Web Design
February 27, 2008
Floating around the universe, are certain universal principles that transcend disciplines. I would like to explore a few of them here, and talk about how they can be applied to web design.
The Three Master Principles
#1 Simplicity
This is such an important principle, that it can easily be made into the top three web design principles, just as location is to real estate:
– location
– location
– location
… we could say the same thing about simplicity in web design:
– simplicity
– simplicity
– simplicity
The important thing to take to heart, is that your web sites should be designed to be as simple as possible. You want to keep it simple for two main reasons:
- To make it easy for you to update.
- To make it easy for visitors to navigate the web site.
The simplicity principle applies to design, structure and the code.
What do I mean by ‘structure’ of the web site?
I am simply referring to the URL structure. So we are talking about directory structures, page names etc. I’ve detailed this in my article on intelligent paths in websites.
I think the other two (design and code) are self evident.
… Now let’s look at principle number two:
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February 27, 2008
I’ve released another video tutorial on Dreamweaver CS3 where I look at the three ways Dreamweaver gives you to edit web pages.
Video: Dreamweaver CS3 Editor Views
You can find all the Dreamweaver CS3 videos in the Dreamweaver section of killersites.com:
Dreamweaver CS3
Thanks,
Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com
www.killerphp.com
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February 22, 2008
Killersites.com is an old site, nearly 12 years old now!
Over that time (as we added more articles and tutorials), our directory structures and file naming styles changed as conventions changed. So now I have a huge mess to clean up.
… There is a lot of information buried in killersites.com that people just don’t find.
🙁
Fortunately, over the last 12-13 years of building websites and web applications, I’ve been able to figure out the best way to organize a website:
In this article, I discuss how to create an easier to maintain, more user friendly website by way of using intelligent paths.
–
So what are ‘intelligent paths’?
I’m talking about URL structures of course! So that means a few things:
- Building a SENSIBLE website directory structure.
- Using meaningful words in page names and directories.
- Using lower case text for page and directory names.
- Using dashes between words in both page and directory names.
… Let’s go over the details.
read more
February 22, 2008
I’ve released part 2 and 3 of my videos on building your first web page with Dreamweaver CS3.
Video: Building a web page with Dreamweaver CS3
You can get quick access to all the Dreamweaver CS3 videos on this page:
Dreamweaver CS3 videos
Thanks,
Stefan Mischook
www.killersites.com
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January 23, 2008
Hi,
I just released a few CPANEL video tutorials that are targeted at people who are new to this popular web hosting management software.
What is CPANEL?
CPANEL is a web based program (runs in a web browser) that hosting companies provide to clients so that clients can easily edit things about their web hosting account:
- Add and remove email addresses.
- Set up MySQL databases.
- Create secured directories using something called htaccess.
- Set up FTP accounts.
… And a lot more.
You can find the collection of videos here:
CPANEL videos
So far, this is what I have up:
– Setting up email with CPANEL
– Using File Manager in CPANEL
– Uploading web pages with CPANEL
– Setting up MySQL with CPANEL
If you have any suggestions regarding any other topics, let me know.
Stefan
www.killersites.com
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January 14, 2008
A common question I get from people, is whether it makes sense to go to college to learn web design?
I’ve talked about the web design profession in other articles. Yet, as you will see in the following email I recently got, I haven’t dealt with all the issues regarding web design and education:
Hi Stefan,
Anyway, I am interested in web design. I am in the middle of trying to figure out whether I should go to my local community colleges for courses in HTML, photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc … or an actual art school for graphic art/ web design. Of course cost is a factor.
I am a mother of two, and my work schedule needs to be flexible. I am very creative and have a great eye for design.
My question is, which course of action you recommend? How much education is necessary? Is a degree necessary, if so, what type? associate, bachelors, certificate?
What are the salary potentials in web design working for yourself and for outside companies (I have research outside company positions advertising 40k – 50k, is that realistic?)
I’m not young, (a youthful 44) and I really need to do something in the form of a career for myself, other than taking care of everyone else.
Thank you so much for your time-
Sandy
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January 9, 2008
The web design business process is what happens between the web designer and the client they are serving.
–
The following article targets two groups of people:
- Web designers who want to get into the business of web design.
- People who are looking to higher a web designer and want to get a better idea of the process – at a high level.
When first approached by someone looking to get a web site built, the first thing you need to do is figure some details about the website. Things like:
- Features/functionality; do they need e-commerce, a blog, password protected pages etc.
- Scale: how big will the website be? How many pages?
- Purpose of the site: will it be a branding site? Will they need to be found by the search engines or will the site be more about serving an established client base?
These basic questions can have a big impact on how you build the site, the budget and the skills you will need as a web designer/consultant to complete the job.
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January 5, 2008
A few days ago, I got this email that is all about starting a web design business, so I thought I would answer it here because I think a lot of people might find it interesting.
I need your opinion. I was looking to quote a friend a price for a small, simple, informational website. No more then 10 pages at the most. Possibly holding scedules for his football team too (which would need to be updated).
I know he wants a deal from me. Also, design is my weak point. How would i properly word the idea of using a website template? If i go and get a template from somewhere, it would be ethically correct to tell him since he could come across the same design someday. How would i go about doing that without him thinking- well i can go get a template and i don’t need you! Then I’ve lost a job!
Let me know your ideas.
Thanks,
Tim
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November 13, 2007
Someone recently wrote to me where they were concerned about the future of web design as a profession. I’ve summarized the question as follows:
Given the rampant spread of website templates and point-and-click site builder tools (that more and more web hosts are offering) can web designers realistically expect to continue to make a good living building web sites for small business using traditional (from scratch) web design methods?
The answer to this question (and to find out clues on how to move forward) all we need to do is to look to web design’s past.
But before we go on, there is also something else to consider:
Web designers also have to deal with the reality that there are lots of kids out there willing to use pirated copies of Dreamweaver and Photoshop, to build a website for a fraction of what professionals have to charge.
Since (I’m guessing) most web design professionals don’t live with their parents anymore, it’s hard for them to compete with teenage nerds who just need XBox money.
How about the quality of the web design work – doesn’t that have an affect on who people will choose to build their website?
… Unfortunately, sometimes quality (for short sighted business owners) doesn’t fit into the equation. That said, there is good news for professional web designers. Read on …
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November 10, 2007
Every once and a while I use a question put to me, as the basis for an article. This time, we have Richard asking whether web design (as a profession,) will have bright future.
The email:
Thank you for having courses that make it easier for the average laymen to comprehend the basics which will allow the complex material to sink in. I have a question though.
I am in my fifties, have done many different things in my life, and I am looking for something as a career change to take me into my second half of life and into retirement. What do you think the opportunities are going to be in the future in this type of industry taking into consideration the advancements in technology?
In other words, where do you see a web page developer or designer 5, 10, 15 years from now. Thank you for your time and consideration in my attempts to make an educated decision about my future.
Sincerely,
Richard Sherban
Hi Richard,
I think the future is good for web design and development. That said, I would like point out a few things:
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