7 posts tagged “webdesign”
For the crafters out there we have lovely communities we can join. Two of my favorites thus far are:
Ravelry... ahhh yer of course. (search for SimoneQdM) Its run by two amazing entrepreneurs and you still have to be invited to join... server and bandwidth reasons I suspect. They are planning to make it so you don't need to be invited. For now you can go on the waiting list.
Thats that.. of course it goes without saying vox rocks! Except I may be joining independent blogland soon.... a taste for it is here: www.simoneqdm.com
Mark Boulton's thinking too...
I'm a web designer, along with the fun stuff I do comes much mundane repetitive work. Many questions pop up "what am i doing?" "why am I here?" I should be doing something more active, more hands on.
But when I sit down to "cut-up" a design I made that I need to slot it into a completely new content management system, I get that buzz... The how sexy can I make this look? How slim lined can I make the code? I give myself little challenges involving time and file constraints. I feel like I know why I'm a web designer again.
Ultimately anything you become good at and have to do everyday will become boring. Right? But stubborn me doesn't want to accept this. I am lucky, in web design things are constantly changing. There are new methods to achieve a website popping up everyday, design fashions to keep yr eye on, new colour schemes to play with. But somethings missing.
I theorize its the lack of history or the lack of the hands on tactile approach. I can easily replace the lack of history with the existence of a massive supportive community and loads of resources. But how can get a replacement tactile approach? I have a few things I am going to do; My library visits need to start going by the computer section again, I will pick up the occasional book that I can carry around, leaf through the pages and read in bed. Start taking my laptop out with me to cafe's library's etc. When thinking up a design, first just have paper and a pencil, or a workbook with thick paper that makes a nice sound when you turn the pages.
The web design gurus out there that have been in the industry for ages write books, tutorials and create cool blogs. Perhaps this gives them new challenges when it comes to writing, the feedback gives them a fresh perspective keeping them honest. So more posts on web design!
Conclusion? My theory is a philosophical viewpoint (i do try and stay away from these in my blog, but you can put up with one or two, now an then) Life is what you make it, I am an "experienced web designer" I am all grown up and doing what i wanted to be doing, now that I'm here I have to put time aside to make sure I enjoy it. So from now on you will see as many posts about web design as knitting and spinning! If not, tell me off.
I have been working on a website for myself for awhile now. (Try three - four years) I have designed around 5 different designs and set it up using three different CMS's (Content Management Systems) (typo3, Joomla and now wordpress) Finally i feel closer to completion. But to make sure this happens I am making myself accountable to you lot! I have a sneak peak image of the design for you to see. I have not put this in the word press powered site yet, this is next on my list, but it has the simplicity I wanted along with the designy crafty feel, i hope that this reflects more of what I am about.
The idea behind the design is that I can change the main image easily with new illustrations and photos without restricting it to a rectangle banner shape at the top (this shape gets a little dull to work with after say 100 designs) I also wanted to change the "highlight" colour (in this case a dirty lime green) to match the new illustrations/graphics, again without getting in the way of the design. So the colour scheme is grey plus whatever tickles my fancy.
RIGHT so now I have to get this done and start posting to it. Not sure whats gonna happen to Vox. But I do need a professional blogging presence since I'm a freelance lady now so I am pretty sure things will work out somehow.
By the way I am on facebook and LinkedIn. Search For Simone Quentin de Manson and add me! See I'm networking! (Been quite bad at that)
Well the big re-design I spoke of earlier is finished. Mostly (few things left, no doubt I'll get some old bugs to work through) But onto the clients next site now (another re-design.. not so big). It turned into a bit of a mission, the shopping system he already had set-up prior to coming to our company is very bitty, and full of 100% tables I could not get rid of (geek speak.. i digress) so lets just say there is some code in there I wish wasn't. But thats OK I mostly get to work with other better systems, so alll good.
Awhile ago I posted I was reading "bullet proof web design"
I can't quite remember if this was correct, but the impression was that most of the examples were more suited to a set width layout, it also would of been nice for the tabbed navigation section to include info on how to write multi level navigation.
Most HTML CSS books look like bibles, boring, no colour pictures and thick as... bibles! So this relatively thin book full of colour pictures was a "breath of fresh air" and as an added bonus, I had no problems getting through it before the libraries due date.
I have had a request to publish some sources on learning how to put together a web page. Mostly from other designers with a curiosity to know more... If anyone knows of other really helpful ones let me know and i will start a thorough list.
1. There is one very good site that give you pointers not only in the technical mumbo jumbo, but in important things like layout, usability, SEO tips blah blah blah.. Introducing Ben Hunt from web design from scratch
2. I cannot possibly not mention this site: W3cschools. Start here for an overview of terms and mumbo jumbo meanings.Here is a tutorial on HTML. Also a tutorial on CSS
3. The sites that inspire me web design wise, get lost in them! If you know of others let me know.
Lastly I want to show you why a design/arty farty type person became attracted to web design....
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