Designing for Different Age Groups
Diversity is one of the things that make the web great, and every audience has its own needs and requirements. But what happens if that audience is comprised of a specific age group? Are you providing something fun and interactive for kids, or are you strictly an adult-only website (such as one that sells alcohol)?
Age is an influential factor on the web in terms of not only psychology, but also accessibility, usability, and user interface design. Many other variables can affect your designs, but we’ll focus on the difference that age can make in creating a website.
Are Dribbble Users Blurring the Line Between Art and Design?
You can easily split the design community into two groups: those drafted into Dribbble and those who aren’t.
Despite me being in the latter group, I find it difficult to ignore the fact that snapshots that are supposedly showing what designers are currently working on are no more than art and idealized designs that don’t reflect the actual principles and real-world requirements of a usable and function-oriented design.
How to Design Browser Themes
The web browser is probably one of the most frequently used applications on a person’s computer. For designers and developers, a browser theme can be canvas that provides hours of exposure to the artist or brand willing to create a theme for their fan base.
But with such an extreme landscape orientation and a range of functional obstructions, designing browser themes is a creative endeavor with plenty of pitfalls and gotchas.
There are many things to consider when approaching a new theme — from avoiding copyrighted images to achieving designs that work within the confines of a particular browser.
From Nothing to Something: Story of a Self-Taught Designer
I teach at a middle school in the southeastern U.S. located in an area plagued with grinding poverty. The kids on the football team wear t-shirts with the slogan "From Nothing to Something," a brand that I find somewhat disturbing. Are these kids "nothing" before they join the football team, or before they come to our school?
But the slogan does apply to the idea of learning any new discipline or art: you start with "nothing" and after a time (hopefully) you achieve "something" — whether it is to become an accomplished web designer, web developer, a painter, or an auto mechanic.
Why IE9 is a Web Designer’s Nightmare
Web professionals have been getting pretty excited lately, and it’s no surprise why. The latest spawn of Microsoft’s browser, Internet Explorer 9, has just been released. Many people have been talking about the changes and whether the latest version is a solid step forward, or if it’s too little, too late.
Understanding the Elements of Responsive Web Design
Responsive web design is undoubtedly a hot topic in web design right now. To some degree, the popularity of the concept of responsive web design is well deserved because site users are increasingly diversifying their methods of accessing a website. iPad, iPhone, Android mobile devices, desktops, netbooks — we’re in a time where our web designs must function in a multitude number of ways.
Let us explore the meaning and principles behind responsive web design.
Details Make the Difference in Web Design
Details make a world of difference when distinguishing between ordinary and extraordinary.
A luxury car may have the same number of wheels, seats, windows and doors as a traditional vehicle, but what sets it apart from the competition is the time spent on the details. Heated leather seats, a push-to-start engine, keyless entry, automated parking and extensive digital consoles add value to an expensive, new car.
