Posts Categorized: Articles
Articles containing opinion and advice on responsive web design, freelancing, and Bootstrap.
My 7 Tips for Learning the Artistic Side of Web Design
This is a great question and something I have been thinking a lot about. Especially in how to teach this skill online vs a classroom setting. If I had to pick four important factors to becoming a good designer they would be. Pencil sketch before moving to the computer Sketch a lot of thumbnails with… Read more »
Category: Articles
10 Ways to Bootstrap an Online Business
The Bootstrap Creative Manifesto Before we begin talking about how to bootstrap your creative business lets first define what bootstrapping is. Bootstrapping is relying on your own resources (time and money) to start and run your business instead of getting a loan or outside investment. This allows you to start a business with lower risks and… Read more »
Category: Articles
3 Ways to Save Money on Google Ads Display Campaigns
On average, website visitors stay on your site for 15 seconds or less. Remarketing ads give you an opportunity to remind past visitors of pages you want them to see in hopes of continuing the conversation. In running Google Display campaigns I have found some common default settings that can waste a lot of money… Read more »
Category: Articles
What Is the Best Way to Learn Web Development?
Learning Web Development is Like Learning How to Paint Let’s say you wanted to become a painter. Where would you start? How would you feel if your first painting looked like the one below? I believe painting by numbers teaches the mechanics and joy of painting to beginners. It quickly builds confidence. You… Read more »
Category: Articles
What is Visual Hierarchy in Web Design and Why is it Important?
When designing a page layout it is important to consider the overall visual hierarchy of the page. In other words, what grabs your eye first, second, third? What are the goals of the page and how can you make those goals easier to achieve? Your design can use size, color, position, and proximity to define… Read more »
Category: Articles
What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Bootstrap in Web Development?
Is a CSS Framework Like Bootstrap Even Necessary? If you are new to CSS frameworks, you are probably wondering what the benefits are of using Bootstrap in your project. Prior to using Bootstrap, I used a boilerplate I wrote myself that consisted of a reset, basic grid, typography, utilities, and media queries. Below are the benefits I… Read more »
Category: Articles
5 Important Things to Keep in Mind When Making a Responsive Web Design?
1. Write your CSS mobile first Write as though you are only targeting a mobile device. 2. Work in gradual stages Once the mobile device looks good add styles in media queries for larger viewports in stages working your way to larger sizes. 3. Keep your media queries grouped by component and not in a… Read more »
Category: Articles
Web Design Trends and How They are Influenced By Large Brands
Design Trends Think about all of the things you look at everyday: websites, movies, billboards, menus, youtube videos… Your eyes and brain are constantly absorbing information. All of this visual content is influencing your frame of reference. Some streams of images are more powerful and persistent than others. Take for example your computer, you could… Read more »
Category: Articles
Going from Print Design to Web Design – My Learning Story
Early in my career I worked as a graphic designer for an advertising agency. I mostly designed brochures and sales flyers but on one project we discussed building a website to get leads. After I had the design ready we met with the development team to discuss the project. Half way through the meeting I… Read more »
Category: Articles
The Four Stages of Learning
Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” – Socrates The four stages of learning Earlier this month I received an email from Henry who shared his experience learning Java and web programming. It was so inspiring I decided to interview him to learn more about his motivation and learning path…. Read more »
Category: Articles