I feel at home. There are a lot of locations in a house where you can do your work.
Bedroom
I work in my bedroom. What I like about working in my room is that I can do everything I want without disturbing my family and I can lock myself in the room so I won’t get disturbed. Any time that I need time to think for a certain task, I can just walk around my room while thinking.
Advantages:
You can focus yourself on what you do. In my case, I lock the door so I’m not disturbed.
You feel free to work since you are in your own comfort zone.
Every tool you need such as your printer, storage devices, notebooks and pens, etc. are handy.
There’s no need for you to travel.
When you want to eat, you can just go to your kitchen. Unlike in an office, where you may be inclined to eat out more frequently instead of packing a lunch.
Disadvantages:
Sometimes, seeing a bed makes you want to lie down and just ‘catch a quick nap.’
If there’s a TV in your room, it can be a major distraction as you may be tempted to watch your favorite TV show.
Image by: Rebekah Pavlovic
Living Room
When I feel that my room feels stale or stuffy and I need a bit more space, I work in our living room. So, what are the advantages and downsides of working in a living room?
Advantages:
When you get bored, your family members can help you feel energized.
When you see your family, you’ll be inspired and motivated to work hard.
Sitting on a couch with your laptop is actually pretty comfortable.
Disadvantages:
Your family may be a big distraction. They may feel like chatting with you or asking for your help around the house
TV and other entertainment can be a distraction.
Image by: Neil Goodman
Dining Room
Do you eat while working? You may just want to work in your dining room then. When I feel my body craves for food, I just use a laptop and place it on our dining table.
Advantages:
It’s easy for you to set up your workspace there.
Eating while working is good, but do not eat too much.
Family members usually only stay at the table long enough for a quick bite to eat.
Disadvantages:
If you tend to be careless, you can spill your food or drink all over your computer.
When you are in a dining room, you tend to eat a lot. When your body feels heavy, you will also feel sleepy.
There can be distractions such as smells from the kitchen or other external factors.
Image by: Bookishly Fab
Library
When we were in college, we used to stay in our school’s library. The ambiance is good and most importantly, it’s very quiet.
Advantages:
The surrounding is peaceful and silent. You can work on your tasks properly.
If you cannot find a reference on the web, there are a lot of books that you can use there.
You do not need to pay to get inside and use their facilities.
Disadvantages:
If you yell at your monitor when upset, you risk getting kicked out.
Most libraries forbid people from bringing food inside to maintain the cleanliness of the place.
Sometimes you feel bored because of the silence that fills the place.
Image by: Paul Burdick
In many places, public libraries have wi-fi. So, all you need to bring is your laptop and other personal belongings. Also, do not forget to bring an ID. Most libraries require people to surrender their IDs for identification purposes.
Coffee Shops
I remember from another freelancing job, my friends and I used to work at least twice a month in a coffee shop. This gives us different ambiance and since we love frappes and lattes, we enjoy working there.
Advantages:
I enjoy working in a coffee shop, because of the energizing ambiance it brings.
You can socialize with other people and you might meet other freelancers.
The different people, and the art that most coffee shops display can be inspiring.
Disadvantages:
You need to spend money, coffee shops won’t let you sit in their coffee shop all day with the same cup of coffee.
There are times that their wi-fi connection is down.
It can get noisy and distracting during different periods of the day. You may need to bring headphones to help block out the noises.
Image by: Iris
Factors To Consider When Choosing a Workplace
In choosing a place to work, you should consider the following factors:
Setup
The setup of your workplace should give you the motivation to work and be productive each day.
Make sure that your choice of workplace has all the tools you need to work, especially the internet connection.
Cleanliness. Be sure to work in a place that’s clean.If you’re working at home, clean up before starting work.
You should feel relaxed and comfortable where you at. If you’re comfortable, you’re likely to not get distracted as easily.
Distractions
Say no to distractions. A distraction can be the weather, a noise, a person or an emotion. There are many suggested ways to avoid distractions, but for me there are only two things necessary to avoid distractions: focus and discipline.
Think of your goals each day and focus on them.
Think of your inspiration and be motivated by it.
Aim to be better today than yesterday.
Expenses
Expenses should also be considered. Working in a coffee shop or in a restaurant everyday is too expensive. Be practical. If you are earning good money, you can just rent an office and share it with other freelancers. If you think you can just work at home, do that. There’s no better place to stay than at your own home. Before I end this article, I have collected pictures of the workplaces of some of the people behind 1stwebdesigner. Take a look below.
