Website navigation is the most important aspect to consider while designing a website. The primary aim for effective navigation is get your visitors to stay in your site and also for visitors to easily find what they are looking for easily and quickly. Designing effective navigation can also entice your visitors to try out the other things you offer on your site. In this article we will look at some of the basic guidelines you need to follow while designing the navigation of a website.
Effective Navigation Guidelines
While designing the navigation for your site keep the following points in mind:
Organized Links - Make sure your links are well organized according to the order of importance. Visitors should be easily able to find what they are looking for under different categories.
E.g. All our main links are found on the top i.e. our services, products,portfolio, resources etc.Other interesting links are found on the right of the page. These are common and consistent throughout the site.
Finally if the web page belongs to a guide E.g web design guide you will find the related links below the right menu and also at the bottom of the page.
Note: Related links are very important as visitors coming to a particular page will probably be interested in more information you have under the same topic.
Clear and Prominent - Once you have decided on your navigation links, you need to think of the best place to put them. Navigation should be clear and consistent. Try to design your navigation on the top or on the left as these are the first places our eyes go to. Also locate the primary links high enough on the page so that they are visible without scrolling. Navigation images should be seamlessly integrated into the site design. Avoid putting navigation links at the bottom of the page as visitors will need to scroll right down to see the links. If you like you could put the important links at the top AND bottom of the page just to make sure your visitors don't miss the link.
Consistent - Navigation should be clear and consistent. The important links of your website should be on every page, in the same location, and in the same sequence. Don't confuse your visitors by putting your navigation links in different places in different pages.
Easy to understand - Make your links easy to understand and to the point. Usually you won't have enough place to have long links so make use of the space wisely. Visitors need to know where they will go on clicking on a particular link, so make sure your links are understandable or nobody is going to click on your links, which will defeat the purpose of designing a good navigation system.
DHTML Menus - If you have a large number of links under categories and sub-categories you could use navigation menus to organize your links. There are many cut 'n' paste scripts available on the Net that you could use to create great navigation systems. A favorite resource center is SimplyTheBest.net, you'll find tons of useful navigation menus that are very easy to install on your site.
Source: http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/website_navigation_tips.asp
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Thursday, December 4, 2008
10 Tips on designing a fast loading web site
Tips and tricks on effective web design
The Number 1 rule that every web designer should follow is to create a fast loading web site. You might have a great design but very few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load. While designing a web site always think about how long it will take to load. Try out our tips to build a great looking web site that also loads fast.
Minimize the use of images - The key to a fast loading web site is to minimize the use of images. Images do enhance a page but don't make 80% of your web site only images. Instead break it down as much as possible to simple HTML. Notice the popular sites like Yahoo, Google, Ebay, Amazon etc., they have very few images because the load time is more important. Very often simple designs are the best.
Optimize images for the web - Once you have decided on the images that you need on your site, make sure that it is optimized for the web. They should be in the gif or jpeg format. You can also minimize the size of the image by choosing the number of colors you need, from the color palette. The less the colors you choose, the less the size of the image. You can also use online tools like Gif Wizard to optimize your images or to get a recommendation on how to cut down the size of an image.
Use Tables creatively - You can get some great looking designs by using tables creatively . Tables load very fast because it is just HTML code. Tables can be used in the homepage, menus or anywhere you like. Check out our homepage and our menus to see how we have used tables in our site.
Cut down the use of animated gifs - Don't use animated gifs unless it is necessary. Animated gifs take a long time to load and can also be very irritating. But since they catch your attention you could use small animated gifs to draw a visitor's attention to a particular section of your site.
Design simple icons - Instead of using big, bulky images use simple and small icons that add a little color and draw the attention of a visitor.
Use background images instead of big images whenever possible - Use background images whenever possible. This is usually a very useful tip for headers and footers. Instead of using an image of width 580 which is a uniform design you can use just a part of that as a background fill. This reduces the size of the web page as the image is small. The code will look like this :
Try out CSS Styles - Have fun with CSS styles to get some cool text effects. Again, a CSS Style is simple HTML code so it loads very fast. You can create cool rollovers using CSS Styles.
Use Flash sparingly - There seems to be a lot of hype about Flash but I recommend that you minimize the use of Flash on a site. Don't make entire sites using Flash. It may look great but it takes hours to load and can really put off visitors. If you do want to use Flash use it within an HTML site and make sure it loads fast.
Design most of your site in HTML - As much as possible try to design your site using HTML. You can create great designs by just using HTML code. Use tables, CSS Styles and simple fonts to design your site. Minimize the use of animated gifs, Flash, bulky images etc.
Keep checking your load time - Last but not least, before you decide on the final design of your web site, check its load time on NetMechanic. This site gives you a free analysis of your web site which is extremely useful. We kept using it to improve our site till we got a report that said good loading time!
Source: http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/fast_loading_websites.asp
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Juricks2Web recently uploaded its newly upgraded website. Juricks2Web embraced web 2.0 programming to make it more interactive for users and easier to manage for the developers.
"It took us a while to get our CMS program done since we have been quite busy with various projects. Now, friends and clients can easily add their comments using our testimonial panel found on the homepage", said Erickson Empasis, Senior Web developer of Juricks2Web.
