Learn About Wireframes Before Hiring a Web Developer

As someone who has been on both sides of the contract, as a freelancer and as a client, one of the most welcome things you can possibly do for a freelancer is assist them with their job in a meaningful way.

Are you the client from hell?

When it comes to web development, that means two things. First, read through Clients From Hell and strive to never be "that guy." Second, be ready to present your web developer with a wireframe.

When I say the word wireframe, what do you picture? If you're thinking 80s CGI and polygonal models, you're a bit off the mark. A web design wireframe is like that polygonal skeleton, but for a website.

What's a wireframe?

It's a graphical layout and design that doesn't require any coding, image manipulation, or even anything more than putting a pencil to a sheet of graph paper. Just check out some of these examples.

Related: Eight Tech Skills Entrepreneurs Must Have to Succeed

A wireframe is an incredibly useful tool for a web developer. It shows them exactly what you have in mind and gives them an idea of the scale of various elements, the crucial elements you want included in your pages. The wireframe is sort of the coding trickery they might need to implement to make it all happen.

This way you don't surprise them with "oh, and by the way, I want the navigation on the sidebar" or "hey, actually, can you make that static image a slideshow?"

You'll save time, you'll save money, and you'll save the blood, sweat, and tears of both you and your web developer.

But wait! I'm scared.

If you're scared about the complexity of a wireframe, don't worry about it. You don't have to make a full-scale design of every page on your site. All you really need are the basics. You'll want to know where you'll have your navigation and what sort of layout you want for product pages.

Related: Five Times You Should Show, Not Tell at Work

You'll want a couple of details about how many extra slots you need for article thumbnails or the other related products. Some of the wireframes in the gallery above are very simple, no more than a handful of boxes nested in other boxes, but it's still enough for a web developer to get started.

Plus, remember, it's part of the developer's job to help you refine the design. They can tell you "hey, this design is a little cluttered, what if we cut this and moved that over there?"

Modern design is a key.

They can tell you that modern design standards suggest you shouldn't have your navigation on the right side in the gutter. They can use your wireframe as a base. It just cuts out the first five or six back-and-forth prototyping phases the developer would normally have to go through to get to this stage with you.

Related: Starting Up Smart: Converting Your Vision Into A Viable Product

Wireframes are also very easy to create, so long as you have and keep a vision of what you want your site to look like. I already said you can put a pencil to a sheet of paper and make one, but you can also use one of dozens of apps out there.

The industry standard that I've come across is Balsamiq, which is free to try and cheap to buy. Or you can use other tools like Wireframe.cc, Moqups, or UXPin for web-based solutions.

If you'd rather work from a tablet or mobile device, OmniGraffle works on iOS, Wire Flow works on Android, and Fluid UI works on both.

Everything you make is a process.

It's really not as difficult as it looks -- or sounds. Remember, producing anything is an iterative process. Going from an idea to a sketch, from a sketch to a wireframe, from a wireframe to a more detailed design, and from there to a prototype is typical.

Related: Four Attributes You Must Develop to Achieve Everything

Any amount of help you can bring to your developer will go a long way -- and trust me -- it's greatly appreciated.

Source: Learn About Wireframes Before Hiring a Web Developer

Ask DN: What (simple) web analytics software do you use?

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1 day ago from Jonathan Brodheim, Designer at LoungeBuddy

I used to use Mint by Shaun Inman, but since it was discontinued, I switched over to Google Analytics. Truth be told, GA is too complex for what I am looking for, and was hoping someone here may have an alternative I can check out. Really only curious what pages people are interested in, who might be referring the views, and where people are coming from.

Source: Ask DN: What (simple) web analytics software do you use?

15 Great Google Font Combinations For Your Next Project Design

For any website, content is the most important part. So, naturally, you would want it to be as simple and straightforward as possible, in order not to worry about viewers trying to understand the cryptic messages hidden behind poor color choices and messy fonts.

This is why not only the general design and imagery but also the font choices and the overall consideration for typography are important for conveying the right message to the audience. By choosing appropriate font combinations and assigning the right hierarchy where needed, you can decrease the confusion and let the viewers stay and read your content.

In terms of appealing visual language, your text should have few characteristics, of which the most important are a readable font, the high contrast, and the hierarchy.

