I see a lot of big names in the web business saying the future of the web is, "Content."  There has been a popular conversation about Lorem Ipsum Killing Web Design. These two thoughts are connected in that they all say, "Content is King." That the purpose of the web is to support the content and the web will grow and grow with new types of content. The whole web will be a big, huge content fest! I think they're valid observations, but I disagree completely.… Read more »

With Drupal being used for social networks more and more, there's a strong need to have Drupal displaying user content in their own profiles. You can use views to display a tab in a user's profile which will show their content. I'm going to show you how to make a tab to a user's images, "My Images" show up in their profile. We're going to take this a step further by using ImageCache to have thumbnails of the user's images specifically for this View.

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Tell me if this sounds familiar: "Hi! Can you tell me how much a website costs? [red flag #1] I'm looking for something really basic." [red flag #2] From there, it will only get worse. The client then starts to spout features and functionality that are anything but basic. Clearly, they have a different definition. As a designer, you get a queasy feeling in your stomach, because you know the project will balloon, there will be constant veering off track, the time line will go out the window, you'll be underpaid, and the client will be upset every time you try to say that the new "basic" feature they request half way through the project will cost them a little bit more.… Read more »

I understand. Really, I do. You're afraid I'll take advantage of you. You're afraid if you tell me your budget for your web venture, I will give you a quote which is really worth less than the number you gave me. You're afraid I'll cheat you. Or, you want to compare my quote with other designers' and want to see who will give the best price. I understand your reluctance to tell me sensitive business information. But, please; tell me your budget! I need to know! Let me tell you why.… Read more »

Yea, I have the title of "Art Director." Yes, I'm in the Art Department. My wife introduces me to folks as an artist and my mom has been calling me an artist since I could pick up a pencil. But I'm not an artist. I hate being called artist and cringe every time someone exclaims, "Oh! You're an Artist!" when they see something I've drawn. But I'm definitely not an artist. I am a Designer, and proud of it!… Read more »

Wow! Can't believe that was only a year ago! Is it just me, or has 2009 been a really long, slow year? So much has happened in 1 year, for myself (new kid) and globally. Talk about action-packed!

It's always great to have goals for the new year, but if I write them down, I'm always more motivated to accomplish them. My design goals are meant to push me and not get complacent during the coming year. Looking back at last year's list, I accomplished more than 3 out of the 5 goals, which is not bad, I think, considering how hectic work and personal life has been.

Here's a recap of last year, and my accomplishments:… Read more »

You say, "Tomato," I say, "Solanum Lycopersicum." I say that, of course, because I am an expert agriculturalist. (I'm definitely not. I killed the two plants I tried to grow. So I had kids, instead.) If you're an expert in something, you will be plagued by the curse of knowledge when trying to communicate with someone who isn't well-versed in the subject. In the field of web design, this is a double-edged sword. As a designer, I need to relate to my clients effectively. And when building a website, my client and I need to relate to our site visitors.

Let's look at designing your site's information architecture, which affects both designers and business owners.… Read more »

There are so many web design blogs with content geared towards designers. They contain website design tutorials about CSS, Photoshop, PHP, and the like. (I have tutorials on my own website, too.) But if web designers are using their website to look for new work, shouldn't their site content - blog included - be focused on their prospective clients? Shouldn't their articles be about topics businesses would want to read?… Read more »

If you're a small business owner, you scrutinize every dollar that leaves your bank account and make sure that you will have a strong return on that investment. With credit still in the dumps and margins low, you can't afford to throw away money - as if you could have just two years ago. Now that you need a website, you cringe every time you get a quote or proposal. And you do not want to risk quality or wasting money (no matter how little) by working with an overseas design chop-shop. So, what can you do to save money on your website design costs?… Read more »

If you've been doing design for a while, you probably tend to fall into a recognizable pattern. Clients generally don't like taking creative risks and usually demand a pretty average-looking design. So, ever the Customer Pleaser, you continually churn out the designs your clients expect; the solutions they want to see. While this may be a good business move, it will inevitably hold you back from making new discoveries or tapping into new markets. It will hold you back from opening new doors. Designers need to constantly learn more and grow in order to remain competitive and successful.… Read more »