Design Goods

What I Learned About the Web in 2011

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:20:52 -0600

What I Learned About the Web in 2011

Measuring and sizing UIs, 2011-style

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 11:20:23 -0600

Measuring and sizing UIs, 2011-style:

For years we used pixels to lay out web pages. Then, not so long ago, we were dabbling with ems to make our pages elastic. Now, in 2011, most of us are adopting a responsive approach and using fluid grids and percentages.

Design Is Not The Goal

Thu, 19 May 2011 19:05:02 -0500

Design Is Not The Goal:

There is a well-known saying by Benjamin Franklin that states, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” If we take that lens to interaction design, we could say: In design nothing can be said to be certain, except eye candy and following new trends. The screens are changing, but the approach, sadly enough, is not.

A Guide to Better Freelance Health

Fri, 13 May 2011 17:25:06 -0500

A Guide to Better Freelance Health:

Freelancing comes prepackaged with a lot of concerns (mostly over the next pay check). These concerns can have a negative effect on us. It’s all too easy to fall into a path of neglect and poor health habits. For our careers to flourish we need to stay healthy, and not go down the dark road so many freelancers follow of ignoring their health.

Less Framework 4

Fri, 13 May 2011 12:40:06 -0500

Less Framework 4:

Less Framework is a CSS grid system for designing adaptive websites. It contains 4 layouts and 3 sets of typography presets, all based on a single grid.

Forgot to mention...

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:08:00 -0600

I’m taking a short break from posting regularly on Design Goods. I’ll be back pretty soon though, so don’t give up yet :p. See you soon!

Legal Guidelines for Freelance Web Designers

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:41:07 -0600

Legal Guidelines for Freelance Web Designers:

Handling the legal side of freelancing could possibly be one of the more annoying tasks required for the job. Having worked as a full-time freelancer I can attest the amount of legal paperwork and information can become overwhelming, especially for newbies entering the field.

The Importance of Historiography on the Web

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:20:07 -0600

The Importance of Historiography on the Web:

The topic of history immediately draws to mind a dusty classroom in which professors tell stories of war, royalty and civilizations lost to the sands of time. While traditional history is expressed as a vibrant tapestry of events, dates, people and places, we often forget that the web has its own rich history and a legacy to leave future generations that needs both preservation and recognition.

Start Now, Planning for a Freelancer’s Retirement

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:40:07 -0600

Start Now, Planning for a Freelancer’s Retirement:

Retirement is a topic that freelancers shy away from. Bring it up with your fellow freelancers and you’ll probably hear at least one person proudly proclaim that they plan to work until the day that they die. There’s a certain sense among many of us that we actually enjoy what we do. Since we don’t have a boss to drive us crazy, why would we want to ever retire?

The Font-Face Rule and Useful Web Font Tricks

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:20:07 -0600

The Font-Face Rule and Useful Web Font Tricks:

This quick introduction to @font-face will lead you towards a guide through the @font-face kit generator. If you want to make Web use of your already licensed desktop fonts, read up on how to embed them from your own server. Topped up with some helpful tips, tricks and workarounds, this article will hopefully provide some useful insights.

How to Juggle Multiple Projects and Clients Without Going Crazy

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:35:46 -0600

How to Juggle Multiple Projects and Clients Without Going Crazy:

Let’s face it: it’s hard working on multiple things at once. Focusing on just one thing is much easier than trying to juggle multiple projects and clients. Yet the reality for most designers and firms is you’re working on many projects and with many clients, often simultaneously. Luckily, there’s ways to juggle multiple projects and clients without going crazy.

jQuery Fundamentals

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:00:07 -0600

jQuery Fundamentals:

This is a hands-on class. We will spend a bit of time covering a concept, and then you’ll have the chance to work on an exercise related to the concept. Some of the exercises may seem trivial; others may be downright daunting. In either case, there is no grade; the goal is simply to get you comfortable working your way through problems you’ll commonly be called upon to solve using jQuery.

SEO: The Free Beginner’s Guide

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:00:06 -0600

SEO: The Free Beginner’s Guide:

This guide is designed to describe all areas of SEO - from discovery of the terms and phrases that will generate traffic, to making a site search engine friendly, to building the links and marketing the unique value of the site/organization’s offerings. Don’t worry, if you are confused about this stuff, you are not alone.

How HTML5 Is Aiding in Cross-Platform Development

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:00:07 -0600

How HTML5 Is Aiding in Cross-Platform Development:

As the mobile application space continues to explode, developers are increasingly using HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3 to aid in the creation of web apps and native mobile apps. This process is especially useful when dealing with cross-platform development or when working with content that already exists in some form on the web

The No-Pressure Introduction to CSS3

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:01:07 -0600

The No-Pressure Introduction to CSS3:

It’s difficult to escape the hype surrounding CSS3 at the moment, yet it has created a divide in the community. If you read any blog post on the subject and it is flooded with comments by developers who feel they still cannot use CSS3 in their work. Rather than being encouraging the responses from the experts in our community can appear as aggressive and superior. Although they are correct in saying CSS3 can be used now, the decision must still fall to the individual, even if their opinions are based on inaccurate assumptions.

Why whitespace matters

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:00:07 -0600

Why whitespace matters:

Designers love it, website owners want to fill it. Whitespace seems to be one of the most controversial aspects of design. Why then is it so important and how can we ensure it is maintained?

Understanding CSS Selectors

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:38:26 -0600

Understanding CSS Selectors:

CSS3 seems to get all the attention lately. It’s understandable. Us designers tend to get googly-eyed when we hear “rounded corners” and “multiple background images.” But CSS 2.1 offers one of my favorite selectors, which I’ve been using like it is going out of style (yes, the pun is intended).

Structural Tags in HTML5

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:41:13 -0600

Structural Tags in HTML5:

The HTML5 specification has added quite a few interesting and useful tags for structuring your markup. For a majority of everyday uses, these tags will replace many of our typical div entries from our code. So let’s dig in.

Creating A User-Friendly SEO Strategy

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:00:07 -0600

Creating A User-Friendly SEO Strategy:

Some web designers (and many web content writers) view on-page SEO as a necessary evil to an effective content strategy on the web. However, when properly executed, SEO can actually enhance a site visitor’s experience, rather than detract from it. In this article, I’ll run through several examples of how SEO can be improved with the user in mind. Reviewing these examples should help site builders gain a solid understanding of SEO practices that work together to create highly effective sites

Internet Explorer In A Web Designer’s Life – Problems And Solutions

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:00:06 -0600

Internet Explorer In A Web Designer’s Life – Problems And Solutions:

Internet Explorer, this current pain in the… code for designers nowadays, had its days of glory a long time ago, when IE6 was launched, cause at that time, believe it or not, IE6 was a top notch browser. With time, things have changed and changed dramatically, Internet Explorer having to face an incredible load of hate directed to itself, especially coming from web designers and developers.