Even if there is a large library of fonts out there, many designers choose a sans serif fonts such as Helvetica, Verdana or Arial as their main font because they are familiar, very easy to read and adaptable to any design project. They also come standard, so by choosing fonts as these, they can be sure that the text will visually be the same not just for print, but also for web design.

Thankfully, the design world has advanced to the point where fonts are not nearly as limited as they once were. Starting with 2010 the Google Fonts were released, making the process of choosing and pairing fonts easier and quicker.

However, you should be aware that not every font combination in Google's library is a recipe for typographical success. With the right font pairings and usage considerations, your brand will convey the right message to your audience, professionalism, and reader friendliness without the need for expensive customized fonts.

In this article, I'll show you 15 great Google Font combinations that will help you to accomplish all this.

You will find below 15 spectacular Google Font combinations that together with images and graphics, will help you define your brand's personality.

Open Sans Condensed + Open Sans

Open Sans Condensed / Open Sans

Here's the easiest combination that works wonderfully for nearly any design project. Open Sans is one of—if not the—most versatile font in the entire collection of Google Fonts. It's extremely easy to read in large blocks of text, at the same time being salient enough for headlines.

I can't imagine any scenario where Open Sans would go wrong. Unless you're looking specifically for a serif font, this one will serve perfectly almost any business, blog, landing page, or web app.

Simple. Elegant. Familiar.

Montserrat + Merriweather

Monserrat / Merriweather

Montserrat is a very appreciated font among designers for its versatility and simplicity, and Merriweather pairs wonderfully with it because its contrasting style and easy readability. It doean't matter if you interchange them as headlines or paragraph text—they both work great as either!

This particular combination is a nice balance of modern and classic design. Therefore, its variety of uses could support many types of businesses.

Raleway + Roboto Slab

Raleway / Roboto Slab

Roboto Slab is a versatile font,  yet a bit more classical in style. When paired with the distinctive and bold Raleway, we can see an amazing match of clean and refined typography.

Raleway is one of those fonts that defines sophistication. When used as an all-caps headline, it works beautifully for luxury items like jewelry, designer clothing, perfumes and so on. Roboto Slab supports it well with simple and approachable descriptive text.

Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro

Playfair Display / Source Sans Pro

Playfair Display was inspired by the letterforms of the 18th century during the transition from quills to steel-tipped pens. So, it's no surprise that this font expresses an old charm while having a modern twist.

This font adds a personal touch to something like a tagline or product description. If you use its currency symbols, you'll immediately see why it's the perfect choice for a product or service centered around luxury and appearances.

At the same time, Source Sans Pro keeps the text grounded in a modern and clean presentation, while pushes things a little further into the future and creates an intriguing combination.

Alegreya + Lato

Alegreya / Lato

Alegreya is a font without no pretense about its personality; what you see is what you get. On the other side, Lato could be champion of all-purpose fonts in Google's library. Together they make for a combination that is fun, easy to read, and pragmatic.

This combination is great for small local businesses like cafes, or professionals who want to suggest a warm feeling to their clients' design projects.

Fjalla One + Cantarell

Fjalla One / Cantarell

Maybe it's not one of the most versatile fonts, but Fjalla One creates headlines that demand attention. Small or large, lowercase or all caps, those letters are hypnotic no matter what you do with them. Similarly, Cantarell has a charm that seems to attract the same attention that Fjalla One draws for headlines.

This pairing works extremely well for blogs, landing pages or anything else that includes long bodies of text that needs noticeable subheadings to break up content.

Roboto Condensed + Roboto

Roboto Condensed / Roboto

The Roboto font-family is extremely versatile, having many font weights, there's practically no limitation to what the font could be used for. Modern and geometric, yet somehow friendly and dependable, Roboto is an exceed in terms of forms and functions.

Here's another pairing that you could use. While Roboto works for just about anything, but it would work particularly for tech startups, modern small businesses, or any type of brand that looks into the future.

Amatic SC + Josefin Sans

Amatic SC / Josefin Sans

This is more for people with artistic inclinations. Obviously, the combination won't work for everyone, but the bizarre nature of both Amatic SC and Josefin Sans create something that for sure will stand out, as long as you don't overdo it.

