Why html code validation is important for your website

Arguably there can not be any website without HTML. But here the matter of discussion is not about creating a website without html. We are going to discuss about the html code validation. Many a time a question wonders in our mind - is there any importance of html validation, what are those? First we have to understand the meaning of validation in general. Validation is nothing but standardization. So when the question is about html validation, it is all about standardization of the html code used in any website. There are some good reasons of html code validation. I have tried to jot down few points below:

• If a website has web pages without validated html codes, the pages become incompatible for different browsers. Browsers work on specific standards to read the html. If a webpage is not up to standards, the design is bound to break in different browsers.
• In the case of programming, html code validation comes in use of debugging. If the codes maintain validation standards, it becomes easy to find out the bugs.
• Validated html coding ensures compatibility of future up gradation of the html and do help in maintenance. Whatever the upper version of the html is to come, those will incorporate the present standards. And maintenance of the site gets easy.
• Errors in the html coding prevent the search engines to crawl the web pages properly. All the crawlers follow specific standards of html code validation. If those crawlers find errors in the coding, the indexing of the site goes wrong and ranking of the pages will never be good.
• If codes are according to html validation standards, the developers working on those get ease in the development procedure of any simple or complex website structure or the whole development.

So you could well understand why it is so important to validate the html coding of any website. Remember everything adheres to standard. Same applies to website building. Today html code validation has gone almost a mandatory part of website design and development. At least as a freelance graphic designer I never forget to validate the html code against all my designs. Moreover it boosts my confidence that I am offering something to the clients that is certainly validated or certified according to world standards.

How business houses influence shifts of spot light on web design trends

Oh Tom, tell me what’s the trend! 

We all know the term ‘trend’ is pretty trendy! What Mr. Tom today advises me as the latest fashion trend, I find it next day replaced by something else! Same is in practice for the web design trends! Today a huge image at the header of a web page; the next day footer is oversized! Naturally the spot light shifts its angles and falls on what is latest.

But my question is – why this shift in spot light? I know you have the answer! Let me tell you what I found. It is the instruction of the businessmen and their business perspectives. For catching the attention of the visitors to the cliché products or the services, designers throw a bucket of colors or draw few lines on a blank webpage in such a way that we have to say Wow!
Now let us see how business demands manipulate in the shift in spot light!

The wings of imagination

Web design is a matter of creativity. It is the designers who tend to set forth new web design trends. They are free to design a whale tied with a rope and being tried to be carried by little birds! But if you can spare a little of your grey matter, you can well understand how they are drawing business. It is no new matter to render forth. What I try to say here is the use of new and emerging web design trends and their use in different businesses. In short, how the designers and their use of web design trends uplift the business!

The course or the flow

Not going by an elaborated discussion about what web design trends are now in vogue, I rather like to bend the course of my discussion in a flow which will show the banks where businesses line up to pump in or out water from the current. I will discuss the use of web design for products, services and other purposes. It is going to be a touch and go about new tools and web design trends in application for web page designs eyeing the business.

Give me sandpapers!

There are quite a handful of design tools that are coming into use, for example, Javascripts, CSS3, HTML5 and so on and so forth. These tools are new brushes to paint the white canvas far better.A javascript can easily add some small effects like click menu button, pop-up window, dialogue boxes or small icons. These are the flexibilities which designers have got when the space is limited in a web page or without excessive texts many things have to be said.

With the help of CSS3, creation of rounded corners, shadow effects and designing mobile compatible web pages has got easy. The designers as if have got sandpapers to even the edges of a wooden table!
The use of RGB color and better Opacity is also coming in action to give web page design a better and distinct look. Sometimes water color effects and every time clear illustration give better look to the web pages.

HTML5 is the latest version of HTML language and it is still in the development process. It provides several options like drag and drop of any image and embedding videos etc. Soon we will see its massive use, no sooner all the browsers accepts it.

The common factors

Some of the latest web design trends are so much useful that those may be used for all type of web page designs. Actually it is all about user friendliness and attraction.The design perspective has got a change. Formerly the look used to show simply the products or the services. But now if a product, say wine, is to be shown there has to be design effects. Same is the case for depicting services, say hotel industry, the designers are showing designs of suits in such a way that the viewers get impressed with the first look. Web pages are no different!

Interactive web design trends for better feel. The designers are trying to provide scope for making the designs interactive, say horizontal menu or the social media navigation buttons. These help the visitor to navigate fast. Even key navigation to provide keyboard shortcuts has been applied. And the use of letterpress for text or text links really gives feel in designs. More the user gets opportunity to interact, more chances increases for business!

It’s all about presenting products!

The designers are instructed to give boost to the presentation of the products. And they are showing web design trends that are simply awesome in having impact on viewers mind! Now we are going to have a glance on those web design trends.

Rich and strong typographic effects: Typically to show the offers or the ingredients of any product the text effects are must. And to produce that kind of text effect, designers have started to play with each letter, word or number. We find web pages designed with colorful effects and huge letter or word size, as we find in word art or the same!

