The best resources for adding images to your blog posts!

A few weeks ago I discovered that it was taking me way too long to find the perfect image to go along with our blog posts. I set out to discover what others were doing and develop a system of my own that would act as my own “image search engine”. By combining a simple process and some great resources for images I have now cut my image search in half, which frees up my time to focus on other tasks.

I started with a great blog post by 10e20 author, Patrick Winfield titled: Rewind to Fundamentals: The 10 Best Ways to Find the Perfect Image for your Blog Post

In summary here are Paul’s ten best ways to find images…

1. Subscription Based Stock Photography
2. Creative Common Licenses
3. Free Photo Sites
4. National Parks Archives
5. Public Libraries
6. Agricultural Research Archives
7. Public Domain
8. Shoot Your Own Photos
9. Draw Your Own Pictures
10. Pull-Quotes

In each of the above categories there are links to relevant sites - I spent some time picking the ones I liked and compiled a list and began setting my bookmarks for easy reference. Using the sites mentioned in Paul’s post along with other image sites I was able to build a list of 25-30 sites that I now use on a regular basis. I encourage you to begin to develop your preferred image list to act as your own image search engine.

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Decoding Design: Understanding and Using Symbols in Visual Communication by Maggie Macnab

Very cool video - and book. A Must read for any designer. Maggie’s theory is that most memorable designs come about because they contain symbols and shapes that occur in our everyday lives in nature.

Take a look at the video for the book, and then add it to your Amazon wish list.

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JavaScript Forms- Lesson 3

JavaScript Forms

Being able to successful create JavaScript forms isn’t a difficult process but it may be one that you are unsure about. The common misconception that creating web pages takes an expert computer programmer just isn’t true. While you will use HTML to create JavaScript, you need to realize that they aren’t exactly the same.

With JavaScript you will have several different handlers that the user can click on to perform the necessary actions. This is very important because the easier your web pages are to navigate the more interested consumers will be in them. Some people are very new to using the internet and others are experts so you want to be able to appeal to the level of skill of everyone.

The various JavaScript forms that you create will have coding inserted behind the scenes where the consumer can’t see them. For example your site may have an opt in form for the user to complete. At the bottom they simply click on the form that says SUBMIT. The codes you have entered behind the scenes work to process the information that they have provided.

In order to have a successful JavaScript form called a widget, you need to have several elements in place. They include the form name, the action you want the user to be able to perform, a method for that information to be processed, and a value for each of the JavaScript forms.

There are many different ways in which you can set up JavaScript forms on your web pages. While a simple box that they click is the easiest you may want to offer a radio box or drop down menu if there is more than one option they can select from. You can also offer a text box if you want the user to be able to type in various information.

Before you put your web pages up for consumers to look at, you want to take the time to validate all of the information you have placed into the various JavaScript forms. The goal is for everything to work exactly as it should on the first try. If you come across JavaScript errors you should check each field of entry again. It is going to take some time to master JavaScript but once you do it will become one of the most valuable tools you have to offer.

Using JavaScript - Lesson 2

Using JavaScript

Many people use JavaScript for their website needs because it is very user friendly. In fact it is said that JavaScript really changed the concepts people had about being able to create their websites on their own. Instead of paying thousands of dollars to have someone do it for them they were able to try it themselves.

The Common Gateway Interface, known as CGI, is the most complicated aspect of completing any type of web page layout. With the use of JavaScript though it is extremely easy to transfer data from the server to the browser in HTML format. In fact, you don’t even need to involve the server in many of the different tasks you will likely be processing.

With any online business the big part of it all is making sure your website looks great. After all the time and effort you put into advertising, you want the consumers to take the links and be impressed by what they find enough to make a purchase. With JavaScript you can double check to ensure all of the necessary elements are in place as they need to be.

Take some time to play around with JavaScript and see what it has to offer you. Chances are you will quickly discover it offers you a much easier way to create web pages. The fact that you can create information and validate it without having to run it through a server means your web pages will open up faster for consumers. You will also find using JavaScript takes the complications out of many different elements of designing your website and keeping it up to date.