If you're a fun-spirited artist, musician or entertainer, you could use this pairing to capture your unique personality. Depending on the niche, tone, and topics, this combination could also work for a blog.

Oswald + Droid Serif

Oswald / Droid Serif

Regardless the font-weight or use of caps, Oswald is a great font for headlines. Its condensed nature helps it grab attention and pop, but it also makes for a pleasant text, if you use it as your main body's font. On the other side, Droid Serif has a classic look, similar to Garamond. Used properly, this serif font can bring a nice elegance to your professional appearance.

The versatility of Oswald and the timelessness of Droid Serif make this combination great for professionals dealing with high-end clientele or for product descriptions where the text is important to emphasize a premium quality.

Unica One + Vollkorn

Unica One / Vollkorn

Unica One can be pretty funky on its own, but when used as all caps it becomes a headline that is all business. Vollkorn is a font reminiscent of classical literature. Contemporary and impactful, when they are used in this combination, somehow the two of them work amazingly together.

Archivo Black + Tenor Sans

Archivo Black / Tenor Sans

Archivo Black was designed to meet the intensive needs of print and digital platforms. Originally created for headlines and highlights, this font is ideal for high-geared press work.

On the other hand, Tenor Sans has as purpose to aid page body text setting. Because of its legible characters, this font gives an elegant and relaxed feel and it can also be applied to headlines. Combining these two fonts, you will have a highly legible and well-crafted typography that's a recipe for high-performance typesetting.

Pathway Gothic One + Cardo

Pathway Gothic One / Cardo

Cardo is a large font perfect for linguists, classicists, medieval specialists and biblical scholars.  It is largely used for documentation and other extensive publications. It offers a variety of punctuation techniques, text figures, and ligatures.

Pathway Gothic One is a stylish font with an outlandish compressed design. It is an attractive choice among typesetting and typography experts. The result of combining these two fonts is nothing short of amazing.

Six Caps + Archivo Narrow

Six Caps / Archivo Narrow

Six Caps is a highly condensed and tight display font. It is a stripped down and normalized version of classic grotesque display letterforms.

Archivo Narrow was designed to be used simultaneously in print and digital platforms and it was originally created for highlights and headlines. The technical and aesthetic characteristics of the font are both crafted for high-performance typography.

With a warm and modern feeling, the combination works perfectly for design projects related to the entertainment industry.

Oswald + Open Sans

Oswald / Open Sans

Here again Open Sans. This humanist sans serif typeface was designed with an upright stress, open forms and a neutral, yet friendly appearance. It was optimized for print, web, and mobile interfaces, and has excellent legibility characteristics in its letterforms.

Regardless the font-weight or use of caps, Oswald is great for headlines, so pairing them will bring you the timeless feeling of elegance and refinement.

Poppins + Sintony

Poppins / Sintony

Sintony is a modern sans serif typeface, drawn with a slightly square structure and smooth stroke modulation. It's great for long passages of text, providing any text with a calm and clear feeling.

On the other side, Poppins is one of the newcomers to the long tradition of the geometric sans serif fonts. These typefaces have been a popular design tool ever since these actors took to the world's stage.

The combination works perfectly and can serve almost any business, blog, landing page, or web app.

Don't settle for ordinary images. Find the perfect images for your work at iStock.com
Source: 15 Great Google Font Combinations For Your Next Project Design

9 best graphic design tools for September 2017

As we click back into action after the summer holidays, we've been focused on buying guides this month on Creative Bloq. Whether you're looking for a new graphics tablet, or the best laptop for photo editing or graphic design, we've got you covered.

But what about new tools for graphic design out this month? Happily, there have been plenty of new releases that aim to speed up your workflow or increase your industry knowledge.

From brilliant new books to brushes, actions, hardware and software, you'll find nine of the best new graphic design tools right here...

01. The Elements of Logo Design: Design Thinking, Branding, Making Marks

Buy The Elements of Logo Design, UK: £24.99

Buy The Elements of Logo Design, US: $25.21

Designer Alex W White has put together this new, comprehensive guide to learning the art of logo design. With over 400 examples taken from across advertising, editorial and web, the book seeks to give readers a clear understanding of universally shared graphic design principles, before applying these principles to logo design.