CMS or Content Management System is a web application used for managing websites and web content. This is a computer software system that is used for organizing and facilitating collaborative creation of documents and other content.
Juricks2Web have also developed a back-end panel for the administration. Now, it is easier for the team of Juricks2Web to add link partners, upload articles and launch press releases.
Juricks2Web is a web development firm that specializes on web 2.0 design and development, SEO 2.0, web hosting and web 2.0 programming.
Additional Note: Julievive Empasis, wife of Erickson, recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl last June 24. The happy couple is very excited that they have already booked a popular restaurant in Cebu City for Eunice’s christening this August 17.
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The Number 1 rule that every web designer should follow is to create a fast loading web site. You might have a great design but very few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load. While designing a web site always think about how long it will take to load. Try out our tips to build a great looking web site that also loads fast.
Minimize the use of images - The key to a fast loading web site is to minimize the use of images. Images do enhance a page but don't make 80% of your web site only images. Instead break it down as much as possible to simple HTML. Notice the popular sites like Yahoo, Google, Ebay, Amazon etc., they have very few images because the load time is more important. Very often simple designs are the best.
Optimize images for the web - Once you have decided on the images that you need on your site, make sure that it is optimized for the web. They should be in the gif or jpeg format. You can also minimize the size of the image by choosing the number of colors you need, from the color palette. The less the colors you choose, the less the size of the image. You can also use online tools like Gif Wizard to optimize your images or to get a recommendation on how to cut down the size of an image.
Use Tables creatively - You can get some great looking designs by using tables creatively . Tables load very fast because it is just HTML code. Tables can be used in the homepage, menus or anywhere you like. Check out our homepage and our menus to see how we have used tables in our site.
Cut down the use of animated gifs - Don't use animated gifs unless it is necessary. Animated gifs take a long time to load and can also be very irritating. But since they catch your attention you could use small animated gifs to draw a visitor's attention to a particular section of your site.
Design simple icons - Instead of using big, bulky images use simple and small icons that add a little color and draw the attention of a visitor.
Use background images instead of big images whenever possible - Use background images whenever possible. This is usually a very useful tip for headers and footers. Instead of using an image of width 580 which is a uniform design you can use just a part of that as a background fill. This reduces the size of the web page as the image is small. The code will look like this :
Try out CSS Styles - Have fun with CSS styles to get some cool text effects. Again, a CSS Style is simple HTML code so it loads very fast. You can create cool rollovers using CSS Styles.
Use Flash sparingly - There seems to be a lot of hype about Flash but I recommend that you minimize the use of Flash on a site. Don't make entire sites using Flash. It may look great but it takes hours to load and can really put off visitors. If you do want to use Flash use it within an HTML site and make sure it loads fast.
Design most of your site in HTML - As much as possible try to design your site using HTML. You can create great designs by just using HTML code. Use tables, CSS Styles and simple fonts to design your site. Minimize the use of animated gifs, Flash, bulky images etc.
Keep checking your load time - Last but not least, before you decide on the final design of your web site, check its load time on NetMechanic. This site gives you a free analysis of your web site which is extremely useful. We kept using it to improve our site till we got a report that said good loading time!
Source: http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/fast_loading_websites.asp
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Expandable Website Design
Designing Websites For All Screen Resolutions
Tutorial on Designing for 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024 and higher
Designing web sites to fit all resolutions is a very important web design principle. Try out the Entheos site in all resolutions higher than 800 x 600 and you will find that it is designed to fit the page exactly. Therefore, visitors who have higher resolution can see more content in one page which reduces scrolling. Most web sites are designed for only one resolution. They may look perfect in a 800 x 600 resolution but if viewed in a 1024 x 768 resolution look a little empty. You'll find a lot of wasted space around it making the web site look quite small.
From our research we have found that majority of our viewers are on the 1024x768 resolutions and higher. As time goes by more and more people are going to switch to higher resolutions as seen by our site statistics. It is therefore very important to design web sites for all resolutions. That is one of the principles we follow while designing web sites for our clients. With that bit of background information, lets get started on how to design a web site for all screen resolutions.
Step 1: Decide on the lowest Screen Resolution
Before you start you need to decide on your lowest screen resolution. Your web site will have to be designed keeping the lowest resolution in mind. Through our research we have found that less than 0.5% are on the 640 x 480 resolution So we ignore that completely. The next important resolution is the 800 x 600 resolution. Some of our visitors are on this resolution so we use this as our lowest screen resolution. This means that our web site has to fit all resolutions equal to or higher than 800 x 600.
Step 2: Design Your Web Site On This Resolution
Once you decide on your lowest screen resolution you need to design your web site for that resolution This means that all your graphics will be designed for this resolution. Design your web site and export the images as you would normally do.
Step 3: While converting your design to HTML make sure all your tables are measured in terms of percentages
Important: This is the trick to developing web sites for all resolutions. You need to work in terms of percentages and not pixels. If you work in pixels you are giving an absolute measurement to a table, whereas working in percentages gives a relative measurement. The table will be a given percentage of the screen resolution.