Model or light box and slide show: When web pages are designed for any vendor of products, the main purpose of the website is to sell the products. Suppose a visitor want to have a close look at his or her selected product, he or she will come across the light box effect that only highlight the product in much better way. At the same time to view the group of products a slide show effect is just what a visitor will ask. These web design trends are nowadays hugely in demand.

Over sized logo/header and one page layout: A website is created to market and brand any company and its product internationally. So it is natural that the web pages have to highlight the name and the logo of any company in prominent way. So the designers start to use oversized logo or the header, designed in a way that the name of the company is well highlighted and leaves a great effect in the mind of the visitors. The companies liked these web design trends and those have got popular enough. And some companies want to develop sites for their unique products. In that particular case designers have created one of the unique web design trends – one page layout where in a single web page customers nicely view the products.

Intro box, text shadow and thumbnails: For better focus on information of products and to give products liveliness, the designers have started using intro box and text shadows. With the help of intro box a product is better highlighted to the users whereas shadows make every product lively. And the proper use of thumbnails shows many products at a time. The businessmen like this type of web design trends.

Minimalism and massive white space: Sometimes less effort earns maximum result. Designers used this theory in designing the web pages. They have started to grow two effective web design trends- minimum effects and maximum white space. These particular trends are effective as people sometimes get bored to see too many texts, images. Similarly blank spaces or maximum white spaces soothe the eyes. And in such spaces a product with little description is sure to catch attraction.

Please visit again!

There are thousands of service providers. They are eager to pursue the visitors to avail their services. So web designers have began to grow some web design trends that are going to help the service providers to gain a strong online presence. Now we may have a little journey about the web design trends developed with an eye to serve the purpose of the service providers.

Magazine layout:  An important part of any service industry is all about getting information about any service. With this idea in mind designers have taken to grow one of the typical and really catchy web design trends – magazine layout. In this type of layouts, designers place information as we find in news dailies. Beautiful descriptions of services come to visitor’s sight as if they are reading news with headlines. This trend is gaining popularity fast.

Print design effects: The designers are ever to pull anything new and unique. After all, they are setters of new web design trends! They have introduced web pages with print effects. The effects are so embossed that visitors feel to see printed catalogues or brochures. The trend attracts the user to read and know about the services.

Media blocks: The designers have infused a new trend in web page designing – use of media blocks. With this block the services can easily be given maximized attention. A video or the like can have superb effect on the visitors mind.

PNG and textured background effect: A few services need to show some special effects. And for those cases the designers have introduced one of the web design trends of using PNG files or different types of textures to be set as backgrounds. This really has a deep impact on the visitors mind.

Organic layout: In this type of design the designers use different organic shapes to draw attention of the users. Most of the times it is found that this trend is for excuses against faulty services. We can see social networking sites using this type of web design trends, when for over load to their servers they cannot provide service. They apologize to the user in this type of interesting and funny way. There are other fantastic uses of this trend also.

Slab typefaces and font replacement:  For few services some different attitude comes in demand. These two are very much unique web design trends from the rest. In these matters the web pages use slab typefaces (all capital letters) in texts or unusual fonts in body texts. Designers intentionally use fonts that are not used in common web page designing. These texts certainly give extra attention to the service headings and the like.

Retro, sketch and handwriting effects: The web design trends that nowadays coming into great effects are retro or the designs with vintage art look; sketching effects; and the handwriting effects. In retro style the whole design looks as if painting of vintage artifacts. This type of designs are used for heritage related industries or services.

The sketch design is also used for art related service industries. These types of designs impose the natural and familiar touch to the eyes of the visitors and communicate the purpose plainly. Similar effect comes from designs with handwriting effects. Websites related with education or such types of industries use these web design trends to grab emotional attraction of the visitors.
    
Excuse me please!

There are some industries that cannot be categories as typical product or service based. So what web design trends those going to adapt to become popular? I am talking about the entertainment and similar industries. As in the entertainment industry you get both services and products. So the businessmen could not decide what web design trends they can use for their businesses. But the designers came with some web design trends that serve typically their business and may also be used for other industries. Let’s talk about two most common web design trends used in these types of industries.

3D elements, 3D text effects: The most exciting web design trends are use of 3D elements and 3D text effects. I particularly choose to say few words about this trend separately for their use in entertainment industry. There cannot be anything more engaging than 3D effects. There are hundreds of websites, say gaming sites that use this effect for visitors. There has to be something different to entertain people. All 3D effects come for help to this industry! As I told before this effect is so much catchy that the designer have to use them for other service and product oriented business too
.
Introduction box and multicolumn: These two web design trends were designed to serve some particular industries say entertainment again, but have become web design trends for all. The introduction boxes better introduce any product or service, for example an tutorial or the like. Same way multicolumn designs came to show information in an organized way. It is found that multicolumn design is used for home page design. We all know that home page is a page to introduce a business precisely and almost as a whole. So both the web design trends -multicolumn and introduction box play vital role in designing that page.

Let’s have a ball...

It is really great to see and feel how new web design trends are coming and staring themselves in the web industry. My point of discussion was the influence of businesses on web designing. Yes, now you can see how businesses do have influence on designing in a positive way. The new web design trends could not have come in at regular intervals, had there been no influence of business people on the web designers! Necessity is the mother of all inventions.