Chapters cover everything from logic in design to hierarchy and structure; how to build a logo using type, image and space; semiotics; and more. If you're interested in learning more about the art of branding, The Elements of Logo Design: Design Thinking, Branding, Making Marks will make for a fantastic resource.

Also read: 25 logo design tips from the experts

02. iPad Pro (2017) with iOS 11

With the final release of iOS 11 this month, Apple's top-end iPad and the wonderful Apple Pencil have received some significant updates, turning the pair into an unbeatable portable companion for your desktop.

The new dock has support for drag and drop, and is supported by Split View functionality, which powers up multitasking capabilities to provide desktop-like functionality. And thanks to Apple's A10 X processor, this is a seriously powerful tablet.

Meanwhile, iOS 11 updates to apps such as Serif's Affinity Photo and Savage's Procreate help make the iPad Pro a fantastic tool for photo editing, designing and illustrating on the move.

Also read: iPad Pro (2017) with iOS 11 review

03. The Design of Dissent, Expanded Edition: Greed, Nationalism, Alternative Facts, and the Resistance

Buy The Design of Dissent, UK: £16.99

Buy The Design of Dissent, US: $16.37

A new, expanded edition of Milton Glaser and Mirko Ilic's 2005 tome has been released this month – this time with celebrated designer and writer Steven Heller's input, too. Within the 296-page book you'll find a global collection of socially and politically driven graphics that voice dissent, challenge status quo and speak truth to power.

From the Arab Spring to the Obama presidency, Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, the election of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin's continuing influence, the Women's March, the ongoing refugee crises, immigration, environment and humanitarian issues, and much more, this title totals over 550 images. 

It not only stands as a testament to the power of imagery, but also acts as an urgent call to action.

04. Really Big Bundle of Illustrator Brushes

Guerillacraft has bundled up 367 Illustrator brushes for a bargain $29. Inside the bundle you'll find a 1950s artist brush pack, pencil craft brushes, mid century-inspired brushes, ornamental style and a lot more. (They're suitable for Adobe CS3 and above.)

05. Notes: Colorful Geometric Pattern Notebook

As the weather changes we're still in back-to-school mode, which makes this colourful new geometric-patterned notebook from Nifty Notebooks especially timely. It's wide-ruled, with 175 white pages. And at 6 x 9 inches it will fit in your bag as well. If you're looking to offset the approaching winter with a splash of colour as you jot down ideas and notes, this one's for you.

06. 18 Procreate Smudge Brushes

Buy the Procreate brushes: $8

Seeing as the redesigned Smudge tool has been greatly improved in Procreate 4, Swiss-based Creative Market user MiksKS has created a set of brushes specifically for smudging and blending.

So what do you get? The 18 brushes include a range of textures and colour blending effects, such as charcoal and pencil, paint and watercolour and more. However, they're best used in Procreate 4, so you will need to update to that version before using these brushes.

Also read: 30 of the best Procreate brushes

07. Fog Effect Photoshop Action

Buy the fog effect Photoshop action: $4

Speaking again of changing seasons, this handy fog effect Photoshop action will speed up your autumn designs no end. It's just $4, adjustable, compatible with CS3 and above, and comes with a useful Help file as well. 

Also read: 60 free Photoshop actions

08. Lightning and Electricity Brushes

Buy the lightning and electricity brushes: $6

You get 102 high-res lightning and electricity Photoshop brushes in this $6 pack. If you're looking to add drama to a thunderstorm or some extra shock into your latest design, this bundle is worth a look.

09. Pioneers of German Graphic Design

Get Pioneers of German Design, UK: £70

Get Pioneers of German Design, US: $77.90

Author Jens Müller explores the relationship between the groundbreaking early inventions of Germany's graphic design pioneers and the nation's explosive politics in this fascinating 384-page title.

Telling the story of German graphic design from the late monarchy to the Wirtschaftswunder after World War II, the book looks at how Lucian Bernhard prompted a revolution in poster design, and how Wilhelm Deffke and Karl Schulpig invented the modern logo.

It also includes a section on Herbert Bayer, who expanded the language of form at the Bauhaus, as well as celebrated typographer Jan Tschichold. This is a highly recommended read for anyone with a deeper interest in graphic design.

