Category: Design

Cubism, as we all know, was an important art movement in the early 20th century. Stalwarts such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque and others made cubism famous and brought the avant-garde art movement to the periphery of modernism. It revolutionized European sculpture and painting and people began to view art from a completely different angle. In fact, cubism is known to be the most influential art movement in 20th century. The fact that it paved way for many more art movements helped it to be a pioneer of sorts. Cubism, as we know it, is not really popular among web designers. In fact, cubist websites are not something that you come across every day. A simple Google search will yield you nothing. All that you see is a link that reviews a fictional cubist website that is terrible to navigate. Jokes apart, in this article, we shall learn more about the philosophy behind cubism and how web designers can benefit from it. We shall also try and understand if cubism is making a comeback in the design world. For all that we know, it might become the next big thing after a similar revival of pop culture, influenced by Andy Warhol. What is the technique behind Cubism? The technique behind cubism is quite simple. Usually, in Cubist artwork, objects are first analyzed. Once they are analyzed, they are broken up and dismantled, in a metaphorical way as well. Once they are broken up, they are reassembled as well. This gives us an idea about the object from perspectives that we wouldn’t have realized, if we presented the object in its original form. The fact that we dismantle an object, only to reassemble it later on, provides us with alternative perspectives and multitude of viewpoints. This helps the viewer to understand the object in a greater context, rather than just being stuck to its original intention. We must realize that no object exists without a context. The context can differ even if the object does not. However, the same object can take on different meanings depending on the context. Cubist works explore these ideas they often help us to assess and understand art works from multitudes of viewpoints. This is one of the reasons why cubism is considered an important modernist movement. Cubist aesthetics in web designing Cubist aesthetics, total abstraction or partly abstract, can be employed in websites. Cubist backgrounds can be used especially if the client is looking for a high-end and artistic website that is focused on capturing the attention of art buffs. A totally abstract cubist background will help you to give a mysterious and ethereal feel to the website. It is not possible to simply forego the importance of basic design structure but using a cubist aesthetic can make the website standout. Whether cubist patterns are used in the logo or on the background, you will always stand out from the rest of the crowd. The fact that not many people know or understand cubism is a problematic issue. It gives a sense of exclusivity to the website you create, albeit not in a good way. While exclusivity and artistic notions help drive traffic, it may alienate you from your target audience. You may end up keeping out people from websites. However, by using cubist aesthetics, you can attract those who are really interested in the client’s products and services. Abstract cubist aesthetics are great for artists, designers, and those who are in creative fields. Cubist philosophy in web designing Cubist philosophy centers and revolves around defining and representing the modern reality. It tries to make sense of the complex and the ambiguous without being burdened by new inventions, philosophical speculation and cultural diversity. Cubist philosophy tries to put all these disparate ideas factors into collages, which results in an almost postmodern condition. If you were wondering how this is related to a website, you need not go too far ahead. We must realize that we are surrounded by a number of technologies and cultures. If we were to make sense of this complex reality, cubism offers answers and solutions. By breaking up this complex structure, we can look at our reality from a number of perspectives. Building a cubist website A website is not meant to be something that cannot be understood. There must be a homepage, a page with contact details, a blog and a few other curios that help the visitors to get the information they need. What we really mean by creating a cubist website is to incorporate not only their aesthetics, but also their philosophy of making sense of the complex by breaking it down. You can easily do this by building a corporate website that is broken into sub-structures, instead of piling all the information together. By breaking a large website into smaller pages, we make it easier for viewers to understand the content and also ensure that new perspectives are enabled. This helps us to broaden