Here at WebWorks and Graphics, we’re currently working on a fun a project that includes exciting horizontal scrolling and navigation techniques and we can’t wait to show you the outcome. Meanwhile, let us dedicate this entry to this fun new emerging design trend that is slowly gaining ground. To be clear, horizontal scroll bars have long existed on the internet but have remained rudimentary since technology was not up to par with this different concept. Now that most mouses and computers have this capability and software such as Scrollable and jScrollHorizontalPane can convert the standard vertical scroll wheel to the desired horizontal capability, designers are taking advantage of this and creating websites that change the experience for web users. Here are some great examples that we have come across which shows the brilliance and potential of “horizontalism”.
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Do’s and Dont’s of Good Web Design
April 30th, 2010There are tons of different artistic directions you can go with when choosing a style and design for your website. To most people, this will be the first thing they judge you on. This means you had better be on your design p’s and q’s if you are to have a successful presence on the web. There are several elements that you should consider when deciding the look and feel of your site.
- Colors
- Layout
- Textures
- Pictures
- Typography of all elements
- Animations/Interactivity
- Menu Items
All of these represent the building blocks of a professional, modern website.
Before considering each element, it is instrumental to find a good starting point. Google other business that do what you do and see what you like and what you dislike. Look at colors, layout, pictures, picture placement, everything. Look at as many different sites as you can…the more the merrier. By doing this kind of research, you will start to see patterns in the way your industry best displays their business on the web. You don’t want to completely copy a website however but use examples as a solid starting point. Rest assured that once you go through each of the list items above and start to customize them for your business, the site will look completely different and unique.
Once you have a solid idea of what works in your industry, do a Google search for each one of the categories above to get a sense of the basics for each. Learn about what colors represent which emotions. Choose hi-res photos for you site. Choose colors in the photos that you are using for the site. Write down adjectives that describe your business and use pictures, textures and colors that represent those qualities.
When choosing a layout and menu items; keep the user in mind. Stick with something clean and easy to navigate. Most of the time, people won’t know about your industry; so you need to make it very easy for them to get through your site and learn. Use big pictures. Don’t be afraid of leaving white, or blank, space. The less on the page, the easier it will be for the use to concentrate on what you want them to know. More is less!
When it comes to type, keep it simple as well. Use standard serif and san-serif fonts (fonts with and without feet). Using exotic fonts makes your site bigger, which means it takes a longer time for the user to load the page. By tastefully using heading tags, bolds, and other CSS properties, you can create works of art with types which are easy on the eye and the brain.
Finally, use animations to make your site easier to understand. Have menu items animate when rolled over or clicked. Animate important links or graphics by important information. Don’t incorporate animations just for the sake of having them. This is a waste of development type and download time for the user. Most likely you’re not directing the website toward children so don’t treat your users like kids by overloading your site with your version of Looney Tunes. Keep it simple and useful! Caroline Waxler from Inc. Technology has some very great tips on this that you should definitely consider as well. Check out her very insightful article here :
KEYS FOR DESIGNING A SUCCESSFUL SITE
Now that you have a solid grasp of the many elements that make great design, it is vital that you hire someone who can handle the job and teach you until you have mastered it. Sites like Craigslist are ok; but they are a big gamble! Google web design businesses and companies and do the research. In the end it will be worth your time and money to hire the right company for the right job.
Make an Impression With Your Website
April 27th, 2010
Try to remember the last time you needed something… If you’re like me or many other millions of people around the world, the first thing you do is probably go to Google and start typing. For me my last big purchase was my lodging in Costa Rica a few weeks back. This is a little story of how a good website can make or break you…read closely if you want your business to succeed.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and just say it, “THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN TODAY’S BUSINESS CLIMATE IS YOUR WEBSITE.” Obviously, I mean this… Businesses both new and old underestimate the way the internet has changed the way people perceive and eventually pick businesses they deal with. There is nothing more important than having a clean, updated (not updated in 2004), informative, and polished website. It doesn’t matter if you have been around for 50 years or 5… If you want to keep getting new clients you need to keep your website updated with a new design that follows current web design standards.
This leads me back to my example. As I was scouring Google with my Firefox browser (if you use IE please leave now…ha just kidding. Just download Firefox already…) I was opening tabs left and right. I must have had 25 tabs open all displaying the different pages of hotels, houses, and places to stay in Costa Rica. Next I’ll show you how I browsed them and eventually picked the ones we were going to stay at…
- I closed sites that obviously had no effort put into them. These sites were unpleasing to the eye, outdated, or just didn’t function properly.
- I closed sites that looked like they were built by the owner or were templates…this shows to me two things; One: the owner doesn’t want to spend the money, which means the owner isn’t making much money, which means the place probably looks like their janky website. Two: the owner think his or her place isn’t unique enough to have a beautiful custom site built.
- I browsed through to the remaining sites (only about 6) and picked 2 based on their photos, reviews, and prices.
My example attempts to show you how much of the world surfs the internet. They want to see a custom site, they want to see professional photos, they want to see the effort put into the site because it directly reflects how much effort you put into your business and making your customers happy.
This is GREAT news for small businesses. If small businesses have better websites than some of their bigger competitors they have a much higher chance to get noticed and be competitive.
You can contact firms such as WebWorks & Graphics, who specialize in high-end custom website development, to help you make the most of your web presence.
With a little bit of effort you can see the results.
Don’t Force the Initial Design
March 20th, 2010Some of the best website designs we have done are the ones that come to us when we least expect it. You can’t force creativity, you have let any ideas bounce around for a while. Sometimes you’ll find a project that fits your style perfectly and it comes naturally, but most of the time you’ll have to change your ways to fit the client’s needs. I think that the reason why many website designs are so boring is because designers are so used to getting a project and trying to finish it as soon as possible. When this is the case all aspect of creative design goes right out the window. So next time you are going over some design concepts be sure to step away for a while and do something else. Let the design come to you.