Related articles:

Source: 9 best graphic design tools for September 2017

PROVINCE INVESTS IN JOB CREATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT LOCAL SOFTWARE COMPANY

September 26, 2017

The Manitoba government is investing $270,000 in skills training at a local software company specializing in e-commerce and application development, Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart announced today.

"The interactive digital media sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in Manitoba and this announcement reflects our government's commitment to better align support for skills training with in-demand jobs in Manitoba's labour market," said Wishart.  "This strategic investment is part of our plan to support the creation of innovative jobs and economic development by driving increased productivity, competitiveness and revenue generation."

Employing more than 155 Manitobans, Bold Commerce is one of Manitoba's fastest-growing tech businesses.  The company specializes in e-commerce website design and application development, and is best known for the development of applications for Shopify, the world's largest e-commerce software platform.

"Bold has always wanted to make an impact in Manitoba, and something we learned very quickly was that having an onboarding program and training within the first few weeks of hiring dramatically improved an employee's chance for success," said Yvan Boisjoli, co-founder and chief executive officer, Bold Commerce.  "The Manitoba government's Industry Expansion Program played an important part in supporting that process."

The funding announced today will support the hiring and training of 81 new employees and 10 existing employees over two years, and will help Bold Commerce to maintain a highly skilled workforce to support its business expansion plans.  This expansion will enable the company to offer sustainable, well-paying employment opportunities that will contribute to Manitoba's economy through an annual increase of approximately $4 million in net new wages.

The minister noted the funding is being made available through the Industry Expansion Program, which supports new or expanding Manitoba companies through investments in skills training for employees.  The amount of funding provided through this program is directly linked to the number of good jobs that are created and maintained by the company, and to the economic benefit they create, he added.

There are more than 100 companies in the interactive digital media sector in Manitoba developing mobile apps, video games and everything from digital health, to augmented and virtual reality and interactive installations. 

- 30 -

Source: PROVINCE INVESTS IN JOB CREATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT LOCAL SOFTWARE COMPANY

Ask HN: Learning modern web design and CSS

Ask HN: Learning modern web design and CSS 173 points by themanr 16 hours ago | hide | past | web | 50 comments | favorite So I've been mostly doing back end stuff for a few years. My ability to fix float issues in IE6 just isn't relevant any more. What's the best way to get an understanding of modern CSS and web design? Preferably simple approaches that don't involve horrible, huge, redundant class names or bloated, overbearing frameworks.

This is for a couple of personal projects. I may ultimately end up hiring designers but I want to know what I'm taking about and I'd want to be able to maintain their output.

Source: Ask HN: Learning modern web design and CSS

How Much Do Web Developers Charge Today?

A website is a very important and powerful marketing tool today and many companies now recognize this fact. Having a website is one effective way of reaching out to a global audience and promoting a company's products and services.

But it takes a skilled designer to create an attractive and fully functional website. It is, therefore, a must for organizations regardless of their niche to get the help of a web developer who can create a website according to their requirements.

Freelance web developers and designers are plenty these days and you can simply check online. However, you need to do some research first as to their fees and how long they can complete the work. Do remember that building a website takes a lot of hard work notably coding and it involves several aspects beyond the design that people see online. Technical knowledge and design skills are most important of all.

Web Developer Fees

When it comes to a developer's fees, it all depends on the type of website involved and the budget of the company requiring it. An organization that wants a functional and quality website should be willing to pay the right price particularly if it's dealing with an experienced web developer. A complex website would normally command a high price compared to a simple one hence, there's no standard fees for such work. The cost normally varies and the more things are added to the site, the higher the fees involved. Also, designers can charge for different functions such as coding, designing and testing among others.

Do understand as well that some freelancers charge by the hour while the others may charge on a per project basis. Some may charge a fixed rate for an entire project with a specific turnaround time. The hourly rates may range from $40 up to $100 for the high-end developers. Then there are those who charge by the page of a website they are doing. Although this is not very common, there are web designers who practice this today.

An important point to keep in mind here is that a client or company needs to work closely with the web developer to ensure that their specifications are met and any changes are done before completion of work. If necessary, clients can sign a contract with the developer to ensure that what they require is made in writing and so that the website creator is also made aware of his responsibilities and when he or she needs to complete the job.

Web developers should also be able to issue invoices to clients specifying their tasks and fees. By providing a professional invoice such as made through Invoice Home, they can establish trust with their clients. This is also an effective way of showing their transparency particularly regarding their fees.