our views and create new realities with the help of a website. How this is done will be explained below. There is a lot of stigma attached to art movements especially among those who are into hardcore technological professions. Yet, these art movements have much to tell and teach us. Just because you do not understand does not mean it is unimportant Once Pablo Picasso famously remarked “The fact that for a long time Cubism has not been understood and that even today there are people who cannot see anything in it means nothing. I do not read English, an English book is a blank book to me. This does not mean that the English language does not exist. Why should I blame anyone but myself if I cannot understand what I know nothing about?” Yet, we need to build websites that can be understood. In our frenzy to create cubist websites, we may forget that a website must be accessible to everyone, no matter what their level of expertise or education

If you have caught yourself using the words Anime and manga interchangeably, you are not alone. There are a number of people who believe all comics and animated movies that are from Japan are either Manga or Anime. Nothing could be farther from that. While it is true that both the forms of art originate from Japan, the way we understand Anime and Manga is vastly different from how it is understood in Japan. What is Manga and what is Anime? We must remember that Manga is written and drawn, whereas Anime refers to animated movies and TV shows. IT is possible that manga comics are converted to Anime format and aired on the TV. Manga is usually written by one person where as Anime is produced by a number of people. Naruto and other Manga comics have been converted into Anime. These are hugely popular in the west and a lot has been discussed about why the Japanese chose Anime and Manga as unique forms of art. Indeed, comics and animated movies are popular in the U.S. as well, but in Japan, it takes a whole new precedence. In order to understand the differences between Anime and Manga, we need to understand a little bit about the history of Japan as well. The history or the evolution of Manga and Anime Japan grew us a feudal kingdom that alternated between embracing the West and shunning it. When Walt Disney began to produce cartoons based on comics, the Japanese began to get influenced by Disney comics and cartoons as well. However, Japanese Manga writers usually retained a very Japanese form of drawing and that is evident in the way the characters are created. Manga characters usually have big eyes and androgynous features, which seem to be popular among Japanese people as they signify innocence and beauty. Again, unlike in the west, Manga characters lead normal and drab lives. They go to work, school and cook at home. Yet, they hold dark secrets or powers that others do not realize. This is an indication of the Japanese city which is conformist and is tradition-bound. In order to escape the monotony of life in Japan, people look towards fantasy. That is exactly what is reflected in Manga comics. How long do Manga strips run? Manga usually runs for years together. Sometimes, famous Manga strips have run for decades and each one is written by the same person. When a Mangaka or the creator of Manga dies, his or her Manga strip comes to an end too. Anime, on the other hand, is more commercial in nature and is undertaken by the big production houses of Japan. How is Manga created? Manga is pure and is derived from Japanese artists who spend years together perfecting their art. It is usually done with the help of pen and paper but nowadays, Manga artists may use technology as well. Anime on the other hand is in the video format and is usually the result of a number of people’s efforts. Both Manga and Anime are not limited to Japan alone. In fact, a number of people believe that Anime and Manga were probably inspired by Chinese artists more than the Americans. Today, Manga and Anime are produced not only in Japan but also in China, South Korea, Taiwan and other far-eastern countries. There are a number of Anime and Manga artists in Brazil and Peru as well, which hold a large number of Japanese immigrants. The future of Anime and Manga is especially bright. What do web designers have to do with Anime and Manga? We, in the world of web designing, can adopt Anime and Manga to suit our needs while creating websites. Web designing can find inspiration from Manga aesthetics and create characters that are uniquely Manga in nature. This will strike a note with people who are into Japanese culture and art. Manga and Anime are uniquely poised to be associated with the Internet and web designing. In the years to come, we expect a lot of people to request websites that are inspired by Japanese Manga strips. If you are a web designer, you could probably start reading up some Manga comics to be prepared for the future.  

