Things to Look for when Designing for Different Browsers and Platforms
1. Screen Resolution
Take into consideration factors such as the size of the browser, scroll bars. e.t.c Although there is no standard resolution, the democratic choice for most designers is 800 *600; the idea being that anything more less could incur the wrath of the browser audience since they will be forced to keep scrolling back and forth on the screen and end up losing valuable time.
2. Color Limitations
Some colours work on certain browsers , while they may not work others. For instance, "FCDE " look good on certain browsers but downright on others. Your best bet will be to choose colors that are duplicate of others such as "FF: and :CC"
3.Frames
It must be noted that browsers dislike frames like the plague. The reason that they shrink the screen forcing, the viewer to scroll back and forth. Even further the vertical bar on frames of most websites take up valuable area, meaning that the viewer cannot read certain portions of content. Also, because of the constricted nature of frames, search engines find it extremely difficult indexing websites. If you feel a strong urge to design with frames be sure to design in resolutions such as 640 x480.
4. Javascript Availability
Although a lot of people use browsers that support Javascript, such as Netscape and Internet Explorer, a small percentage of the viewership also use browsers that do not support Javascript. In fact, these people actually disable Javascript on their browsers. This also goes for viewers who use handheld devices such as mobile phones.
The best solution is to make the site work without Javascript. The visitor to your website should be able to read your site without the influence of Javascript. One way to get around the Javascript problem is to use a combination of Javascript and server side scripts (like PHP).
Good Luck!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
How to be a successfull freelancer
Every designer wants to quit their 9-to-5 and ‘go freelance’. And why not? Going freelance means you’ll be master of your own destiny and that’s got to be a good thing. The bad news is that you will be pitching yourself against a slew of designers who have already made the leap to freelance-ville. The good news is that there’s a huge gap in the market for quality freelancers and it’s just waiting to be filled. Follow a few simple rules, and the next successful freelance designer could be you. .The problem is that a good chunk of freelance designers either offer sub-standard service, don’t know how to market themselves, or don’t have business acumen. Here’s a list of things you should be doing to fill that gap in the market:
Keep your portfolio up to scratch
You could be the world’s greatest designer but if no one knows about it, you won’t make a penny. The best way to remedy this is to create a really good portfolio web site. Your portfolio site should be simple HTML (unless, of course, you’re a Flash expert in which case you’re allowed to go to town with Flash). Your site should have simple navigation, do away with anything fancy, confusing or unusable. The key is simplicity. Make it easy and quick for potential employers to learn what you’re good at and how to contact you. Make your site reflect you and your design skills but be careful not to pigeonhole yourself into one genre of design. Ensure that you have examples of the full range of styles you are capable of. If you can work on web application interfaces just as easily as print media then ensure that you show examples of both. If you don’t have any examples from paying jobs, create some and put them under ‘personal work’. And please, please, spell check your site and re-read it at least once to check that the text makes sense. Spelling errors make you look unprofessional.
Promote Yourself:
You need to get out there and put yourself in the public eye — start promoting yourself and your skill set. You could…
Speak at an event — Sounds a bit daunting I know, but it can be really refreshing and there are always people in the audience who will be interested in what you do. They could even be your next client or know your next client. ( always looking for fresh talent, so feel free to get in touch!)
Attend design events and pass out your business card like a mad man. This is great way to get the word out if you’re not very outgoing. Events are jovial affairs where people are usually having a good time. It’s the best time to catch them in a good mood and away from the office. Arrive early so you can chat to people before their second drink!
Network, network, network
This is similar to the point above but this time it can be anywhere and everywhere. You can pretty much treat any situation as a networking opportunity if you are genuine. In general people will like you and want to work with you. You don’t have to be on the big sell the whole time, be yourself.
Promote a cause — This can be anything from a political or social cause to gathering funds for a relief campaign. Be careful with this one though. Only promote causes that you believe in and are passionate about. If you’re not genuine it could backfire on you.
Add a blog to your site — You may think that you have nothing to write about, but you’d be wrong. Each of us has something about us that it interesting to others. You might start a blog about trying to go freelance, or starting your own business, or the software you use. Try to make it something design related so that you attract design-led people.