Let there be light – spot light!

What about the spot light? Yes, the spot light ever falls on the popular and the celebrated. Here we are talking about the web design trends! What is today’s trend is for certain to get replaced by the one of tomorrow! So today may be the spot light is on Magazine layout, who knows tomorrow it could be on something related to … …! But what is for sure is the lever or control of shifting the spot light will always be in the hands of business houses. They ask the designers for new web design effects. And it is the business use of those effects that makes every designing effect a trend! Three cheers for all web design trends!

How to design your splash page

Today we do not walk but rush! And for this very reason we hardly can concentrate on anything more than a few minutes. So a new conception has grown that there is no need to design splash page for a website as people are going to skip it! But the things are not exactly the same. We can use splash page or the introduction page (some call it jump page) in a smart way and it can still benefit us.

Now we are going to see how to design splash page to make it most useful to achieve the ultimate goal of a website development. Before letting the things go clear to your mind, one thing I here should first clarify that the main purpose or motto to design splash page is to catch quick attention of the visitors to the best product or the service of a website with true and clever marketing attitude. Another thing that comes as a restricting factor (as public conception goes) in the path of having a splash page is its search engine unfriendliness. There are ways with which we can avoid that too.

Now let’s come to the point! I am trying to tell you how you should design splash page or what should be the instruction from you to designer in case you are willing to have a splash page for your website.

•    First priority has to be given to portray your products and services precisely. The page should not have too many images or texts. Fewer images and text has to convey your message. This will also decrease the page load time.
• If you use flash or 3D animation to design splash page, ensure those are not lengthy and supports multiple browsers. There has to be automated redirect to the index page if any plug-in is not available or load time exceeds than the permitted time. It is possible with programming or skip button.
•  Try to keep something on the splash page that will not become obsolete or old after a few days. To avoid this situation try updating the splash page or provide specific links that will be options to search your products and services. Do not bore your visitors.
• Try to design splash page with such programs or scripts that do not prevent the search engines to index your other pages of the site.  It is found that the faulty javascripts create disturbances to the search engine robots.
•  Be creative and intelligent to design splash page. Don’t implement aggressive marketing approach. The design has to be something that interests the visitors and should have an USP.

So this should be the way of designing a splash page. When you decide to ask a web design company to design splash page, do not forget to see its experience in this matter. Remember to consult your thought of a splash page with the designers and the search engine optimizers about the smoothness or effective attitude of the page. Never try to impose the idea to the designers. The pages can earn you great result, at the same time inefficient use will lead to the failure.

As a freelance graphic designer, I have been effectively designing the splash pages for my clients. I try to catch the strain of the customer business and ask them to tell first their thoughts to my designs. So whatever the case may be at the time you hire website designer cooperate and match your thoughts with him to design splash page successfully. 

Difference between web 2.0 and web 3.0

One day I bought a mango sapling and planted it in the garden of my farm house. I was too excited to get some juicy mangoes in the coming summer. I used to water the tree everyday and daydream about the mangoes! Next summer my tree was full of juicy mangos. But my expectations were also growing in leaps and bounds. Now I was hoping for some miracle and was expecting to get mangoes, oranges and apples from the same tree!!

Now do not tell me that it is something really odd or I was growing mad! I swear I can imagine something better than that too! If I could get my virtually projected girl friend and me strolling on the virtual sea shore or could easily have an opportunity to play Formula 1 finding myself as Jenson Button, inside the computer and feeling the exact sensation sitting on my computer desk then an easy grafting can bring out the result to a tree to bear such three fruits together! Well, that’s not all in my imagination. That’s the budding concept of web 3.0.

You may think –“is this guy really out of his mind?” No I am not. A few days ago I also had to scratch my head for a while just like you when one of my clients from USA asked me to design a website suitable to web 3.0. I asked him why not web 2.0? It has all that the business is in need presently! I tried to make him understand that web 2.0 is the present trend of the web design and development. Why you do not try believing that web 3.0 technologies are still a thought process inside the pipeline! He then endowed me with a great piece of advice “Don’t live for the present. Live for the future!”

He encouraged me to apply the newest of the technologies in application on website design and development. I then assured him that I never make any fuss on adapting new technologies. Rather I would be more than happy to design for a technology that relies more on the user experience, irrespective of the look or the layout!

So it is time to tell you what difference I have found between web 2.0 and web 3.0. And slowly I am developing an addiction to the later one! Want to know why? Have a look:

Gone are the days of searching for Pizza Hut or asking your friend if he likes Pizza or not!

Until 1999 the internet was taken as a useful media where anybody can make a heap of information which is supposed to be used by the people in search of such information. If you are looking for ‘Pizza’ you have to find its availability to your nearest location from the huge number of search engine result pages (by the time your appetite could have poke you out to a nearest cake shop to douse the fire with a pastry).

But in web 3.0 era you don’t even have to think of a friend who likes pizza! You got to write just that you are hungry and you want to get information on which shops you may get pizza first on the basis of your previous searches on likes and dislikes. Isn’t it like your personal assistant who knows that you like pizza when you are hungry! It is the magic of web 3.0 that uses resource description framework (RDF) and other applications which empower your machine and related software to read, analyze and produce results for you. Yahoo! search is believed to be based upon web 3.0.

