Blog
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Seeing more clearly with CSS opacity
09 November 2009 by
I have been trying to use some different CSS properties in recent style sheets and one of these is the opacity property. It’s quite easy to use and can give you a sophisticated effect where one element shows through another. Hey, what’s not to like!? Unfortunately, we need to apply a few Internet Explorer fixes but they are also relatively easy to implement (even if they look a bit complicated).
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Some simple productivity tips for busy freelancers
27 October 2009 by
I went through a period last year when I was snowed under with work. That should be a good thing but if you are running your own web business, working from home, or freelancing from an office, getting everything done when you are in this situation can be quite stressful. I was the only person doing the work, answering telephone calls and emails, chasing up clients for payment, trying to keep in touch with the latest CSS methods, and an assortment of other daily administration tasks that I needed to do. Sometimes it felt like I was on a merry-go-round and could not get off.
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See how a top designer and copy writer redesign the CannyBill website
19 October 2009 by
Have you ever wanted to get more insight into the thinking behind a website redesign? I know I have. Well, there's an interesting open design process happening at the moment with the redesign of the CannyBill website.
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Tooltips and slider JavaScript effects based on jQuery
13 October 2009 by
Used wisely, JavaScript effects can provide that extra Wow! factor to your website. I have been looking at a couple of different scripts recently because they seemed to be just what I wanted for a couple of websites. Both these are based on the jQuery library.
Info: JavaScript adds an extra level of interaction or behaviour to your website and it might be tempting to use scripts like these excessively. However, you should also consider what happens if your web visitors have JavaScript turned off. Is the content still visible? Does the website still provide a useful experience without these effects? See Unobtrusive JavaScript for more information on best practice.
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My favourite software at the moment
06 October 2009 by
Most software works great and does the job it was intended for. However, every once in a while I come across a programme that just seems to be perfectly thought out and that is a joy to use. Invariable the programme or software make me more efficient but, most of the time, it’s the way the programme works that elevates it above its rivals. Anyway, here’s a few programmes that I am liking a lot at the moment.
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New web standards books from Zeldman and Budd
30 September 2009 by
There are new editions of Designing with Web Standards by Jeffery Zeldman and CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions by Andy Budd coming along in the next few months
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Blockquotes and CSS styling
23 September 2009 by
I have been busy with a new website that includes several customer comments about the business in question. That’s great but how should I code it? In this case, I thought it would be best to use the <blockquote> tag/element in my HTML. If you don’t use this tag, you should because it’s really quite useful both as a meaningful way of marking up your content and as a tag that you can style. I also decided to use the cite element. Normally, I include the <cite> tag within the <blockquote> and wrap it round the name of the person who made the comment/quote.
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Tips to help make your website more mobile-friendly
15 September 2009 by
This is not a comprehensive article about developing a mobile device strategy for your website. It’s simply some tips that are based on a couple of things that I have implemented recently so that this blog is more easily viewable on mobile or cell phones. In my case, I am assessing each of my personal websites in order to determine whether I want to make them more mobile-friendly. If Yes, my plan is that I will not be creating separate mobile websites but will be optimising the existing websites.
Info: There are several mobile device website strategies that you may consider [including the option of doing nothing]. Cameron Moll’s Mobile Web Book is a good place to start if you want to know more.
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Interviewed for The Web Design Blog
10 September 2009 by
Fellow UK web designer Phil Matthews recently asked me to answer a few questions as part of an interview series on The Web Design Blog.
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How I got into the web industry
01 September 2009 by
I have been thinking about career paths and jobs recently [perhaps as a result of these video interviews with famous web folks] because it seems that many people in the web industry have taken an interesting route into their current careers. I’m not sure how interesting my own career path is but it is perhaps more different than most. Here it is…