Where to Find Web Developers

Finding a skilled web developer to help you should not be difficult today. You just have to search online at the right places.

Upwork has been the most preferred site by many companies and small businesses worldwide. The site has attracted all sorts of workers from the different parts of the globe including the highest-rated developers. It is important to register on the site to be able to search for potential workers. You can browse by specialization after which you will be shown a gallery of workers with their specific titles, hourly rates and location.

LinkedIn is another reliable site to turn to. Being a professional networking platform, it is a site that companies can take advantage of to search for potential candidates. A member or company can post a job on LinkedIn for a minimal fee and can choose where to receive notifications from applicants.

There are other free (Craigslist) and paid job portals that you can check out but make sure to verify the credentials and ratings from previous employers of web developers you are shortlisting. An advantage of these paid job sites is they pre-screen candidates and allow members access to a global pool of freelancers. Take note as well that the paid portals may charge a commission fee once you hire a freelancer.

Source: How Much Do Web Developers Charge Today?

10 Top Principles Of Effective Web Design

How a website looks, plays a major part whether one would stay on the website or not. If a visitor finds it tough to locate things then they are never going to come back to your site. Therefore, as a designer, there are multiple things you need to consider like target audience, devices being used, etc. to create an amazing design.

Now in this continuously changing world of website designs, designers need to update themselves according to the latest happening in the designing world. While the web design world is constantly changing, there are certain principles that always hold true. 

Following these principles, one can easily create designs for websites that attract and retain users.  Let's take a look at these principles

Objective of the design What is the purpose that you seek to achieve by creating the website? Is it to provide knowledge to the visitors, sell them a product/service or anything else? This is the most important part as once you have decided what is the objective of your website, you can easily create a design keeping that in focus. From you, homepage to all the pages including about us should have clear reasoning as to why are they here and how they would influence the visitors.

Consistent Design  One of the major mistakes that designer do is that they try to make too much variation in the pages of the website. While little variations may not cause too much of a problem, but making a major design change destroys the flow of the website. Therefore, we would recommend maintaining consistency in the design. Even the small elements such as buttons, fonts, headings etc. need to be consistent so as to make the website look amazing.

F-Pattern Design  Studies have confirmed a specific reading pattern that is followed by the people going through the website. It states that people mostly read the content from left to right and then scroll down. Thus, when placing elements on a web page, the most important elements should be placed on the top left or vertically down to it. The less important things can be placed on the right side of the page.

Image source: Emarketeers

Proper Whitespaces  Many a times designers want to utilize every possible space available on the page. The reasons given by them are many like placing content so as to improve SEO, making website appear filled with content, etc. But, the problem that they ignore is that it becomes hard for viewers to sort out the content they came looking for.  Also, since the majority audience now is coming from the mobile device, it becomes extremely hard for them to grasp so much of information. Therefore, our recommendation would be to leave proper whitespace and always see how the design would look on small devices.

Image source: Emergent Interactive

Grid-based layout  Just like you have things spread all across the room, people hate when images, text or videos are placed randomly anywhere on a web page. The page appears as a mess and people find it hard to find things they came looking for. In most cases, the user would leave the site without performing any action.  Therefore, it is best that one has grid based layouts to organize content, text, images, etc. Other than making the site appear in a structured manner, it also helps in creating a responsive design.

Image source: Welie

Typography and Readability  The typography used on a website has changed a lot over the years. In the initial days, more and more designer used cursive fonts or fonts that were stylish. But, the latest trend is to use simple fonts and the important lines are made big and bold.  Text size, fonts, etc. are mostly chosen keeping in mind the fact that most of the target audience comes from a mobile device. As such it becomes important to consider how the text would appear on these devices.

Image source: Daniellewalkerdesigns

Mobile friendly  More than half of internet users come from mobile devices and as such one cannot ignore how a website would look to someone operating on mobiles. Designers nowadays firstly design the website keeping in mind mobile devices and then move towards their desktop version. Less Loading Time  In an era where getting the attention of a user is one of the hardest things to do, it's almost suicidal if your website takes a long time to load. Therefore, one needs to pay a lot of attention as to how much time it takes to load a page. Some useful tips are- optimize the images used, combining code into a central CSS or JavaScript file and minify HTML, CSS, JavaScript. Easy Navigation  Would you spend hours on a site looking for a product/service you want to purchase? Most probably no and the same would apply to your users when they visit your site. Thus, you need to make the site in a way that a first time user can easily find the thing they came looking for.