Forget propagating “my template designs should be slim and trim - have a look”

This present era is all about sharing information. Hardly we can find out anybody who does not have a facebook, twitter and similar social networking accounts or profiles. This is nothing but the web 2.0 trends that asks everybody to share information either in elaborate way or in 140 characters. I can remember the rise of Blogger (in 1999) which has given the start to the exposer of expression openly. And within a few years came facebook and twitter that added sharing option to expression and the total thing got immensely popular!

But what’s about the web 3.0? Certainly it is managing the social contacts in structures to create a database which is available to the individuals in an inter-connected manner. It will help the individual to reach everything simply fast. So there is no need to be afraid that your work is going to be lost among other thousands. Machines and software are going to work for you in reaching people who are in need of exactly the service you render.

Web is going to be based on augmented reality, what about present reality?

With the advent of the smart phones and blackberry type services the web had already gone portable. The slender look of the web 2.0 had well matched with the format. But people have started to think beyond reality! The virtual reality came into being. In this world the 3D application took people to a new life where everything has gone virtual and people started to enjoy the things. The web 2.0 was the basis to introduce this. But soon the concept of virtual reality started to adopt augmented reality! And this is the introduction of another web 3.0 technology.

Now with a spectacle or camera or phone users are going to feel 3D experience for anything he or she is looking into. The users are going to feel and know anything anywhere. It encompasses from knowing any product on the go before buying or just to get information about any service. Just a desire to get anything will lead to projection of that in 3D model in front of eyes. One day it could easily happen when I am passing by you and you could easily reckon me and say you have written the article about the difference between web 2.0 and web 3.0 right?

Just wait and watch what the coming decade is to offer!!

To sum up the things I can say, let computer and software adapt the artificial intelligence. We will not even type anything in the search box of any search engine but will just think of the matter and everything will be in front of us. But till the web 3.0 comes out of the thinking pipeline web 2.0 is going to reign the World Wide Web. We have to admit that believing the reality is inevitable, rest is future! The evolution in the field of technology has bought to us the web 2.0 and one day web 3.0 will be reality. Who knows what will be the concept of web 4.0!

How to design printer friendly web page

Today almost the whole world has gone tech-savvy. Whatever information we are looking for can be easily got from internet. That is why so many websites are there. But it does not mean the need or the use of printed information are vanished. We still have little bit ease in using printed information especially applicable for elderly people and children. In other words we should say this is why printer friendly web page is available.

Now we may say what the uses of printer friendly web page are and how to make the webpage really printable? What are the reasons web pages becomes printer unfriendly? First see why we need printable version of the web pages.

• Use of animation and other dynamic effects cause trouble for reading and users then feel that there may be a printable version.
• Long and informative articles or texts becomes little strenuous to read on the digital media (monitor, e-book reader).
• It is not always possible to carry the reading devices with us. If we may have a printer friendly web page and take print, we can carry it anywhere.

Now the question comes how to make the web pages printer friendly? And it is fact that with a little care of the things I have tried to put down here will help in making any web page a printer friendly web page. Let us find few things:

• First to increase the readability of the webpage and also to ready printer friendly web page the font size should be 12pt and font color is preferably black on white background. And the links has to be underlined to show them as links.
• Necessarily the animation effects have to be used less or there has to be option to print pages without animation. Otherwise the print impression becomes illegible.
• Web pages include advertisements. People taking print of any page for gathering information would like to avoid advertisements. So keep option to print the pages without advertisements. This makes user happy and web pages printer friendly web page.
• To make a web page worthy to be printed, the height, width and margin has to be set or given option to adjust.
• To prepare printer friendly web page is to use CSS media types, and in coding use of HTML 4.01 and above versions. These two design tools works fine to make pages printable. Avoid using too much table base coding and never use frames. It also helps in preparing print version of pages.

So now it is crystal clear that with little and easy steps, a web page can be made printer friendly. Whatever the case may be, the fundamental thing is to keep the web pages clean and worth reading. Never thrust the pages with too many animation effects or advertisement. Remember, if you first irritate the users with a clumsy look, it is going to cost you in the loose of users.

If you want to know how to keep the design intact in look and make every webpage printer friendly web page, hire website designer who knows how to design web pages both printer friendly and stunning in looks! At least as a freelance graphic designer, I always design website layouts or templates printer friendly. You may have a look at my portfolio and you could understand how templates are great in look! And yet those can be made very much printer friendly.

CSS tips and tricks - Must go through

We all know that cascading style sheets (CSS) are determines the look and format of a web page. Though there are many facilities in using the CSS, still we face some problems in some application of it. That is the reason we can find in the internet – designers and developers are providing so many CSS tips and tricks.
Now the question is why writing this article? Am I going to give you some new CSS tips and tricks? No, I am not going to stuff internet with some same CSS tips and tricks as if presenting new wine in an old bottle! So here is for you some must go through CSS tips and tricks that come in consideration while using CSS effectively and successfully.