I hope you have understood this clearly. I'd like to explain this with an example. If you were to design a site for a 800 x 600 resolution, you would probably make a table with width 800 px and height 600 px. Now if you were to design a web site for all resolutions you need to make a table with width and height 100%, so that whatever the screen resolution may be the web page will scale to fit the page. It will be 100% of the screen resolution or whatever percentage you choose to give it.
The first step is to make a table with 100% height and 100% width. You could make it 95% if you want some white space around it.
Step 4: Within the table measure cells in terms of pixels except for the cell for the content
This a another very important step. You need to give a fixed measurement to all your cells except for the content cell. You can leave this cell blank.
Source: http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/advanced_web_design.asp
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Tutorial on Designing for 800 x 600, 1024 x 768, 1280 x 1024 and higher
Designing web sites to fit all resolutions is a very important web design principle. Try out the Entheos site in all resolutions higher than 800 x 600 and you will find that it is designed to fit the page exactly. Therefore, visitors who have higher resolution can see more content in one page which reduces scrolling. Most web sites are designed for only one resolution. They may look perfect in a 800 x 600 resolution but if viewed in a 1024 x 768 resolution look a little empty. You'll find a lot of wasted space around it making the web site look quite small.
From our research we have found that majority of our viewers are on the 1024x768 resolutions and higher. As time goes by more and more people are going to switch to higher resolutions as seen by our site statistics. It is therefore very important to design web sites for all resolutions. That is one of the principles we follow while designing web sites for our clients. With that bit of background information, lets get started on how to design a web site for all screen resolutions.
Step 1: Decide on the lowest Screen Resolution
Before you start you need to decide on your lowest screen resolution. Your web site will have to be designed keeping the lowest resolution in mind. Through our research we have found that less than 0.5% are on the 640 x 480 resolution So we ignore that completely. The next important resolution is the 800 x 600 resolution. Some of our visitors are on this resolution so we use this as our lowest screen resolution. This means that our web site has to fit all resolutions equal to or higher than 800 x 600.
Step 2: Design Your Web Site On This Resolution
Once you decide on your lowest screen resolution you need to design your web site for that resolution This means that all your graphics will be designed for this resolution. Design your web site and export the images as you would normally do.
Step 3: While converting your design to HTML make sure all your tables are measured in terms of percentages
Important: This is the trick to developing web sites for all resolutions. You need to work in terms of percentages and not pixels. If you work in pixels you are giving an absolute measurement to a table, whereas working in percentages gives a relative measurement. The table will be a given percentage of the screen resolution.
I hope you have understood this clearly. I'd like to explain this with an example. If you were to design a site for a 800 x 600 resolution, you would probably make a table with width 800 px and height 600 px. Now if you were to design a web site for all resolutions you need to make a table with width and height 100%, so that whatever the screen resolution may be the web page will scale to fit the page. It will be 100% of the screen resolution or whatever percentage you choose to give it.
The first step is to make a table with 100% height and 100% width. You could make it 95% if you want some white space around it.
Step 4: Within the table measure cells in terms of pixels except for the cell for the content
This a another very important step. You need to give a fixed measurement to all your cells except for the content cell. You can leave this cell blank.
Source: http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/advanced_web_design.asp
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Web Design Tips
Useful Tips for Effective Web Design
Here are some essential web design tips that every web site should follow. Design your web site by following these tips and I guarantee that visitors will have a great first impression of your site.
Fast Loading web site designs - This is the number 1 tip that every web designer should follow. You might design a web site that looks fantastic but few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load. Your designs should be optimized for the web and should not take more than 15 seconds to load. Remember, you might have a great design but very few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load.
Clear Navigation - Once a visitor has come to your site you need to make them go through your site. To do this you need to have clear navigation. Make sure all your important links are at prominent places. Preferably right on top - that's usually where a visitor first looks. Make use of menus on the right and the left. Try to link to as many pages of your site. Let your information be accessible from all parts of the site. You never know what a visitor may be interested in. Try to also use the footer for your important links.
All Resolutions - Today, there are computers with all kinds of resolution. They range from 640 x 480 to 1024 x 768 and go even higher. Your job is to design your site for all these resolutions. The best way to do this is to design your site in terms of percentage and not pixels.
Browser Compatibility - Make sure your site is browser compatible. Your web site should look good in Netscape as well as in Internet Explorer. Don't stop designing your site as soon as you find that it looks great on IE. Usually Netscape gives some problems, especially when you try doing complicated HTML designs. But don't give up too soon, usually with patience these problems can be easily fixed.
Readable and professional looking fonts - Don't ask me how many times I've clicked out of a site just because the font is in Comic Sans and the color is a bright pink or green. Just by looking at the font you feel that the site is not a professional site. Don't use Comic Sans and other fancy fonts that may not be available on most computers. If the font you use is not available in a visitors computer the web site will use the default font of your computer which is much worse. So try to keep to common and professional web fonts. The fonts that I always stick to are Arial and Verdana.
Minimize the use of images - I believe that sometimes simple designs are the most effective for the web. Keep your site simple but neat. Don't clutter your page with big, bulky images that take ages to load. Instead use tables creatively and design eye - catching icons that will draw a visitor's attention to a particular section of your site. Tip - Visitors are usually more interested in content than in design.
