Web usability for Graphic Designers: How to get started

05 March 2012 Last Updated on 05 March 2012

Websites are largely categorized as static or interactive. Static websites are typically built to advertise or market a product or a company. Interactive websites are more participatory in nature and allow users to perform certain defined actions - like filling up a registration form or perform a fund transfer in a bank account. Usually the user is guided and navigated through the pages of the site to ensure minimal errors and retries.

Website designs are guided by certain design principles. These principles have evolved with the evolution of the internet-connected-device – progressing from plain old desktops to fancy mobile gadgets, which the present generation cannot do without. The underlying principles however have remained the same and the fundamental dictum the web designer should go by, is presentation.

Any web designer is expected to understand the purpose of the site and cater to the primary audience. They could be teenagers attempting to play a song from their favorite radio station on their mobile, or a corporate official attempting to read through a sales graph on an iPad. The design should be funky and catchy for the first, and sober with more weight given to the content, for the second.

The designer is also expected to understand the customer’s preferences, and if possible, interact with them to come up with the best design suited to the customer. A very colorful website could be a major source of irritation for a customer, but the same could make another customer quite bright and cheery.

The home page or landing page, which is the first page that the viewer is directed to, is called the lead capture page. It can capture the attention of a viewer or repel the viewer and hence design time is mostly spent on this page. It would be prudent on the part of the web designer to have 3 - 4 designs available for the site owner to choose from. This page is a representation of the personality of the owner(s) and hence forms a crucial part of the design.

Content, graphics, and videos should be evenly distributed. Changes to conventions are permissible provided they don’t place challenges to the viewer. The designer can experiment with graphics or navigation style, as long as the user is pleasantly taken through the website. Surprises will not be appreciated by an official wondering what went wrong with his previous month’s sales. It could be, however, welcomed by a person attempting to book a table at his favorite restaurant. Hence context is once again key.

An awareness of the technology used to develop the website, its limitations, and design capabilities, would help the designer to channelize his run of imagination, preventing rework that would happen if the design becomes un-implementable.

Web designing is an enticing topic for those inclined towards the arts and the sciences. Jakob Nielson – called the king of Usability Engineering, has written many articles on this subject. A research on his guidelines can be quite enlightening to the designer.

With the onslaught of internet enabled gadgets of different sizes and resolutions, the designer has to be able to maximize the visual footprint in the minimal area available. If the website design is able to impress the audience, be intuitive, and ensure that the message it intended to convey is clearly communicated, within the average browsing time of an average viewer, the designer has succeeded in his mission.

About the author:

Brianne is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and design. Beside this she is fond of gadgets. Recently an article on Android PDF Reader attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on interior design software.

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12 Weapons Every Designer Should Have in Their Arsenal for 2012

02 January 2012 Last Updated on 02 January 2012 JP Jones

Every designer has their pet products, favorite applications and go-to software that they rely on everyday. While everyone's specific needs will vary, I thought I'd start off 2012 by sharing those pieces in my toolbox that I wouldn't want to have to work without. Who knows, maybe you'll find something here you'd like to try yourself! (Note: If you thought I was going to talk about our basic design software, think again. This post explores the 'optional' tools designers make use of!)

1. Notify
With over 15 active email addresses that must be monitored daily, Notify is perhaps my most used software. If you're not familiar with the application, it's an email notification system that can support an unlimited number of email accounts (with the paid version). You can even use the application (located in your status bar at all times) to reply to or compose new emails. Literally streamlining the email process by leaps and bounds.
Check it out yourself here.

2. Calibre
For any one wanting to make quick work of ebook conversions from ePub editions, take a moment to download Calibre. Calibre allows you to take an ePub file and convert it into over a dozen various file formats--perfect for distributing your book to multiple book reader platforms, i.e. Amazon's Kindle (.mobi) and Barnes & Noble's Nook (.pub).
Check it out yourself here.

3. Adobe Digital Editions
Adobe Digtial Editions is the eBook designer's answer to proofing and double checking ebook conversions without having to drop the book onto an actual eReader to test it out yourself. Adobe Digital Editions is a free download that allows you to view eBooks directly from your computer.
Check it out yourself here.

4. Barcode Producer
There are dozens of barcode softwares available and earlier last year I had to take the plunge and settle on one to purchase myself. After much deliberation, price checking and comparison shopping I settled on Barcode Producer. This producer will create everything from QR codes to serious barcodes in a snap. The feature that really sold me was the ability to immediately send the barcode directly to the Adobe product of my choice (Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign) saving tons of time on the workflow!
Check it out yourself here.

5. Crashplan
After being a Mozy user for several years, they lost me during an insane price hike. While looking for more affordable options, I stumbled across Crashplan and LOVE IT. Not only is it constantly backing up, but I have had much fewer connection interruptions than I did with Mozy previously.
Check it out yourself here.

6. Join Me
With traveling and working in seemingly remote locations, I realized that a reliable screen sharing software was a must. Join Me has proven to be incredible. From doing remote client training sessions, to simply helping someone over the phone with their problems the ability to quickly allow someone to view my screen has been a must have.
Check it out yourself here.

7. Back Pack It
From 37 Signals, BackPackIt is an incredible resource for small business. From To-Do lists to Calendars and collaboration tools, BackPackIt provides all the tools you need to manage yourself and your employees. You are also given the ability to sync it to your phones and there are special apps in place to make sure you are making the most of the software on the go.
Check it out yourself here.

8. Dropbox
More than just sharing files between computers, drop box proves invaluable when you need to quickly send a large file to a client or colleague. Public folders are a great way to upload a file quickly and then send out a download link to the desired recipient. I have found myself using this feature alone almost daily.
Check it out for yourself here.

