A new Saturday, and you know what that means .. time for a new roundup with the best design-related articles and tutorials of last week’s blogosphere, hand-picked for you. It’s all about webdesign, graphic design, SEO, tutorials, social media and more. A broad scale of topics, but never-the-less the underlying focus is on Design.
Also I see this as my personal bookmarks of great articles from the Community of the last period. The different articles and post are categorized by their main topics. The best way to keep track of these tweets is simply to follow me on Twitter.
Webdesign Coding: CSS, HTML, Javascript, PhP, APIs, etc.
8 Best JavaScript Books for Beginners – Today we are going to share best javascript books for beginners and upcoming designers and developers. Every javascript designer should start with these basic javascript books, these books are the best to learn about javascript.
How To Create Simple Shapes With Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) - This week I want to consider another potential solution to some of our image issues. I want to offer a brief overview of scalable vector graphics (SVG).
Understanding Design Patterns in JavaScript - Solid design patterns are the basic building block for maintainable software applications. If you’ve ever participated in a technical interview, you’ve liked been asked about them. In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at a few patterns that you can start using today.
Use Compass In Your Sass Projects - Today, we’re going to look at Compass, an open-source CSS authoring framework built on Sass. Similar to Sass, it is installed via the command line (Terminal in Mac OS X) and is run off of Ruby.
Displaying the Progress of Tasks with HTML5 - For demonstration, we are simply going to update the progress element using a JavaScript timeout. We will allow the user to start the task by pressing a button, which we will disable while the task executes, ..
Standard and retina display sprites with compass – how to - One of the of compass features that are especially compelling is “spriting”. With compass you simply place all your images in a folder and import them into your stylesheet. In this post I’ll share with how I prepare my sprites in two “versions” for standard and retina display.
Has everyone forget about inherit? - By default most properties in CSS will not inherit properties from their parent (although some do). To help fix this, you can use the inherit value on almost any property in CSS. This means that the property is inherited from its parent.
Top 7 Javascript Canvas Libraries and Tutorials - The biggest advantage of HTML5 is its canvas. And of course there are some powerful javascript library can help us with this drawing process. Today we’re gonna list 7 javascript canvas libraries that we think are top in this area and some tutorials are available to kick started.
Snippet O’ the Week: Equal Div Heights with jQuery - Got a couple of columns that you want to have equal heights? Tired of crazy CSS tricks that don’t always work and tired of hacking around to make them work in IE? Well, you need this classic jQuery snippet — equal div heights.
The HTML5 Shim vs Internet Explorer Emulation Mode - In this article I’ll discuss techniques which are avoided by good HTML developers. Not everyone is as conscientious as SitePoint readers; you’ve probably encountered those who are happy to accept quick fixes regardless of the future pain it inflicts.
Usability, User Experience, Responsive Webdesign, Mobile, etc.
Proportional Grids - I have used the CSS property box-sizing to create a solution that allows for fixed gutters (ems/rems) mixed with fluid columns. The distance between columns will remain equal at every break point, in relation to the base font-size.
What The Heck Is User Experience And Why Do You Need It? - User Experience (UX) is somewhat of an elusive notion with many different definitions, even amongst the UX community themselves. There is user experience involved in all product and service design ..
How To Create A Responsive Navigation - One of the trickiest parts to be responsified on a website is “the Navigation”, this part is really important for the website accessibility, as this is one of the ways visitors jump over the web pages.
Working on a Team as a UX Designer - User-centered designers aren’t just professional learners; they’re teachers, too. Our job is to reflect what we know while adopting the language of our end-users. This changes our team’s perspective which, in turn, affects its ability to solve design problems.
Mobile Meta Tags - Luckily there is a meta tag that you can use on all your pages to ensure that the devices look the way you intend them to: viewport. With this meta tag, you can override the default viewport to set a width that makes sense for your page.