Since JavaScript is continually updated you can also be sure you will have the most current tools to keep you in the loop. Trends change very rapidly online and your best course of defense is to be ready for them. Adding new features with the help of JavaScript will ensure your competition never gets the edge over you.

You will find plenty of great tips for using JavaScript online as well. This way you can get free assistance quickly if you aren’t able to make it do what you want to. JavaScript has been continually updated too so you can be sure it will offer you the best possible tools to get the job done.

JavaScript Primer - Lesson 1  

Using JavaScript Objects

With the various source codes for JavaScript you will be able to customize your own objects to use for your website. This gives your web pages a very unique look because too many people leave the ones that are built in for their visitors to see. Offering visitors to your site something fresh to look at will definitely capture their attention. For those of you that aren’t familiar with it, an object function is very similar to a regular function. However, it is in place to clearly define the function.

As you set up the parameters for your objects in JavaScript you will give it a value. Snippets allow you to search for any type of item or criteria that a person puts into the search box. This works very quickly so users aren’t sitting around waiting to see what it will pull up for them. It is nice to be able to offer your company logo for visitors to your site to become familiar with. With the image effects offered by JavaScript you will be able to display it and to also have it available in different places as the user moves around your site. You want the logo to be visible wherever they are on your web pages but not to block the information on them.

You will then need to add properties in order to define the object. This will be though a coding process that is behind the scenes so your visitors won’t have access to it. You can change these properties at any time without too much time or trouble being involved in the process. The next step is the most complicated and it involves adding the methods to your objects.

You will start by declaring and defining the function for each method you need to offer. You will find all the free JavaScript codes online that you need for each type of method. To ensure you get them all in correctly you should copy and paste them exactly as they are. If you have JavaScript errors when you verify it is likely in this step and you will want to check each one again.

The process of setting up JavaScript objects is much easier than you might think. Take some time to explore how this particular function of JavaScript can help you build a better website. You will be quite impressed with the results you get as well as how simple the process is even for those that have very little experience with computer programming or designing websites.

The Most Useful Design Tips of the Year

The Internet is changing with the development of Web 2.0, and the changing marketplace reflects a need for increased usability, easier functionality and design that is visually appealing but that still lends to an easy to maneuver, content-rich website. The following is a list of ten top website design tips that made a difference in 2007.

1. Know the audience: The design of your website should cater specifically to your target market both in the visual sense, and in usability. It is critical that the design of your website reflect the values that your potential customers will hold.

2. Personalize: Even if your website is designed by the greatest professionals in the business, if you do not allow your customers to get to know you, or to believe in you, you will have difficulty selling your ideas.

3. No uncertain terms: Clearly identify what the purpose is for your website, and ensure that every facet of your website focuses on this goal. Are you conveying a message, selling a product or offering a service? Make this obvious from the beginning, and keep your focus until the end.

4. Keep it quick: You have between ten and thirty seconds to capture the attention of your customer, so keep graphics small in order to minimize the time it takes to load your website. Compress images when possible, so that your loading times stay low.

5. Design is important, content is more so: Good content is what sells your ideas and products. Is your copy delivering the message you intended for it to? Grammar and spelling ARE important; so proofread everything you write before it goes live.

6. Map your Site: You can make your website’s navigation much more easy and intuitive simply by creating a site map, or a directory web page. If your customer cannot navigate your website quickly or easily enough to find what they came for, they will go elsewhere for solutions.

7. Strive for consistency: Your website should be consistent in the design, the look and the feeling. Colors, themes and ideas should stay constant throughout every page on the website to make the best impression on your visitors.

8. Keep track of links: You should make sure that your site is fully functional at all times, which means checking out your website links on a fairly regular basis. If you have dead links on your site, there is no telling how much of a negative impact will transfer to your search engine page ranking, or the opinion your visitors have of your website.

9. Make a simple start: When you begin your site, take everything one page at a time, and optimize each page for the best results before moving on to the next. This means that you should make sure that every page is perfect before leaving it for the next one.