Image source: creativemarket

Colors and Images  Colors play an important role in user experience. A good blend of color creates a soothing experience for the visitors. Always choose 3 to 4 color combination and use it all across your website to maintain consistency.

High quality images that represents your business can be a major tool to attract customers. The only thing to keep in mind is that one should use compressed image so that the page loading time does not gets slow. Also, make sure that you have your company's logo and name on the pages in a clear high-quality image. If you have not created a logo yet, you may use free logo creator tool to make a good quality logo by your own.

Designing a website that attracts and retains users is not a hard task, if you keep the above principles in mind. What are your view? Do comment below.

Campbelljof is a Creative Head for Designhill, as well as a blogger and designer. He writes on topics concerning design, eCommerce, start-ups, digital marketing, and interactive content. His creative work has earned him several laurels over the years.

Source: 10 Top Principles Of Effective Web Design

Proceedings of the 11th European Conference on Software Architecture: Companion Proceedings

General Chair: Rogério de Lemos University of Kent, UK Publication of: · Workshop ECSA '17 11th European Conference on Software Architecture Canterbury, United Kingdom — September 11 - 15, 2017ACM New York, NY, USA ©2017 2017 Proceeding   Bibliometrics · Citation Count: 0· Downloads (cumulative): 431· Downloads (12 Months): 431· Downloads (6 Weeks): 431
Source: Proceedings of the 11th European Conference on Software Architecture: Companion Proceedings

Design Ready for Development? These Top Design to WordPress Services Will Help

First, comes the brainstorm session – you generate the ideas for a design. Once you've reached the point where the final product is almost in sight, you're no doubt feeling satisfied.

Bringing the gap from design to obtaining working code might appear a daunting task. This issue is especially relevant for some website builders.

This is the right time to turn over your design to a reputable software development service. This wise decision can pay big dividends and give you peace of mind in the process.

These design to code services can do magic with your PSD or Sketch design file! They are able to integrate it with a CMS system like WordPress in short order. There is no doubt they'll do a quality job of it.

Here are four of the very best:

Send your designs to PSDgator, and they'll convert them to hand-coded, pixel-perfect, responsive HTML5/CSS3, jQuery, and WordPress themes. It's as simple as that; but this multi-service development team has the skills and expertise to do many other useful things for you.

They can, for example, convert static websites into WordPress, or take an old WordPress theme that requires re-slicing, and bring it up to date by employing the latest coding standards. They will even customize a plugin for you if yours lacks some features you need.

You can send them your work in any common file format. They'll get on it promptly, look it over, and give you a free review before beginning development. You'll find that working with the green gator is a pleasant and rewarding experience. They do conversion and development work quickly, and for an agreed-upon, affordable price.

The team also loves working on eCommerce designs, and developing newsletter and e-mail templates.

Give PSDgator a try. They're a super choice, and they won't disappoint.

PSD to Manythings is in business to give agencies, design studios, and freelancers a hand by providing reasonably-priced front-end solutions to their website, e-mail, or other needs.

This team of highly-experienced web professionals have a knack of putting smiles on their clients faces. They do this through the close collaboration necessary to ensure their clients' requirements and specifications are thoroughly understood, and carefully executed.

Their name is appropriate. This team will take your PSD files and convert them into almost anything you want them to. This naturally includes websites, but Android and iOS devices are also covered. Sketch users can submit their designs too, and be provided with the same services.

Working to the latest standards ensures the code you receive will always be responsive, W3C validated, and structured for SEO. Page speeds will be lightning fast as well.

Xfive is a globally-based web development agency that serves a global clientele. With offices in Australia, USA, and Poland, The Xfive team has more than ten years of experience working with companies from a variety of industry sectors, including startups and digital agencies.

Xfive is a developer who cares. They have a transparent development process you can follow step by step, and they are an agency that wants to treat you as a partner; and not just another customer. They will review your design or brief, ask questions, and give you a rough estimate. When you approve, Xfive will deliver an itemized, fixed-cost quote, and once they are given the go-ahead, they will get to work.