My workplace:
This is my workplace which is located inside my room. I have my PC, my notebook and my planner, a glass of water and a juice drink. I did the setup on where I find myself comfortable moving and working.
Rean’s workplace:
This is Rean’s workplace, he is a writer and editor at 1stwebdesigner. You will see his moleskine, his favorite pen, his laptop, a coffee and the BunnyPeople of Intel atop his books. Very clean and everything that he needs is readily on his table. (Rean’s note: pink walls help me concentrate, swear!)
Saad’s workplace:
This is Saad’s workplace, he is our main editor. In his workplace, you will see two monitors, a book, and a router behind the monitor. It’s very clean! One thing you need to make sure is your workplace is clean. Whenever I find my workplace messy, I ended up cleaning it and the rest of my room instead of working. So before doing your tasks, make sure your surroundings are clean and organized. This applies mostly to freelancers who work at home.
Dainis’ workplace:
This is the office of our CEO. You will find here a Mac book, computers, a calendar, moleskine and other things he and his co-workers need. Your workplace must have a good lighting like this, it gives a comfortable working atmosphere. This kind of office setup where people are near each other is also good. This way, they can communicate well with each other.
How about you? Where do you work most of the time? What made you decide to work there? Share your insights! You can also show us a picture of your workplace
Freelance
Tips
Web_Design
Freelancing
workplace
from google
Rent an Office
A great place where you can focus solely on your work is at an office. The ambiance makes you want to work, and you can really focus on completing tasks. Renting an office may be an option for freelancers who have a steady source of income. Since you need to pay the rent, the electric and internet bills, you may ask your friends who also work as freelancers to share the space and cost with you. Having someone around when you’re working also gives you a chance to socialize.
Advantages:
Office is a great place where your focus will only be on your work.
There are fewer distractions and more productive hours for you.
Working in an office teaches you to be disciplined to get up early, stay on schedule and go at work.
Disadvantages:
You are required to pay the bills like the rent and utilities.
You need to buy things for your office set-up such as cabinets, tables and chairs.
You need to travel from your home to the office.
Image by: Geneva Sound
At Home
Many freelancers work at home. One thing I like about working at home is that I feel at home. There are a lot of locations in a house where you can do your work.
Bedroom
I work in my bedroom. What I like about working in my room is that I can do everything I want without disturbing my family and I can lock myself in the room so I won’t get disturbed. Any time that I need time to think for a certain task, I can just walk around my room while thinking.
Advantages:
You can focus yourself on what you do. In my case, I lock the door so I’m not disturbed.
You feel free to work since you are in your own comfort zone.
Every tool you need such as your printer, storage devices, notebooks and pens, etc. are handy.
There’s no need for you to travel.
When you want to eat, you can just go to your kitchen. Unlike in an office, where you may be inclined to eat out more frequently instead of packing a lunch.
Disadvantages:
Sometimes, seeing a bed makes you want to lie down and just ‘catch a quick nap.’
If there’s a TV in your room, it can be a major distraction as you may be tempted to watch your favorite TV show.
Image by: Rebekah Pavlovic
Living Room
When I feel that my room feels stale or stuffy and I need a bit more space, I work in our living room. So, what are the advantages and downsides of working in a living room?
Advantages:
When you get bored, your family members can help you feel energized.
When you see your family, you’ll be inspired and motivated to work hard.
Sitting on a couch with your laptop is actually pretty comfortable.
Disadvantages:
Your family may be a big distraction. They may feel like chatting with you or asking for your help around the house
TV and other entertainment can be a distraction.
Image by: Neil Goodman
Dining Room
Do you eat while working? You may just want to work in your dining room then. When I feel my body craves for food, I just use a laptop and place it on our dining table.
Advantages:
It’s easy for you to set up your workspace there.
Eating while working is good, but do not eat too much.
Family members usually only stay at the table long enough for a quick bite to eat.
Disadvantages:
If you tend to be careless, you can spill your food or drink all over your computer.
When you are in a dining room, you tend to eat a lot. When your body feels heavy, you will also feel sleepy.
There can be distractions such as smells from the kitchen or other external factors.
Image by: Bookishly Fab
Library
When we were in college, we used to stay in our school’s library. The ambiance is good and most importantly, it’s very quiet.
Advantages:
The surrounding is peaceful and silent. You can work on your tasks properly.
If you cannot find a reference on the web, there are a lot of books that you can use there.
You do not need to pay to get inside and use their facilities.
Disadvantages:
If you yell at your monitor when upset, you risk getting kicked out.