Most of use the computer for everything that we do: write, communicate, design and create. Computers have replaced the humble pen and sketch book for most designers and it is not a bad thing. Designers can now create objects and designs that are simply not possible to do so without the help and assistance of technology. All that is fair and we agree to that. Sketching is still important for designers However, sketching as a practice is still important for web designers. No matter how much we may like to disagree, the convenience of a pencil and paper and the immediacy of our own hand movements are simply irreplaceable. Of course, the mouse can do a lot more than what we possibly could do with our hands. It offers better comfort, better style and even more finesse. Yet, we are meant to use our hands, our fingers, our gestures and the way our brain has developed to coordinate our thought processes with our hand movements. With that in mind, using a pen and paper to design websites isn’t such a bad idea after all. In this article, we shall take a look at how sketching can help you to design better websites. Sketching and web designing? Sketching isn’t all about going to the art school. Every person who likes to understand how lines and spaces interact with each other to form patterns and shapes would have tried to sketch on a piece of paper. Though today’s children grow up learning how to draw using a tablet, you are probably one of those who grew up using crayons and pencils in school. That alone can help you to design better websites. The fact that we can immediately draw what is on our mind; instead of having to create a layout on PhotoShop is one of the best examples of how important sketching is to web designers. Scenario #1 You meet a client and the client tells you what kind of website he wants and what his requirements are. You immediately note down the points and go back to your office to create a layout. You know what the website must look like but you still must create a layout and then add the finer details. By the time you create the layout, you probably forgot some of the finer details that occurred to you or were discussed during the conversation. Scenario #2 In the alternative scenario, you discuss what the client wants and make points. You immediately take out a piece of paper and a pencil. You begin to draw the layout of the web page with its toolbar, menu bar and just about everything that is required to be there. It almost looks like the end product that you must deliver. Now, you can go back to your office and create that layout in peace, without worrying about how it might turn out, or what it might look like once it is created. Sketching skills can help web designers to stay in touch with their creativity Using sketching skills may seem like a foolhardy method for web designers but it is not. It is a quick and easy method to understand what the website must look like and then begin to work on PhotoShop or any other software program that you are comfortable with. As a web designer, you must also carry a sketch book to make sure that you can draw your inspirations as they occur in your mind. You cannot always open PhotoShop and other programs (even if you choose to work on a mobile device), in order to make sketch notes. Just like a poet cannot sit in front of the computer and expect for the words to flow out, you as a web designer cannot expect to create websites out of nothing. You need a sketchbook that has a number of inspirations and ideas that have all been scribbled inside. You can use them whenever you want and when you run out of inspirations, your sketches may save you more than anything else. There is a stigma attached to sketching as we knew it, all thanks to over-reliance on technology. While technology and our professions are inseparable, it is never a bad idea to carry a sketch book in which you can draw all the designs that come to your mind.

A lot of people repeatedly ask us how to create the best eCommerce website that leads to conversions. There is already a lot of information about this and we have written several times how important it is to consider a few things before designing eCommerce websites. A successful eCommerce website is not about its looks but how much sales it can generate. A good eCommerce website should lead to conversions and not deter customers from returning. There are a number of things to consider here. You must ask yourselves these questions: Is your eCommerce website easily navigable? Does it take a lot of time to load? Is your website trustworthy or does it look trustworthy? Do you have too many steps to complete before the customer finally makes a purchase? Is your checkout process complicated? Have you got your landing pages designed professionally? Is your eCommerce website supported by great content? Are your products easily shareable on social media? These and several questions need to be considered before you can get a successful eCommerce website. In this article, let us take a look at the various factors that lead to successful conversions on eCommerce websites. It is all about the landing page Most companies do not realize how important it is to get good landing pages designed. A landing page for a single product that you are advertising online can act as a catalyst and boost sales of your other products. In order for your landing pages to work, they should be designed well and the copy should be crisp, persuasive and informative. Taxonomy and search related efficiency It is never easy to find a great product on huge ecommerce stores. If you have a number of products to sell on your eCommerce store, make sure that they are all categorized and made available in an easy taxonomy. You should categorize and make the products easily searchable as well. There is nothing annoying that not being able to find a product that is actually up there for sale on your website. Easy checkout process A lot of people decide to buy and they are impressed with your landing page. They proceed to enter their information and go through the checkout process. However, your checkout process is complex and it asks for a number of questions. Finally, the prospect gets irritated and leaves. He or she may never come back and you could lose that customer to a rival. Make sure that your checkout process is simple and fast. Do not ask for information that is not required. They should enter their credit card information and purchase as soon as possible. Trust and reliability When people enter their credit card details, they always worry if their information would be compromised. In order to allay their fears, make sure that you are always available to answer questions. Having a call center or a web based customer service chat service is a good idea. You must also have identifiable signs that scream trust and reliability. Examples are VeriSign, Visa and MasterCard. Great content to support All said and done, if you do not have good content written to support your products and services, people will not purchase them. No one wants to buy products from a company that does not look professional enough. In order to make sure that your content is top notch, you could hire professional content writers who can write great copy. Successful content marketing can help you boost your eCommerce website in a manner that can only be described as impressive. These are some of the most important factors that we must consider when it comes to web designing for eCommerce websites. If you make sure that you took into consideration all these factors, you probably will land up with a lot of conversions. Most of the times, eCommerce sites fail because the websites are not well designed. A properly thought-out website will bring in more leads that will end up as conversions. Ensure that you speak to professional web designers to discuss how they can help you with your eCommerce store.

