Web Design Blog & Web Design Resources Blog & News: Web design resources and graphics blog with lists of useful web site design tools, utilities, and articles for web designers. : Web Design Resources Blog & Graphics Blog with Lists of Web Site Design Tools

Should You Drop the Drop-Down Menus?

February 6, 2011 – 12:51 am

Keattikorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net (http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1692)

I was recently on a home improvement web site searching for ideas for renovating my bathroom. After a few minutes on the site I realized that I was not going to find what I was looking for – it certainly could have been there, but I just could not find it. Menu after menu had me scrolling down lists of vague terms that would result in me clicking through only to jump back to the original list for another try. The experience motivated me to issue this warning to students in graphic design schools and already established web designers – if a drop-down menu is not an effective tool on your web site, just drop it!

We have all encountered a web site that was a nightmare to navigate. The frustration builds as you scroll up and down the page, from left to right, searching for the one piece of information you came to find. Finally, you think you have found it! You click and what appears? A monster drop-down menu that is more difficult to maneuver within than the site itself. These “mega-menus” have become a trend in web design as site owners try to pack more and more content into their sites. But what is the use of content if it cannot be easily accessed?

The best drop-down menus should include everything you need on one page without the need to scroll down or to the left or right. It should be organized into logical categories with sub-lists to break up the overwhelming look of a running list of terms. The menu should have a balance of content and open areas – do not be afraid of white space. And, use your creativity when designing the menu’s layout. Photos and graphics are an excellent way to convey a message without crowding the space with more text.

By admin Posted in Graphic Design, Menu & Navigation Tools, Web Design & Layout No Comments

Sharpen Your Skills and Gain an Edge at 2011 Web Design Conferences

January 29, 2011 – 11:43 pm

Photo courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / freedigitalphotos.net / http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=659

Graphic design schools prepare us well for our immediate future, but it takes effort to stay on top of the ever-changing field of web design. Following are a few of the upcoming conferences and trade shows meant to help you stay a step ahead of the competition.

Interaction Eleven In its fourth year, Interaction Eleven is an annual event with content and activities related to practitioners, managers, educators and students. February 9 – 12; Boulder, Colorado

In Ctrl 2011 A two –day conference described as using modern tools and techniques to refine your web design craft. Topics include, but are not limited to, HTML5, Microformats, Emotional Design and Design Research. February 21 – 22; Orlando, Florida

An Event Apart This two-day education conference is targeted to practitioners of standards-based web design. Topics include creating the right content and features for your audience, designing pages that are easy to read and use and effectively working with browsers and web gadgets. May 2 – 4; Boston, Massachusetts/June 13 – 15; Atlanta, Georgia/August 8 – 10; Minneapolis, Minnesota/October 24 – 16; Washington, DC/December 12 – 14; San Francisco, California

How Design Live Attendees will learn of to use software more effectively, find inspiration and develop a better creative process. Sessions include, but are not limited to, Color Strategy, Forecasting and Expressions; Designing for Icons; Designing Holistically; and What the Future Wants from a Designer. June 22 – 27; Chicago, Illinois

Pivot: AIGA Design Conference This conference will feature hands-on creative workshops, breakout sessions, daily designer roundtables, exhibitions and local studio tours. October 13 – 16; Phoenix, Arizona

By admin Posted in Graphic Design, Other, Uncategorized No Comments

Are All Fonts Created Equal When it Comes to Web Design?

January 22, 2011 – 10:18 pm

Photo courtesy of Arvind Balaraman, FreeDigitalPhotos.net, http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1058

The font styles you choose for your web site set the tone of the content. Some fonts are so powerful that even unrelated characters, when combined, can convey a message of fun, whimsy, importance or even elegance. While the right style can contribute to keeping site visitors engaged and interested in exploring more, a poor choice can be distracting and cause frustration. Remember, there are countless web sites floating within the World Wide Web. Internet users are quick to jump to the next available web page for information if they are not having a positive experience navigating your site. But, with numerous font choices available with the click of a mouse, how do you know what the best selections are for your site?

Web typography is not as straight forward as it may seem. Fonts fall into categories according to families – the families all have certain characteristics in common. Some font families share traits that make them more readable than others. This is when choice matters.

Graphic design colleges can provide valuable insight into the proper use of color, text and layout when building and designing your web page. But, if the person viewing the site does not have the font styles you choose loaded on his/her computer, he/she won’t be able to enjoy your creativity. Your best bet? Unless fancy or creative fonts are part of an image, stick with the standards such as Arial, Times New Roman and Verdana. Whether the site visitor has a Mac or Windows operating system, chances are the font will be compatible.

By admin Posted in Colors in Design, Graphic Design, Other, Typography & Fonts No Comments

Using Animation Effectively in Web Design

December 3, 2010 – 8:45 pm

Animated GIFs, dynamic HTML, Flash Macromedia – with the plethora of animation methods now available to even amateur web designers, should you feel obligated to add some to your website? The answer is yes… and no.

Here’s a helpful checklist to make sure you use animation effectively and to decide if you need it at all:

Does the animation enhance your site? In other words, is it appropriate for your site’s purpose and content? If you’re selling electronics on your site, then animation of kids playing with puppies (no matter how cute they are) wouldn’t accomplish much. But animation revealing all the cool things the electronics can do may help generate more sales.
Does the animation significantly slow down how fast the site loads? You may design the coolest animation in the world, but if it makes your website take forever to load then not many people will have the patience to stick around and see it.
Does the animation blend in with your web design? If you use too much animation, or even one that makes your page look overly chaotic, it may be off-putting to some of your visitors. Similarly, don’t feel you have to use bright colors to grab the viewer’s attention. Soft colors may suit your site better.
Is your animation memorable? Have you seen similar animation on other websites, or have you created something that is uniquely yours?
Does your animation require any special software or plug-ins? If so, then you may alienate a large portion of your website visitors.

By admin Posted in Animation & Flash, Web Design & Layout, Web Graphics No Comments

Considering Colors

November 18, 2010 – 7:31 pm

When designing your website, you need to carefully consider your color choices. That’s because site visitors form their opinions about your site within nine seconds of first seeing the page. Your colors give some of the first visual clues as to the site’s content, importance, and navigation. Used wisely, colors group similar ideas together, express the values and personality of the website, and enhance any goods or services the website offers to consumers.

Some web designers like using five colors: three complementary colors, one contrast color, and one highlight color. Others focus on color theory, since whether your website visitors know it or not they have instinctive reactions to most colors in either a positive or negative way. For instance:

Red: Evokes feelings of passion, excitement, and energy; can also be associated with anger, blood, or violence.
Orange: Represents approachability, informality, friendliness; can also indicate a lack of discernment or quality
Yellow: Associated with sunlight, yellow is upbeat and optimistic; can sometimes be overwhelming
Green: Nature, life, stability, and in many cultures money and wealth as well; can indicate artificiality, decay, and toxicity in other contexts.
Blue: Elegant, calm, spiritual, and soothing, although in a negative context it can imply sadness or passiveness.
Purple: Playful, impulsive, royalty, and dreams; can also be used to indicate nightmares or madness

You also need to carefully consider your audience, since certain colors appeal to center genders, age groups, and cultures more than others. For example, men tend to prefer red and orange while women gravitate towards blue and yellow. Younger audiences like hot, vibrant colors while the elderly typically prefer more muted, sober tones. Finally, not all colors mean the same thing across cultures. Green may indicate money in the U.S., but in China a green hat is a sign that a man’s wife is cheating on him.