Graphics | WWW.Design

Hot Web Design Trends for 2011

Web design, like anything, is in a constant state of flux. Each year, there are new technologies and developments that change the way we do the process of web design. While the result, a beautifully created and highly functioning website, is the same, how we get there is changing. In 2011, there are several important trends that anyone who has an online business or designs websites should be aware of.

Simple Colors: We are seeing a move away from complicated color schemes. Instead, designers are relying on simple palettes based on primary colors. Stay away from black and white themes, and instead focus on basic colors in simple combinations.
Mobile Ready: As more and more people are purchasing mobile devices, it has become critically important that websites be optimized for viewing on these devices. Often, this means simple layouts, lots of negative space, and quick load times.
HTML5: It isn’t the same as Flash, but it provides a lot of the same functionality. Even better, it doesn’t have the negative impact on optimization that Flash traditionally has. Look to add HTML5 to replace flash elements in web design.
Depth Perception: designers are creating visually stimulating websites by playing around with depth perception. Look for designers to integrate the look and feel of 3D technology without they expensive hardware.
Touchscreen Capabilities: As more and more devices rely on touch screen technology, it is important that we designers keep this in mind as they build websites. Extra space and simple navigation are key.

Elements of an Effective and Functional Website

An effective and functional website should be appealing, appropriate and professional. Here are some mistakes to avoid when developing a website that will increase its effectiveness.

While flash animations look great and are a way to showcase the developer’s talent, keep in mind that many website visitors’ computers cannot handle graphics-heavy sites. When the website freezes up on someone’s computer, they will immediately click off and keep searching. Also, people who are searching want information in a hurry. They don’t want to wait for the animation to stop. If you happen to be in the business of developing flash animations, have a separate portfolio page with samples of your work.

Image by smemon87 via Flickr

Websites should be easy to read and navigate. “Artistic” fonts, too many graphics and poorly labeled links make it difficult for visitors to find what they are looking for. One of the most common things that people search for on a website is the company’s your phone number, hours of operation and location. A functional website makes these things easy for visitors to find.

It’s also important that a website be kept up-to-date. Visitors clicking on a “latest news” tab are looking for the latest company news. When the latest posting is over a year old, it shows that maintaining the website is not a priority.

It goes without saying that dead links and incorrect information are also details that should not be overlooked. Links to both internal pages and outside sources should work and not lead people to non-existent pages. Mistakes like these tell readers that the website creator is careless, which is not the message to send to prospective customers.

Web design: Color chart questions

When contemplating the design of one’s website, one of the key elements is choosing the colors that go with the information that will be displayed. There is what is called browser-safe or Web-safe colors, and most computer monitors can display approximately 256 different colors. (8-bit) However, there are only around 216 that are fairly common to many operating systems.

Some helpful tips and sites to utilize when deciding on color components are some of the following:

Color Charts. There are hundreds of color codes available, and being able to remember them all is unrealistic. There are color charts available to select from, and there are various sites that post color charts for the designer to use. Here are some:

-HEX Color Chart, http://www.2createawebsite.com/build/hex-colors.html, this is an excellent site for color charts. The color codes are next to each color, which allows for ease and speed when deciding color choices.

-Super Color Chart, www.zspc.com/color. With this particular site, it is interactive. When deciding on which color, you simply click on the desired color and the code is displayed.

-Brobst Systems, www.brobstsystems.com/colors1.htm. With this site the color chart not only displays the # codes, but it gives you the actual name of the color. This is useful if the designer prefers to use the names instead of codes.

-Color Symbolism Chart, http://webdesign.about.com/compute/webdesign/library/weekly/aa070400b.htm. This is a great reference site that will show the basic symbolisms associated with different colors, but also the various symbolisms that color has with different cultures.

-Color Matters, www.colormatters.com. This site has plenty of information on the importance of choosing the right color scheme for a site. It highlights the colors as they may relate to the body, eye, computers, science, and many more.

Lastly, some of the common causes of color confusion come from: fluorescent text, excess of more than three colors, black backgrounds, and light text on dark backgrounds.

Images: Building websites

Designing a unique and informational web site has various facets that begin with the concept and end with the final product. Pictures and graphics are one of the items that stand out with any site worth looking at.

How to get those images on the site; what works best out of scanners and digital cameras? They produce the same result, which is a digital image, but they serve different digital imaging needs. A lot depends on the budget that has been allotted for construction of the site, and how quickly the pictures need on the web site after they have been taken.

A flatbed scanner is preferable if the need for scanning photographs that are already taken and developed. Flatbeds keep the photo straight and also allow scanning three-dimensional objects. A vitally important aspect when choosing a scanner is the resolution. Scanner resolution is stated in terms of dots per inch or DPT. For example, a resolution of 600 dpi means that you will get 600 pixels for every linear inch of the original that is being scanned.

When it comes to digital cameras, to get good quality pictures, it is encouraged to get a camera that captures at least 1 million pixels. Another option is a digital camera with removable memory cards. Those come in very handy when it comes to putting a site together, and the final graphics and pictures have yet to be decided. The memory card, depending on size, holds quite a number of photos that can be put on any computer that is compatible. There are cameras that are able to take video clips and also have the capability to shoot a series of pictures that can be “stitched” together.

Website designs & Content managing

One of the central components of an effective web site is how the content management is maintained. Managing content involves several different roles in the concept, creation, and subsequent launch of the website.

The basic organization of a site establishes the usability standards, and makes the best use of the HTML tags. (HTML tags are keywords, page descriptions about a web page) Also decisions on what content will be displayed on the site, synchronize the design elements, and the verification that the site organization flows in the manner of which it is expected to.