Make a killer business card — This speaks for itself. Make your business card memorable for its design — not its tackiness.
Pro-actively seek work: . Make a list of the brands, or agencies, or the people that you want to do work with and go after them! Just remember, be positive and always think about “What’s in it for them? What do they need?” and try to meet those needs. Be warned though, being proactive doesn’t mean it’s okay to stalk people.
Be contactable: Always, always keep your mobile phone charged and in your pocket. Your phone is your lifeline. If a potential employer wants to get hold of you for some work, make sure they can reach you. This is important early on when your schedule isn’t fully booked yet. A busy employer probably won’t call again after the first time so make sure you’re available. And always answer the phone in a professional manner; either say your name, or your company name.
Be cheerful: . Let’s face it no one wants to work with someone who is negative and difficult to get along with. The more friendly, easy-going and positive you can be, the more work you’ll find walking through your door.
Continually improve and expand your skills: Whenever you’ve got a bit of spare time, brush up on your skills or teach yourself some new techniques. This will be especially important for web designers, as the technology is always changing and updating. A great man once said that you are 25 percent worse than you think you are, and your competitors are 25 percent better than you think they are. With this in mind you can never improve yourself too much.
Go nuts on the pitch: When pitching for a job, it’s worth spending the extra bit of cash to make the pitch really impressive. I’d always recommend finding a good local digital printer and getting your pitch documents printed up and mounted. Sure, you’ll lose a bit more cash on the jobs you don’t win, but the ones you do win will easily repay the extra cash you’ve spent, plus you’ll gain the reputation of really going the extra mile and putting the effort in .
Good luck
Every designer wants to quit their 9-to-5 and ‘go freelance’. And why not? Going freelance means you’ll be master of your own destiny and that’s got to be a good thing. The bad news is that you will be pitching yourself against a slew of designers who have already made the leap to freelance-ville. The good news is that there’s a huge gap in the market for quality freelancers and it’s just waiting to be filled. Follow a few simple rules, and the next successful freelance designer could be you. .The problem is that a good chunk of freelance designers either offer sub-standard service, don’t know how to market themselves, or don’t have business acumen. Here’s a list of things you should be doing to fill that gap in the market:
Keep your portfolio up to scratch
You could be the world’s greatest designer but if no one knows about it, you won’t make a penny. The best way to remedy this is to create a really good portfolio web site. Your portfolio site should be simple HTML (unless, of course, you’re a Flash expert in which case you’re allowed to go to town with Flash). Your site should have simple navigation, do away with anything fancy, confusing or unusable. The key is simplicity. Make it easy and quick for potential employers to learn what you’re good at and how to contact you. Make your site reflect you and your design skills but be careful not to pigeonhole yourself into one genre of design. Ensure that you have examples of the full range of styles you are capable of. If you can work on web application interfaces just as easily as print media then ensure that you show examples of both. If you don’t have any examples from paying jobs, create some and put them under ‘personal work’. And please, please, spell check your site and re-read it at least once to check that the text makes sense. Spelling errors make you look unprofessional.
Promote Yourself:
You need to get out there and put yourself in the public eye — start promoting yourself and your skill set. You could…
Speak at an event — Sounds a bit daunting I know, but it can be really refreshing and there are always people in the audience who will be interested in what you do. They could even be your next client or know your next client. ( always looking for fresh talent, so feel free to get in touch!)
Attend design events and pass out your business card like a mad man. This is great way to get the word out if you’re not very outgoing. Events are jovial affairs where people are usually having a good time. It’s the best time to catch them in a good mood and away from the office. Arrive early so you can chat to people before their second drink!
Network, network, network
This is similar to the point above but this time it can be anywhere and everywhere. You can pretty much treat any situation as a networking opportunity if you are genuine. In general people will like you and want to work with you. You don’t have to be on the big sell the whole time, be yourself.
Promote a cause — This can be anything from a political or social cause to gathering funds for a relief campaign. Be careful with this one though. Only promote causes that you believe in and are passionate about. If you’re not genuine it could backfire on you.
