Design inspiration can be found in many places and other forms of art like photography, architecture and even sidewalk chalk. Sidewalk chalk isn’t just for kids anymore, many of these pieces pictured below are gorgeous works of art that took a knowledgeable artist to compete. Inspiration is all around us as designers, look anywhere you can to find it.
Black hat SEO is unfortunately too common and too easy to get sucked into if you aren’t a well-informed consumer. Today we’ll discuss what it is and how to stay away from it.
Black hat SEO is an unethical way of creating better search engine rankings through dirty methods that aren’t accepted by search engines. Oftentimes, these methods will help companies gain popularity within search engines very quickly, but it can also get you banned from search engines when you’re caught, which is not what you want for your company.
What is considered black hat in the SEO realm? Keyword stuffing is one of the big ones and there are a few different methods for this. Packing your site with keywords and nothing else, nothing really relevant to your visitors is one of these methods. People also try adding keywords to their content that are searched frequently so their rankings can rise, but these words don’t really go with the rest of the content on the page. Make sure your content is created for your users, above all else people need to get something from your site. Search engines will reward good content with better rankings but target your visitors before search engines. read more
My new blog post for Six Revisions came out today:
Take a look at some of the biggest sites out there today that are showcasing top-notch designs. It’s very likely they’ve used a grid of some sort. Grids enable stability and structure in a web layout, giving the designer a logical template to build the site on.
Grids don’t mean you have to have a boring design. A good designer will apply the fundamental rules of using grid-based layouts but also knows how to break these rules properly.
Read the full post at Six Revisions
It’s my birthday (shameless self promotion)! For a special birthday post (and not intended to be a gift request!), I thought I would compile a list of fun and functional gifts for the designer in your life. Most of these are just for fun but worthy of sporting around town or displaying in your office. Enjoy! read more
Teamwork: When we all work together, we all win together.
Who doesn’t love these awesome motivational posters in classrooms and business offices that decorate the walls in an effort to promote positive energy? They usually have some fun photography shot with people holding hands or animals working together and then a large word like “Teamwork.” Then underneath that you find a priceless quote about working together. Although they may be cheesy and the center point of a lot of ridicule, I think we can find some wisdom and business lessons from these motivational posters. read more
Finding the perfect image is a constant struggle for print and web designers and a necessary evil of designing professionally. Sometimes you can’t seem to find that perfect image you have in your head, the one that would make your design really pop. Mariano Pastor, a photographer in New York decided to offer an alternative to pricy photoshoots and stock photography. His story is included in the press release below. read more
An article I wrote on color theory in web design was published at Six Revisions today. Check it out:
Unarguably one of the most important aspects of any design is its colors. Designers create the style of a site, as well as the movement it makes, the emotion it creates, and its purpose based largely upon the color choices they make. Colors are powerful tools and an important thing all designers should understand when creating websites.
See the full article at Six Revisions
Someone asked me today, “What would my company get out of a new website design? I have to pay for a site that doesn’t directly sell anything so essentially the site doesn’t make me any money.” It’s a common argument I’ve heard, phrased differently each time, and I thought it would be a great question to address on here. Why would any existing company need to update or redesign their site if it functions and they don’t hate it?
People are using the internet more and more these days to purchase, do research on services and products, and make buying decisions. Your website is often the first or only interaction you’ll have with a potential customer. Therefore your site needs to act as a digital salesperson giving them the same information and impression as they would get in person or over the phone. Does your website meet that criteria? The points below may not apply to everyone, but some of these apply to tons of sites out there! read more
Color has been proven to be important in the look of your site and the feeling you give your visitors. Green in color theory not only symbolizes nature and growth, it can also be used to symbolize harmony and has healing powers. Green makes people feel safe. Websites that use this color can capitalize on these characteristics, giving users a sense of peace and safety on their site. Environmentally-friendly companies use the color green for the obvious organic ties it brings, plus the calm, spiritual message it sends to users. The sites below have inspirational and exceptional site designs utilizing the color green. Take note of the different shades of green, and the other colors in the color palette, and how these affect your overall feeling of the site.
This nature-inspired site falls in step perfectly with the characteristics of green described above. The design looks fresh, clean and peaceful.