10. Optimize: The top search engines are responsible for helping more than 85-percent of all web users to find exactly what they are looking for. If you want to be one of the websites that is considered when users look for similar products or information, you must make sure that your pages are designed to maximize your search engine placement.

I hope you enjoyed our Top Ten Design Tips list - If have any comments or would like to add to the list - we strongly encourage you to do so…

Recommended Reading:

• http://www.doshdosh.com/50-web-usability-tips/

Some people seem to have been born knowing creative design principles. Others, maybe you included, have to struggle to develop even the tiniest creative skills they do have. One thing is for certain, you can learn to be more creative. And you can discover the creative design ideas that other artists use for inspiration, even if you were not born with a single creative bone in your body.

There are several principles of design you must consider when you begin to learn the creative design process. These principles give an over riding basis on how your design elements will interact with one another, in your artwork and your designs. Each one influences the others in an endless tug-of-war within your mind and on your creative canvas. Your challenge is to learn to create harmony out of all these principles in your artwork, and to give your designs that unique blend that can only come from within you.

The creative design principles are…

Balance
Rhythm
Dominance
Unity

Now, let us look at each principle as it relates to your creativity and your designs.

Balance is the arrangement of different design elements, on any given piece of artwork, so that there is an equal distribution of visual weight to the whole piece. Art that doesn’t have balance can leave the viewer uneasy, almost as if there is something wrong with the piece.

Rhythm has to do with repeating elements and patterns in your designs. It also involves variations on those patterns to provide freshness, and to keep your art from becoming boring. Repetition can help to unify a piece, or bring different parts of your artwork together. It can also provide the basic textures for your design work.

Dominance refers to emphasizing certain parts of your design so that they get noticed first. Every piece of artwork needs a focal point which determines where your eyesight goes first, when you look at it. If you do not have a focal point your viewer quickly loses interest. Having too many points of interest will also leave the viewer with no place to focus. There are many ways to emphasize parts of your design, but the most important point is to select your focus based on your main message and, secondly, in consideration of whom your audience will be.

Unity is the final aspect in design, which gives a feeling that all the elements belong together. Unifying a piece can involve using various elements, including matching colors, shapes, textures, groupings, weights, typographies, or sizes. Unity, in your art, is the overall feeling that brings your piece together, and gives it wholeness or variety, whichever you are trying to convey to the viewer.

When you consider each of these design principles, while creating your artwork, they will have an impact on everything you create and do in your piece. No matter where your creativity takes you, if you will try to incorporate balance, rhythm, dominance, and unity into your artwork, you will be building on the solid basics of creative design.

Do you use an Annual Website Maintenance Checklist for your clients and your own sites?

Each year we spend a fair amount of time preferably prior to the end of December and review both our client sites as well as our own.

Over the years we have evolved the checklist from ten items to many more…

The checklist is designed to help website us and other website marketing managers review potentially costly issues and reduce any errors that might have cropped up over the year.

Maintaining a website properly can be difficult and time consuming and easy to put off until you “have more time”. We suggest that you make it a priority - it is that important to you and your clients websites. Even the smallest of errors have the capacity to undermine the credibility and effectiveness of your websites.

Here is our End of the Year Web Site Checklist:

• Check Your Domain Name Record
• Update Your Copyright Notice
• Review Your Website Email Addresses
• Update Your Confirmation and Automated Messages
• Test and Re-Test Your Opt In-Forms
• Check Your Automated Messages and Look for Error Messages
• Check Your Password Protected Areas
• Check for Broken or Missing Images
• Test Order Forms and Order Pages
• Review the Content in Your Disclaimers - Are They Up To Date?
• Check Your Website’s Search Functionality and Feature’s
• Check Your File Sizes and Download Times
• Is Your Server Speed Up to Snuff - Test Monthly
• Review Your Style-sheets, Standards, Accessibility and Compatibility
• Validate Your Links
• Update Your Time References
• Review Your Privacy Policy
• Check Your Search Engine Visibility

Perhaps we missed something? Send us your thoughts and feedback…

 No matter if your website is a personal site with a few pages or a huge corporation website, having a good design is one of the most important things. It matters a lot to visitors and can make the difference between leaving a site or bookmarking it. Here are a few tips to help improve your design:

Tip #1 — Fast Loading Pages

Pages should load fast. Most people will leave your site if it’s not done loading in ten or 15 seconds. And even if you have a fast internet connection, not everyone does and 56k modems still exist.