Add a blog to your site — You may think that you have nothing to write about, but you’d be wrong. Each of us has something about us that it interesting to others. You might start a blog about trying to go freelance, or starting your own business, or the software you use. Try to make it something design related so that you attract design-led people.
Make a killer business card — This speaks for itself. Make your business card memorable for its design — not its tackiness.
Pro-actively seek work: . Make a list of the brands, or agencies, or the people that you want to do work with and go after them! Just remember, be positive and always think about “What’s in it for them? What do they need?” and try to meet those needs. Be warned though, being proactive doesn’t mean it’s okay to stalk people.
Be contactable: Always, always keep your mobile phone charged and in your pocket. Your phone is your lifeline. If a potential employer wants to get hold of you for some work, make sure they can reach you. This is important early on when your schedule isn’t fully booked yet. A busy employer probably won’t call again after the first time so make sure you’re available. And always answer the phone in a professional manner; either say your name, or your company name.
Be cheerful: . Let’s face it no one wants to work with someone who is negative and difficult to get along with. The more friendly, easy-going and positive you can be, the more work you’ll find walking through your door.
Continually improve and expand your skills: Whenever you’ve got a bit of spare time, brush up on your skills or teach yourself some new techniques. This will be especially important for web designers, as the technology is always changing and updating. A great man once said that you are 25 percent worse than you think you are, and your competitors are 25 percent better than you think they are. With this in mind you can never improve yourself too much.
Go nuts on the pitch: When pitching for a job, it’s worth spending the extra bit of cash to make the pitch really impressive. I’d always recommend finding a good local digital printer and getting your pitch documents printed up and mounted. Sure, you’ll lose a bit more cash on the jobs you don’t win, but the ones you do win will easily repay the extra cash you’ve spent, plus you’ll gain the reputation of really going the extra mile and putting the effort in .
Good luck
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Great Web Design Matters
it doesn’t read quickly, It doesn’t work.
This rule applies to everyone -- from the lofty creative director to the junior designer to the boss who employs them. By "read" I mean a viewer’s ability to comprehend the advertisement or message in less than three seconds. That’s right! You have only three seconds to convey your message. If you have not successfully captured your reader or viewer by then, they will simply move on. Whether you're on TV or the Web, you are one simple click away from being ignored. In print, you're one turn away. Good design is essential whether you're creating a church newsletter or developing a multi-million dollar ad campaign for TV.
Reading broadcast and the Internet
Try this at home. Turn your TV to a news channel like CNN or MSNBC and mute the sound. Do the visuals communicate without sound? News channels rely heavily on graphics and visuals to tell their stories. The same is exceedingly true for the Web. The only exception is that the Web is user driven. That means your Web site visitor must click and navigate around your Web site to browse its information.
Does your navigation “read” well? Do your photos and graphics communicate quickly and clearly? If not, your site may be getting passed over by disinterested visitors.
Design is all around us. It permeates our lives from the subliminal to the intentional. The keyboard you’re typing on and the mouse you’re clicking were first developed and conceived by an industrial design team. The chair you’re sitting in was developed by an ergonomics design team. The box your chair was shipped in and its printing was developed by an advertising packaging team.
Design is critical to successfully selling your product to the public. Your Web site is literally your storefront or advertisement to the world. Make sure it’s designed to invite, inform and intrigue.
Do not covet thy neighbor’s concept
People tend to covet what they see. I know this because clients frequently bring me their ideas, hopes and dreams. And many times they’re of Web site concepts they’ve seen elsewhere. This is good creative fuel for inspiration, but it’s best to create a concept from the core of your own business branding.
Innovate, don’t regurgitate. Consult a design professional who will collaborate with you in building a Web site concept that conveys your message. A great concept leaves a memorable impression.
Here’s an example. Let’s say client “A” sells shoes. Simple enough. Post the logo, Web copy and pictures of some great looking shoes. Maybe even some bold, snazzy sales copy like, “Super Sale on Brown Shoes”. Client “B” decides to take a different approach. He gets a photo of a businessman in a nice suit with his legs crossed at a meeting, exposing the bottom of one of his shoes. The exposed shoe sole has a hole in it. That’s a concept!