9. Dragon Dictate
If you find yourself spending all your time on the computer then you might have also noticed some of the wear and tear that goes with it. Personally I went through some time having severe wrist pain prompting me to purchase the dictation software. I have found tons of other uses for it as a result. When it comes to jotting down quick thoughts and writing articles quickly.
Check it out for yourself here.

10. Handbrake
There will always be a time when you find yourself needing to rip a DVD file for a friend or client for use online. When that occurs Handbrake is the go-to software. Handbrake takes the complications out of DVD ripping and makes it easy for you to create web ready files from DVD.
Check this out for yourself here.

11. Jing
From screen capture videos to short screenshots or screencasts Jing is a great resource for sharing ideas, information or simply collaborating. If you are looking for a solution that allows you to create a screencast look no farther: Jing is all that and more. Pro and free versions available.
Check it out for yourself here.

12. Freshbooks
What would a designer be without a great invoicing system? Be sure to make Freshbooks part of your repertoire! Freshbooks is a web based invoicing system that allows you to create accounts for each of your clients and track their payments and recurring invoices with ease. Fully customizable with your branding and colors, Freshbooks takes your invoicing to a new level!
Check it out for yourself here.

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How to Create, Publish, Market, and Sell Your E-Book

08 September 2011 Last Updated on 03 May 2012 Douglas Klostermann

Today we have a guest post by: Douglas Klostermann. Doug shares his extensive knowledge and tips on creating ebooks with our readers. Enjoy! ~JP

Publish Your E-Book to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple iTunes and iBooks for Free

Using the knowledge, tools, and tips I've gained from my experience as a best-selling e-book writer, I explain every step of the e-book process from formatting through marketing, in order to help you publish and sell your e-book as easily and inexpensively as possible.

Why Now is the Time to Join the E-Book Revolution

Statistics about e-books, e-book publishing, and e-readers are being reported and discussed with increasing frequency and the overall conclusion is clear: e-book sales are rising at a dramatic pace. E-book sales in the United States currently exceed those of the other formats, including hardback and paperback sales, and grew 200% from 2010 to 2011. Electronic books are now outselling printed books on Amazon.com - hardcover and paperback combined - and the Kindle e-reader is the best-selling product on Amazon. Apple's iPads are selling by the tens of millions, Android powered tablet sales are increasing, and numerous other companies are developing and selling tablet devices. There is no better time to join the e-book revolution.

E-books can be read on a PC or Mac, on an e-reader device like a Kindle, Nook, or Sony Reader, on an iPad, Android or other tablet, or even on an iPhone or other smart phone. The publishing playing field has never been so level for self-published, independent authors. Your e-books can be up for sale on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple iTunes and iBooks at no cost to you. They will be available on these sites along with all the printed and digital books, with the potential to be found and purchased by anyone shopping and searching online.

With e-books you can publish your books as soon as you complete them, then make changes and additions to your text or descriptions at any time and have the new versions posted and available in minutes or days. If you have information, knowledge, or a story that others are interested in reading and the skills to write, format, put on sale, and market an e-book, the process is both straightforward and free or very low cost.

This tutorial will cover each step of the process, and is excerpted from my much more comprehensive e-book about creating, formatting, publishing, marketing, and selling e-books called The E-Book Handbook, which goes into further detail about each of these steps. Learn more about The E-Book Handbook - A Thoroughly Practical Guide to Formatting, Publishing, Marketing, and Selling Your E-Book:
http://www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/The_E-Book_Handbook.htm

Setting Up a Website or Blog

Before or as you start writing your e-book, it is important to begin putting some other elements of your future e-book empire into place, including a blog and/ or website, which are important for creating awareness of your e-book and marketing and selling it directly to potential readers. I suggest that you spend some time to build this foundation that will be helpful for selling and marketing the e-books you will be putting so much effort into. When your e-book is finally ready for publication and you are eager to start selling it, you'll be glad that some of the groundwork has already been established.

WordPress is perhaps the most powerful and versatile free blogging platform currently available, and is also easy to set up and use. You can start a free blog at WordPress.com, but I highly recommend that you use the (also free) WordPress software available at WordPress.org to create and host your blog on your own website. There are several reasons for this. Free WordPress.com blogs hosted by WordPress are intended to be personal blogs and are not intended for people who will be using their blog to sell something or to make money. Right now your blog may not be intended or designed primarily to sell your e-books or to make money but rather to discuss your subject or your thoughts. But over time the number of posts you write about your own e-books might grow, and your affiliate links to products on sites like Amazon may increase and it may begin to appear that your blog is intended primarily for selling. So rather than risking having your blog suspended at some point by WordPress, and to give yourself the ability to explore other ways of advertising or earning income through your blog, it is best to host it on your own website. Plus hosting it on your own site will allow you the options of customizing your blog and using versatile WordPress PlugIns.

You Say To·ma·to . . .

13 August 2011 Last Updated on 13 August 2011 JP Jones

Tomato Festival The 8th annual TomatoArtFest was the place to be Saturday August 13th. Over 120 vendors filled Woodland street in downtown Nashville TN-- all themed around a single plant: the tomato. From tomato themed jewelry to tomato shaped stress balls and a variety of attendees dressed like the "often misunderstood fruit" you could find a little of everything at the festival-- as long as you liked tomatoes of course.

For me, the highlight of the trip was the tomato art show, boasting the wonders of the art world as it relates to our red little friends.

The following photos are a few of my favorite pieces from the show in a variety of mediums. I hope you find the same amount of inspiration in these pieces as I did-- a little something to refuel your creative juices!