Use of white space - Try not to clutter up your page with too many images, backgrounds and colorful fonts. Again use the Keep It Simple principle by minimizing the use of graphics and using a lot of white space. White space gives a sense of spaciousness and overall neatness to a site. Notice the white space in our site.
Check for broken links - Always check for broken links within a site before uploading it to your web server. In Dreamweaver you can check for broken links by right clicking on any file in the Site Files Window and then clicking on Check links - Entire Site. If you don't have this facility you need to upload your site and then check it using online tools like Net Mechanic.
Source: http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/webdesign_tips.asp
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Here are some essential web design tips that every web site should follow. Design your web site by following these tips and I guarantee that visitors will have a great first impression of your site.
Fast Loading web site designs - This is the number 1 tip that every web designer should follow. You might design a web site that looks fantastic but few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load. Your designs should be optimized for the web and should not take more than 15 seconds to load. Remember, you might have a great design but very few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load.
Clear Navigation - Once a visitor has come to your site you need to make them go through your site. To do this you need to have clear navigation. Make sure all your important links are at prominent places. Preferably right on top - that's usually where a visitor first looks. Make use of menus on the right and the left. Try to link to as many pages of your site. Let your information be accessible from all parts of the site. You never know what a visitor may be interested in. Try to also use the footer for your important links.
All Resolutions - Today, there are computers with all kinds of resolution. They range from 640 x 480 to 1024 x 768 and go even higher. Your job is to design your site for all these resolutions. The best way to do this is to design your site in terms of percentage and not pixels.
Browser Compatibility - Make sure your site is browser compatible. Your web site should look good in Netscape as well as in Internet Explorer. Don't stop designing your site as soon as you find that it looks great on IE. Usually Netscape gives some problems, especially when you try doing complicated HTML designs. But don't give up too soon, usually with patience these problems can be easily fixed.
Readable and professional looking fonts - Don't ask me how many times I've clicked out of a site just because the font is in Comic Sans and the color is a bright pink or green. Just by looking at the font you feel that the site is not a professional site. Don't use Comic Sans and other fancy fonts that may not be available on most computers. If the font you use is not available in a visitors computer the web site will use the default font of your computer which is much worse. So try to keep to common and professional web fonts. The fonts that I always stick to are Arial and Verdana.
Minimize the use of images - I believe that sometimes simple designs are the most effective for the web. Keep your site simple but neat. Don't clutter your page with big, bulky images that take ages to load. Instead use tables creatively and design eye - catching icons that will draw a visitor's attention to a particular section of your site. Tip - Visitors are usually more interested in content than in design.
Use of white space - Try not to clutter up your page with too many images, backgrounds and colorful fonts. Again use the Keep It Simple principle by minimizing the use of graphics and using a lot of white space. White space gives a sense of spaciousness and overall neatness to a site. Notice the white space in our site.
Check for broken links - Always check for broken links within a site before uploading it to your web server. In Dreamweaver you can check for broken links by right clicking on any file in the Site Files Window and then clicking on Check links - Entire Site. If you don't have this facility you need to upload your site and then check it using online tools like Net Mechanic.
Source: http://www.entheosweb.com/website_design/webdesign_tips.asp
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Thursday, November 20, 2008
Why Filipino Web Designers
Why you should go for Filipino web designers?
Today we find a massive number of web sites on the web and this number is ever increasing at an exponential rate. This is why it is so important to make your website standout, especially if you are looking to build a new one. The best way to do this - is to get it done by some one who can make it interesting and unique. This is where Filipino web designers can serve you. Filipinos are well known for their unique, individualistic and out of world approach to web designing.
Filipino web designers are not only skillful in website designing but are also more affordable. One of the main reasons for you to go for Filipino designers is they can get the job done with the same quality but at much lesser cost. This is why Filipino web designers and freelancers are preferred across the globe.
Also, Filipino freelancers are a committed lot when it comes to finishing a project. They are known to persevere until your project is completed on time and within the deadline. This commitment also shows in other aspects of your web design like its appeal, functionality, usability etc. Filipino designers also have great talent which can be put to good use by web design companies. The good thing about these designers is that they continuously strive to strengthen their skills for different areas of web site design. This ensures that your web site gets designed by specialist web designers, not newbies.
There are a lot of freelance web designers out there who claim that they can do this and they can do that. Yes, they do have past records, achievements, great samples and what not; but when it comes to meeting the target or meeting what was promised, you will always find that there is something missing, especially with a freelancer. This is not the case with Filipino web designers, who are highly adaptable to meet varied specifications and complete the project as promised..
What makes a website tick is its ability to capture the imagination of visitors and make them come back for more. This can only be achieved by websites that have the best design and great usability. Filipino designers are known to achieve these parameters time and again through their relentless determination to provide the best.
Source: http://www.juricks2web.com/articles.html?articles_id=16
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Today we find a massive number of web sites on the web and this number is ever increasing at an exponential rate. This is why it is so important to make your website standout, especially if you are looking to build a new one. The best way to do this - is to get it done by some one who can make it interesting and unique. This is where Filipino web designers can serve you. Filipinos are well known for their unique, individualistic and out of world approach to web designing.