Template Web site services
Companies that offer template Web services are fine for businesses on a shoestring budget, but be advised, what you see is not necessarily what you get. These are “closed template” systems that do not offer much scalability in terms of customization. That means your Web site will have a cookie-cutter appearance that does little to help you stand out among your competitors. These Web sites are a breeding ground for bad design, especially when it comes to typography. Use of type styles by itself is one of the purist forms of design.
Get to the goal
Get online and look at your competitors. Make a list of goals that you wish to achieve with your new Web site or your redesigned Web site. Prioritize your list and invite multiple Web design companies to bid for your project. Be sure to ask them about their design process. Ask questions such as: Does your price include multiple design concepts? If so, how many designs and revisions am I allowed? In the end, you want a Web site that you can talk about enthusiastically and take great pride in. After all, it’s you storefront 24/7 on the Internet.
it doesn’t read quickly, It doesn’t work.
This rule applies to everyone -- from the lofty creative director to the junior designer to the boss who employs them. By "read" I mean a viewer’s ability to comprehend the advertisement or message in less than three seconds. That’s right! You have only three seconds to convey your message. If you have not successfully captured your reader or viewer by then, they will simply move on. Whether you're on TV or the Web, you are one simple click away from being ignored. In print, you're one turn away. Good design is essential whether you're creating a church newsletter or developing a multi-million dollar ad campaign for TV.
Reading broadcast and the Internet
Try this at home. Turn your TV to a news channel like CNN or MSNBC and mute the sound. Do the visuals communicate without sound? News channels rely heavily on graphics and visuals to tell their stories. The same is exceedingly true for the Web. The only exception is that the Web is user driven. That means your Web site visitor must click and navigate around your Web site to browse its information.
Does your navigation “read” well? Do your photos and graphics communicate quickly and clearly? If not, your site may be getting passed over by disinterested visitors.
Design is all around us. It permeates our lives from the subliminal to the intentional. The keyboard you’re typing on and the mouse you’re clicking were first developed and conceived by an industrial design team. The chair you’re sitting in was developed by an ergonomics design team. The box your chair was shipped in and its printing was developed by an advertising packaging team.
Design is critical to successfully selling your product to the public. Your Web site is literally your storefront or advertisement to the world. Make sure it’s designed to invite, inform and intrigue.
Do not covet thy neighbor’s concept
People tend to covet what they see. I know this because clients frequently bring me their ideas, hopes and dreams. And many times they’re of Web site concepts they’ve seen elsewhere. This is good creative fuel for inspiration, but it’s best to create a concept from the core of your own business branding.
Innovate, don’t regurgitate. Consult a design professional who will collaborate with you in building a Web site concept that conveys your message. A great concept leaves a memorable impression.
Here’s an example. Let’s say client “A” sells shoes. Simple enough. Post the logo, Web copy and pictures of some great looking shoes. Maybe even some bold, snazzy sales copy like, “Super Sale on Brown Shoes”. Client “B” decides to take a different approach. He gets a photo of a businessman in a nice suit with his legs crossed at a meeting, exposing the bottom of one of his shoes. The exposed shoe sole has a hole in it. That’s a concept!
Template Web site services
Companies that offer template Web services are fine for businesses on a shoestring budget, but be advised, what you see is not necessarily what you get. These are “closed template” systems that do not offer much scalability in terms of customization. That means your Web site will have a cookie-cutter appearance that does little to help you stand out among your competitors. These Web sites are a breeding ground for bad design, especially when it comes to typography. Use of type styles by itself is one of the purist forms of design.
Get to the goal
Get online and look at your competitors. Make a list of goals that you wish to achieve with your new Web site or your redesigned Web site. Prioritize your list and invite multiple Web design companies to bid for your project. Be sure to ask them about their design process. Ask questions such as: Does your price include multiple design concepts? If so, how many designs and revisions am I allowed? In the end, you want a Web site that you can talk about enthusiastically and take great pride in. After all, it’s you storefront 24/7 on the Internet.
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