Responsive web design? Today’s tools just aren’t up to the job - The weaknesses in web design tools and processes are being exposed by responsive web design. But until a truly native web design tool arrives, there are ways to ease the transition
Responsive Design’s Dirty Little Secret – Fluid grids have a dirty little secret: rounding errors. As we lay out our columns in percentages, browsers have to translate that into actual device pixels to fit in the viewport. And Chrome, Safari, other WebKit browsers, Opera, and the usual suspects (IE 6 and 7) all produce “errors”.
Key Elements for a Successful Mobile User Experience - Many graphics designers are moving towards the popular trend in mobile apps. You can design some incredible native applications and mobile web interfaces by working with well-deserved techniques.
Cross Device Design Patterns - Put simply, access is the ability to view and interact with the same content or features across more than one device. Through access someone can use multiple devices for the same tasks like: lookup/find, edit/create, check-in/status, and discover/explore.
W3C ‘Media Queries’ Proposal Boosts Responsive Web Design - Responsive Web Design took a big step forward on June 19, when a highly influential W3C Working Group published a draft recommendation stating that an additional slate of media queries should be incorporated into web browsers.
Responsive Web Design Tips - Different visitors operate different websites through different devices; for many of the websites creating a version for a different resolution and devices is next to impossible. But should this become a reason for us to lose our valuable visitors from ..
Webdesign in Common, Web Typography, jQuery, Tools, etc.
What’s new for designers, July 2012 - What’s new for web designers and developers includes new web apps, JavaScript and jQuery tools, frameworks, responsive design resources, productivity tools, image utilities, educational resources, business tools, code editors, and some really great new fonts.
Best Tools For Cross-Browser Compatibility Check - Therefore to make sure the website runs well in all the environments, it’s important to do cross browser testing in at least Opera, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox.
How to Achieve Clean Web Design - Complex and confusing websites are an instant turnoff. They’re unwelcoming, frustrating and lead you around in circles before you find what you are looking for. People look for simplicity and clarity in everything around them and this is ..
Get Inspired and Select the Perfect Font for your Website - In this article we will be discussing the ways to select a perfect font for your website. Not only this, in this article we will also show you websites with excellent font selection and usage in order for you to get inspired.
5 Psychology Studies for Smarter Web Design - Today I’ve got 5 such studies that will give you some solid research on smart web design.
Wireframing, Prototyping, Mockuping – What’s the Difference? - Confusing wireframes with prototypes is like assuming that an architectural blueprint (a detailed plan of a building-to-be) and a display house, are the same thing
One More Time: Typography Is The Foundation Of Web Design - Some people find design like this to be dull and boring, they feel that design should have more pop to it. At the end of the day some extra visual flair might be what separates your design from the rest, but you need to get the first 95% down.
Top 10 Web Design Trends in 2012 - 2012 is an interesting year for web design and web development. Understanding these trends will help you stay current and produce high quality work that won’t be outdated. You can combine the following trends in various ways and create original and creative designs.
How Being Specific In Your Web Designing Efforts Can Contribute To The Success Of Your Website - One of the chief advantages of being specific is that it lets the users have a better understanding of what you want to communicate to them, in terms of the website’s message.
20 Must-have Free jQuery Plugins for Web Developers - Today, we’re including 20 must have jQuery plugins for the developer’s toolkit. If you’re a designer or developer then you must have these all to make your work professional and to do it in effective manner.
28 Tips for Designing Effective HTML Emails - After countless product updates, newsletters, special offer announcements and multiple other newsworthy events, we’ve picked up lots of tidbits along the way that help us ensure we’re getting the best possible response from our email efforts
Applying The Golden Ratio In Modern Designs - The ideal web page is both functional and harmonious, but even the most seasoned web designers can have trouble telling you what gives a design natural flow. In spite of color and navigation theories out there, sometimes the most crucial aspect of a perfect web page’s aesthetic seems ineffable.