Filipino web designers are not only skillful in website designing but are also more affordable. One of the main reasons for you to go for Filipino designers is they can get the job done with the same quality but at much lesser cost. This is why Filipino web designers and freelancers are preferred across the globe.
Also, Filipino freelancers are a committed lot when it comes to finishing a project. They are known to persevere until your project is completed on time and within the deadline. This commitment also shows in other aspects of your web design like its appeal, functionality, usability etc. Filipino designers also have great talent which can be put to good use by web design companies. The good thing about these designers is that they continuously strive to strengthen their skills for different areas of web site design. This ensures that your web site gets designed by specialist web designers, not newbies.
There are a lot of freelance web designers out there who claim that they can do this and they can do that. Yes, they do have past records, achievements, great samples and what not; but when it comes to meeting the target or meeting what was promised, you will always find that there is something missing, especially with a freelancer. This is not the case with Filipino web designers, who are highly adaptable to meet varied specifications and complete the project as promised..
What makes a website tick is its ability to capture the imagination of visitors and make them come back for more. This can only be achieved by websites that have the best design and great usability. Filipino designers are known to achieve these parameters time and again through their relentless determination to provide the best.
Source: http://www.juricks2web.com/articles.html?articles_id=16
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Advantages of Outsourcing to Filipino Web Designers
A lot of IT related work is being outsourced from around the world to Filipino Companies and freelancers. Philippines, having earned respect and trust has served a variety of industries through outsourced projects. But the most prominent of the projects handled by Filipino companies is web designing. This area has acquired a major presence in the Philippine IT industry, as the building of unique websites is highly in demand considering its ability to create the all important online presence for businesses world wide.
Philippines enjoys a global spotlight when it comes to web designing. This can be attributed to its highly talented and skilled work force. Filipino freelancers are known for providing high quality websites at a cost effective price. There are quite a lot of advantages of outsourcing Web Design and Development to Filipino web designers and companies. Let us have a review.
The first and foremost advantage is the cost effectiveness in project completion. Filipino web designers have high proficiency in web design and related skills and can create eye catching and highly usable web designs. These are much cheaper than websites designed by freelancers from other parts of the world. You don't have to pay a high price to get a great website that can be customized to all your business needs. Nevertheless, cheap doesn't mean poor quality when you get it done by Filipino web designers. Most of the Filipino IT companies follow major IT quality standards like CMM, ISO etc to give you quality products at affordable prices.
Some of the highlights of Filipino web design companies are:
1. The high quality of human resource attributed to improved literacy rates and abundance of skilled knowledge workers.
2. Filipino freelancers like western culture and hence have great language skills in English.
3. Philippines has a highly developed communication infrastructure with low cost Internet networks connecting all parts of the region to the world
Apart from these feature, Filipino web design companies are known to have the ability to provide a variety of web services like icon design, Logo designing, website development services, website maintenance, web application development, ecommerce website development, flash website design, graphic designing, brochure designing etc. all under the same roof.
Source: http://www.juricks2web.com/articles.html?articles_id=15
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Philippines enjoys a global spotlight when it comes to web designing. This can be attributed to its highly talented and skilled work force. Filipino freelancers are known for providing high quality websites at a cost effective price. There are quite a lot of advantages of outsourcing Web Design and Development to Filipino web designers and companies. Let us have a review.
The first and foremost advantage is the cost effectiveness in project completion. Filipino web designers have high proficiency in web design and related skills and can create eye catching and highly usable web designs. These are much cheaper than websites designed by freelancers from other parts of the world. You don't have to pay a high price to get a great website that can be customized to all your business needs. Nevertheless, cheap doesn't mean poor quality when you get it done by Filipino web designers. Most of the Filipino IT companies follow major IT quality standards like CMM, ISO etc to give you quality products at affordable prices.
Some of the highlights of Filipino web design companies are:
1. The high quality of human resource attributed to improved literacy rates and abundance of skilled knowledge workers.
2. Filipino freelancers like western culture and hence have great language skills in English.
3. Philippines has a highly developed communication infrastructure with low cost Internet networks connecting all parts of the region to the world
Apart from these feature, Filipino web design companies are known to have the ability to provide a variety of web services like icon design, Logo designing, website development services, website maintenance, web application development, ecommerce website development, flash website design, graphic designing, brochure designing etc. all under the same roof.
Source: http://www.juricks2web.com/articles.html?articles_id=15
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Web Designing according to Erickson
Erickson Empasis a Senior Web Designer and a Project Manager of Juricks2Web interviewed by Zenia Mai Enriquez about web designs, since web designs is one of the hottest trend in outsourcing today. This interview gives you an advice to be an aspiring graphic and web designers.
Interviewed by Zenia Mai Enriquez:
1. Tell us a bit of yourself?
I’m Erickson Emapasis, project manager at the same time senior web designer of juricks2web.com. I’m just a simple guy, like any other guy, who have his own daily routine. But what makes me different from them probably is my attention to details and my adherence to plans. I religiously plan my activities for tomorrow so that I could reduce my stress level. I have a heavy workload and it is important that I understand what activities need to be prioritized.