Finally, it is an important task as a content manager to review the site, make sure that there is proper linking, begin the finalization of search engine submissions, and the details of usage statistics. These are just a few items that need addressed. A few others would be the direction of marketing the site, writing press releases, customer relations etc.

Other top tips on managing content would be to make sure that there is simple navigational site maps available, verify all spelling (vital), and ensure that the content is interesting and useful to the reading audience. Also try to create various bullets, make sure to hyperlink to any information that may be relevant, and it is also encouraged to keep it short and poignant. In the web world, less is more.

All the above are elements that can ultimately make or break the success of a site. Many items need to be carefully considered when choosing to build a site, and have it achieve what the vision is intended.

Graphical Designers – A Profession of The Future

With the current recession, people begin questioning the security of their profession, and where it might lead in the years to come. Clearly, some professions, such as healthcare workers, will be around for ages. However, there are some professions, particularly in the manufacturing industry, that are slowly but surely being replaced. This is a direct result of the changing times, and the continued role that technology is playing in the modern workplace. Machines and other areas of automated technologies are taking the place of human workers and being utilized as a fast and efficient process in which companies do not have to fork over an annual salary for. However, while it might be difficult to deal with the changing times, and the potential loss of jobs, there are some bright spots that coincide with this generalization.

As jobs are lost to technology, additional jobs are gained as a result of technology. Among one of the more widely known and continual growing professions related to technology is that of graphic designing. Graphic designers are becoming more demanded due to the wide array of things they can devote their profession to. Among some of the more known include: the creation and implementation of interactive graphics on web sites, creating graphics for video games, as well as creating high end theatrics for movies. There are many more ways that graphical design can be implemented, but these are by far the most popular. As our culture becomes more dependent on technology, and more in tune with high end visually appealing aspects, graphic designers will have an increased arsenal of tools readily available to them in which to create the next best standard in graphics for computers and gaming. The future of the graphical design industry is bright and will experience a great deal of growth in years to come.

The Web Design Profession – A Bright Future

The Internet has evolved into a vast marketplace of millions of different web sites that offer information, goods, or services to the individuals who seek them out. This massive hub of activity has been in the works for nearly three decades, picking up momentum and growing at a seemingly exponential rate over the years. Now, more people own computers, or other various devices that allow them Internet connectivity than ever before. Companies and individuals alike understand that this is the case, and are moving more of their emphasis into conducting business online over settling for the traditional brick and mortar setting.

In order for these individuals and businesses to be successful, they need to have their own piece of Internet real-estate. This Internet real-estate comes in the form of a web-site that is the digital head quarters for the entity in question. These intricate web-sites provide the information, contacts, products, and services to the potential customers that make their way to the web-site. As a result of this, it is vital for web-sites to provide an easy to navigate interface while incorporating various aesthetic elements to keep the visitor interested.

Many companies and individuals alike do not possess the skill sets to accomplish the creation of a web-site. As a result of this, web designers and developers are in high demand for consulting positions, or simply contract positions to manage the creation of a specific web-site in its entirety. The demand for this profession and skill set is becoming more prevalent, and will continue to grow over the years due to the fact that online business is booming, and will continue to grow indefinitely. Web designers and developers have a bright future in terms of job history, and the potential to run a private business has never been greater.

The Growing Demand For Web Site Designers

The Internet is a mass entity in itself that is growing at a seemingly exponential rate on a daily basis; with thousands of people entering the online world for the first time, as well as droves of businesses taking the plunge and moving their affairs into the Internet market. With this change, and shift of businesses moving from brick and mortar stores to online and Internet based storefronts, the door opens for vast opportunities for people who specialize in Internet based trade skills. Among one of the more important and widely popular of these trade-skills is that of a web site designer and developer. The main reason for this is due to the fact that so many businesses are entering the online world for the first time, many of which do not have the know how and ability to design a viable web site, let alone develop it. As a result of this, many web site developers are thriving in the current marketplace.

The importance of a web site for a new business, or a business just beginning a branch on the Internet is unmatched. From the massive amounts of prospective traffic that can be filtered through the web site on a daily basis, to ensuring the web site appeals to those visitors; a web site is extremely important. As a result of this, experienced professionals who develop web sites based off the desires of the business while simultaneously ensuring it has all the elements that are needed to attract visitors and keep them are in high demand.

Generally, a good web site developer can design a web site based off the specifications of the business intermingled with the general elements that make a web site marketable. As more traditional brick and mortar businesses move online, the demand for professionals who can accomplish the equilibrium of pleasing the customer and ensuring the visitor is satisfied will continue to grow and thrive for many years to come.

Free Resources For Web Designers

Web designers can find a large number of free resources to use when they are creating a site for their company, or to promote their own products or designs. If you have recently started your own web designing business and don’t have the funds to purchase commercial stock photographs, there are thousands of free stock photos that you can add to the pages of your website. These premium quality photographs are offered in a variety of themes that will enhance the website’s appearance and visibility, and they are safe to download. Free resources for web designers can easily be found on software sites, and forums for web designers.

You can find free resources for any type of website, whether you are advertising the benefits of your company, promoting the products or services of your home based business, or publishing a family oriented website. Easy to use tools allow you to change backgrounds, add a graphical counter to your web page, and there are organizational tools for your online files. You can also find a variety of free resources with tools to keep your business organized, and tools for computer maintenance. Experienced web designers can download webmaster tools for site design, as well as resources for web development.

Besides free resources for web designing, there are free tools that provide computer security with free virus scans and updates, color wheels, and tools for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Using these free resource tools is an ideal way to add icons, animation, and logos to your website. When your website has been designed, there are free resources for domain hosting, image hosting, website monitoring, and free e-mail. You can also find free clipart, and useful tips for web designing. No matter what level of web designing experience you have, you can find free resources, design tools, and add-ons for your site.