Most libraries forbid people from bringing food inside to maintain the cleanliness of the place.
Sometimes you feel bored because of the silence that fills the place.
Image by: Paul Burdick
In many places, public libraries have wi-fi. So, all you need to bring is your laptop and other personal belongings. Also, do not forget to bring an ID. Most libraries require people to surrender their IDs for identification purposes.
Coffee Shops
I remember from another freelancing job, my friends and I used to work at least twice a month in a coffee shop. This gives us different ambiance and since we love frappes and lattes, we enjoy working there.
Advantages:
I enjoy working in a coffee shop, because of the energizing ambiance it brings.
You can socialize with other people and you might meet other freelancers.
The different people, and the art that most coffee shops display can be inspiring.
Disadvantages:
You need to spend money, coffee shops won’t let you sit in their coffee shop all day with the same cup of coffee.
There are times that their wi-fi connection is down.
It can get noisy and distracting during different periods of the day. You may need to bring headphones to help block out the noises.
Image by: Iris
Factors To Consider When Choosing a Workplace
In choosing a place to work, you should consider the following factors:
Setup
The setup of your workplace should give you the motivation to work and be productive each day.
Make sure that your choice of workplace has all the tools you need to work, especially the internet connection.
Cleanliness. Be sure to work in a place that’s clean.If you’re working at home, clean up before starting work.
You should feel relaxed and comfortable where you at. If you’re comfortable, you’re likely to not get distracted as easily.
Distractions
Say no to distractions. A distraction can be the weather, a noise, a person or an emotion. There are many suggested ways to avoid distractions, but for me there are only two things necessary to avoid distractions: focus and discipline.
Think of your goals each day and focus on them.
Think of your inspiration and be motivated by it.
Aim to be better today than yesterday.
Expenses
Expenses should also be considered. Working in a coffee shop or in a restaurant everyday is too expensive. Be practical. If you are earning good money, you can just rent an office and share it with other freelancers. If you think you can just work at home, do that. There’s no better place to stay than at your own home. Before I end this article, I have collected pictures of the workplaces of some of the people behind 1stwebdesigner. Take a look below.
My workplace:
This is my workplace which is located inside my room. I have my PC, my notebook and my planner, a glass of water and a juice drink. I did the setup on where I find myself comfortable moving and working.
Rean’s workplace:
This is Rean’s workplace, he is a writer and editor at 1stwebdesigner. You will see his moleskine, his favorite pen, his laptop, a coffee and the BunnyPeople of Intel atop his books. Very clean and everything that he needs is readily on his table. (Rean’s note: pink walls help me concentrate, swear!)
Saad’s workplace:
This is Saad’s workplace, he is our main editor. In his workplace, you will see two monitors, a book, and a router behind the monitor. It’s very clean! One thing you need to make sure is your workplace is clean. Whenever I find my workplace messy, I ended up cleaning it and the rest of my room instead of working. So before doing your tasks, make sure your surroundings are clean and organized. This applies mostly to freelancers who work at home.
Dainis’ workplace:
This is the office of our CEO. You will find here a Mac book, computers, a calendar, moleskine and other things he and his co-workers need. Your workplace must have a good lighting like this, it gives a comfortable working atmosphere. This kind of office setup where people are near each other is also good. This way, they can communicate well with each other.
How about you? Where do you work most of the time? What made you decide to work there? Share your insights! You can also show us a picture of your workplace
february 2011 by alexhansford
How to Create a Perfect White Web Design? Tips and Inspiration
january 2011 by alexhansford
White is clean and elegant, these are the two things we see on White. This color has always been popular that is used in different kinds of industries. For instance in interior designing, designers prefer more White to stand out as the main color in decorating a room or a house.
But how to create such design on our own?
Take a look at this image of a room that is decorated in all White.
Image by: New Inspiration Home Design
Do you find this beautiful? I do. And the color is just simple yet it brings out the elegance and cleanliness of the room. Also with web design, White is becoming famous as the chosen dominating color for a theme of a website. Not only that it is simple, clean and elegant, it also brings a lot the creativity on designers reflecting on their works. Personally, I find it very easy to create a web design when I use White as my main color. In this article, I will be sharing to you my thoughts and ideas regarding White color in creating a web design.
What Makes White Beautiful?
Clean and Simple
I think everyone will agree with me that White symbolizes cleanliness. And that is one thing we are looking for on a website, right? We can say that a website is clean when the contents and other elements of the site look organized where they are properly placed in an appropriate position.