In the last few months, we have heard a lot about Web Components and how things are going to change because of that. Web Components consist of connected technologies that help you to reuse elements across the web. They come in the form of a suite that has often been purported to change the way we work on the web. In the same breath, we must also talk about Custom Elements, which is part of the Web Components suite. In this article, we will try to briefly help you get an idea about custom elements so that you can learn more about it from web resources. What are custom elements? Custom Elements help you to define your own elements and assign properties and behavior. Most elements are named after the basic function they perform. For instance, video elements are those that are concerned with displaying video where as an img element helps you to display images. When someone creates an element, it is assumed that it performs the same role wherever it is used. Many of these elements have self-described roles, which make it easy for us to just go ahead and use them without much thought. What purpose do they serve, when it comes to web development? As HTML often feels burdened with the change of pace, Custom Elements are meant to help developers create elements depending on their requirements. Custom Elements also help developers to define their properties, without having to use elements in their original form. If the element that you create becomes established enough, it might even become part of the HTML specifications. Is it possible to create custom elements using HTML? It is possible to create custom elements using HTML but they lack a purpose. You can create whatever you want and name it the way you like but then it will not be of much use. Custom Elements (the technology), on the other hand, bring measurable benefits and are smart in nature. The Smashing Magazine has a very detailed and insightful post about how to create Custom Elements & what their role in web development is. Registered and custom tags use the HTMLElement interface, whereas, custom elements are unregistered and unrecognized. They often use the HTMLUnknownElement interface and are more powerful in nature. Why you need to consider custom elements when they are not widely adopted? It is our belief that web developers need to spend time learning new concepts and theories even when they are not in use. Right now, custom elements are not really entirely adopted and there is no place to really use them. For instance, only Opera and Chrome have added support to 2 of the 4 Web Components standards. Custom Elements might be included in the near future and there are several developers who have already begun to form their expertise in using them. It might take some time before the major browsers begin to support custom elements. When that happens, you need to be ready with your knowledge and expertise. There might come a day when custom elements will be used extensively, in place of existing tools; and when that happens, it will not be easy for any of us to overlook its importance. Smashing Magazine writes that one could use Polymer, an open community where one can try and use future technologies before they are even usable today. On Polymer, you can learn more about Web Components and Custom Elements. Polymer, according to Peter Gasston, is also a development library where you can access information that you need. If you would like to learn more about Custom Elements, you need to probably be heading over to Polymer, as that is the only place that seems to have any information about it at all. Meanwhile, both Rob Dodson and Smashing Magazine have ample information to begin with. Do not shy away from technologies that seem new and difficult to understand. Though the waters might be untested, it will come to your use in the future if you are adventurous and hungry enough for new knowledge. Clients always respect those who know more than what is really necessary to get their job done; and that includes custom elements, when it comes to web development.

