I notice that when it comes to web design, in Malaysia, most companies are looking for a web developer instead of web designer. Check their requirements, all sort of requirements like programming language knowledge, Adobe Flash knowledge and etc. There is nothing mentioned about web designing beside knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustration.
I believe they have the same thinking as I have had when I was in college – Web design will comes after all functions are ready. Or in shorter term – Web design is about how you arrange your web functions.
Some most important aspects has been totally forgotten, like usability and user experience are both often overlooked. They rather have lots of pave beads than having a fashionable one. More concern on the web performance than web usability, that’s why a lot requests like “mouse over like that website”, “look like that website” and etc.
Check around Malaysia corporate/government websites, you’ll notice that they have a nice features on their website, eye-candy effect, live chat, feedback forms, archives and all the thing you can mention. But when you start using it, it doesn’t feel really correct. Heading is too small, colour looks alike, not sure which is clickable and etc.
I believe that is what lots of web designers are looking for to fix the problem, but they required programming language to do so…
In system, I practically means any kind of system. WordPress has too wide variation and plugins to help you achieve almost anything possible for a website. I choose WordPress all the time, as long as there is “update website content” mentioned in the brief. Here are why you should choose WordPress too.
Installation – WordPress provide a 5 minutes installation, or less, for me. Not only that, most web hosting that comes with script installation like Fantasico or Simple Script, they already has WordPress ready for you to install with just one click. Talk about moving/transfering easier (of course, there are easier ways).
Extension – Not only plugins helps, some little tweak on the theme code will help too. There is no need to open any WordPress core files just to get what you need. I don’t know how many plugins there are, but they are a lot. Either one will help building your website or, blog.
Update – That will depend on the theme you’re using too. Make sure you find a good theme that is sustainable for years, especially the way the developer code the theme. Updates are one-click job normally, that include all the plugins as well.
Theme – Or design. There are lots of premium WordPress theme ready on the market as well. Any one of them may works well with you, if you’re not looking for a branding of your website. Even if you do, you can find some handful of WordPress designer in the market too.
However, There is still myth that WordPress is a blogging system. Quite bother me from time to time, as it made one has a decision not to use WordPress. If you know how WordPress works, even a blog theme can turned into a CMS website just some clicks. With all above mentioned points, what is that not to believe it is a good choice?
While puffing off my Perdomo cigars outside the balcony, I started thinking about the use of… Free online storage.
Dropbox is the one I used the most, seriously, nothing can compare to Dropbox, even Box.net which is the pioneer, is not as friendly as Dropbox. Funny, how I bear with Dropbox for their dekstop application. I installed the iPad app as well, it is just too easy to run around with Dropbox.
Compiled a little reading for all. All these are worth reading if you are looking at a website, creating a website or thinking to get yourself a website.
Seriously, there are still a lot of user having the myth about “above-the-fold”. What they don’t notice is that, most of the time, they themselves will scroll up and down when the site is loading. I’ve notice a few in Starbuck and how my friends using a mouse. Do you scroll up and down while waiting for loading?
My 2 cents about mobile web and mobile app is simple. If you want mobile user to see the same information you have on your website, go for mobile web. Mobile app is something totally different than web.
Back then, in 90′, Verdana, 11 pixel is all that we love. We love it that we built the whole site in 11 pixel size. Not because we want it so small, but that is almost the standard size for majority screen resolution – 800×600.
But today, we are going forward, no more 800×600 or even 1024×800. Those resolution takes the 11 pixel Verdana nicely, big enough to read.
Today, we are heading to at least 1280×800 screen resolution, or standard desktop monitor will be 1600×900, double the previous resolution. So it is time to adjust the size of your web text. Even WordPress default theme started with 12 pixel Verdana to currently approximately 16 pixel Arial.
11 pixel should be used some other places than the body copy or even, navigation; 11 pixel should be on your footer where it state your copyright; 11 pixel should be in your privacy policy to hide it from people reading too clearly (Evil I know).
