Blog Archive
If you are looking for something specific, try search. However if you are just looking around, then feel free to sample one of our picks from the past or select a category.
If you are looking for something specific, try search. However if you are just looking around, then feel free to sample one of our picks from the past or select a category.
Like many web designers, I have spent a lot of time worrying about why projects go wrong. Perhaps we should be asking what makes a project successful.
Personas are a great way to help visualise the people you are designing for. However, sometimes the traditional approach can be a bit overwhelming. Fortunately there is an alternative.
We all know how important the mobile web has become, but what is the right approach? Should we build an iPhone app or mobile website? This factsheet explores your options.
Web accessibility is not just about catering to the needs of the disabled. It is about providing people with access to your online services whatever their situation, whether that be a disability, older technology or alternative device (such as a mobile phone). Making your site accessible is not only morally right, it will improve your search engine rankings and expose your message to a larger audience.
We have recently discovered that the majority of ecommerce software solutions exclude users who have Javascript disabled. That is like turning away 1 in 20 customers.
The original Boagworld Podcast ran for over 200 episodes and was the first podcast on web design. Aimed at those who design, develop and run websites, it won many awards and grew rapidly from its humble beginnings in 2005. We reinvented the show in 2010 but the old episodes have been kept online and redefined as 'classic episodes'.
This week on Boagworld: Chris Coyier talks CSS and more, we say goodbye to the boagworld podcast and ask what can you listen to now?
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:20:52 — 55.6MB)
I began my career in the web as a designer and that is where my passion still lies. I write regularly on all aspects of user interface design from aesthetics to structure and flow. I write about design, not just for other designers but to make the design process more accessible to clients and help them understand exactly what goes into the process. I believe in a collaborative process of design where the designer works alongside developer and client to find the right solution.
Are you setting your site priorities or is your design doing it for you?
Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:43 — 2.6MB)
I am the first to admit I am not a developer. However, I am still interested in the development process and occasionally have something useful to say. I also know some amazing developers and try my best to get them to post here from time to time. With the web becoming ever more complex with more diverse devices and powerful applications, I can see my posts to this section becoming more frequent.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years as both a user and creator of websites, it’s that performance matters.
It is no longer enough for an organisations 'web strategy' to only consist of having a website. The web is an incredible marketing tool but in order for it to work at its most effective you need to use its many aspects from your corporate site to social media and SEO. I believe that online marketing is about building relationships with potential customers wherever they are and using all the online tools available to us.
We all want our users to do something. Unfortunately we cannot force them. However, we can give me a nudge in the right direction.
The web has changed. Where once we had a fair idea of how people accessed the web (via a desktop computer at home or in the office) now things are more challenging. With a plethora of devices from smartphones to internet enabled televisions, we do not know where, when or how people are going online. Mobile devices in particular have changed the landscape and we need to move with the times.
App, web app, native app, mobile site, mobile app, adaptive design, reactive design, responsive design. What!?!
There seems to be a lot of confusion out there. What do all of these seemingly interchangeable terms mean for me?
One of the things I love most about the web is how fast everything changes. It is hard to keep up, but that is perfect for somebody like me who seems to suffer from ADD. There is always something new happening and that is exactly what I try to share in this category. If you want to stay up-to-date keep an eye on what I post here.
The European Union has introduced legislation over the use of cookies on website. Recent guidelines help clarify what this means for your site.
If it's shiny and new then you can guarantee I will be playing with it. From new web apps to the latest hardware and software, I share those little discoveries that make a web users life easier. You will find something in this section whether you are a designer, developer or website owner.
Magento is a powerful ecommerce system with a steep learning curve, aimed at larger ecommerce sites. However, when developing your ecommerce solution it needs to be about more than technology.
Your website doesn't matter. Neither does it matter what social network you use. What matters is what you say. It amazes me how organisations will spend thousands on a content management system or shiny new design, but fail to invest in their content. What point is there in having a great website if your message is poorly communicated? I desperately want to see everybody take web content more seriously.
Whether you are running a personal blog or one for your business, the chances are it is broken. Fortunately, it can be fixed.
One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is learning new things and then communicating that to others. I have been privileged enough to travel all over the world talking about every conceivable aspect of web design from accessibility to working with clients. In this section I bring together a small selection of those talks and make them available.
What is your mobile strategy? Do you really need a native mobile app? In this presentation I talk you through your options.
The web is full of inspirational stuff. This is where I share what I discover. You won't find long posts here but you will find quotes, images, audio and video that I have found interesting.
Are you setting your site priorities or is your design doing it for you?
Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:43 — 2.6MB)
A successful website has to be about more than pretty design or even fulfilling business objectives. A successful website has to meet the needs of users. Customer service and usability lies at the heart of differentiating yourself from the competition. However, a great user experience doesn't just meet user needs, it also nudges them in the right direction to ensure an outcome that benefits both the user and your business.
Responsive design creates some enormous challenges, not just in build but also in layout and wireframing.
Ultimately an organisation has an online presence for a single reason, to help fulfil its business objectives. To be online just because the competition is or because that is what everybody does is not enough. Your organisation needs a web strategy. It needs to outline how exactly the web can help. Establishing these goals and working out the best strategy for achieving them has become the primary focus of my job.
As web designers we like to focus on the practical skills such as: HTML, CSS, JavaScript. However, we must also give attention to soft skills such as empathy.
Working as part of the web design community since 1994 has been a privilege. I love the web and I love the people I meet through it. This section is where I share something of my experiences as part of this community. Some of the posts are dully personal, but some talk more broadly about the challenges we face as web workers.
I am sorry to say that my next book is born out of a frustration and anger at the prevailing attitude I see in the web design community.