Work will often be done by a developer in a time zone near yours, and since they follow a 24-hour workflow approach, they can deliver a final product faster than most agencies.

One of the advantages of working with Goodie is you'll work directly with the web developer. You even get to choose the developer if you wish. Goodie is an excellent choice if you have a small project such as a simple WordPress sites, a one-page website, or a set of e-mail templates.

You'll feel good working with Goodie, a development agency that has been launching websites for more than 10 years.

There are several:

          Your design will be made to look unique

Modern frameworks like Bootstrap and the popular WordPress themes tend to build websites that look alike. Building something that really stands out can take extra time and effort.

A design to WP service can introduce unique elements that can make a layout one of a kind.

          Quick load speed becomes a reality

Slow loading speeds are a common source of customer dissatisfaction. A design to WP conversion eliminates unnecessary code and improves a site's usability and visibility. The fewer lines of code there are, the greater the loading speed will be.

          Professionals simply to better work

Design to WordPress conversion can be time-consuming. It's best done by professionals who are highly competent, experienced, and up to date with the latest development trends and standards. Professionals do it right. They deliver feature-rich, user-friendly, dynamic, attractive sites – without fail.

          Websites are kept error-free

Professional developers use semantic codes in HTML. This makes finding any bugs hiding in the script a relatively easy task. The semantic code also produces code that is easy to maintain.

          Superior quality, combined with excellent UX, is the name of the game

The developers don't stop at simply giving a website a professional, attractive look. The focus is equally on giving users an amazing user experience. The result – more traffic, and higher conversions.

Conclusion

The key word here is professionalism. That is what all four development services described here offer in spades. They ensure the superior attention to detail, adherence to standards and best practices.

Experience and a great track record are equally important. Let the professionals do the heavy lifting for you. You'll get quick results and quality work, every time.

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Source: Design Ready for Development? These Top Design to WordPress Services Will Help

Design deals for the week

Every week, we'll give you an overview of the best deals for designers, make sure you don't miss any by subscribing to our deals feed. You can also follow the recently launched website Type Deals if you are looking for free fonts or font deals.

Paper Kingdom Design Toolbox

Paper Kingdom is an extensive design toolbox created to help you in mastering the cutest hand-crafted paper style. Crafted with love, with Photoshop and Illustrator tools and assets included, it's a matter of a few clicks to create unique and eye-catching paper designs and illustrations! Just check the included pre-made scenes to see for yourself – no topic is beyond this pack: Nature, Space, Naval, City and Underwater landscapes can be created from scratch with no sweat.

$15 instead of $30 – Get it now!

300+ Beautiful, Hi-Res Textures and Backgrounds

With a name like Cabinet of Curiosities, you just know there's going to be something sweet in that bundle! And you'd be right. Culled together from 28 individual collections, you'll get 336 gorgeous graphics full of rose gold, naturally textured and mixed with fabulous digital graphics inspired by the natural world. Suitable for print projects, this is one time you do want your curiosity to get the best of you.

$24 instead of $308 – Get it now!

7 Fabulous Handmade Fonts

In need of some fresh fonts to liven things up? Not to worry! This latest Mighty Deal from Putra Khan offers up 7 Fabulous Handmade Fonts for 1 super low price. Packed with tons of glyphs including upper and lowercase characters, you'll also get multi-lingual support, stylistic alternates, swashes and more to make your next project truly shine.

$9 instead of $90 – Get it now!

8 Premium Blog WordPress Themes

Give your website (or your clients' websites) a major facelift with this collection of 8 premium WordPress themes from MatchThemes. Super easy to customize, you can adjust these themes to include whatever you need. They're also all built on a responsive design, so there's no need to worry how they'll look on different screen sizes including mobile.

$17 instead of $357 – Get it now!

65 Hand-Knitted Wool & Yarn Inspired Textures

Looking to pull the wool over your latest project's eyes? Then be sure to snag this Mighty Deal chock full of 65 hi-res patterns and textures that will convert your ordinary designs into wool and yarn. The Woolly Design Kit will allow you to craft a whole new look for your designs.

$7 instead of $19 – Get it now!

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Source: Design deals for the week