It isn’t uncommon these days to see a new art gallery spring up in every neighborhood that is trendy or fashionable. Even working class neighborhoods have seen lofts and garages being turned into art galleries. Thanks to a growing awareness about art and the way it changes lives, people have begun to invest in art. Artists, meanwhile, have felt energized and encouraged by an enthusiastic market, leading to ever more galleries opening up. Art galleries too need websites, just like everything else. However, the way we design a website for an art gallery is significantly different from designing for other businesses. While art galleries are businesses, they are also the pinnacle of human creativity. If you decide to design websites for clients who own art galleries or are artists themselves, bear in mind that they may not like conventional websites that you design for other clients. In fact, it just will not work. So, what really works for art galleries? In short, the focus needs to be on displaying art that can be purchased and the website that you design needs to function as a frame. The website need not hog all the attention so much so that the art, which is up for sale, is ignored by visitors. In this article, we list 5 tips that will help you to design great websites for art galleries and artists: Make navigation easy Websites for art galleries need to be easy to use. They need to load fast and images need not take a lot of time to download, even if they are of high resolution quality. Links need to appear consistently in the same place on every page, when people are browsing works of art. It is always better to have a very simple page structure when it comes to art galleries. Fewer the pages, the better. In fact, many web designers forego the need for having separate About Us, Contact Us, Blog, Products and other pages. Instead, all work can be displayed on the homepage or one could categorize and display art in a different page. Yet, there need not be a lot of distractions from actual art. Just like an art gallery is usually stark and bare, allowing to art to stand on their own, a website needs to be able to allow works of art to stand on their own. Keep the colors subtle While it is OK to use bright colors on corporate websites, especially, if their brand image allows it, it is not really OK to use a lot of colors on websites designed for artists and art galleries. Colors can distract the viewer from actual art and negate the purpose of the gallery website as an online frame. Use mostly white but if the gallery requests, you can use black. However, art looks best on a white background. White backgrounds help viewers to concentrate on the work of art, instead of getting distracted. Other colors might create a noise-effect on the work of art, leading to misinterpretations of the work of art itself. Design needs to be minimalist This rule cannot be stated enough. All art related websites need to all be minimalist. Whether the gallery features photographs, paintings or conceptual art, the website itself needs to be very minimalist. While art thrives on creativity and adventure, its frame (in this case, website) need not be adventurous. It should be as minimalist and non-intrusive as possible. This helps the work of art to be featured clearly, without any background noise. Minimalism is also valued by artists themselves and they will probably be happier with your services when the website is functional and minimalist. Less text, larger images Art, unless it is literature, usually, focuses on the visual. This means, it is important to keep less text on art-related websites and have more space for images. Image-centric websites that feature galleries and links to purchase works of art are always better than websites that publish a lot of text with small thumbnails. People are there to view works of art and probably buy them but not read lengthy essays. You could probably have a clear and brief description of the work of art. For instance, it is necessary to mention the title, description and format of the work of art; and it is always good to leave it there. Easy to pin or share With the advent of social networking sites like Pinterest among others, it has become common among people to share images of products that they like. Art being a product itself, when sold on online galleries, needs to be social media friendly. Thus, it is a good idea to make works of art easy to share on social media sites, especially, Pinterest. They could also be tweeted or shared on Facebook, depending on the target audience.

Tech pundits have always looked at art with suspicion. It has always seemed divergent, adventurous and completely opposite to objectivity. In spite of these differences, art in its original form has much to contribute to science and technology. In fact, design is a form of art too. Design is the practical and commercially viable form of art where as art exists for the sake of art. What can web designers learn from art and artists? Web designers have much to learn from art and artists. Studying art history and learning about the different époques will help a budding designer to understand the nuances of different art movements. Each art movement had something to offer to modern design. The Bauhaus style of architecture inspired many web designers to employ those techniques in their websites. Many web designers often employ surrealistic methods while designing their websites. It is not uncommon for web designers to pore through various art techniques and various art movements in order to seek inspiration and fuel imagination. Yet, modern day web designing does not, usually, consider artists their wilder cousins. Mainstream artists, such as painters, collage artists and conceptual artists often can provide ideas that are completely unique and charming. Hiring a mainstream artist and its various benefits Hiring an artist to help you design a website can be a very good idea, especially, if you are looking at designing websites that are beautiful, thought-provoking, and websites that have the ability to move people’s feelings. Art is supposed to provoke emotions, move people’s feelings and make them think. While websites provide information and help drive traffic, they must also be able to make people think, emotionally touch them and appeal to their senses. If you doubt your artistic skills and yet you design websites, it is probably time to work with mainstream artists in your next project; and if you are going to work on a niche website that requires a statement to make, it almost becomes mandatory to work with professional