What is .htaccess? - Generally speaking, an .htaccess file is a server document used to define directory or file permissions, URL rewrite rules, or error messages. It is most commonly associated with the display of a 404 Error message when an end user attempts to go to a URL that simply does not exist.
Retina Display – The Future of Web Design. Internet Overview - What does Retina display mean for web design and development? How to optimize your website design for Retina displays? How to prepare images for it?
The Psychology of Color in Web Design – Because web design needs to have an influence over people’s behaviour, more and more designers have been looking to the psychology of color to help them create websites. Read on to find out which colors are associated with which feelings.
The future of online presentation - multiplatform digital consumers are driving the future of online presentations, and long-term, positive branding hinges on a company’s ability to create personal connections with its customer base.
A Generator For Creating Pure CSS3 On/Off Flipswitches - Proto.io, a mobile prototyping service, has created a handy generator for quickly creating on/off flipswitches. The switches are built with pure CSS3 and it is possible to customize the look completely.
Graphic Design, Brand Identity, Typography, Print Design, Icons, etc.
Four Reasons Why Print Is Not Dead - Since Kindles, iPads and other tablets are developing downloadable versions of newspapers and magazines, it looks as though printing’s days could be numbered. But is that really the case or is this just a storm in a teacup?
Corporate Redesigns That Work – A number of well-known companies have redesigned their logos recently, and some have even gone so far as to redesign their entire brand identity system. I have outlined a number of businesses that have modified their brands with successful results.
25 Creative Illustrator Tutorials for Graphic Designers - These tutorials are pre-designed work done by professional designers, time to time they publish their work for the novice designers.
Blogging, Social Media, Writing, Content Strategy, etc.
7 Tips for Creating a Social Media Plan for Your Business – Do you have social media plan? Are you looking for an easy to follow guide to formulate a plan for your business? Keep reading for seven tips to help your business develop a social plan…
9 Ways To Keep Hackers Off Your Facebook Account - there is a chance that you may leave your Facebook account on without logging out. If your account gets accessed by strangers, it’s going to open up a large can of worms, so you should seriously try to prevent unwanted access to your account.
8 Email Mistakes to Avoid - Knowing your way around your email inbox is, of course, crucial if you want to get anything done. But it’s also necessary to avoid making a fool of yourself with silly communication mistakes. Here’s a list of the most common email blunders to avoid
7 Steps to Building a Business Using LinkedIn - Filbird can’t say enough good things about LinkedIn as a resource for building a business. “It’s a phenomenal tool. I lost all my money and I had to rebuild, and I’ve done it with LinkedIn.”
11 Social Media Automation Mistakes to Avoid Like the Plague - Social media automation is quite the controversial marketing topic. The critics cry, “Social media is supposed to be social!” The supporters retort, “It’s all about efficiency!”
WordPress
What to Look for in a Great WordPress Caching Plugin - There are a few key questions to ask, and a few features to look for, when deciding whether or not a cache plugin is great, good, or simply a bad idea.
Free WordPress Security E-Book Available from Code Poet: Locking Down WordPress - The book interviews the three seasoned WordPress pros, all of whom recommended updating all server code in the event of a security breach and requiring strong passwords.
Pros and Cons of Custom Functionality Plugin in WordPress - There are also some misconceptions about this file that prevents many developers from using it. Let us take a look at some of the pros and cons of custom functionality plugin for WordPress.
How to Protect Your WordPress Website from a Pharma Hack - In 2010, Pharma hack was one of the serious threat to WordPress website. Although WordPress themes like The Thesis Theme team and WordPress core developers are trying to make it more secure, ..
What You Should Know About WordPress SEO - The countless number of SEO plugins that have been developed for WordPress are a good start for most people. SEO for WordPress is however slightly different from other platforms.
Adopting A Responsive WordPress Theme Is More Than Install-And-Go - Responsive Web designs present different formatting and layout to suit the device on which their pages are displayed. Browsers choose the appropriate styles on page load, freeing website owners from having to maintain different sets of pages for different display scenarios.
