Archive for Web Design
5 Things About Design and Me
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Brian Gardner, creator of some of the finest WordPress themes out there, has started a meme (also known as a game of Bloggy Tag) on 5 Things About Design and Me. He tagged me along with four of my blogging pals (Randa, Charity, David and Tara) to kick this off.
What is something that would surprise people about you and design?
Like Brian, when it comes to WordPress and blog design I am completely self-taught. Actually when it comes to web design, development, coding and such, I am self-taught on all of it (like Randa and Lisa). In 1996 when I first started my business I did a lot of document formatting and production using MS Word. Somewhere along the way the Web design bug bit me and I just kept at it. Over the years I have learned a lot through trial and error, using sites and designs I like as inspiration, and I have listened to the needs of my clients and tried to design the kind of site that works best for their individual needs.
If you could design one blogger’s site for free, who would it be?
One of the most enthusiastic bloggers I have met is Eliza (HomeMom3). If she ever gets ready to move to her own domain, I would love to help her really find a look that will show off her personality and content.
What blog platform do you prefer, and why?
WordPress is absolutely my number 1 choice as a blog platform. The developer community that is built around WordPress is amazing. If you just look at the sheer number of plugins available, free WordPress themes and number of blogs built on the platform it is just a testament to the power of WordPress. I have begun using WordPress as a way to build traditionally static sites that have a CMS component. Clients like it because they can maintain their own content with out having to know HTML. Brian’s new Revolution theme is going to give even more designers the tools needed to create great looking CMS-based sites in a fraction of the time.
Aside from your own, what is your favorite blog theme/template?
When it comes to themes that are well coded and easy to customize, Brian Gardner and WP Designer are my two favorite sources.
There are so many themes that are truly works of art, but my three favorites are: N Design Studio (aren’t the colors amazing?), Veerle, and WebDesignerWall.
Do you have a blog-reading guilty pleasure?
Not really. I love starting my morning with a cup of coffee and Google Reader. I scroll through and look for articles I want to read, then I open each in a new tab to get the full reading experience. I have my reader organized into quite a few categories and it could possibly make the average person’s head spin. But, I have wide range of reading interests and I don’t want to miss anything! Some days I will check back in while surfing on my laptop while the family watches TV.
Who’s Next?
Well, Brian started the list off with 5, but I don’t think I have that much restraint. I would like to hear from the following designers:Â Dawud, Lisa, Vivienne, Tony, Aaron, Mike, Mike R., and Mike S .
Essential Tools According to Design Adaptations
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This week’s Essential Tools series features Charity Ondriezek of Design Adaptations. Charity is a freelance web designer who just released her first (and very beautiful) WordPress theme called Into the Ocean. A few of her posts that are not to be overlooked are:
- Tools for Protecting Your Creative Work and Yourself (this is a MUST read)
- On the Responsibilities of Blogging
- CSS Naming Strategies
Below is Charity’s list of essential tools – tools she uses on a daily basis – in her own words. And while most of these have been mentioned before, it is a yet another reason why you should check them out if you aren’t using them yet.
Web Developer Toolbar: I started using this about two years ago, and it was truly instrumental in helping me learn CSS, work more efficiently, and become a better designer overall. If I could only pick one single browser extension, this would be it.
Google Reader: What can I say, it’s part of my routine every day. I love the features for sorting, sharing, and starring. Depending on how creative you are, there seems to be no limit on the ways you can use it to disseminate information. Their reading trends is neat too, so you can see what you’ve been partial to. Now if they would just add a search feature…
pMetrics: I just wrote up an article about this actually! It has become my favorite stats program just because it’s sooo easy to glean the info you need. I like how unimposing the interface is as well… meaning they don’t hide your data within a bunch of ads, or bury the most important stats under groupings that regular people don’t understand. Everything is presented to you as if you were a 5yr old, which is really quite fine with me when it comes tostats!
WordPress: Without it, I probably never would have become a blogger. It has also given me an edge as a freelancer, because none of my (local) competitors are offering clients the ability to manage/update their own content without a ridiculous price tag attached. When I tell clients that WordPress is simple enough for anyone to handle (without knowing HTML, CSS or PHP), flexible enough that supergeeks could run with it, and powerful enough that an organization like the New York Times would choose it to manage their site.. well that’s a huge selling point.
Dreamweaver: I’m sure I don’t use it to its fullest potential, but it’s been my primary tool for designing/coding/ftp/file management for nearly seven years. It has some terrific features for CSS development, and allows you to customize the workspace according to individual style and need.
Do you use any of these tools? If so, I’d love to get your take on them. What else is in your toolbox for success?
CSS Classroom – Div vs Span
Posted by: | CommentsWhen it comes to web design and web coding, for that matter, there is usually more than one way to accomplish what you are trying to do. Often, the reason for choosing one method over another is efficiency (or logic). In talking with a friend/client the other day, the topic of CSS came up. One of the things she was asking me was, how do you know when to use the DIV element and when do you use SPAN? (Rather than confuse WordPress with trying to display the code or installing another Plug-in, I am going to use all CAPS when referring to elements)
In a nutshell, DIV is a block level element. In other words, you use it to define the characteristics you want a whole block of code to follow. It is used to break up sections of a page and it can contain additional tags. If you are familiar with HTML, the DIV element is very similar to the P (paragraph) element.
On the other hand, SPAN is an inline element. Inserting a SPAN tag into a line of code lets the browser know to apply the indicated style to a small section of text, but not to break the line. It cannot contain any additional elements. It is kind of like the old FONT element that you would apply in HTML.
Here is another way to remember it – a DIV can contain a SPAN but a SPAN cannot contain a DIV.
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