artists to develop a manifesto and an abstract that clearly explains the art behind the website. Artists help to re-imagine websites When websites are built, we often look at only the technical aspects of designing. It could be about the technology we choose, the graphic designing techniques we employ or the SEO aspect of designing, which is very important too. While all the factors are important in designing a great website, what is more important is the fact that one needs to leave a work of art behind for the client. When a niche website is asked, it needs to help the client to find a niche for themselves with the help of their websites. That is only possible with the help of an artistic vision. Mainstream artists can help you to re-imagine websites that you already have in your mind. Speak to an artist and discuss your vision for a website. Their inputs and creative ideas can set your website apart. You do not have to physically get them to design a website. A simple artistic consultation can help you to re-imagine an ordinary website in a very artistic manner; and that act of re-imagining will help you to set your website apart. At the end of the day, art alone can make things unique and special. It can turn even the most mundane object in the world to something unique and special. Similarly, art can help you to re-imagine your ordinary website in a completely different aspect altogether. Mainstream art brings centuries of art history and movements Speaking to a mainstream artist will encourage you to learn more about art history and the various movements which were part of its history. The Centuries old movements still have a place in design and the techniques that were perfected in the middle ages can find a place in today’s websites. That beautiful painting, which you saw at the Sistine Chapel, could inspire you to create a website that is, specifically, designed for a niche audience. Similarly, Frida Kahlo’s portraits could help you to re-imagine a corporate website from an artistic point of view. Learn about art history and the various movements that were part of it, until postmodernism. If not anything else, art history will teach you to look at the world from different points of view and it will help you to learn that any object can be perceived from a number of perspectives, each special in its own way; and that is very important in making sure that an ordinary website transforms into something really unique. Every art movement can be used as fodder for inspiration when it comes to designing websites. Finding a niche could be all about finding your favorite artist When clients request for niche websites, what they are really looking at is being able to target a niche audience and hopefully, make them visit often. In order to create niche websites, it is often necessary to understand the target demographics and their dominant culture. All cultures are influenced by one or the other form of art. Each form of art and each style of art have its proponents & pioneers. By choosing your favorite artists who are known for their contributions to particular art movements, you can learn more about how they viewed lines, shades, colors and images. This re-imagination will help you to look at web designing from a perspective that is often not found today among professional web designers. It is rather unfortunate but there needs to be more interest among designers to learn about conventional art history and find their favorite artists who can inspire them. Some of the most important artists who can prove to be particularly useful when it comes to web designing are Frida Kahlo, Claude Monet and Salvador Dali. Take your time to find what you are really looking for. Art sets your website apart We are all used to seeing corporate websites that are staid and proper. However, when it comes

In The Philosophy of Andy Warhol from A to B and Back Again, the legendary artist spoke about the importance of art viewed as business and business viewed as art. He suggested that without artistic thought in a particular enterprise, it might, actually, not go very far. He stressed on the importance of art when it comes to running a business. His contribution to graphic designing and web designing is unfortunately not recognized much. Andy Warhol needs more recognition among web designers Most web designers today only have a faint idea of who Andy Warhol is and what his contributions to the world were. Though, initially, denigrated as a radical pseudo-artist who gave prominence to mass production, industry and pop culture, he is now considered one of the most important figures of post-modernism. With that in mind, Andy Warhol can always be seen as an inspiration to the websites that we build. If we do not find inspiration in his art for every website that we build, his philosophy will surely help us to create works of art, instead of “me-too” websites. Andy Warhol was probably one of the most versatile artists in the world and he tried every medium & method to express his thoughts. “You Are the One” was probably one of the first computer-based works of art handled by a major artist. Andy Warhol created the video with the help of Amiga. He animated Marilyn Monroe images to a soundtrack that is now displayed at the Museum of New Art. With all this in mind, he can be a source of inspiration to web designers and developers alike. In this article, let us take a look at some of Andy Warhol’s quotes, views on design and theories in art to see how web designers can inculcate them in their own professional lives. Each of his quotes have something to say to the community of web designers. “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.” The most important legacy of Andy Warhol was to stress on the importance of art in business and business in art. He also revealed the single most important truth that a good business is like art. It runs well and it makes you to think, it moves you & it inspires you. When it comes to web designing, we need to remember that it, usually, translates into some kind of business. If you were to succeed as a web designer, you will have to consider your work as an artist does. Designing websites is not a profession but an art. You need to bear that in mind before you take up projects. When you decide to create works of art, your website will certainly look unique and function better than what your client expects. Always choose to bring art to your work and business. Whether you build websites or design logos, remember that you are an artist first. “It’s the movies that have really been running things in America ever since