Greece is for Lovers, a website where you can buy several limited Greece-inspired products, is one good example of a website that value simplicity and neatness. Notice that the navigations and contents are well placed. The whole site is simple to use, therefore gives users comfort in exploring.
Another example of a website that looks clean is i am Dan, a portfolio website owned by a web designer and flash developer. The contents and elements of the site are placed in a right position, the texts are readable and the navigations are user-friendly.
There are just some of the examples of website where White gives a cleanliness in the look of a website. Now, let us go to how White can offer simplicity on a web design.
In the mind of viewers, the simplicity of a website is determined when it loads faster, user-friendly, easy to navigate and responses quickly. For designers, a simple website is easy to create, edit and maintain, therefore giving less cost on employers . To fully understand this one better, I have here examples of websites that value simplicity.
Zurb is an agency of web design that has a website that is simple to use, refreshing and very direct.
Professional and Elegant
When a website looks professional is elegant, it gives an impression to users that the company or the person is professional and elegant or formal too. White is one of the colors that can give a look like this on a site.
fourthfloorinteractive is an agency that gives interactive solutions on their clients. Take a look at their website, White gives a professional and elegant look and it blended well on the other elements of the site.
The professionalism and elegance of a company or a person can be determined on the impression their websites is giving, and putting a White color on your site can hand you these things.
Creative and Attractive
Websites should be creative and also attractive. In this way, visitors will have an excitement and drive to fully explore your site. A website is creative and captivating when the viewers enjoy and is having a comfort exploring well, even if it only have less contents on the page.
The reason that I always find White as a main color on a design is because whatever you match with it, it will still look good. And that’s what is why I find White very creative and attractive. Why don’t you take a look at these sites for an evidence that White can also be creative and catchy.
Noemie Chevaux-Tavernier
Here is one example that White website can be creative. The designer used different kinds of figures and beautiful fonts to make it look creative. I think if the White was put into different color, it won’t look good as the way it is.
We Make It Live
Each elements of this website gives a creative and uniqueness on the whole design. White makes the design look fabulous, cute yet professional in look.
Benefits of Using White
It makes your contents stand out.
Imagine a plain canvass, it’s all in White right? But after you have drawn on it, the drawing stands out. And that’s how contents also stand out on a layout if you will be using White color.
Compare the two websites below:
Bootb
As soon as the page (image above) loads, the first thing you will notice is the Black. But if you will be seeing this page (image below), you will immediately notice the contents but not White. And that’s how contents stand out on a White canvas.
Log
It is easier to mix and match.
This applies to everything. When you choose a top that is in White, you may pair it with bottoms in any color. When you use White wallpaper or paint on for your wall, you can have your furniture in any color. And for web designing, when you use White you may use any colors to mix with it. You may use Black, Gray, Pink, Blue or even Orange! Try looking at the picture below.
Image by: gugy
I can say that White is a color that you can mix and match with other colors.
It looks neat.
White symbolizes neatness and cleanliness. This also implies on web design, it makes your website looks neat even you put any colors to match it.
Image by: jessamyn west
When Creating a White Web Design: Tips and Guidelines
As much as possible, use dark colors on your texts to make them stand out from the White. Make your text readable in size.
Make your buttons in a darker color, so that your viewers will notice them quickly. Also, design them as simple as White is to give your viewers comfort in exploring your site.
Put your contents in an organized way to make your website look more neat. This will also make your viewers easier to read and explore.
Be simple yet creative. You can put different kinds of figures or images to make your web design look simple yet creative. This can capture viewers’ attention.
More Examples: Websites With White Design
Look Designs
Koeln Bonn Airport
Numan Cebi
Hello Lucky
Devia
Alcian Blue
Threadless
Gustavo Urena
AQ Works
Big Youth
Itchy Pixel
Chriss Loan
Tisha Creative
Midiaweb
Christa Robillard
One Day Without Google
Anywhichway
SquareFACTOR
A Woman In The Mirror
Shop YCN Online
Your Thoughts
I hope you learned something from this article and got inspired to create a website with White color on it. You may also want to share some thoughts regarding White color on the Comment section.
Inspiration
Tips
Web_Design
Web_Interfaces
showcase
white
from google
But how to create such design on our own?
Take a look at this image of a room that is decorated in all White.
Image by: New Inspiration Home Design
Do you find this beautiful? I do. And the color is just simple yet it brings out the elegance and cleanliness of the room. Also with web design, White is becoming famous as the chosen dominating color for a theme of a website. Not only that it is simple, clean and elegant, it also brings a lot the creativity on designers reflecting on their works. Personally, I find it very easy to create a web design when I use White as my main color. In this article, I will be sharing to you my thoughts and ideas regarding White color in creating a web design.
