Web Design News 02/03/10
Posted in Boagworld Bites, News on: Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by Paul Boag
This week: the search for inspiration, using CSS3, ecommerce tips and why the browser landscape in Europe is about to change.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:50 — 9.6MB)
The web design news is brought to you by Webdesigner Depot. Webdesigner Depot is a popular web design blog covering tutorials, design trends, blogging and inspirational posts. You can visit WDD at webdesignerdepot.com and follow WDD on Twitter @designerdepot.
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The search for inspiration
I am always encouraging those of you who listen to this show to be more adventurous in your designs. With website owners tending to be conservative and designers jumping on the latest design trend, website quickly all look the same.
Design Instruct has an article this week outlining some ways that you can find inspiration. Other than a recommendation to ‘look to the history of design’ for inspiration, none of the suggestions are that original. Most we have discussed before on the show.
However, there is a second post this week from Smashing Magazine, which is truly inspired. Entitled ‘Find inspiration in uncommon sources‘ it lists some great ideas that you should take a look at. My favourites sources of inspiration were:
- Board games
- Food
- Fashion
These are certainly not areas I have considered looking at before. Infact shortly after reading the Smashing Magazine post I stumbled across this amazing post about food design which I highly recommend. It will certainly inspire.
Using CSS 3 right now
We talked a lot about HTML5 and CSS3 on the 200th episode of Boagworld. Hopefully this has left you keen to get stuck in, especially as these technologies can be used now and not at some future date when they are universally supported.
If that is the case then here are two great articles on CSS3 you should check out.
I would recommend starting with ‘You can use CSS right now’ as it focuses on basic stuff like rounded corners, drop shadows and alpha transparency.
Once you have your head around that, turn your attention to the mind blowing possibilities in the second post. Some of the stuff they cover includes:
- CSS only content sliders
- CSS only dropdown menus
- Image free speech bubbles
- 3D ribbon effects
- Awesome buttons
- Letterpress type
Of course these techniques are not universally supported, but as they are enhancements to a site rather than crucial to its operation, that is fine. This is progressive enhancement at its best.
Europe set to have a broader range of browsers
We have known it was coming for a while but it looks like the moment is finally here (in Europe at least) – Microsoft now has to offer a range of browsers on its Windows operating system, not just Internet Explorer.
According to Sitepoint this will happen any day now through automatic update and is going to affect every user with IE as their default browser. Sitepoint writes…
The Browser Choice screen will be offered in Windows XP, Vista and 7 to users who have IE set as their default browser. It will be installed through the standard automatic update system.
Following installation, a new “Browser Choice” icon will appear on the desktop and the IE icon will be unpinned from the Windows 7 taskbar. An introduction screen will appear which explains what a browser is.
The user can opt to select later or proceed to the browser choice screen. The five most popular browsers are shown in random order — IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera. A further 7 randomly-ordered browsers are available if the user moves the horizontal scroll bar.
The system can download and install any number of browsers.
This will have a massive impact on the European browser landscape. My bet is that the big winner will be Google. Many users will play it safe and stick with the blue E that they know. However, a lot will be tempted by Google because it is a brand they know and use regularly. Expect their market share to jump.
However, I have left the best bit until last – According to Sitepoint:
IE6 and IE7 users will be prompted to upgrade to IE8!
This means whether users upgrade to IE8 or opt for a different browsers we are going to see a dramatic improvement in standards compliance here in Europe.
Oh happy day!
Ecommerce development tips
I am very conscious that I don’t cover a lot of news for developers on this show. That is mainly because I don’t understand much of what you guys do. However, an article this week caught my eye and I thought I would share it with you.
24 Ecommerce Development Tips appears to be a comprehensive list of technical things to consider when developing an ecommerce site.
The article covers everything from database configuration to handling the complexity of discounts.
One part that jumped out at me in particular was:
AJAX is fine for checkout, not for product browsing. Don’t load products or product previews in DHTML windows or an AJAX widget. Search engines won’t be able to find them. Which means you won’t sell anything. Which means you’ll go from full time to part time to contract to unemployed.
The reason this grabbed my attention was because it reminded me of my own post on Javascript and ecommerce.
If you happen to be considering building an ecommerce website anytime soon, I highly recommend you read it.
We recently discovered that very few of the big name ecommerce software packages run without the use of Javascript. If that includes your website then you may well be turning away 1 in 20 of your potential customers.
Certainly food for thought.
The web design news is brought to you by Webdesigner Depot. Webdesigner Depot is a popular web design blog covering tutorials, design trends, blogging and inspirational posts. You can visit WDD at webdesignerdepot.com and follow WDD on Twitter @designerdepot.
9 Comments
Comments are for the discussion of this post. If you have other questions / comments then post them to the forum or send me an email
At the beginning when the European Commission suggested this idea, I find it incredible, because this is so blatantly biased towards a certain alternative browser provider. However, as IE6 becomes more and more ridiculous, and Google entered the browser market which ignites the new browser war, I slowly thinking this to be a good idea, because this implementation means that user can move away from IE6 into other modern browsers (that include IE8). This will achieve competition as the European Commission envisioned in a minimal way, and would make user aware of other internet experience.
I wondered though, how can Microsoft find the other 7 browsers to fulfil this 12-browser splash screen requirement.
See the thread here: http://boagworld.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=5291&page=1#Item_26
The other 7 browsers are:
Flock
K-Meleon
IE
IE
IE
IE
and IE (with optional added Firefox)
Yeah but will anybody actually scroll horizontally. I doubt it! Anyway, if Microsoft ruled you could only have one browser per rendering engine, then which would be allowed in Safari or Chrome?
Ah, as I expected, rebranded IE stuff that roams outside. Too bad I don’t normally go to boagworld forum, should have really look it up before commenting myself.
Well, this is “choice”, just like in the ABOFAL sketch of having tons of plastic spoons for the minister is “choice”.
Well, you know my opinion of the Browser choice screen!
http://boagworld.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=5291&page=1#Item_26
I think it’s a good thing is theory and the situation this week is definitely better than last week.
However, it’s a real shame that Microsoft appear to have tried to sneak in 4 and a half “alternative” versions of IE .. while making it look like they’re giving users a free choice.
I’d rather have a compromised browser choice screen than none at all .. but it seems very disingenuous of Microsoft to put in a load of unknown browsers that require and rely on IE, rather than just picking the 12 most popular windows browsers or (as @leesy suggested on the forum) to offer users some browsers which offered something different, like Lynx or Zac Browser (for Autistic Kids).
You obviously haven’t listened to what I said in the audio version of this post Rich otherwise I am sure you would have one or two other things to comment on ;-)
Ah, I’ll have a listen now! ;o)
The little people! Hah!
I do agree that most people won’t bother scrolling right, and the choice of so many versions of IE probably won’t make a huge difference, it’s just the principle of the thing as much as anything!!
In other news, the story got covered here:
http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/microsoft-accused-of-sneaking-ie-clones-into-browser-ballot-5607
I was described as a “web designer and self-proclaimed IE-hater” – that’s going on my gravestone!!
Nice. I’m actually thinking of putting that on my business card.
:)