The Joy of Discovery in Web Design
December 4th, 2009 — 15 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 — 22 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...Links of the Week 25
November 27th, 2009 — 3 Comments
Links of Interest
Dotted borders in Photoshop, 10 things to do before site launch, to grid or not to grid, clients from hell and user reviews.
10 Things You Must Do Before A New Site Or Blog Launch
Making dotted borders in Photoshop
To Grid or Not to Grid: Advantages and Disadvantages
Clients from Hell
User Reviews: Increased Sales, Traffic, and Transparency
This Week on Inspect Element
The Funny and Bizarre World of Client Requests
Wallpapers of the Week 25: Autumn
The Key Ingredients of a Great Single Page Website
Read more...The Key Ingredients of a Great Single Page Website
November 26th, 2009 — 16 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 — 143 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.