What Makes White Beautiful?
Clean and Simple
I think everyone will agree with me that White symbolizes cleanliness. And that is one thing we are looking for on a website, right? We can say that a website is clean when the contents and other elements of the site look organized where they are properly placed in an appropriate position.
Greece is for Lovers, a website where you can buy several limited Greece-inspired products, is one good example of a website that value simplicity and neatness. Notice that the navigations and contents are well placed. The whole site is simple to use, therefore gives users comfort in exploring.
Another example of a website that looks clean is i am Dan, a portfolio website owned by a web designer and flash developer. The contents and elements of the site are placed in a right position, the texts are readable and the navigations are user-friendly.
There are just some of the examples of website where White gives a cleanliness in the look of a website. Now, let us go to how White can offer simplicity on a web design.
In the mind of viewers, the simplicity of a website is determined when it loads faster, user-friendly, easy to navigate and responses quickly. For designers, a simple website is easy to create, edit and maintain, therefore giving less cost on employers . To fully understand this one better, I have here examples of websites that value simplicity.
Zurb is an agency of web design that has a website that is simple to use, refreshing and very direct.
Professional and Elegant
When a website looks professional is elegant, it gives an impression to users that the company or the person is professional and elegant or formal too. White is one of the colors that can give a look like this on a site.
fourthfloorinteractive is an agency that gives interactive solutions on their clients. Take a look at their website, White gives a professional and elegant look and it blended well on the other elements of the site.
The professionalism and elegance of a company or a person can be determined on the impression their websites is giving, and putting a White color on your site can hand you these things.
Creative and Attractive
Websites should be creative and also attractive. In this way, visitors will have an excitement and drive to fully explore your site. A website is creative and captivating when the viewers enjoy and is having a comfort exploring well, even if it only have less contents on the page.
The reason that I always find White as a main color on a design is because whatever you match with it, it will still look good. And that’s what is why I find White very creative and attractive. Why don’t you take a look at these sites for an evidence that White can also be creative and catchy.
Noemie Chevaux-Tavernier
Here is one example that White website can be creative. The designer used different kinds of figures and beautiful fonts to make it look creative. I think if the White was put into different color, it won’t look good as the way it is.
We Make It Live
Each elements of this website gives a creative and uniqueness on the whole design. White makes the design look fabulous, cute yet professional in look.
Benefits of Using White
It makes your contents stand out.
Imagine a plain canvass, it’s all in White right? But after you have drawn on it, the drawing stands out. And that’s how contents also stand out on a layout if you will be using White color.
Compare the two websites below:
Bootb
As soon as the page (image above) loads, the first thing you will notice is the Black. But if you will be seeing this page (image below), you will immediately notice the contents but not White. And that’s how contents stand out on a White canvas.
Log
It is easier to mix and match.
This applies to everything. When you choose a top that is in White, you may pair it with bottoms in any color. When you use White wallpaper or paint on for your wall, you can have your furniture in any color. And for web designing, when you use White you may use any colors to mix with it. You may use Black, Gray, Pink, Blue or even Orange! Try looking at the picture below.
Image by: gugy
I can say that White is a color that you can mix and match with other colors.
It looks neat.
White symbolizes neatness and cleanliness. This also implies on web design, it makes your website looks neat even you put any colors to match it.
Image by: jessamyn west
When Creating a White Web Design: Tips and Guidelines
As much as possible, use dark colors on your texts to make them stand out from the White. Make your text readable in size.
Make your buttons in a darker color, so that your viewers will notice them quickly. Also, design them as simple as White is to give your viewers comfort in exploring your site.
Put your contents in an organized way to make your website look more neat. This will also make your viewers easier to read and explore.
Be simple yet creative. You can put different kinds of figures or images to make your web design look simple yet creative. This can capture viewers’ attention.
More Examples: Websites With White Design
Look Designs
Koeln Bonn Airport
Numan Cebi
Hello Lucky
Devia
Alcian Blue
Threadless
Gustavo Urena
AQ Works
Big Youth
Itchy Pixel
Chriss Loan
Tisha Creative
Midiaweb
Christa Robillard
One Day Without Google
Anywhichway
SquareFACTOR
A Woman In The Mirror
Shop YCN Online
Your Thoughts
I hope you learned something from this article and got inspired to create a website with White color on it. You may also want to share some thoughts regarding White color on the Comment section.
january 2011 by alexhansford
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