Category: Web design

This is a situation that commonly happens: you type in a URL or click on a link somewhere and it goes to the URL only to display a 404 error. A 404 error is merely telling you that the page you are looking for does not exist where you are looking for it. In other words, a 404 error page is displayed when a web page has been moved, deleted, or when it simply does not exist. A 404 error can also be displayed when the person who is browsing is not connected to the Internet or if he or she has typed the URL incorrectly. In most cases, the links are either broken or the person who is trying to browse has typed in a wrong URL. It is a usability feature which helps to improve user experience on the website, by letting them know they have arrived at a non-existent page. Website owners can optimize 404 error pages If you are the web administrator and are looking for fixing these 404 pages, think of them as your friend. 404 error pages need not be something that should be feared and they need not be something that will send people away. Instead, think of 404 pages as opportunities to bring back people who typed incorrectly or landed on a page that they didn’t mean to. In this article, let us take a look at how you can optimize 404 error pages to boost traffic to your other pages. Convey a personalized message One of the best ways to optimize a 404 error page is by customizing the message. Instead of displaying a cold ‘The page you are looking for cannot be found’, you can change the tone and make yourself seem more approachable. You can ask your developer to display a message that is friendly and polite, such as, “Can’t find what you are looking for? Click here to learn more about us”. Or something like, “Oops, are you sure you typed the URL correctly?” [php snippet=1] Offer sitemap and search features Ensure that your visitors have access to both the sitemap and a search tool easily. A sitemap helps people to find the page they are looking for, while a search bar helps people to key in words that may be related to what they are looking for. Apologize and boost customer care The best way to boost your 404 error page is to simply apologize and ask the visitor to call you or write to you immediately. In other words, the 404 error page can be used as a call to action. 404 error pages are your friends Instead of letting 404 error pages annoy visitors, you can turn them into positive tools to enhance visitors to your landing page or homepage, get them to take action or simply develop a more positive opinion about you. In most cases, 404 error pages should be seen a usability feature more than anything else.

Creative web designers with the passion for digital art have not shied away from exploring the magic of psychedelic designs. Psychedelic art form usually comprises of abstract visual art rich with colorful and vibrant designs. The designs are ingenious and artistic in nature employing curvilinear calligraphy, spiral patterns, intense colors and groovy typography. It is common to see psychedelic art in digital format in musical concerts, murals, and light shows. With the invention of computer graphics software and tools, web artists are better equipped to use their vision to create psychedelic designs. Various 2D and 3D graphics software allow designers to experiment with image juxtapositions, draw connecting patterns etc. Evolution of psychedelic illustrations Psychedelic illustrations evolved during the 1960s and 1970s. The evolution of this art form was inspired by ingestion of psychoactive drugs like LSD and other hallucinogens that became popular to the counterculture of the 1960s influencing music, dress, language, literature, philosophy, and political and social revolution.  It also led the rise of optical art and pop art. Some of the influential designers during that era were Wes Wilson for inventing psychedelic font design, Victor Moscoso for using the concept of vibrating colors to create the psychedelic effect. These illustrations were commonly found on concert posters, album covers, comic books etc. However, the psychedelic movement was not restricted to kaleidoscopic color patterns but also defined sentiments inspired by ideas conceived with the psychedelic state of consciousness. A Case study [php snippet=1] Psychedelic website design is brilliantly used by the Moogfest website. Moogfest is a multi-day annual event to honor Robert Moog and his musical inventions. It is dedicated to the synthesis of technology, art, and music. The psychedelic design was a result of rebranding effort taken up by the company in 2014. Moog music is into designing tools and synthesizers targeted towards artists. Its design team, inspired by Robert Moog – its founder, used the same innovative spirit to contemplate its design philosophy.  It exemplifies the ideas, concepts, sounds, images, artists and technologies that influence Moog brand. Website compatibility with psychedelic designs A website design is reflective of business perception, its values, and vision. It reflects the brand value of the company, event, or an individual. Psychedelic designs may look inspiring, philosophical, and overwhelming to you. However, does it go along with your business ideology? Psychedelic design work needs a lot of creativity, time, talent and money. Graphic designers need to fully understand what you are trying to achieve with the psychedelic design. How does it impact your customers? Do they like it or feel irritated?  For instance, The Coca-Cola Company used psychedelic illustrations for their Coke and Fanta advertisements for use in both print and TVCs. The campaign being targeted at a mass audience obviously made sense to use colors and psychedelic design to exhibit happiness and cheerfulness. However, psychedelic illustrations are not considered to be professional. You should thoroughly consider your business vertical, product, customers and purpose before going ahead with this design. Unless and until, it is a very creative and niche website, it is not worth the pain to invest in psychedelic design.  

Cultural appropriation is a term that we often hear in news these days. Cultural appropriation refers to the act of using an underprivileged group’s cultural symbols by a dominant group, in order to financially exploit it. For example, when hip hop music was sung by Caucasian artists, there was cultural appropriation charges leveled against them. Why is this a problem? Dominant groups such as Caucasians often did not understand the difficulties in which hip hop music came to be. This, many non-Caucasians felt, was a free ride to success for white artists. There are of course arguments on either side. How is this relevant to technology or web designing? If you thought carefully, there is a lot that can be called as cultural appropriation. For instance, if a web designer starts making websites that are inspired by someone from a disadvantaged group but fails to give credit to them, there can be such accusations in the future. Is cultural appropriation a big problem in web designing? [php snippet=1] We feel, plagiarism is a far more serious issue in the field of web designing. A number of younger designers often copy designs of reputed designers and fail to credit them back. This can be a serious offence whenever copyright laws are applicable, and that is almost across the world. Younger designers should be very careful not to copy designs of other designers, no matter how far away or far apart they may be located from each other. Cultural appropriation is thus not a big issue in web designing. Plagiarism and failing to seek permission or pay royalties to original designers is a far more serious and punishable offence. It is should be noted that many designers do not understand that they are even being copied. A number of times, such acts go unnoticed and everyone is happy. However, as a professional group, web designers should be very wary of designers who do not remain honest or professional enough to remain original or create authentic designs. It is a professional issue that designers need to make note of. Handling plagiarism More than cultural appropriation, web designers should start worrying about remaining authentic and original. It is easy to report designers who practice unscrupulous methods to deliver projects to their clients. Unfortunately, we live in a society where it is often too common for people to steal codes and replicate designs. However, the silver lining on the cloud is, it is not possible to survive in a competitive profession if one continues to plagiarize. Only those who remain hard working and are original enough find success in the field of web designing, just like in any other creative profession. There are several ways to deal with plagiarism in the world of web designing. If you feel your design has been copied, or if you feel your designer has copied someone else’s website, you can always seek legal help. Creative work is usually protected by copyrights laws and if you are unsure about your country’s legal system, you can speak to a lawyer close to you. This will help you to find legal recourse if you have been a victim of plagiarism.