• In particular cases inline elements have to be started in new line like block elements or vise-versa, in controlling height and width of inline elements and spreading background color to match text of block elements without specifying width. Here applies ‘display inline’ or ‘display block’ codes.
• In IE 6 browser sometimes rendering problem comes in setting width of any element against border and padding has already provided. It is known as box model hack alternative. To solve this problem a code comes in great use and that is "padding: 2em; border: 1em solid green; width: 20em;width/**/:/**/ 14em;".
  
• Sometimes we face problem in making web pages cross browser compatible. It is because different browsers have different CSS properties. So it is not possible to code for individual browsers. Here one of best CSS tips and tricks is CSS reset that makes pages compatible to all browsers.
• Many a times 3D buttons are in needed to match the layout of web pages. But we can not go for expensive 3D development. We can easily get this effect with a code like the one given below. We will see that a button will be created with raised 3 dimensional effects. The is like " div#button {background: #888; border: 1px solid; border-color: #999 #777 #777 #999 }"
• When CSS code is not working properly up to your expectations and you want you debug it but can not decide how much space it has occupied in the html code the following code comes in help. But remember a careful handling of the extra pixel in the border is needed otherwise situation will remain the same. "element {border:1px solid red}".
• I have got immense help when finding CSS tips and tricks for removing vertical scrollbar in IE browser. My code was not befitting and the page was looking odd with the scrollbar I used the code below and got the solution. "text area { overflow: auto; }"

There are so many CSS tips and tricks available online to resolve you problems in the use of the CSS. But I only mentioned the few of them. When people hire a freelance graphic designer or hire website designer for website development they do not know the things really. But I have faced this situation many a times and the available CSS tips and tricks have helped me a lot. But with my research on the internet I have solved many problems that are common like the above ones. So you need not to care a lot about the situations. There are lots of CSS tips and tricks available. You just need to see which are of your use. Find the solution and customize the code in your way.

Website checklist - a must go through before you make your site live

Who does not like to see his or her website performing at its level best? But to see a website performing up to the expectation there are some particular testing procedures to follow before and after launch of the site. We are talking here, rather I would like to talk is of following a website checklist that guides both the testers and the customer before the launch of the website. We are avoiding here the post launch checking as the pre launch check has to be almost cent percent satisfying to prevent the formation of a wrong idea or impression in the viewers mind.

Now let us see what the main and standard website checklist contents are before a site goes live:

• Check the design layout first. We have to mind if the layout is same which we have agreed to see on launch. Make sure there is no design breaks, navigation menus look properly, all the images are placed accordingly and overall look is not hurting the eyes for improper color match.
• The second priority in website check list is content. The placed texts are proper in writing style, formatting and no grammatical mistakes are there. The images chosen to be placed are relevant and matching in size and resolution.
• How are the functions in every webpage? This element of the website check list relates with user experience. How the links are functioning in the navigations (no broken link is left or the orphan page is there), several forms (contact us, blog comments etc.) are working, site is compatible with different browsers and all.
• The performance checking is another vital in website checklist. The checking has to be done to see proper page load time, database performance, the caching process, configuration and functional attitude of shopping cart and etc.
• Check if the SEO techniques are well followed to get search engine attraction and visitors. The keywords are well optimized and placed. Meta tags (title, description, keywords), Mark up tags (alt, H1, strong) are properly used. URLs are properly directing to the targeted pages, robots.txt and XML sitemaps are there.
• The most vital in the website checklist is the security and risk testing. See if the sensitive pages are protected, no paucity of disk space, protection against outside penetration is strong; login sections are secure and working.
• Check if the HTML and CSS validation is done and the icons for several other validations also being put in the proper pages. Presences of these things increase faith in the minds of visitors.
• Finally at the finishing, see if the error pages (for example 404) are created to avoid the confusion of the readers’ minds.

So now you understand how much important the website checklist is before a site goes live. It is the duty of both the developers and the customers to follow the website checklist properly. But unfortunately we find that either web development companies are not providing the website checklist to the customer or the customers are not well following it. For this kind of careless attitude and lack of professionalism the potentialities of websites can be nipped in the bud.

Finally what I can say is that I, as a freelance graphic designer who is working with designing and development of the websites for last 8 years, do follow the website checklist and take care that the customers are doing the same too. My suggestion to you people is that take little care when you hire website designer for your project. Ask them if they follow website checklist before making a site live. I take it for granted that we follow the check list ever sincerely.

CSS sprites - mystery unfolded

CSS spirits, sorry it should be CSS sprites actually, are the small images that play a sweet role to provide some nice styles to the overall appearance of a web page. Yes, it is true that “Sprites” are considered as spirits that appear and vanish within fraction of seconds in a webpage. These CSS sprites are intended to catch attention of the visitors, sometimes with mouse hover or odd shapes of menu and navigation buttons; even spirit effects on positioning of links.

The mystery about the CSS sprites is nothing but sudden appearance of those on web pages. It is nothing but the intellectual play of web or graphic designers to present so many graphics in a grid or master image without sending the web server too many ‘http’ requests. In fact, sprites provide an opportunity to the graphic designers or the web designers to keep a visitor stuck to a page, instead of showing static images.