2. When did your interest for graphic design, more specifically web design, begin?
I started working with website design since I was a college student. I’ve been joining web design and development contests. The first contest I joined, I lost. However that only motivated me to be better. The next contest I joined, I already won. *grin*
I always thought I was a born web programmer. However when I began programming, I can't help getting bored. Since most of my friends are into programming it took me a while to realize that programming is not just for me. I did some soul searching and explored other fields of the web; then I stumbled into web design. I experimented, played with the color palettes, clipped paths, and added layer after each layer. I then realized that I have a big passion for colors and arts; and that was the onset of my career as a web designer.
3. How long have you been doing web designing as a profession?
I’ve been a web designer for almost 4 years and still counting.
4. Where do you usually go for design inspirations?
I usually visit bestwebgallery.com since most of the sites listed there are really awe inspiring. There are a lot of very nice sites across the net wherein you can get your muse working.
5. What software do you use?
I usually use dreamweaver CS3 or Microsoft web expression for XHTML/CSS implementation. Adobe Photoshop CS3 for my graphics work and Adobe Illustrator for vector graphics stuff.
6. Who is your favorite designer and why?
My favorite designer is Shane Seminole Mielke, he’s the creative director of 2advanced.com website at the same time a Graphic designer and photographer. He’s my idol because of his art work that really seems to pop and inevitably catches my undivided attention. He’s really a great designer, for me, he’s one of a kind. You can visit his site and see his beautiful works at http://www.shanemielke.com.
7. For Juricks2Web, you said web 2.0 is your specialty. Can you expound more about this?
Yeah, we usually work more on web 2.0 technologies. It’s not just the term “web 2.0” but it’s the way how a site is being presented. And to explain more about this, it would be best if I will just define web 2.0 for the readers to understand this jargon. Basically, web 2.0 is just a term that triggers these follow site concepts:
- Simplicity
- Central layout
- Fewer columns
- Separate top section
- Solid areas of screen real-estate
- Simple nav
- Bold logos
- Bigger text
- Bold text introductions
- Strong colours
- Rich surfaces
- Gradients
- Reflections
- Cute icons
- Star flashes
And to give you more ideas on web 2.0 you can go to this site: http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/web-2.0-design-style-guide.cfm
8. What is the usual process you go through when you're working with a web design project?
Before anything else I always conduct some sort of an interview or I will let our clients answer our website planner. The website planner helps me understand the client more, so after reviewing the filled out planner I can start determining the color scheme fitting for the client and the components needed on the home page. Once I have that rough concept, I start sketching the website interface on my sketch pad. Once I have my sketch, I then open my adobe CS3 and do the rest of the work there. As I go through with my design I usually do trial and error concepts until I am fully contented with the output.
9. When creating graphics, when is 'eye catching' "too much"?
Actually even myself I can’t say that I’m really good in graphics design but I do really have an eye to determine when the design is enough. For me, graphic design can be too much when:
1. I find something on the design that is not relevant to the entire creative concept or not necessary to be there.
2. The graphics are too crowded.
3. It doesn’t satisfy general opinions.
4. The graphics no longer convey a meaningful message.
5. Irritating to look at.
10. What is, so far, the most memorable project you've done?
One of my most memorable website projects is the “Creative Dealers” since that project was crucial for me and for Juricks2Web. The workload was quite heavy so my body couldn't quite keep up (I was hospitalized for tonsillitis ). My mock-up design was rendered late and I apologize profusely to my client. I was quite bless since the client really liked the output and was so understanding; up to now he remains to be one of my best clients.You can view the design here. You can also view the rest of our portfolio here.
11. Do you have any advice for aspiring graphic and web designers?
Keep on learning new things and be open to criticism. But always remember, being a good designer is not just a matter of practice but it’s a gift as well. I believe that the software is only second, it is important that you hone your creative eye so that you can produce stellar graphic and web design output.
Source:
http://vigoureuxartiste.blogspot.com/2008/08/web-designing-according-to-erickson.html
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Interviewed by Zenia Mai Enriquez:
1. Tell us a bit of yourself?
I’m Erickson Emapasis, project manager at the same time senior web designer of juricks2web.com. I’m just a simple guy, like any other guy, who have his own daily routine. But what makes me different from them probably is my attention to details and my adherence to plans. I religiously plan my activities for tomorrow so that I could reduce my stress level. I have a heavy workload and it is important that I understand what activities need to be prioritized.
2. When did your interest for graphic design, more specifically web design, begin?
I started working with website design since I was a college student. I’ve been joining web design and development contests. The first contest I joined, I lost. However that only motivated me to be better. The next contest I joined, I already won. *grin*
I always thought I was a born web programmer. However when I began programming, I can't help getting bored. Since most of my friends are into programming it took me a while to realize that programming is not just for me. I did some soul searching and explored other fields of the web; then I stumbled into web design. I experimented, played with the color palettes, clipped paths, and added layer after each layer. I then realized that I have a big passion for colors and arts; and that was the onset of my career as a web designer.
3. How long have you been doing web designing as a profession?
I’ve been a web designer for almost 4 years and still counting.
4. Where do you usually go for design inspirations?
I usually visit bestwebgallery.com since most of the sites listed there are really awe inspiring. There are a lot of very nice sites across the net wherein you can get your muse working.