they were invented. They show you what to do, how to do it, when to do it, how to feel about it, and how to look how you feel about it.” Andy Warhol was famous for its admiration for pop culture. When he looked up to the American cinema, it was not considered of high quality. His contemporaries who were artists often looked down upon Hollywood movies. On the other hand, Andy Warhol considered American movies as an example of what American society ideally could have been. He found magic in the banal and art in the kitsch. He firmly believed that movies could inspire us to do many things, including creation of art. With that in mind, web designers could choose to keep watching movies from different genres and try to find inspiration in them. To find inspiration in movies does not mean you need to copy what you saw in a movie. Instead, it just means that you bring an idea or a theme from a movie that you like and then create a website based on that theme. For instance, if you were to design a website for people aged between 25-40 years and your client sold vintage clothing, one of the ways to design the website is to take in themes & colors from a movie like The Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino. You are not going to copy what you saw in the movie but you would create a website that makes references to that movie. The target audience will already be sold. “Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say, So what. That’s one of my favorite things to say. So what.” When faced with a creative problem, try to think like an artist. If you happen to brainstorm an idea that feels intimidating and you are not sure if it will work as a design, ask yourself “So what”. By questioning yourself and dismissing your fears, you will be able to create websites that are not replicas of what everyone else is doing. You need to have the strength and courage to ask yourself “So what”; and that is very important according to Andy Warhol. Approach your creative problems without being intimidated by them. The tech world is a place that is based in objectivity and results. For us, it can be a little scary to face problems and accept the problems as if they were a creative solution. The more we find in ourselves the ability to accept creative problems and turn them into artistic solutions, the better we will get in our businesses. If we had left our creative problems to be solved by Andy Warhol, he would have retorted with a “So what”. “You have to do stuff that average people don’t understand because those are the only good things.” While this quote is decidedly

There are certain things that people take for granted when it comes to websites. Typography is one of them. People just expect content on websites and everything to ‘look good’. However, to make a website look attractive, a designer will have to concentrate a lot on typography as well. It is not all about web designing and thinking about coding but also concentrating on how text appears on a website. The font, the spacing, the style, the way a grid is placed and a lot more are often taken for granted. People have begun to understand the importance of type Many websites, these days, are type-focused. Type-focused websites ensure that content visibility is better and that there is a clear sense of which information is important and which falls lower in a sort of hierarchy. In order to make sure that type-focused websites succeed, you need to know about different fonts and typographies well. Also, you need to specialize in type-focused websites even if you are not really interested in it. Many customers and clients have begun to specifically ask for type-focused websites so that they can target certain sections of their readership. Here are some of the main reasons why you need to focus on type-focused websites: Typography is important Web typography ensures that composition and grid structure are taken into consideration. The idea is to make sure that we choose the right kind of typography that makes reading easier. Reading and assimilation of knowledge is only easy when a website is designed with typography in mind. It might not occur to you as a designer that type is as important as graphics, when it comes to web designing. Knowing this little fact will help you to make better choices and to please your clients better. All in all, ensure that you have a thorough knowledge about different kinds of typographies. Different fonts have different impacts on human mind Different fonts evoke different psychological states. This is a known fact. For instance, Times New Roman and Ariel are most preferred along with Helvetica because they are well-known, trusted and evoke a sense of stability and security. Using a font like Comic Sans MS might evoke memories of childhood and it obviously looks cartoonish. You would be surprised to learn that we have come across business websites that were written in Comic Sans font. Did they do well? We are not sure. Did the websites create a nagging doubt about their efficacy? Quite possible. Thus, it is important to concentrate on fonts as well. Spacing is the key The right amount of spacing ensures that people are able to read and understand content better. The only way people can understand content better is by making sure that everything is not clogged onto the web page. When a lot of white space is used, text and content looks better and it is easier to understand a given text. It also improves a person’s focus and attention. If paragraphs are clumped together and there is no white space around, it causes fatigue & tiredness in readers. This might encourage them to close your website and move on; and that is something that we do not want. Thus, it is important to make sure that there is enough white space available. Content assimilation is better with type-focused websites We need to accept the fact that most websites are meant to provide content. The content can be in the form of pure text, images or videos. There can also be other forms of live media and presentations. No matter what the content is, it is always necessary to use good fonts and typography so that content is visible in a neat and clean manner. Websites that are designed with type in focus are, usually, more successful than websites, which do not consider its importance. If you are looking for a website that will be well-received, you need to be getting a website that is type-focused; and if you are the designer, ensure that your client knows type’s importance. As always, if you are in doubt, speak to one of our web professionals who will be able to help you better.