Whatever the case may be, it is true that the concept of sprites originated from the video games. How can I forget that I used to get extra points or the ‘stars’ for hitting some blocks or bricks on the path to reach the destination as a Mario Game player? Forget about it. This is a small example against the presence of sprites in the games.

Let us now see how in CSS sprites are doing little wonders. I mean to say why these are used for web pages. We are not going by the codes; rather we will talk the things in plain.

• To create catchy menus, CSS sprite comes in use. Designers create small images (sprites) for curvy corners to avoid simple edge and gather the small pieces to make master image.
• In the creation of mouse hover effects CSS sprites is used in the best way. Graphic designers create small images for structuring a back ground image and a foreground image. Then both the images are placed on each other. The movement of mouse calls one image before other.
• Anywhere in a web page small buttons or graphics may be used with 2D or 3D effects. We designers are asked to represent some special attractions on the pages. So we again create sprites that easily grab attraction of the visitors.
• To provide any web page background effect, small images are used. Instead of using larger images in a web page as background, small image slice are cut and rendered through ‘x’ axis or ‘y’ axis. This effort easily shows backgrounds quickly without causing delay in page load.
• To stop the unnecessary use of javascripts for giving scroll or little dynamic effect, sprites are used. Javascripts take time to be called on the page or sometimes go missing. Dazzling effects can be given to links with CSS sprites.
• CSS sprites make use of single file to minimize overall page load time for images. If you carefully read the points, I have mentioned ‘master image’. It is the CSS sprite that create bundle of small images and use them in a master image file which loads fast with single http request.

In short these are the main use of sprites, rather for these main reasons CSS sprites are still used in the web page design with graphical effects. Now the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) has come and is making the use CSS sprites less only for page load timings. Whatever the case may be, sprites will remain to give little yet catchy effects to the web pages.

At least I, as a freelance graphic designer, love to use them, in my designs. All designs in my template shop have the potential to use the small image effects. So any time you want to hire website designer, ask him if he can give you some the spritely effects. Believe me those small images just pour dazzling effects to a webpage.

Web design tips to build your website in two days

Today developing a website has got easy and anybody can get a site ready within just a few hours. All it takes is to follow some web design tips that uphold the advancement of web development techniques, clearing the obstacle in the path of fast website development. Gone are the days when people waited for new layout to be designed and custom code being written for web design and web development! Today we can obtain templates and open source programming modules on Joomla, Magento, Wordpress, Drupal and others, ready to serve our purpose.

In the following web development and web design tips I only avoid the domain registration and hosting web space booking. And the rest web design tips can tell you how you can develop your website within just two days with the latest web development technologies. Have a look:

• First select a reputed web design and development company. It is essential as few companies have that much expertise to provide you the best service fast.
• Buy a template matching your business type. Make sure that you get the resource files with it. Otherwise things will get delayed at the time of making the little changes in the templates.
• Decide if you need content management system, shopping carts for ecommerce sites or the like. If you require those, you can go for open source platforms as Magento, Joomla, Drupal and others.
• Next come the approval process of the design and developing changes. Soon you reply to the changes, your work gets done.
• At last the website testing and the final approval. The testing process takes few minutes as modules are pretested and ready to use. Finally your approval lets the site hosted to the web server.

You may think the above web development and web design tips are fine but sure to take more time than two days. But it is possible. Today open source has simply blown out the old traditional process of development and design. With Joomla, Wordpress and Drupal modules everything is ready. We need to make little changes in the codes only.

You have to believe in my web design tips and the process of web development because as a freelance graphic designer, I can prove this. Various international clients have worked according to my web design tips and they have got the website of their desire.

The things are possible for me as I have a template shop full with several Joomla, Wordpress, Magento, Oscommerce and other themes based excellent and affordable templates for all. And I have been working on all sorts of open source programming for the last few years.

So what are you waiting for, go and hire website designer or a web development company to build your website within just two days. Then I am sure you will understand that the above web design tips are real and useful for everybody!

Difference between css1 and css2

CSS (Cascading style sheet) simply adds style in Html documents to present the layout of a web page. But here I am not supposed to define what is css1 and css2. My intension is to note a few differences that have given rise to a topic css2 and css1. There are reasons that have given little edge of preference to css version2 over css version1. And at the time of pointing out the differences, I will definitely try to note down the typical aspects of using css2 and css1.

Though we all know that css version2 is an upgraded version of css version1, people are interested in differentiating css2 and css1. Let’s see the things:

• Css2 provides much more flexibility in font selections. In CSS1 there were no options of matching font closest in request; no process of creating font that matches one of the present font metrics and option to download font from the web.
• In css version1 there was no option to define any tabular data as table element. But css version2 does permit the designers to do so. It has eased the designer’s efforts so they are using css2 and css1.
• One of the most important reasons of using css2 and css1 is the positioning of any element. There were no options of specifying absolute or relative position in css version1.
• The cursor position was not so much defined and controlled in css version1 as it is in css version2.For instance, the designers can predefine the different cursor look on links, images, and other positions on the webpage.
• Css version2 has given control on the webpage printing layout.  In very simple words it defines how will be size of the pages to be printed; if there will be registration or crop-marks and how should it look on both side when printed. This is one good cause of using css2 and css1.
• There was no option like ‘media type’ in css version1. It is there as an option in the css version2 that can determine how the display of the pages will be in different media as: audio, Braille, screen reader,TV etc. it has given great push in using css2 and css1.
• Css version2 has option to add audio with the display of a webpage. It is a great privilege to physically challenged people and was not in css version1. Now a blind man can listen to style of the web pages. It is certainly the greatest edge of css2 and css1.
• Css version2 can support international language applications. It is nothing, but compatibility to multiple directorial text, language specific quotation marks and etc.

