As a rule I’m not usually a massive fan of frameworks, and my first thoughts on the 960 grid system were ‘why bother?’. If you know how to hand code HTML and CSS and you have a copy of Photoshop, that should be all you need. Well here I am today to tell you how naive and wrong I was, and here is 4 reasons why! Continue Reading »
Author: Hasin Hayder
Publisher: PACT
Rating: 4/5 stars
Smarty PHP Template Programming and Applications is a PACT published book available to buy on amazon. Although the book has been available for some time I thought I would take the opportunity to review it. If you are familiar with template languages you will know there are a lot out there. Smarty however has earned its place as one of the key players and is used across many business platforms. Continue Reading »
I am delighted to announce that I have had my new business cards published on the creattica gallery. Please feel free to go and check it out. I am really greatful to the guys over at the envato for giving designers the platform to display their work.
I am hoping to have some more work to share with you soon, I cant give too much away at the moment. But if you are interested then please feel free to follow me on twitter.
A jquery plugin is a powerful addition to the jquery library. also known as extensions these are nothing new to the development world and have been around for quite some time in various languages. But what makes jquery plugins so unique is the ease in which they can be developed. Continue Reading »
I have finally found the time to make some business cards. Ive tried to go for something which isn’t too “in yout face” but at the same time gets the message across.
I chose to use moo cards as I had heard some really great stuff about them, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. The turn around time was around 5 days and they even give you a snazzy little case to keep them in. I only opted for 50, and that cost me £10, which is very reasonable, although if you buy in bulk you can save yourself some serious money.
I got some inspiration from the logo designer blog which has some fantastic designs to get you in the creative spirit. As well as this there are some other really great blog rolls which deal specifically with the craft of the business card. Of course if you want to go one further you could always try out chris spooners tutorial on creating a professional print ready business card yourself!
Author: Elliot Jay Stocks
Publisher: Sitepoint
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
I have just finished This fantastic book by Elliot Jay Stocks Entitled “Sex Web Design” I was so impressed with It I felt it deserved a review.
Im not usually a fan of web design books. I have had bad experiences in the past with web development literature, which I found to be quickly out dated and very cumbersome to navigate through. However this book has a refreshing take on how to enlighten and engage with the reader. The book is a great resource for web designers of any caliber. It is packed full of useful suggestions and examples of web tools which will help you improve you design skills. Even once you have finished reading the book is a great point of reference to help you direct your creativity.
One of the greatest aspects about this book is the very personal approach Elliot has taken in composing it. The book covers some complicated theories and ideas, whilst always being clear and concise in describing them, yet the language and structure makes this feel effortless. I also very much liked the case study that Elliot has used, rather than just generalizing the topics he discusses, he refers everything back to the case study, which enables the reader to see the theory put into practice.
If you are however looking for a book to take you through the intricate details of web project management this may not be the best choice for you. Although the book deals with the process of briefs and the design life cycle, it does not touch on invoicing and client relationships. I don’t however see this as a weakness, as it means the book can focus on whats really important – “Sexy Web Design”.
Overall I would rate this book a great buy. If your new to web design, or a even a seasoned pro it has something to offer you. I picked up my copy on Amazon.co.uk although you could head straight to Sitepoint.