A logo identifies and locates a brand or a company. It helps people to remember your business, identify it with subliminal images and evokes symbolism. A good logo that is professionally designed is sure to create ripples in the industry and help you to reach your target audience better. However, not many of us can afford to hire professional logo designers in spite of how important they are. You might be a small mom n pop business or an even smaller record store, who has access to all the free tools like WordPress, Tumblr, social media etc. but do not know how to create a great logo. To be honest, you must only spend how much you can afford to spend and if you are a struggling business who cannot afford to hire a professional, it is time to take things into your hand. Even when you use free tools with a little diligence, you can create a logo that sums up the essence of your brand in just a single image. This might not be possible unless you hire a professional designer but there are chances that you can neither hire a professional designer nor design something on your own. In spite of that, it is not all doom and gloom. Our guide to designing logos for free, using certain tools, can help you get what you want and reduce costs. Most of these tools are free to use. Logo Maker One of the cooler logo making tools is Logo Maker. It offers neat designs and allows users to edit & customize their options. Moreover, it is one of the least “unprofessional” looking free logo-making tools around. Its designs do not look like clip art and you get a web format that is free. You just need to insert the HTML code they give you on your website. You will not get a low resolution image and if you would like to download the full image, it will cost you $49. If you are looking for a cheap solution to put up a logo on your website, this is one of the better options. Free Logo Services One of the biggest complaints that small businesses have is that they do not have enough money to spruce up their websites or personalize their logos. The choices available on free logo making tools are limited and sometimes, they do not look, well, all that great. Free Logo Services is an exception and offers neat and professional looking illustration options. You could also choose some great fonts which are usually costly, if you look elsewhere. The only problem is you will not be able to move images or text around. You can only change the colors or font size. Despite these limitations, it is a good choice for those who cannot afford to hire a professional logo designer. If you wish to purchase a high-resolution logo, you will need to cough up $39. Logo Yes Logo Yes is a preferred tool for those who are looking for simple tools that can be used for design purposes. It only comes with few illustrations and that is a potential criticism. However, you can also go to their editing tools and customize those illustrations to resemble what you need. A high-resolution logo will cost you $69. The low resolution one can be used for free. You can also pay up $99 for 250 business cards that come with your logo for $99. A little pricey but their free options are good nonetheless. Logo Ease If you are looking for a free logo-making tool, Logo Ease is the answer. It not only lets you create logos but will also let you download high resolution pictures for free. The only catch is, images and art are generic and they might seem a little too limited. By using their editing tools, you will be able to get rid of this problem. Mycroburst If you are looking for a community that can help you design logos, instead of just using a simple online tool, you might want to use Mycroburst. This vibrant online community of designers is a force to reckon. You can upload your project and ask who can design your logo for the lowest amount possible. For a minimum of $199, you can buy one of the designs that the designers will specially create for you. The only problem is, this is not a free service and we are talking about free online tools. This need not be in this list but we still included this so that you get to know about this amazing community. Logo Snap Coming back to free stuff, Logo Snap lets you create illustrations and font-based designs without you having to spend a dime. You can customize and edit your design & download the high-resolution image for free. They do ask for a donation but it is not mandatory to donate in order to be able to download the high-resolution logo. Cool Text If you are looking for a logo that is sort of text-dominated, you can take a look at Cool Text. This is a limited service but will allow you to come up with a logo that is text-based, without any illustrations. The only problem is you might end up looking cheap, when you use this service. Unless you just cannot afford a professional designer, this is not usually recommended. SquareSpace Logo Another interesting logo-maker is SquareSpace Logo, which is a very basic and stripped down drag-and-drop logo-making tool. SquareSpace, if you didn’t know, is a DIY website builder. All that you need to do is enter your company name and motto. The next step is to choose an image that best represents your business or brand. You could also choose to keep it simple and minimalist but it probably will not add any brownie points. Once you rearrange your text and image, change colors & fonts and decide what you want, you could click on “Save Logo”. You will