As I told in the beginning of the article, there are still some of the features that are marked as hindrance to the acceptance of the css version2. It is not yet supported to some of the browser combinations; say the browser supporting typical HTML and XHTML  does not show the styles in same way as it is has commended.

The international language acceptance of the css version2 has not yet become compatible to all major languages. I mean to say if the option is there it should be fully compatible.

To sum up the things we can say css2 and css1 is nothing but an urge to compare two and find out the better one. And if there is any drawback left, it is going to be supplemented. We are seeing the upper version of css version2 and already css version 3 has come. It will definitely fulfill the gaps present in the css version2, as it is still in further development process.  But the tussle to rank css version1 over 2 will remain. As the topic css2 and css1 is still like a hot cake to many of us.

If you want to get the superb effects of CSS in your website or want to hire website designer, freelance graphic designer, you may contact me.

Standard security web templates for security service providers

In every step of our life we want to feel a sense of security. But generally security is concerned with our property and belongings. We do not leave a brick unturned, till we feel that our belongings are secured. We search for security measures and security providers. Today finding security gadgets and security services have become easy with many security related websites present to help us.

Here my point of presenting this write-up is – are you one of the security service providers? Do you have a website built with one of the best security templates? Are you satisfied with the performance of your website? If not, you have to change the template of your site and got to look out for some of the best security web templates to choose one from! Watch out for the below mentioned features in the security templates you decide to buy.

• The total layout has to be designed in way that it proves a point of security. The security web templates have to display the security factors in a proper way straight from the header.
• If the site is concerned with security products, the display and placement of the security products has to get attraction. Security templates have to have that provision.
• For security related services, the presentation of the services got to get well exposer. In the security web templates the arrangements for showing text need to get proper designing effect.
• Lure the visitors to your offers against products and services. In the security templates there needs to be a place for the presentation of hot offers. It has to show the reason to buy your products and get your service.
• Support your customers round the clock. In the security web templates there has to be a clear and attractive display of support mechanism. Let people reach you fast to get served or assisted.

These are the features all standard security templates should have. When you try to buy one of the best templates or asking a freelance graphic designer to design a template for your site, find out the above features in those security web templates. You should not compromise on customization facility, adaptability to programming and SEO friendliness of the templates.

What I mean to say is to be little cautious when buying affordable security web templates. Do mind that you have to show the standard of your products and services through your website! You may visit my graphic design portfolio and you will get the idea how quality templates should be designed keeping the point of affordability in mind.

What should be the look and feel of a restaurant web template?

"There's nothing sexier than a poached pear with a perfect sorbet." I cannot but appreciate the idea this quote conveys. I love to grab a mouth watering and exclusive dish! You can see my templates and feel my passion about different cuisine! I have seen several restaurant websites and simply get fascinated with the images they have kept there! Wow, the dishes! The time I sit to design the restaurant templates, I can hardly resist myself to color every restaurant web template with an insight of a foodie. Are you a restaurant owner? My restaurant templates are designed for you only.

“One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste.”

You know I have been in this industry as a freelance graphic designer for more than 7 years. I have seen and tried to understand what the taste of people is. What they do want to see in restaurant websites. Now I am going to tell you the way to pamper and spark the appetite! In other words, what should be there in a restaurant web template.

“…  And everything went from wrong to right
       And the stars came out to fill up the sky
       The music you were playing really blew my mind
       It was love at first sight……….”

I don’t think you can’t remember the lines! Yes, Kylie Minogue singing the “love at first sight”. I think, the moment a visitor clicks to view your website he or she should get impressed with the headers. That’s why the headers of all restaurant templates are so much catchy. I have kept the images of mouth watering dishes on the header of every restaurant web template; you can also keep a flash slide show or a video that will start lubricating the visitor’s mouth.

Now I am sure they will start to search what you have stored for them! So there has to be a search box in every restaurant web template. This box is hold as a key reason and let visitors to explore your site to find the dish and the information they are looking for. And to get them informed about the dish of the day, restaurant templates have to have a block.

When they have come to your site they are hungry. So if you have chosen one of the best restaurant templates for your website, the restaurant web template should have a quick booking option. It lets the visitors get the dishes they are looking for in your restaurant. And they must know what offer you are giving them. In some of my restaurant web template I have kept a member registration portion which is very helpful to keep track and record of the visitors. You can ask to register to avail the offers.

