If you have a static website, can it be “converted” to a responsive website? The answer depends on several variables, but in most cases the answer is probably “No”! Only a few years ago the layout of a website was designed to fit a larger screens and ‘wow’ us with static images and plenty of…
Google favors responsive websites… And since ever-increasing people are viewing websites on their smart phones or tablets, it’s becoming more urgent to upgrade static sites to responsive sites. If you have an existing static site, what would be the best way to convert it? Let’s explore the options and their complexity.
WordPress uses “themes” to display the content of the database. The theme determines what the end user sees. Deciding which theme to use is determined by the site requirements, and some research may be needed to find the perfect fit. Whether it’s a free or fee-based theme, a child theme is created to contain the…
When it comes to Search Engine Optimizing, knowing how a site is performing is critical. One of the top tools these days is Google Analytics. This free software is constantly evolving and offering more information – which can be quite a challenge to decipher. Let’s go over the initial setup, and then dive into an…
Bootstrap is a set of tools including CSS, (& LESS) and jQuery that are designed to provide a the basis for a grid based responsive website. Download the files from http://getbootstrap.com/ (version 3) Version 3 is structured to be “mobile first” – all CSS is designed to flexible, in contrast to version 2 where much of…
When your website has it’s main navigation as tabs across the top of the page, how will these appear when viewed on alternate media? If the design is to be “responsive”, ie: elements wrap down into columns depending on the available screen width, the links can also wrap down – OR, they can change into…
Window Dressing – You can design a website, and then worry about content, or you can get the content up-and-running in a rudimentary fashion, and worry about the ‘design’ later. But it’s more than just window dressing. Usability is key. Join us as we tackle a quick make-over to an existing and functioning site, adding…
Using CSS and Div’s for layout. Div’s contain the information to layout the site, but making them behave in a predictable manor is not always easy. Floats are used to control positioning, (left or right) but multiple elements will need to be “cleared” to line up correctly. http://www.sitepoint.com/using-css-grid-layout-and-blend-5-to-build-a-game/ http://960.gs/ http://unsemantic.com/ http://caniuse.com/css-grid http://designfestival.com/design-organized-websites-rapidly-with-960-grid/ http://layouts.ironmyers.com/ http://css-tricks.com/all-about-floats/ http://www.quirksmode.org/css/clearing.html
With Windows 8/touch screens, iPads and cell phones becoming mainstream for web browsing, what should designers take into consideration when planning a new website layout? Start by understanding the user experience, and your potential viewer. What kind of content will the user be looking at? Will they be shopping, reading, viewing image galleries – and…
Thoughts about the effects of color – How does color affects your target audience. (Know your audience!) There are many factors that contributes to how someone perceives color. Taking color choices into consideration when developing a web design/color sceme can contribute to succuss – or failure. Colors have different meaning in different cultures and religions, so…