Blog &bull Web Design
How twitter broadens my horizons
April 16, 2009
Like many designers, I gain lots of inspiration (large volumes of it, in fact) by going online and looking at the work of others. There are plenty of websites set up to showcase design, but I’m finding that one of the nicest ways to come across great work is through twitter.
When I joined twitter, I [...]
Fundamentals of good design: Colour schemes
November 19, 2008
The importance of colour in design can never be overstated. Colour choices influence mood, emotion and tone; a carefully chosen colour scheme can clearly express a specific design style.
When I begin work on a new design project, I usually work at length on creating a good colour scheme. You’ll find more detail on this side [...]
Fresh ideas for creating seamless websites
November 3, 2008
When I wrote about seamless websites it was done with the intention to showcase designs which I thought were cleverly bridging the gap between designing for small and large resolution computer screens. It proved to be a very popular topic, one of the most popular to date on this blog.
I’m revisiting the subject now because [...]
One thing blog designers must have
September 23, 2008
Image by kevindooley
Designing for blogs, creating blog themes and building websites with Content Management Systems (CMS) make up probably the fastest growing aspect of web design. The measure of a web designer who is keeping their skills up to date is that they offer at least one of these services.
A good web designer should also [...]
Irresistible Websites Part Four: Energy
September 4, 2008
What gives a website design energy? The way I see it, a website displays energy if the design is not only well crafted but also generates its own atmosphere. The design elements may be simple (even minimalist) or bursting with detail, but with one aspect in common: they create an ambience based on a sense [...]
Irresistible Websites Part Three: Textures
August 25, 2008
Since the early days of the web, designers have looked for ways to improve on the very flat nature of the medium. Textures are one way to create depth without a site becoming very graphics-heavy. The third part in this series on irresistible websites looks at the use of textures and layering as appealing design [...]
Irresistible Websites Part Two: Playful Sites
August 18, 2008
When it comes to web style, playful is very, very popular. Cartoonish vector landscapes, cuter-than-cute site mascots and retro typography are popping up all over the place. And it’s not only the designers who are having fun: Flash and Javascript, when used well, can also create an interactive space which compels you to keep clicking.
Irresistible Websites: Part One
August 13, 2008
What makes a website irresistible? In other words, what visual elements are most successful in enticing the viewer to take a closer look? This post begins a series looking at websites employing striking design techniques to attract visitors.
To better understand the factors at play in the range of sites featured, each post will focus on [...]
Beijing 2008 website
August 8, 2008
For the next two weeks this website can expect to get among the highest traffic numbers on the planet. It’s the official website for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Competition schedules, results, video highlights will all be available here, as you’d expect from the online presence for a world-class sporting event (and this is the granddaddy [...]
When RSS doesn’t play nice
July 22, 2008
In case it seems like my little corner of the RSS reader has gone quiet in recent times, I want to assure you that it’s not entirely true. My RSS feed is causing some problems; this appears to have been prompted by a new redirect from my RSS URL to Feedburner. I have raised the [...]