The place for text information can be well utilized to inform people about men behind the smell and taste. People like to know who are behind your dishes. Restaurant templates can utilize the text part and let visitors know about cuisines round the world. You get a chance to prove who have made this saying eternal - “Kissing don't last: cookery do!”
 

In a restaurant web template there should be an advertisement block. With the help of the advertisement block you may serve the query of people who want to know about hotels, resorts and the like. The block can serve to promote your other businesses too.

In restaurant templates there may be a block that says about managing party and get some prefixed suggestion about the party menus with several categories to decide from. And a restaurant web template may have also a space for testimonials of your services to food lovers. In my restaurant templates I have also kept a space which asks to upload the different recipes. This shows how much you value your visitors.

Actually all the restaurant templates or every restaurant web template has to be structurally and programmatically sound. That is reason I have not uttered a single word about those matters in this write up. I design all restaurant templates in such a way that they comply with those needs. I know there is no need to spend a lot for a restaurant web template, so many restaurant templates are available at reasonable and affordable price.

To conclude this topic I can only say that by this way or that you have to lure the visitors. They must know how much tasty dishes you prepare. So if you want to develop a restaurant website you should look for beautiful restaurant templates which are great in all aspects. Select the best restaurant web template and reach thousands of hungry food lovers. I assure you, a glance at my graphic design portfolio is going to open new horizon of ideas about layouts. 

In all sports website templates I infuse my passion for sports!

Now the whole world is in one viral fever- the soccer world cup 2010 but alas, if I could manage to watch a match with the thousands of “crazy people” right in one of the galleries in South Africa. I will definitely try to watch a few matches on television. But I never compromise to infuse sports passion in sports website templates.

Am I the single crazy man to grow up with blind passion for the sports? Nay, I am one of those who simply love any sports which boost a superb self confidence and team spirit! In my sports website templates you will find a liveliness in color and overall look that catches your eyes. Just as I never miss a single kick in a football match, I try to design my sports website templates or the football website templates with such care that you will never find even a subtle mismatch.

I simply love the smooth pass of the ball from Alonso to Kaka to Christiano when I watch a match of Real Madrid and get simply crazy when Christiano misses the goal! But I never design my sports website templates in a way that any navigation menu fails to lead to the desired destination!

And how sweet is the friendliness between the players! My sports website templates or soccer website templates are sure to let you experience what calls true user friendliness! Just the way I love to see Maradona screaming for every goal, I endeavor to let visitors enjoy using my football website templates!

Oh the sheer joy to lift the world cup or the golden boot and the golden ball! They simply lure me to touch and feel the ecstasy of the game. I can never kick the ball into the net consistently and become man of the tournament or a part of the winning team. But if you ask me how your football website templates or soccer website templates are? Those will surely be a consistent part of any sports team website.

As a soccer fan or sports lover, people sometimes suffer minutes to get the desired sports website templates. As a freelance graphic designer I have got a good collection of sports website templates, come and see them. And the templates are designed to perform better in search engine results.

Can anyone predict which team is going to win the 2010 world cup? But I can write on the stamp paper that a sports team website developed with one of my sports website templates is certain to get the maximum success!

A fest for your eyes and taste

To grow your business at a great and consistent speed your website needs a better and attractive look with proper user friendly attitude. If your design fails create soothing feel to the user's eyes they cannot taste the information and details of your products and services.Though you serve them with better navigation and proper presentation they will not come back again. Ultimately you lose business! So soothing look and better feel in browsing is a must for all websites.
 

Have a look at some of the best web design layouts in Myfreelancedesign. Each of the templates will give your business an identity with quality designs. MyFreelancedesign presents you a small bunch of web templates from its quality productions.Whatever your business volume is templates are for you. The web templates have excellent compatibility to fit any business need. Whether it is to find out affordable templates for e-commerce website or a simple site to display the products and services in fantastic way, I have solution for everything.

My services doesn't restrict itself up to designing only. I provide full web development services with open source programming and custom code. Satisfy your web development need with latest technologies available in the field of web programming. Let it be Joomla, Magneto or Drupal  all is available.

Factors to consider in hiring a freelance graphic designer

In this era of internet web sites are more than just tools for business. It’s your "brand" image and a measure of your professionalism. Good web sites provide easy access to services or information. It effectively serves the purposes. Developing this kind of sites which meet these criteria is no easy task. There are thousands of freelance graphic designers to choose, but few of them have the experience and have necessary skills to design a site to fit an individual’s specific need.

Business owners generally use price as a comparison point, which reasonably favors freelance graphic designer. Those who are knowledgeable enough may ask for portfolios of multiple sites. So it is important to understand the development of one or two sites which indicate your skills and ability to know how to construct a site that is beneficial for business.

The benefit of going with a freelance individual is simple.

Reason #1: Monetary considerations: You can have world class designs at a low price as compared to any design firm.

Reason #2: No direct employees: If a contractor doesn’t perform as expected, there are no hire/fire policies to follow; you just don’t use them again.

Reason #3: Broad spectrum of specializations: There is, quite literally, a freelance graphic designer out there to meet any need.

I, Paul banks, freelance graphic designer and owner of Myfreelancedesign provides you world class graphic designs at an affordable price you can check my portfolio and all my designs.