Tip #2 — Easy to Read Text

Text should be easy to read. The text size should be big enough, and the background should not obscure your text. If you want to be safe, use black text on a white background. If you want more color, choose very carefully to make sure it’s still easy to read.

Tip #3 — Intuitive and Easy to Navigate

Your website should be easy to navigate. Each link should be clearly identified as such and graphic navigation elements like buttons and tabs should be easy to read and use. You do not want people leaving because they could not figure out how your Flash menu works.

Tip #4 — Consistent Layout

Your layout and design should be consistent. If you switch between styles too much, you will confuse your visitors. If the design is too different, people will believe that they are now on a different website since the layout changed.

Tip #5 — Less is More - Sometimes…

Avoid music and sounds. Very few people like to have music forced on them while they navigate, especially if they are already listening to music or surfing at their job! If you really cannot do without music, turn it off by default and ask visitors to start it themselves.

Tip #6 — Pay Attention to Browser Compatability

Design for browser compatibility. Many people do not use Internet Explorer on Windows. Make sure your site is at least viewable in Mozilla Firefox and Opera (if possible, you could even try testing on a Mac). Sites that target markets like technology should be more careful, since readers are more likely to use the newest browsers and gadgets like PDAs.

Tip #7 — Screen Resolution - Still Matters

Design for all screen resolutions. You may like to surf in 1240×1080 with your new screen, but some people still use 800×600, or even 640×768! A site that looks perfect in high resolution may turn out to be impossible to view correctly in 800×600.

This is just a begining to what I hope will be a growing list of web design tips (please submit tips through comments) and one that evolves into more advanced design tips. Please provide some feedback and tips of your own so I can get a better sense of the level of our readership.

 PS - I am toying with the idea of adding Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Categories to Designers Mind.  Let me know what you think…

Trick #1 — Searching in a Range

So, you are searching for Sexy Singles between the age of 18 and 25 or looking for a cake which weighs between 100 and 200 pounds? Google has a way which lets you specify the range you want to find results in.

The trick is to use “..” — double dots — between the range. For example, Cake 100..200 pound or Sexy Singles 18..25 years.

I don’t really want to give the exact query I used to test this trick — I am sure some of you are reading it from work — but don’t forget to specify the unit. Google is smart but not “THAT” smart.

Trick #2 — Synonym Search

Want to search for the term and its synonyms at the same time? Google makes it easier for you than you having to search every synonym individually.

The easy way that Google offers is just to add the “~” sign in front of your search term and voila!

For example if you want to search for funny pictures and its synonyms then just search for ~funny ~pictures and Google will return the results for funny picture, funny image, stupid pictures, comic image etc. Get the idea?

Trick #3 — Remove Some Words

If you want to omit certain words from the search results then you can simply add the “-” sign in front of your search term.

Lets say that you search for Clinton on Google, you will get results for Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and even Monika Lewinsky. But if you don’t want search results for Hillary, just add - Hillary and you will see results only for Bill Clinton and Monika Lewinsky.

Trick #4 — Let Google Define It

You can add “define:” in front of a word and Google will find its definitions from around the Internet. Just try searching for define:css and you will see what I mean.

Trick #5 — Spelling Uncertainty? Let Google Handle it.

If you are uncertain about the spelling of a word you are searching just add the “?” sign in front of it and it will show you results for all possible word combinations. If you search sun?day, you will get results about sun earth day and the word sun-day too!

Trick #6 — Get Stock Updates.

Add “stocks:” operator in front of the STOCK TICKER and Google will link to a page showing stock information for those symbols. For instance, [stocks: goog yhoo] will show information about Google and Yahoo.

Know More Google Tricks? Add em below.