Breakdown of Great Web App Homepage Design
December 16th, 2009 — 23 Comments
Web applications are becoming more relevant due to the future release of operating systems such as Google Chrome OS and possibly the Apple tablet as well as the fact that people are starting to use multiple devices. Being able to get access to them from wherever you have an internet connection combined with owning multiple devices means that web apps are becoming more and more relevant and will continue to do so as internet speeds increase.
The biggest area where web application has to encourage new users to sign up is on the homepage so we’re going to take a look at what makes a great web app homepage design. Don’t forget that many of these observations can be easily applied to other aspects of web design, not just for web application homepages.
Read more...Some of the Top Minds in the World of CSS and why you should be following their Work
December 14th, 2009 — 26 Comments
When I started learning CSS, I did some research to find out who were the best people at the time sharing their knowledge online. I found that this was the best way of learning CSS by myself. Of course, I wasn’t learning CSS by myself, I recruited the best teachers available.
Still to this day I follow the top CSS’ers in the business to keep up with what’s hot and now with the rise of Twitter, you can easily keep up to date with the best people in the world of CSS.
Read more...7 of the Most Common Web Design Mistakes You Must Avoid
December 7th, 2009 — 58 Comments
As a web designer, it is difficult for me to use the web without analysing almost every page I see. Web design is my passion so I can’t avoid it. It’s one of the best ways to learn what has been done well so when I see poor use of design on the web and think about the average user, it annoys me to notice that some aspects of websites, or even complete sites, are poorly designed.
Here are seven of the most common mistakes made in web design and why you need to avoid them at all costs in order to make sure you are on the right track to producing the best work you possibly can.
Read more...The Joy of Discovery in Web Design
December 4th, 2009 — 21 Comments
We all want want users to to be happy when using a site that has been designed by ourselves. It’s just one of the many reasons why, as web designers, we should be passionate about what we do. The word ‘experience’ is thrown about abundently and while we try to create the best possible experience for visitors, not many designers think past that and take the time to add extra touches for visitors to really feel happy to be on a site.
The act of discovery is part of human nature. When you go on holiday, you’re going somewhere not only to enjoy yourself but to discover somewhere new. The same thinking can be applied to web design as when someone is visiting a new site, they are looking to discover something but it is our job to make their discovery as fun and memorable as possible.
Review of Easy and Inexpensive Tools for Usability Testing
November 30th, 2009 — 26 Comments
There is a perception about usability testing that it is both time consuming and expensive. While it can be time consuming, good usability testing certainly can be inexpensive. You will find out with the examples below and the good thing is that there are a number of different online tools that don’t all do the same thing so you can test different aspects of a site in multiple ways.
The following is a look at five of the most well known tools to help you get the most out of user testing without the need for a large budget.
Read more...The Key Ingredients of a Great Single Page Website
November 26th, 2009 — 18 Comments
Every now and then Inspect Element will be looking at a specific style of web design and picking out the best examples in that field and what makes them so great so you can learn from them and improve your own work.
The first one we’re looking at is one page website designs. By far the most common use of single page websites are portfolios but they can be suitable to just about any business type. However, there are a few things to take note of before going down the single page route.
The Funny and Bizarre World of Client Requests
November 23rd, 2009 — 157 Comments
For some, odd client requests are a source of frustration but for others it can serve as nice distraction. We’ve all had to deal with requests from clients that are either plain daft or simply hilarious but chances are, you haven’t seen anything until you see the vast array of demands other web designers have faced.
So with a little help from Smashing Magazine, who asked for funny client requests on Twitter and Facebook, here is a collection of the funniest and most bizarre.