5. What software do you use?
I usually use dreamweaver CS3 or Microsoft web expression for XHTML/CSS implementation. Adobe Photoshop CS3 for my graphics work and Adobe Illustrator for vector graphics stuff.
6. Who is your favorite designer and why?
My favorite designer is Shane Seminole Mielke, he’s the creative director of 2advanced.com website at the same time a Graphic designer and photographer. He’s my idol because of his art work that really seems to pop and inevitably catches my undivided attention. He’s really a great designer, for me, he’s one of a kind. You can visit his site and see his beautiful works at http://www.shanemielke.com.
7. For Juricks2Web, you said web 2.0 is your specialty. Can you expound more about this?
Yeah, we usually work more on web 2.0 technologies. It’s not just the term “web 2.0” but it’s the way how a site is being presented. And to explain more about this, it would be best if I will just define web 2.0 for the readers to understand this jargon. Basically, web 2.0 is just a term that triggers these follow site concepts:
- Simplicity
- Central layout
- Fewer columns
- Separate top section
- Solid areas of screen real-estate
- Simple nav
- Bold logos
- Bigger text
- Bold text introductions
- Strong colours
- Rich surfaces
- Gradients
- Reflections
- Cute icons
- Star flashes
And to give you more ideas on web 2.0 you can go to this site: http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/web-2.0-design-style-guide.cfm
8. What is the usual process you go through when you're working with a web design project?
Before anything else I always conduct some sort of an interview or I will let our clients answer our website planner. The website planner helps me understand the client more, so after reviewing the filled out planner I can start determining the color scheme fitting for the client and the components needed on the home page. Once I have that rough concept, I start sketching the website interface on my sketch pad. Once I have my sketch, I then open my adobe CS3 and do the rest of the work there. As I go through with my design I usually do trial and error concepts until I am fully contented with the output.
9. When creating graphics, when is 'eye catching' "too much"?
Actually even myself I can’t say that I’m really good in graphics design but I do really have an eye to determine when the design is enough. For me, graphic design can be too much when:
1. I find something on the design that is not relevant to the entire creative concept or not necessary to be there.
2. The graphics are too crowded.
3. It doesn’t satisfy general opinions.
4. The graphics no longer convey a meaningful message.
5. Irritating to look at.
10. What is, so far, the most memorable project you've done?
One of my most memorable website projects is the “Creative Dealers” since that project was crucial for me and for Juricks2Web. The workload was quite heavy so my body couldn't quite keep up (I was hospitalized for tonsillitis ). My mock-up design was rendered late and I apologize profusely to my client. I was quite bless since the client really liked the output and was so understanding; up to now he remains to be one of my best clients.You can view the design here. You can also view the rest of our portfolio here.
11. Do you have any advice for aspiring graphic and web designers?
Keep on learning new things and be open to criticism. But always remember, being a good designer is not just a matter of practice but it’s a gift as well. I believe that the software is only second, it is important that you hone your creative eye so that you can produce stellar graphic and web design output.
Source:
http://vigoureuxartiste.blogspot.com/2008/08/web-designing-according-to-erickson.html
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Sunday, November 9, 2008
Juricks2Web Updated!
Juricks2Web recently uploaded its newly upgraded website. Juricks2Web embraced web 2.0 programming to make it more interactive for users and easier to manage for the developers.
"It took us a while to get our CMS program done since we have been quite busy with various projects. Now, friends and clients can easily add their comments using our testimonial panel found on the homepage", said Erickson Empasis, Senior Web developer of Juricks2Web.
CMS or Content Management System is a web application used for managing websites and web content. This is a computer software system that is used for organizing and facilitating collaborative creation of documents and other content.
Juricks2Web have also developed a back-end panel for the administration. Now, it is easier for the team of Juricks2Web to add link partners, upload articles and launch press releases.
Juricks2Web is a web development firm that specializes on web 2.0 design and development, SEO 2.0, web hosting and web 2.0 programming.
Additional Note: Julievive Empasis, wife of Erickson, recently gave birth to a healthy baby girl last June 24. The happy couple is very excited that they have already booked a popular restaurant in Cebu City for Eunice’s christening this August 17.
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Sunday, November 2, 2008
5000+ Color Gradients Set For Photoshop
I'm searching to the net about the latest trends in web design today, i saw a blog that would really help for those who are in web graphics design and development. The author of the blog was sharing the 5000+ color gradients set for Photoshop. This gradients are really fit into what's the latest trend today, the web 2.0 style. So, I want to share it with you also... those gradients are can be download. So enjoy using those gradients :)
click here
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click here
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Thursday, October 9, 2008
2008 Design Trends
Today's latest trend in web design are really good lots of styles. Web 2.0 is now the hottest trend and also pencil sketches, handwritten notes, card stocks, watercolor effects, collage art, script fonts, grungy and splatter ink backgrounds. Other websites also using vintage and retro styles.
