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.

Free Fonts for Windows

Your Windows operating system comes with some preinstalled free downloadable fonts for users to enjoy. You will find them by accessing the drop down menu at the top of the page. However, you don’t limit yourself to only those fonts that come preloaded with your operating system. There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of resources for free fonts for Windows. In addition, it is very simply to access and download these free fonts from various online websites,blogs and forums.

The first time I fully researched the resources for free fonts for Windows I was amazed at the selection of letter and picture fonts that you can find online. Typically, installing these free downloadable fonts is straight forward and does not take a lot of time regardless of which operating system you have on your computer. The websites that offer free fonts for Windows are typically advertising based sites which bring in a good sum of revenue fom advertisers - thus they are able to offer freebies in exchange. 

The downside to some of these free downloadable font offerings is that often times you are asked to opt in for various newsletters and things in exchange for downloading the free fonts for Windows. While this is a little annoying (there are no free lunches) and usually these companies are offering a value add in exchange for your name and email.  Of course, you can always opt out of the newsletter or ezine at a later date and you will still have the free fonts for Windows installed to your local hard drive on your computer. 

The procedure for downloading and installing free fonts is dependent on which website or blog you are getting them from. I have found that the majority of these free fonts for Windows resources have an easy paint by numbers process that they bring you through. Accessing free fonts on the web is a bit of a trade-off; give up my name and email for  quick and easy downloading of the free fonts. A word of caution, pay close attention to the process as you go through because all of the sites are different and not set up the same. 

Once you discover a few worthy websites offering free fonts for Windows you can quickly select the ones you like and easily add them to your font options in your operating system. Before you consider purchasing fonts online I would strongly recommend that you do a little research and discover the world of free fonts. You are bound to find at least a few fonts that you like.

If you do find good resources out there - please be sure to comment below so the rest of our readers can enjoy your findings. 

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/

The Best Website to Download Free Fonts!

I really wanted to share this cool font site with our readers - I have come to rely on it for designing new sites and adding some added flair to older sites. UrbanFonts is the name of the site and is the one place I recommend for free fonts as well as paid for fonts.

• UrbanFonts - www.urbanfonts.com

The site is easy to navigate, search and browse. The fonts are organized by useful categories which will save you the time and headache of scrolling through long lists. Not to mention it will help you stay focused on choosing the right font style for your project. Unlike other free font sites, these guys seem to do a really nice job separating the “wheat from the chaff” and include what I consider some of the best fonts on the web. If you don’t like what you see in the free downloadable fonts area, UrbanFonts also offers a neat selection of affordable high-quality fonts. The other nice feature of the site is that there is a good selection of well written articles about fonts - helpful even for the more experienced designer. If the articles are not enough for you check out the UrbanFonts Blog and Forum.

Just Discovered another Free Resource over at Crestock.com - Check Out Their Post “25 Best Free Fonts”

Want to share your favorite design site, blog or tool with DesignersMind readers?

• Submit your Favorite Design Resource Here!

Creative, Inspiring, Thoughtful and Cool

You have to check out these two online websites that perhaps you have never heard of… I stumbled these sites while surfing online for a possible holiday gifts for my friends and family.

• Branchhome  -  www.branchhome.com

This co-founders of this earth friendly “sustainable design for living” website was co-founded by Paul Donald and Tracy Brien. Paul spent 12 years in graphic design and magazine publishing - he helped create Spy, Wired, The Industry Standard and Sunset (check them out when you get a chance). Tracy has “extensive knowledge of environmental issues and sustainable, small-scale community development” - she has worked for such organizations as Greenpeace, the International Rivers Network, and International Development Exchange.

In this case mixing design and environmentalism results in a web design that not only inspires us but also offers cool, thoughtful and wholly appealing product on every level. I highly recommend reading their What is Branch? section - think paradigm shift for shopping.

• Blurb  - www.blurb.com.

Blub.com is the other site which I think is the “bee’s-knee’s” and brings personalization and creativity to a new level. The website is a genius idea that is capturing every bit of of the perosnalization trend - similar to the US Postal service or www.stamps.com perosnalization service which allows you to customize stamps with your own pictures. Blurb.com is the ulitmate in capturing the current personalization trend: It gives the everyday person the ability to make a linen bound, proefessional-qaulity book for next to nothing.

“Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books – reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them.”

Creating your own book is simple - download their free software, import your pics and images, design your ideal layout and creat a masterpiece. The end product is a professionally designed (by you) book that has the same quality as anything you would pull off the shelves of Borders, Barns & Noble or other bookstores.

Ok, so this post was a little off the beaten path - but it is shopping season and also the web design and creativity of both sites is very inspiring.

Photoshop Tutorial

I found this tutorial on YouTube (what do you think of the quality and content?)
- we are considering adding more (of our own) video tutorials to the Designers Mind site - If we do, what topics would you like us to cover?

Let me know your thoughts…