Search Engine Optimalization, Conversions, Analytics, etc.
How to Protect Your Site from Link Spam and Negative SEO - The best way to fight web spam is to build credibility and trust that no search engine can ignore. If you get good press mentions, a lot of genuine backlinks, viral activity on Twitter and Facebook, or you are in a ..
The Why And How Of Google Analytics Event Tracking – Beyond that default functionality, however, is the potential for even more insights into how people use your site, and how effective your design and content is. Event Tracking gives you the capacity to significantly extend the power of Google Analytics.
Tutorials
Be At Home In Illustrator Using Illustrator Tutorials - In my tutorial collection I just tried to present some valuable tutorial because I just want to see professional skills in your hands, however below you can see Illustrator tutorials.
HTML5 Tutorials for Keeping Your Design Skills Tight - A collection of handy HTML5 tutorials and resources that will teach you the basic ins and outs of the language, along with many, much more specific techniques. Take a look down through them and start boning up on HTML5!
Code a Dynamic Photo Login Box using Gravatar - We will be coding a simple user login box with e-mail/password fields. After the user enters a successful e-mail address we’ll pull any Gravatar associated with the account and display the image results via Ajax.
Flyout Image Slider Using jQuery & CSS3 – In this post I’m going to share about how to create an experimental flyout image slider. This image slider is a stack of some images and works by flying out the selected image to the front of images stack.
Modern Block Quote Styles - Today we are going to create some fancy block quote styles. Using textures, circles, and pseudo-elements, we can put some life into quotations and testimonials.
Creating Stylish Responsive Form With CSS3 And HTML5 - In this tutorial I want to showcase many of these cool CSS3 effects. I’ve built a simple web form using some of the newer HTML5 input types. The layout is also responsive; it will adapt as the window size is reduced.
Coding A Responsive Resume In HTML5/CSS3 - In this tutorial I want to demonstrate how we can build a responsive single-page resume layout. I’ll be coding everything in HTML5/CSS3 to work properly at various screen resolutions.
50 Parallax Scrolling Website Examples, Plugins and Tutorials - Basically, by the principle, parallax works by having the layers of images in the background images move in a slower pace than the ones in the foreground, thus creating a nice 3D effect.
30 Useful Responsive Web Design Tutorials - This list is not meant to be an exhaustive one but it will get you started on understanding the basics of designing an adaptive website that will cater to all sorts of screen sizes.
Freelance, Business and Workflow Related Stuff
Mike Monteiro on handling clients - Mike Monteiro, author of the much celebrated Design is a Job, fields your questions about freelancing, approaching pitching – and how to tell when the time is right to fire a client
Reasons Why One Should Consider Taking a Break from Freelancing - Taking breaks are part of your freelance work. You will turn into a zombie if you will keep on working and not take breaks. Short breaks should be done every day while working.
HOW TO: Write a Web Design Proposal - Here we’re going to take a look at hacking the proposal writing process. We want to invoke the 80/20 rule towards proposal writing. We want to expend 20% effort to get 80% of the results.
F*cking Brilliant, a great Read or just magnificent Tips!
Eric Meyer on the past,present and future of CSS - To understand the future of CSS, you first need to understand its past. For a time the very survival of CSS was in doubt. “Between 1998 and 2000 there were so many problems with browser implementation it looked like CSS might never take off.
Don’t Just Wireframe – Tell the Design Story - It’s about time to state: UX Design does not equal wireframing. Let’s make it clear: anyone can wireframe – it’s a rather simple activity, but not everyone can design experiences.
Government Digital Service Design Principles - Listed below are our design principles and examples of how we’ve used them so far. These build on, and add to, our original 7 digital principles.
I hope you have enjoyed these hand-picked great articles? Please let me know by sharing your opinion in the comments-section. Did we miss a great article, please let us know .. To keep up to date with all the cool links, simply follow me @gonzodesign