Here's are list of design trends to inspire:
Web 2.0 Style (Corporate)
Juricks2Web
80 Large Background Websites
Monterey
Single-Page Portfolio Sites
Kinoz
Grid and Column Designs
Times Online
Vintage Web Design
Cascadia
Vector Illustration Trend
Global Zoo
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Here's are list of design trends to inspire:
Web 2.0 Style (Corporate)
Juricks2Web
80 Large Background Websites
Monterey
Single-Page Portfolio Sites
Kinoz
Grid and Column Designs
Times Online
Vintage Web Design
Cascadia
Vector Illustration Trend
Global Zoo
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Monday, September 29, 2008
How to make your website visitor's friendly?
It's very important that your website should be friendly so that visitors of your website would appreciate and love to stay long. Here's a few tips:
1. Don't distract your visitors with blinking or scrolling text, animated GIFs, or auto-loading sound.
Animation and sounds are distracting. How can anyone concentrate on reading what's on your site when there are things flying around the page? It's like trying to read a newspaper when someone's poking you in the shoulder repeatedly.
Another problem with scrolling text is that the reader can't read it at their own pace. They're forced to read it at whatever speed you deliver it. They might have preferred to read those two sentences quickly and then move on, but because it's scrolling they have to sit there and wait for the text to slowly appear.
2. Minimize clicking!
Put as few clicks between your visitor and your information as possible. The more you force your visitors to click around your site the more likely they'll abandon it.
3. Compress your image files.
Nothing is more annoying to readers than waiting for a 200k graphic to load when it should be only 20k instead. Graphics software can compress files so they take up less room on your disk, and therefore take less time to load into your visitors' browsers.
4. Use contrasting colors or simple backgrounds to make your text easy to read.
It's hard to read light text on a light background, or dark text on a dark background. There are also some color combinations that don't work.
5. Make the text large enough to read.
Don't yell at me for stating the obvious, because it's not obvious to everyone: Just today a webmaster referred me to his site which I had to squint to read. Don't punish your visitors if you want them to actually read your content. With CSS rules, go for 12 or 13px Arial, and 11 or 12px Verdana.
I hope this tips would give some help.
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1. Don't distract your visitors with blinking or scrolling text, animated GIFs, or auto-loading sound.
Animation and sounds are distracting. How can anyone concentrate on reading what's on your site when there are things flying around the page? It's like trying to read a newspaper when someone's poking you in the shoulder repeatedly.
Another problem with scrolling text is that the reader can't read it at their own pace. They're forced to read it at whatever speed you deliver it. They might have preferred to read those two sentences quickly and then move on, but because it's scrolling they have to sit there and wait for the text to slowly appear.
2. Minimize clicking!
Put as few clicks between your visitor and your information as possible. The more you force your visitors to click around your site the more likely they'll abandon it.
3. Compress your image files.
Nothing is more annoying to readers than waiting for a 200k graphic to load when it should be only 20k instead. Graphics software can compress files so they take up less room on your disk, and therefore take less time to load into your visitors' browsers.
4. Use contrasting colors or simple backgrounds to make your text easy to read.
It's hard to read light text on a light background, or dark text on a dark background. There are also some color combinations that don't work.
5. Make the text large enough to read.
Don't yell at me for stating the obvious, because it's not obvious to everyone: Just today a webmaster referred me to his site which I had to squint to read. Don't punish your visitors if you want them to actually read your content. With CSS rules, go for 12 or 13px Arial, and 11 or 12px Verdana.
I hope this tips would give some help.
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General Web Directories
Submit your website to the top general web directories. Here's a site that would help you check which directories your site appears (click here). This list of Top Web Directories contains the Top Directories rated by the quality of inbound links each directory has. The ILQ Rating Score is taken from the number of inbound links each directory has from dir.yahoo.com, DMOZ, EDU and GOV sites.
Top 20 General Web Directories Rated by Inbound Link Quality (ILQ)
1.www.dmoz.org
2.www.dir.yahoo.com
3.www.lii.org
4.www.stpt.com/directory
5.www.business.com
6.www.cannylink.com
7.www.americasbest.com
8.www.joeant.com
9.www.chiff.com
10.www.jayde.com
11.www.skaffe.com
12.www.ezilon.com
13.www.mavicanet.com
14.www.botw.org
15.www.avivadirectory.com
16.www.elib.org
17.www.directory.v7n.com
18.www.rlrouse.com
19.www.gimpsy.com
20.www.goguides.org
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Top 20 General Web Directories Rated by Inbound Link Quality (ILQ)
1.www.dmoz.org
2.www.dir.yahoo.com
3.www.lii.org
4.www.stpt.com/directory
5.www.business.com
6.www.cannylink.com
7.www.americasbest.com
8.www.joeant.com
9.www.chiff.com
10.www.jayde.com
11.www.skaffe.com
12.www.ezilon.com
13.www.mavicanet.com
14.www.botw.org
15.www.avivadirectory.com
16.www.elib.org
17.www.directory.v7n.com
18.www.rlrouse.com
19.www.gimpsy.com
20.www.goguides.org
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Get to know me
- Julievive (Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. )
- I graduated BSCS (Bachelor of Science in computer Science) last March 2005 at Asian College of Technology. I currently hold the position as Web Designer/Developer at MK Andersen Outsourcing Inc. wherein I design and manage the development of all websites under the company’s name and I also do some graphics design. I'm also a freelancer.
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