The Psychology of Navigation
Posted on Jun 28, 2008 08:37:23 AM
So, what do you do?
When people ask me what I do for a living, I usually tell them I design Web sites. Let’s face it, most people who ask that question want an answer they can understand, not an indoctrination. That’s why I don’t often use the phrase “information architect” among the uninitiated. It causes too much trouble.
It causes trouble because it’s not always easy to explain the complexities Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Navigation, PsychologyWeb Globalization On A Local Budget
Posted on Jun 26, 2008 05:36:56 PM
When we think of user-centered design we have yet another user to consider in our designs—the rest of the world. We have all seen large Web sites such as BBCs World Service, IBM, Macromedia and others that have not only created sites in other languages (internationalization), but also customized their content to the particular region they are targeting (localization). Essentially they have created multiple versions of their site, which Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Budget, Globalization, LocalIntroduction to Django: Helping Perfectionists With Deadlines
Posted on Jun 25, 2008 08:18:49 PM
Django is an open-source Web framework, written in Python, that allows you to easily and rapidly develop interactive, data-centric web applications. It came into being when two Web developers—Adrian Holovaty and Simon Willison—in Kansas, after moving their newspaper’s website from PHP to Python, found themselves repeatedly solving similar problems. They decided to extract the common functionality and released the resulting Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Deadlines, Django, Helping, Introduction, Perfectionists, withOffline Marketing
Posted on Jun 24, 2008 05:05:57 PM
Looking Back
It wasn’t so long ago that dotcom startups, new media, and break-out Internet companies were pushing their name on the general public through various print ads, massive public banners, radio and television spots, as well as ridiculous and outrageous publicity events. All of these advertising methods proved an effective way to get their names out, but failed to truly establish brand awareness. Whether or not this contributed Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Marketing, OfflineA-Z Indexes to Enhance Site Searching
Posted on Jun 11, 2008 09:46:51 PM
Facilitate searching, not just navigation
An important part of an information architect’s job is to make it easier for users of a Web site or intranet to find the information they want. Usually the focus is on site navigation—the site’s structural design, hierarchy, page titles and labels, menu design, site map, and so on.
Another way to address making information on a Web site easy to find is through search functionality. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Enhance, Indexes, Searching, SiteHow to Build a Green Business
Posted on Jun 11, 2008 09:43:52 AM
In an age of inconvenient truths, global warming, and “green is good” messages in the mass media, Sustainability has become a popular catchphrase and the new marketing must-have for many companies. But what does it truly mean? And how can it apply to your business?
In this article, I’ll discuss how our web design and development company incorporated sustainability into our business model, and how other development Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Build, Business, GreenExcerpt: Pro JavaScript Design Patterns
Posted on Jun 2, 2008 06:23:48 PM
The Adapter Pattern
The adapter pattern allows you to adapt existing interfaces to classes that would otherwise be incompatible. Objects that use this pattern can also be called wrappers, since they wrap another object in a new interface. There are many situations where creating adapters can benefit both the programmers and the interface designers. Often when designing classes, some interfaces can’t be used with existing Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Design, Excerpt, JavaScript, PatternsThe Rise of Flash Video, Part 2
Posted on May 29, 2008 06:00:56 AM
This will happen to you: Your client calls and informs you that she is seeing a lot of video on the web these days and, that she just happens to have a few she would like to put up on her site as well. There was a time when this request would have struck fear into the hearts of most web developers, but today’s web is a different place; the ubiquity of the Flash player in the marketplace has made this task possible. As I pointed out in Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Flash, Part, Rise, Video25 Open Source Web Design Programs And Tools You Should Already Know About
Posted on May 20, 2008 06:49:04 AM
Open-source programs and tools have really come a long way. Almost any program out there has an open-source equivalent. Using any combination of the tools below, it is possible to create, author and publish a website entirely for free (legally).
Text EditorsAptana Aptana is the free equivalent of Adobe Dreamweaver. Very powerful and very stable.
Notepad++ Notepad++ is a lightweight text editor that has code coloring and Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: About, Already, Design, Know, Open, Programs, Should, Source, ToolsThe Icon Grab Bag: The Top 50 Sources for Free Designer Icons
Posted on May 19, 2008 01:51:18 AM
Do you feel like something is missing from your site? Do you want to give your design a little snap? Make your site stand out with icons! When used correctly icons can add flavor and character to your site. Below are the top 50 sources for designer icons for use on your website:
Ganato.com - PSD icons Lots and lots of sets of free icons that you can use in PSD and on the web.Websiteicons Another free icon website with plenty of different Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Designer, Free, Grab, Icon, Icons, Sources