Design

Complete Guide to Pre-Installed Fonts in Linux, Mac, and Windows

by Megan McDermott, 19 March 2012 - 2:01pm

Web fonts are gaining in popularity now, but they can still be a bit of a challenge to use. Copyright issues often require the use of a third-party font service, which can be risky and expensive.The good news is that all major operating systems come with a variety of fonts that you can use to create your font stacks.

Read more

How to create a Drupal 6 theme from scratch

by Megan McDermott, 16 March 2010 - 4:38pm

Drupal theming can seem complicated and overwhelming. Even basic starter themes are filled with confusing PHP and convoluted CSS. What's a designer to do? Never fear, there is a simple way to create your own theme from scratch. This article will demonstrate a step-by-step process for creating your own Drupal theme, including a .info file, page template, regions, and CSS.

Read more

How to create a multi-column, widgitized footer for Wordpress

by Megan McDermott, 13 June 2009 - 7:14pm

Multi-column footers are a big trend in web design these days. It's a great way to provide more information and links to visitors without cluttering up the top part of your layout. On content pages, this information appears just when the user has finished reading your article, leading them to find more great content on your site and other ways to interact. This article will show you how to make a 3- 4- or more-column, widgitized footer in Wordpress.

Read more

Using Grids in Web Design

by Megan McDermott, 28 April 2009 - 1:38am

Using a grid to define your page layout results in a more attractive, logical layout. A grid is simply a regular series of lines and boxes that define sections of a page. A solid structure makes layout decisions easier and helps create a pleasing layout.

Read more

How to Choose a Great Colour Scheme for Your Site

by Megan McDermott, 8 September 2008 - 1:52am

One of the most important parts of the initial design process is the choice of colour scheme. If your client or topic of interest already has a set of preferred colours, your choice is easy. However, there are many occasions where the choice is entirely up to you. For many people, deciding on the colours can be a difficult task. Armed with a little colour theory, some great online tools, and your own design sense, you can create attractive and unique colour schemes for your website designs. This article will show you how.

Read more

How to Design Graphic Mock-ups

by Megan McDermott, 1 June 2008 - 10:22pm

A typical stage in the web design process for most professionals is the creation of a graphic mock-up. A graphic mock-up or proof allows you to focus on the overall design rather than the logistics of creating the design using CSS. This article will outline the process of creating a graphic mock-up and include several examples for download.

Read more

7 Simple Rules for Formatting Text on the Web

by Megan McDermott, 28 February 2007 - 7:35pm

There are many things to keep in mind when formatting the text on your web site. This article will introduce you to some basic terms and techniques and then outline 7 simple rules that will help you make the most of the text on your site.

Overview of the Beginning Web Design Series

by Megan McDermott, 16 December 2006 - 9:48pm

Basic web design is a series of articles meant to help beginning web designers to learn better web design skills.

Read more

Planning your Site

by Megan McDermott, 16 December 2006 - 6:47pm

Before you begin designing your web site there are a few things to think about. It is important to know ahead of time what you want your web site to accomplish and how you are going to do that. So, get out your word processor or an old fashioned paper and pen and answer these questions: