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Super Bowl 2012 By the Numbers

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:41:18 +0000

Super Bowl 2012 is blitzing us like a crazed linebacker, coming up in a matter of hours, and the numbers are stacking up quickly. It’s a weekend of superlatives, with astonishing numbers swirling around those brave warriors on the field.

In the Super Bowl, everything is larger than life. Instead of… read more

Best of the Week #208

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:40:45 +0000

It’s time for our best news of this week. We have a lot of graphic and web design, a bit of architecture, ads, tech news, awesome reads and other crazy stuff! So take a look at the links we’ve selected for your inspiration and to keep you updated about what’s… read more

Weekly Web Design and Development Inspiration – N.124

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:38:36 +0000

This is our weekly selection of our favorite web designs from the past week, thanks to everybody for their recommendations. Feel free to comment and let us know what you think.

Have you tried StylesInspiration yet? It is our web design showcase that aims to not only… read more

Sculpting Signatures in Illustrator

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:01:56 +0000

Create a stylized digital signature in Illustrator to drop onto your artwork when you are finished. Use Illustrator’s width tool to add some calligraphy style to your signature.

7 Tips for Planning a Wedding on Pinterest

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:59:36 +0000

1. Join

If you haven’t already, sign up for a Pinterest account. There’s a waiting list to join now… read more

How To Use Custom Post Types To Organize Online Marketing Campaigns

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:04:53 +0000

Custom post types add a level of flexibility to WordPress that makes this open-source Web development platform more useful on many levels. Whenever I have been faced with a Web-based task, especially one that involves organizing information, the first thing I do is examine WordPress to determine if it can… read more

Publish Magazines and eBooks Quickly with Calaméo

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000

From Amazon’s runaway success with the Kindle platform to Apple’s new iBooks Author tool to help writers create interactive eBooks for their iPad iBooks store, eBooks are the story of the day for digital media. If you’ve ever considered writing a book or creating a new magazine, you’ll want to… read more

Should You Keep Your Website Open Source?

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:06:10 +0000

When you enter the world of web hosting, you will find yourself inundated with options. Choosing a hosting company is only the beginning. Even after you have a domain, hosting account, and all of the preliminary tasks out of the way, you still have to build a website…. read more

8 Things You Should Know Before Building a Mobile App

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:49:20 +0000

Seth Porges is a magazine editor and the creator of Cloth, an iOS fashion app for iPhone and iPod Touch. His Twitter handle is @sethporges.

App appeal is obvious. The barrier to entry? So low! The upshot of producing the next Angry Birds or beer-chug simulator? So high! Heck, with just… read more

Freebie: St. Valentine’s Day Icon Set (10 PNG/PSD Icons)

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:38:32 +0000

Every now and then, we release useful freebies for all of our highly valued readers. Today, it is our pleasure to present to you Cuberto‘s fantastic St. Valentine’s icon set — exclusively designed for Smashing Magazine and its loyal readers. The icons presented are available in transparent PNGs as well… read more

Fair Wages for Freelance Writing

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:00:12 +0000

A recent story in The Australian caught my eye. The title of the piece is “Online magazine offers less than 2c a word to freelancers”. The name of the online magazine is Breathe Magazine Australia (BreatheMagazine.com) and it is scheduled to launch in April 2012.

The Australian journalists’ union, called… read more

Fashion Forward: Showcase of Fashion and Editorial Photography

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:38 +0000

As we have undoubtedly heard our entire lives, a picture speaks a thousand words. And while that may be true of most, there are those who seek to tell a bit of a story with their works. Editorial photography, and perhaps some would say to a lesser degree fashion photography,… read more

Making the Perfect Project Pitch

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:50:38 +0000

Freelancing offers you maximum flexibility to choose the projects that best compliment your skills, passions and interests. Without doubt, this is one of the most obvious advantages in becoming a freelancer. However, in this economic climate the ability to only choose the projects that most attract you must… read more

Daily Inspiration #1046

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:59:04 +0000

This post is part of our daily series of posts showing the most inspiring images selected by some of the Abduzeedo’s writers and users. If you want to participate and share your graphic design inspiration, just send us, via email, the image with the link from where you found it,… read more

Why Sleep is so Important for Freelancers

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:00:55 +0000

I love sleeping. Always have, always will. I was the kid whose parents had to wake up on Christmas morning. If I don’t get enough sleep—watch out.

Admittedly, sometimes I feel ashamed at getting nine hours of sleep at night. But when I read this article in Inc.com about how… read more

Things My Clients Hate. What about Yours?

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:55:15 +0000

I have been a freelancer for almost a decade now and in the course of these years, I have had dozens of clients and hundreds of projects. While no two clients are the same, I have noticed some common things many of my clients hate. For truth’s sake,… read more

Beautiful Editorial Illustrations by Luciano Lozano aka. Ilustrista

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:31:15 +0000

Luciano Lozano it’s a self-taught illustrator based on Barcelona, Spain working mainly with magazines and books. He got a quite distinctive style, since we cannot simply label it as retro as sometimes he works with traditional methods getting some really fresh results.

You can know more about Luciano at his Website.

About… read more

16 High Quality Twitter Icons That You Can Download For Free

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:07:13 +0000

Let us take you to the free collection of some high quality Twitter icons that you can download for free. This round up showcases 16 beautifully designed and eye catching Twitter icons that will for sure grab the attention of your target audience. Twitter buttons such as Follow Me and… read more

Martha Stewart Considering Web-Only TV Show

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:30:04 +0000

Martha Stewart is looking into producing web-only video programming, the TV personality and business magnate suggested on stage at AllThingsD‘s media conference Tuesday.

Stewart’s company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, is looking for new outlets for Stewart’s daytime show now that her contract with the Hallmark Channel is coming to an end…. read more

Chris Sanders – Photographer Spotlight

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:47:56 +0000

This commercial photographer spotlight features Chris Sanders. Sander’s lifestyle and travel work developed out of a film background. His client list includes publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Esquire and Conde Nast Traveler as well as companies such as Bank of America, Microsoft, Reebok and Starwood Hotels. He lives and works from… read more

Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: February 2012

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:48:55 +0000

We always try our best to challenge your artistic abilities and produce some interesting, beautiful and creative artwork. And as designers we usually turn to different sources of inspiration. As a matter of fact, we’ve discovered the best one — desktop wallpapers that are a little more distinctive than the… read more

Best of the Vector Web – January 2012

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:00:10 +0000

Each month, we search the web for the best vector-related content and showcase it here for you all to enjoy. This month, we showcase high quality tutorials on mixing vector techniques with photography, we learn how to create vintage style lettering that has a grainy retro style, dive deeper into… read more

Ten Things To Think About When Designing Your iPad App

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:03:02 +0000

Like most well-designed things, the magic of an iPad app comes from a union of usefulness, usability and meaning. Games aside, the app must be useful by solving a problem that people actually have through the right set of functionality at the right time. It must be easy to use… read more

Help Wanted: Websites For Finding Design And Programming Jobs

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:55 +0000

There are a lot of advantages to freelancing. You will have more flexibility over the hours you work, you won’t have to commute to work any more and best of all, you are your own boss. It can be hard work landing a job. Not to mention making sure a… read more

Weekly Design News – Resources, Tutorials and Freebies (N.118)

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:48:40 +0000

This is our weekly column were we share our favorite design related articles, resources and cool tidbits from the past week. Enjoy :)
If you would like to receive our daily updates and keep up to date with the latest and greatest articles and resources from the… read more

Polling App Makes Blog Feedback Painless

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:59:03 +0000

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Quipol

Quick Pitch: Quipol is a web application that makes creating and embedding polls on blogs easy.

Genius… read more

Groupon is a Star in CBS Pilot — But in the Wrong City [VIDEO]

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:03:02 +0000

Working at Groupon is now cliche enough to work as the setting of a TV pilot.

CBS picked up a pilot for a new sitcom called Friend Me. The conceit is about two twenty-something best friends who move from Illinois to… read more

5 Ways for Photographers to use an iPad to Jumpstart their Business

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:15:12 +0000

1. Editing On-the-Go

The iPad is never going to replace a desktop computer for photo editing. However, it does come in handy when you are looking to quickly edit a few pictures. I recently traveled home for the holidays. My parents wanted a picture for their Christmas card. I was able to… read more

The Future Of Screen Typography Is In Your Hands

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:52:34 +0000

We do more reading on the screen today than we did even a year ago. If we are ever to have a golden age of reading on the screen, this might be the start of it.

Tablets, Nooks and Kindles make buying a book or magazine for the screen almost unavoidable…. read more

45 Latest Photo Manipulation Tutorials for Photoshop

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:09:53 +0000

When we talk about image editing or photo enhancement, Adobe Photoshop is the first thing that comes to our minds. The software itself is hard to learn and harder to master though. Thanks to the many tutorials available though, even novices can learn the tricky tecniques used by… read more

Colour Combination Makes a Better Impact in Logo Designing

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:38:53 +0000

It’s undeniable. Branding is the life blood of any business. Even for small businesses, you’ve gotta build brand identity, or be ready for your company to go belly up.
A big part of many company’s brand identity is the logo. It’s like the face of your company…. read more

10 Cool and Creative Websites to Visit

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:45:19 +0000

10 Cool and Creative Websites to Visit

Sound Design: Audio Branding: Airela Case

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:24:26 +0000

What is audio branding?

“Audio branding describes the process of brand development and brand management by use of acoustic elements within the framework of brand communication. It is part of multi-sensory brand communication and holistic corporate design. Audio branding aims at building solidly a brand sound that represents the identity and… read more

Best of the Week #207

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:00:08 +0000

Weekly Web Design and Development Inspiration – N.123

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:45:52 +0000

This is our weekly selection of our favorite web designs from the past week, thanks to everybody for their recommendations. Feel free to comment and let us know what you think.

Have you tried StylesInspiration yet? It is our web design showcase that aims to not only… read more

7 Lead Generation Trends For 2012 — What You Need to Do Right Now [SPONSORED]

admin — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:03:28 +0000

This post is brought to you by HubSpot, an inbound marketing software company based in Cambridge, MA, that makes a full platform of marketing software, including marketing automation tools. For more information on sponsored posts, read here.

You decide. Is this 2012 AD or is it 0008 FB — the eighth… read more

Limiting The Visibility Of WordPress Posts Via Usernames

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:51:47 +0000

Controlling who is able to view a post is a simple task once the system is established. Limiting access to certain users has several applications, such as enabling a design studio to distribute artwork to its various clients, or enabling a small school to arrange for homework to be posted… read more

Managing an Organized Freelance Work Schedule

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:57:57 +0000

It takes a lot of time and dedication to build a freelance career. The hours are long, work can be tedious, and often you need to multitask like crazy. But the freedom of release from a regular work schedule can be fantastic.

In this guide I’d like to go… read more

7 Ways to Follow ‘The Hunger Games’ Movie on Social Media

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:51:44 +0000

1. Capitol Couture

The newly launched Capitol Couture blog is dedicated to the styles featured in the upcoming film…. read more

Facebook After Death: What Should the Law Say?

admin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:05:33 +0000

When you die, your social media presence lives on. But should it? Lawmakers and lawyers are tackling the question of what should happen to your digital life after death.

The Uniform Law Commission recently approved a study committee on fiduciary power and authority to access digital property and online accounts during… read more

The UX Research Plan That Stakeholders Love

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:35:08 +0000

UX practitioners, both consultants and in house, sometimes conduct research. Be it usability testing or user research with a generative goal, research requires planning. To make sure product managers, developers, marketers and executives (let’s call them stakeholders) act on UX research results, planning must be crystal clear, collaborative, fast and… read more

9 Steps to Starting Your Freelance Web Design Business

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:00:40 +0000

So, you want to be a freelance web designer? Ah, the glamor of it all.

Your own boss, answering only to the call of your creative muse… get up, feel inspired, do some work, go for a walk, laugh knowingly with other freelancers who have also discovered The Secret… read more

Creative Uses for QR Codes

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:29:17 +0000

Nowadays we look around and all over the places see QR codes embedded into the ads, buildings, billboards, newspapers, cups, clothes and even into the roads.

The usage of QR (Quick Response) codes in promotional marketing is a great idea and just one more awesome way to engage people… read more

Backup Plans for the Traveling Photographer

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:12:05 +0000

Backing up your files on the road can be a massive headache for many photographers. When you’re travelling, you have the compounded problem that you are probably shooting a lot, but you don’t want to take massive amounts of kit that will weigh you down.

Well, his is a response… read more

10 Designs Inspired by Microsoft’s Metro UI

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:09:16 +0000

Advertise here via BSA

Since Microsoft first unveiled the Metro UI on Windows Phone 7, the rollout has been gradually taking place across every Microsoft product and website. It is the cornerstone of the Windows 8 interface and one of the most notable official uses of Metro UI available now is… read more

Monday Inspiration #10 Light and Minimalist Websites

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:45:19 +0000

Monday Inspiration #10 Light and Minimalist Websites

Daily Inspiration #1040

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:32:31 +0000

Perfect Portrait 1

admin — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:14:10 +0000

Better Portraits in Less Time

Perfect Portrait 1 is a huge timesaver for portrait photographers. It automatically identifies faces and features, and with a press of a button, eyes become whiter and clearer, teeth become whiter, lips have greater definition, wrinkles are softened, and shine and blemishes are reduced. In… read more

How To Deliver Exceptional Client Service

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:02:26 +0000

We often hear companies, including Web agencies, boast about how they provide exceptional client service. But how do they define exceptional?

Consider this scenario. You are hired to design and develop a new website for a retail client. The client loves the design, and the pages you develop use the latest… read more

Get TV Coverage for Your Freelance Business

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:00:19 +0000

Switched on freelancers know that publicity is good for business. Positive press coverage in newspapers, trade magazines and professional journals can raise awareness of your freelance business, create leads and even fill order books.

One way to reach a larger audience with public relations activity is to get television news… read more

A Showcase of Typography in Webdesign

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:26:50 +0000

Functional web typography is, of course, key to the usabilty of any website. But functional does not mean boring.
Big, loud and attention grabbing typography does have the presence and magnificence to truly grab the attention of your visitors.
It does not quite shout at your… read more

Freebie: Colorful 3D UI Kit

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:24:24 +0000

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We have a fantastic freebie for all of you web designers out there, you’ll love this:)
Designed by Land-of-Web, the Colorful 3D UI Kit comes in .psd format and is full of beautifully designed modern web elements covering almost all aspects of web design,… read more

3 Minutes with Photographer Sean McCormack

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:15:21 +0000

Fashion photography has always had a magical aura to it, as it accentuates the best of design and human form. In addition to the expected attention to lighting and shooting there is a great deal of artistry added to each shot with special care given to photo design and post-production… read more

What Successful Products Teach Us About Web Design

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:01:04 +0000

Web design is a craft that is constantly evolving and yet also sometimes sabotaged. The moment a design is released, a new version is born. In the beginning, like a baby, it seems vulnerable and weak, but in time it grows up and becomes self-sufficient. Redesigning a website for its… read more

How to make your own icon webfont

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:24:25 +0000

Source

Weekly Design News – Resources, Tutorials and Freebies (N.117)

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:01:29 +0000

Advertise here with BSA

This is our weekly column were we share our favorite design related articles, resources and cool tidbits from the past week. Enjoy :)
If you would like to receive our daily updates and kepp up to date with the latest and greatest articles and… read more

Helicon Focus Pro X64

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:13:53 +0000

Create Sharp Focus Throughout Your Images

Ansel Adams was part of a group of San Francisco realistic landscape photographers who called themselves Group f/64. The name came from their desire to achieve maximum depth of field (DOF). However, attaining maximum DOF can be challenging, especially in macro photography. Stopping a… read more

Consumers Want Online Video Ads No More Than 15 Seconds Long

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:40:10 +0000

Want to capture customer attention with online video ads? They’d better not be more than 15 seconds long, a new poll suggests.

According to a survey by Poll Position, about 54% of Americans think 15 seconds is the acceptable time to view an online video ad before seeing free content, from… read more

50 Beautiful Yet Free HTML5 And CSS3 Templates

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:06:24 +0000

HTML5 templates are getting very popular these days because all professional HTML5 templates are compatible to all browsers with its functionality and features, and with the release of HTML5 / CSS3 it has become even more popular among designers because of the additional and great features.

At the moment, HTML5 and… read more

How Sites Like Contently Aim to Help Freelancers Find Work

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:00:13 +0000

I had never heard of the freelance-writing online marketplace Contently until I stumbled across this piece of info from the Wall Street Journal:

Freelance-writing marketplace Contently has raised a $2 million Series A round led by Lightbank. Co-founder Shane Snow said he started the company to help resolve some of… read more

Introduction To Linux Commands

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:02:28 +0000

At the heart of every modern Mac and Linux computer is the “terminal.” The terminal evolved from the text-based computer terminals of the 1960s and ’70s, which themselves replaced punch cards as the main way to interact with a computer. It’s also known as the command shell, or simply “shell.”… read more

Augmented Reality: the future of digital media

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:36:01 +0000

Source

50 Wonderful Black & White Photos with Partial Color Effects

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:15:17 +0000

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Taking a black and white photograph and adding partial color to certain key points of the shot is one of the most popular techniques amongst professional photographers. You can understand its popularity when you look at the examples we have for you below. This technique… read more

Daily Inspiration #1037

admin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:17:02 +0000

11 Ways to get Free Marketing for Your Photography

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:29:03 +0000

One of the challenges of charging for your photography is figuring out how to get clients. You’ve got the technical know-how, but what about the business and marketing side? Strapped for cash and looking for ways to generate buzz about your photography? No problem. Marketing doesn’t have to cost much… read more

How Profile Photos Can Affect the User Experience

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:00:46 +0000

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Social networks have grown into the norm in today’s sophisticated Internet. Modern web pages have become very personalized over the past decade including a number of user interface features. One such example is the user profile picture often accompanied by each username.

Web designers don’t often… read more

Your Design Blog Should Be More SEO Friendly Than You Think

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:45:19 +0000

Your Design Blog Should Be More SEO Friendly Than You Think

Open Call For International Communities

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:31:42 +0000

At Smashing Magazine, we are big proponents of diversity and sharing. We encourage designers and developers worldwide to step up and use Smashing Magazine as a platform to share their opinions, ideas or techniques. Our editorial process is quite evolved, yet we are very open to users’ suggestions. In fact,… read more

PSD2HTML.com Giveaway Results

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:18:27 +0000

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Last weeks PSD2HTML.com giveaway ended a couple of days ago, and it is now time to announce the winners.

Thanks to everybody for all the comments and thanks to PSD2HTML.com for their services.

The Winners

Our winners should have by now received their winner emails, if not please… read more

Weekly Web Design and Development Inspiration – N.122

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:38:21 +0000

Advertise here with BSA

This is our weekly selection of our favorite web designs from the past week, thanks to everybody for their recommendations. Feel free to comment and let us know what you think.

Have you tried StylesInspiration yet? It is our web design showcase that aims… read more

Best of the Week #206

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:49:03 +0000

Latoponis Magazine Free WordPress Theme

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:25:19 +0000

Latoponis Magazine Free WordPress Theme

The Pixel Renaissance: Pixel Art’s Place in 21st Century Expression

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:47:18 +0000

My first experience with pixels occurred in second grade. During the rainy months, our teacher allowed us to stay inside, where we replaced recess with video game tournaments. Huddled over old Apple II monitors, we maneuvered game hero Panama Joe through endless levels of Montezuma’s Revenge.

Panama Joe’s image featured an… read more

How Kodak Squandered Every Single Digital Opportunity It Had

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:35:46 +0000

Kodak has finally formalized what had been expected for years — it’s gone bankrupt. In the past 15 years, digital technology changed photography dramatically, and Kodak, a former heavyweight in the analog film business, got left behind.

That’s the story of Kodak in the broadest of strokes, though it doesn’t capture… read more

FindTheBest Mobile Will Instantly Compare Anything

admin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:08:06 +0000

Whether you’re looking for a daycare, ski resort or smartphone, comparison engine FindTheBest can provide the critical stats. On Friday, the startup will give you better access to this info while you’re on the go with the launch of a new mobile site.

Since going online in August 2010, FindTheBest has… read more

Extracting Logos Using Levels In Adobe Fireworks

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:47:27 +0000

In all the years that I’ve been using Adobe Fireworks, I have always had to perform one task in every project: remove the background from a logo. Most of the time, it’s because the client doesn’t have the original raw file that their previous designer used to create their company’s… read more

Give Your Logos Some Shine in Adobe Illustrator

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:03:42 +0000

Dave Cross opens up Illustrator and shows viewers how to add some reflective shine to text or an object using an opacity mask.

How to Take Good Sports Photographs

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:12:13 +0000

Shooting sports pictures can be very exciting and fulfilling experience, provided you have patience and necessary skills. A fundamental knowledge of the game definitely helps in sports photography.

Browse a lot of sports magazines or photography websites to get an idea and feel of the game.

Things Which are Important
Camera

Camera can be… read more

What else does HTML5 need to defeat flash? (Part 2)

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:41:25 +0000

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In part 1 of this article, we analyzed the technical problems facing HTML5. In part 2, we’re going to discuss the problems facing HTML5 commercially.

Unity:

Microsoft, Google and Apple are clearky the 3 giants of the industry at the moment, and it’s really hard to unify… read more

Elton John’s Husband Apologizes to Madonna on Facebook for Golden Globes Gaffe

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:21:30 +0000

Elton John’s husband has apologized to Madonna on Facebook, following comments he made that the Queen of Pop didn’t deserve the Golden Globe award she won on Sunday.

John’s husband and producer David Furnish was publically upset after Madonna took home the Best Song award for “Masterpiece,” a song written for… read more

Pinterest for Brands: 5 Hot Tips

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:40:36 +0000

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

We’ve all been hearing a lot about Pinterest lately, so you’re probably wondering whether you should take the plunge and create a profile for your company. We… read more

Creatif – WP Community Theme Giveaway

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:45:19 +0000

Creatif – WP Community Theme Giveaway

Time Magazine Cover Illustrator

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:05:19 +0000

Time Magazine Cover Illustrator

Mustaches Prevail on Gentlemint, the Pinterest Site for ‘Manly Men’

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 02:25:03 +0000

What’s more manly than a mustache?

Not much, if you ask co-founders Glen Stansberry and Brian McKinney, co-founders of the recently launched Gentlemint.com — a Pinterest-inspired site for “manly men.”

“We wanted to add an old-school, ‘gentlemanly’ feel,” Stansberry says of the ‘stache logo. “Kind of like a Teddy Roosevelt… read more

How To Integrate Facebook, Twitter And Google+ In WordPress

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:32:06 +0000

Integrating social media services in your website design is vital if you want to make it easy for readers to share your content. While some users are happy with the social media buttons that come built into their design template, the majority of WordPress users install a plugin to automatically… read more

20 WordPress Magazine Themes for Technology & Gadget Sites

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:30:23 +0000

Technology and gadget blogs are huge online, blogs such as Engadget and Gizmodo garner millions of eyeballs each month with breaking news and inside knowledge of the latest tech. Smaller sites run by one or a small group of bloggers are also flourishing and making a good living covering these… read more

5 SEO Trends Writers Should Target in 2012

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:00:20 +0000

Freelance writers need to deal with web content all the time, as more and more of publishing goes online.

Although the basic principles of good writing don’t change in the online realm, there are certain differences that writers should be aware of. One of the most important aspects of online… read more

What else does HTML5 need to defeat flash? (Part 1)

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:21:40 +0000

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Nowadays, HTML5 is like a shining star in the webs sky. However, is HTML5 ready to take the overall crown? From 2 aspects, we are going to discuss what else HTML5 needs to defeat Flash.

Technically:

First of all, I’d like to emphasize that HTML5 and Flash… read more

Interview with Envato’s co-founder, Collis Ta’eed

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:45:19 +0000

Interview with Envato’s co-founder, Collis Ta’eed

Interview with the World’s Top Selling Microstock Photographer, Yuri Arcurs

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:25:19 +0000

Interview with the World’s Top Selling Microstock Photographer, Yuri Arcurs

‘Inside Apple’ Extracts Published By Fortune Magazine

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:50:06 +0000

Its products are ubiquitous around the world and each announcement from the company generates huge press attention, frantic tweeting and unparalleled excitement. But up till now, hardly anything is known about what actually goes on inside Apple’s core and how the company functions. The company is known for being one… read more

Tips on Crafting The Perfect Press Release

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:00:24 +0000

The magazine I run is holding a contest, and we’ve been working hard with our PR consultant on creating the best press releases possible to advertise our event. It’s not as easy as one might think to craft a good press release—even if you are a professional writer. I… read more

Printed Web: Print Design Inspired Websites

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:05:44 +0000

It seems things are changing for website design. The minimalist style adopted by many websites is slowly being evolved into something a little more engaging. One of the main sources of inspiration for this change in the way website content is displayed has been print design, particularly newspapers and magazines…. read more

Benefits and Pitfalls of Using Code Frameworks

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:31:03 +0000

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A code framework is nothing more than a collection of pre-formatted classes and functions. There are frameworks created for practically every language out there – even including frontend web development like JavaScript and CSS. Developers would be wise to follow these trends of working on… read more

6 Tips for Handling Breaking Crises on Twitter

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Dallas Lawrence is the chief global digital strategist for Burson-Marsteller, one of the world’s leading public relations and communications firms. He is a Mashable contributor on emerging media trends, online reputation management and digital issue advocacy. You can connect with him on Twitter @dallaslawrence.

If the past year has taught us… read more

Sacre Bleu! Upcoming French Apple Store Is Basically Naked

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:44:56 +0000

Good luck finding the all-new Apple store planned for Aix en Provence, France; it’s going to be practically invisible.

The Apple store, to be finished later this year, will push the barely-there glass aesthetic common in most Apple stores — notably… read more

Why Having a Mentor is Important for Freelancers

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:00:18 +0000

There is only so much you can learn from a textbook. And with technology changing at break neck speeds—there is only so much you can learn in school before, inevetibally, technology changes again.

Internships are a great way for students to get hands on experience working in their chosen field—but… read more

FontAgent Pro Enterprise Server 5

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:56:53 +0000

Fast Font Serving

FontAgent Pro Enterprise Server is one of the fastest font servers I’ve used. This latest version uses the J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) architecture and is multithreaded to take advantage of multicore Macs. The actual server setup involves setting up users, groups, and permissions. The user permissions… read more

Designing The Well-Tempered Web

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:02:06 +0000

As technology evolves, so does the art and craft of Web design. New technology creates new challenges, which require new solutions. Often we’re working in uncharted territory, where the solutions demanded really are new. Other times, we’re faced with problems of a more universal nature, problems that have a history.

Given… read more

Weekly Design News – Resources, Tutorials and Freebies (N.116)

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:59:52 +0000

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This is our weekly column were we share our favorite design related articles, resources and cool tidbits from the past week. Enjoy :)
If you would like to receive our daily updates and kepp up to date with the latest and greatest articles and… read more

21 Excellent Portfolios and Design Agency Websites

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:10:36 +0000

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It has been a while since we last showcased Design Related Websites here, so today we decided to check out how is it that design firms, designers, and other creative agencies are presenting their work. From design studios to brand firms and freelance designer’s portfolios, you… read more

Sanyo Protest in Shenzhen: Sign of Things to Come for Workers in China?

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:47:55 +0000

Media outlets in China reported on Monday that between 3,000 to 4,000 people staged a protest over the weekend at a Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. plant in Shenzhen, China. The protest was spurred by the joint business venture between Sanyo and Panasonic as well as growing concerns among workers about… read more

Daily Inspiration #1033

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:37:13 +0000

Resolution Independence With SVG

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:35:00 +0000

In this article, we’ll look at Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), one of the most underused technologies in website development today.

Before diving into an example, let’s consider the state of the Web at present and where it is going. Website design has found new vigor in recent years, with the evolving technique… read more

20 Things You Didn’t Know About Pop Art & Graphic Design

admin — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:10:09 +0000

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The advent of the Pop Art movement in the 50′s didn’t just impress the wealthy, it changed the culture. So iconic and profound were the inspirations and meanings behind this movement that it’s art is still featured, studied and produced to this day.

In this article,… read more

5 Crucial Points Before Becoming a Freelance Web Designer

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:10:13 +0000

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A freelance career offers a plethora of opportunities and rewards for web designers like you, just itching to make it on your own. At the same time, it can lead to a lot of headache, even failure, if you don’t grasp a few basic skills… read more

12 New WordPress Magazine Themes

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:05:19 +0000

12 New WordPress Magazine Themes

Visual Stories ~ Behind The Lens with Vincent Laforet – Book Review

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:59:19 +0000

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Vincent Laforet may not need an introduction, but his first book does.

In case you’ve never heard of Vince Laforet, he is considered to be one of the most accomplished story telling photographers of his generation. Laforet was commissioned by international publications such as the New York Times… read more

Weekly Web Design and Development Inspiration – N.121

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:07:15 +0000

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This is our weekly selection of our favorite web designs from the past week, thanks to everybody for their recommendations. Feel free to comment and let us know what you think.

Have you tried StylesInspiration yet? It is our web design showcase that aims… read more

Fake a Photo Matte

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:58:22 +0000

Pete shows viewers how to create a quick photo matte to use around their images before framing them.

5 Strategies for Creating Magnetic Online Content

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:58:15 +0000

Frank Marquardt is director of content strategy at The Barbarian Group, a digital services and creation company. Find him on Twitter @tralition.

Traditional advertising worked through distraction — an interruption to our sitcom, a page between magazine articles, a banner teasing our attention at the top of a webpage.

Then entertainment… read more

How Commercial Plugin Developers Are Using The WordPress Repository

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:35:29 +0000

A few weeks ago I wrote about how you can put together a great readme.txt for the WordPress plugin directory. In addition to using a WordPress readme as a tool to help out your users, you can use it to promote your commercial products and services. While commercial theme developers… read more

Tips for Making Clients Read Your Emails

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:06:10 +0000

Email marketing is one of the in-vogue techniques in the online marketing world. Over time, it has turned out to be one of the best ways to interact with one’s audience, keep them informed and share updates. When people share their email addresses with you, a website administrator, they expect… read more

Creative Use of Typography in Print Ads

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:09:58 +0000

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When it comes to advertising, what’s being said can be a bit less important than how it’s said. In no case is this more true than in the case of typography based advertisements, which are common in print advertising and gaining popularity even in television… read more

Foxconn Resolves ‘Mass Suicide’ Dispute With Workers

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:29:22 +0000

After reports that some workers threatened to throw themselves off of a roof in protest of unfair treatment, the largest technology manufacturer in the world says it has solved the dispute.

Foxconn Technology said in a statement that the dispute involved about 150 workers and was resolved peacefully. Earlier reports had… read more

Using Mini Bridge with InDesign CS5

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:53:25 +0000

Jeff Witchel talks about the integration of Mini Bridge into InDesign CS5, which has made it much easier to use. Use Mini Bridge to open InDesign files, edit file names, show linked files, save snippets, and place images.

Inclusive Design

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:18:52 +0000

We’ve come a long way since the days of the first Macintosh and the introduction of graphical user interfaces, going from monochrome colors to millions, from estranged mice to intuitive touchscreens, from scroll bars to pinch, zoom, flick and pan. But while hardware, software and the people who use technology… read more

What Do I Do When My Client Will Not Pay Up?

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:00:19 +0000

Speaking from experience, I have written for a number of sites over 22 years as a freelance contractor and can happily say 95 percent of those bosses paid me on time.

That being said, there is always that one individual or company that goes about hanging you out to dry,… read more

We have $700 worth of services from PSD2HTML.com to giveaway

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:39:38 +0000

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If you’re a busy web designer or web developer, this week’s competition is the perfect solution for your PSD to HTML slicing needs. PSD2HTML.com are giving away $400 worth of services for the winner and $300 for the runner-up.
All you have to do… read more

5 Alternatives to Consider After Spotify’s Free Music Cutoff

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:51:41 +0000

If you’re an early Spotify user, you may be looking for a new, free music-streaming service as Spotify’s six months of free listening comes to an end.

Trendsetting music lovers who signed up for Spotify when it first hit the U.S. on July 14, 2011 will soon encounter roadblocks. For instance,… read more

Apple’s Textbook Venture: What’s the Big Idea?

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:35:28 +0000

The latest scuttlebutt on Apple’s big education announcement next week: the company is venturing into textbooks.

An industry insider confirmed to the New York Times that Apple will, in fact, be partnering with textbook publishers. No new devices will be shown, the source says, but Apple will discuss their new… read more

Why I Don’t Buy Books From Bookstores

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:00:00 +0000

I want to make this crystal clear: I love bookstores. I love going to them and checking out the bookshelves and the magazine racks, and finding some good things to read. I discovered a bunch of books and magazine because of bookstores, including the .net Magazine, the best web development… read more

Blow Up 3

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:54:51 +0000

Image Enlargement Plug-In for Photoshop

It’s hard to avoid artifacts and blur when you need to print an image larger than its current resolution allows. There are several solutions for enlarging an image, and given how far these technologies have come, it’s more about selecting the most appropriate solution for… read more

SPIN to Review Most Albums Via Twitter

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:26:11 +0000

Long-winded music reviews are getting a tune up. SPIN announced on Wednesday that it will be squeezing the majority of its album reviews into 140-character tweets.

SPIN is pulling most of the reviews out of its print magazine and will be tweeting them instead under the handle @SPINreviews.

Senior editor Chris Weingarten… read more

10 Social Good Kickstarter Projects Seeking to Change the World

admin — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:18:23 +0000

Everyone wants to change the world, but the money to do so is rarely available. That’s where Kickstarter comes in.

Although Kickstarter is primarily a funding platform for entrepreneurs of all kinds, activists, humanitarians and other pioneers of social justice can tap this fundraising community to share their projects —… read more

Win a Wibiya Pro plan for one year!

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:51:35 +0000

Source

HTML & CSS Blog Layout – Theme Implementation for WordPress

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:01:22 +0000

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In this tutorial, I’ll teach you how to adapt a simple HTML blog layout into a WordPress theme. We’ll be using this static page as starting point.

Grab the code from Github

The Brilliante Layout project source code for this theme is available on Github, including the… read more

Did 300 Workers at an Xbox 360 Factory Threaten Mass Suicide?

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:14:29 +0000

Three hundred Chinese factory workers who manufacture Microsoft Xbox 360s threatened mass suicide last week, according to unconfirmed reports.

The Foxconn employees threatened to throw themselves off of a factory roof due to a payment dispute, according to Record China and Want China Times. According to these reports, the incident began… read more

It Works For “You”: A User-Centric Guideline To Product Pages

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:34:40 +0000

Product pages for e-commerce websites are often rife with ambitious intentions: Recreate the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. Provide users with every last drop of product information. Build a brand persona. Establish a seamless checkout process.

As the “strong link in any conversion” (Richmond), product pages have so much potential. We can create… read more

A Tribute to The Dreamer – Martin Luther King Jr. Art

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:00:16 +0000

The 1963 TIME Magazine Man of the Year and youngest ever awardee of the Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King Jr. will forever be remembered as the voice that inspired much-needed changes in American society. The speech he delivered during the historical Washington March was widely regarded as one of the… read more

Everything You Need to Know About Travel Photography

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:27:44 +0000

Travel photography is inspirational and exciting by its very nature. The prime goal of travel photography is satisfaction and enjoyment one can get out of it.

For any worthwhile photography, a deliberate and conscious choice is a must. This choice can be of the right film, right shutter speed, right depth… read more

The Art of Creating Proposals your Clients will not Refuse

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:04:15 +0000

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The most successful and important proposal in my life was a quick win. With the ring decision aside, it was based on three fundamentally important ingredients: clarity, timeliness and problem-solving power. My intentions were clear and unambiguous, the offer was made in due time and… read more

10 Full Magazine Layout Templates for InDesign and Photoshop

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:45:19 +0000

10 Full Magazine Layout Templates for InDesign and Photoshop

How To Use Zoom Blur To Add Action In Your Photos

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:05:46 +0000

Most of us own a zoom lens of one type or another. While I have no specific stat, I’ll say 98% of us do. It seems like a good number and might even be low.

With nearly all of you armed with this type of lens, let’s take a look at… read more

These aren’t the fonts you’re looking for…

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:25:29 +0000

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The other day I was on location with a customer, and as they are a secure site I was not allowed to bring my laptop any further than the security locker at the font desk. This I don’t mind as I would usually just leave… read more

Lampetoni Magazine Free WordPress Theme

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:05:19 +0000

Lampetoni Magazine Free WordPress Theme

Weekly Web Design and Development Inspiration – N.120

admin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:15:09 +0000

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This is our weekly selection of our favorite web designs from the past week, thanks to everybody for their recommendations. Feel free to comment and let us know what you think.

Have you tried StylesInspiration yet? It is our web design showcase that aims… read more

Wallpaper of the Week 185 by Perttu Murto

admin — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:21:01 +0000

The wallpaper of this week is an image created by Perttu Murto, a 26-year-old graphic designer, art director and illustrator from Finland. Perttu has been involved in graphics for more than 8 years and his work has been featured in several prestigious design websites and magazines. In 2007 he was… read more

3D Design Fun

admin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:10:26 +0000

Learn some 3D tricks by following along with this design which uses 3D postcards in Photoshop CS5 Extended.

Be Ready When Someone Asks, “What Do You Do?”

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:00:36 +0000

I really like the 60-Second Solutions videos on Entrepreneur.com. I thought that the recent video by communications coach Carmine Gallo on creating a 60 second strategy to tell your story was especially useful.

Sometimes it’s hard to explain to people what it is you really do. Many people hear the… read more

Focal Points In Design Layout

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:04:33 +0000

Why are magazines and books always laid out the same? Even with alternative design, there is a harmony in layout or the reader’s head will explode… or they will just stop reading and skip to the next page. Successful design in publishing, advertising, web design, illustration and anything else that… read more

Adventures In The Third Dimension: CSS 3D Transforms

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:45:54 +0000

Back in 2009, the WebKit development team proposed a new extension to CSS that would allow Web page elements to be displayed and transformed on a three-dimensional plane. This proposal was called 3-D Transforms, and it was soon implemented in Safari for Mac and iOS. About a year later, support… read more

The Top 25 WordPress Themes Of 2011

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:00:16 +0000

One could argue that every year the WordPress platform gets better and better, and 2011 was no different with the release of three major updates: WordPress 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3. We have seen the addition of post formats, advanced taxonomy and custom fields queries, an improved import and export system,… read more

40 Effectively Designed Non-Profit and Charity Web Sites

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:56:45 +0000

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A charity or cause may not need the sleek sales pages of a business on the web, but a poorly designed one could still mean the difference between helping people or failing to do so. Therefore, a non profit website design should be appealing enough… read more

5 Predictions for Online Data in 2012

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:55:45 +0000

Josh Jones-Dilworth is the founder and CEO of Jones-Dilworth, Inc., a public relations consultancy focused on bringing early-stage technologies to market.

In the spirit of the new year, I’ve determined my online data predictions for 2012. And because I’m attempting to make this an annual experiment, let’s begin my looking back… read more

Daily Inspiration #1024

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:12:27 +0000

Create the Ultimate Landing Page With Unbounce

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:00:00 +0000

Launching a new product or service via the web is no easy task in today’s fast-paced market. There’s plenty of competition and many variables involved in determining whether yours will be a success or failure. One of the metrics marketers use to determine how well their promotional web pages are… read more

Wacom Cintiq 24HD

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:00:33 +0000

Pete Collins offers his review of the new Wacom Cintiq 24HD.

Designers’ Guide to Float through the Invoicing Process Successfully

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:44:33 +0000

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Designers are one of the most interesting professionals of the world. They love their work and do it at their best; however, most of them absolutely freak out when the project comes down to the invoicing process. Basically, all creative professionals find it difficult to… read more

Shorty Awards Opens Voting, Adds ‘Best Presidential Candidate’ Category

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:49:29 +0000

The Shorty Awards, an annual crowdsourced contest that honors social media professionals, agencies and brands, launched its nomination phase Wednesday with improved campaign tools and new categories.

Among the new categories Shorty Awards producer Sawhorse Media added this year is “Best Presidential Candidate in Social Media.” As with all categories, people… read more

Kodak Set to Declare Bankruptcy [REPORT]

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:48:05 +0000

Eastman Kodak will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over coming weeks unless it can sell its collection of digital patents, according to a report.

The Wall Street Journal, citing “people familiar with the matter,” reports Kodak is in talks with lenders about $1 billion in funding that would keep the… read more

Daily Inspiration #1023

admin — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:38:37 +0000

How To Create Custom Taxonomies In WordPress

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:51:55 +0000

WordPress 3 introduced custom taxonomies as a core feature. The following release of 3.1 included many features to enhance support of custom taxonomies. Better import and export handling, advanced queries with tax_query, hierarchical support, body classes and a bunch of wonderful functions to play with were all part of the… read more

Stop Designing Pages And Start Designing Flows

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:50:18 +0000

For designers, it’s easy to jump right into the design phase of a website before giving the user experience the consideration it deserves. Too often, we prematurely turn our focus to page design and information architecture, when we should focus on the user flows that need to be supported by… read more

Ten Alternatives to WordPress as a Blogging CMS

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:00:37 +0000

We all know that WordPress is an awesome Content Management System cum Blogging Platform. In fact, it is also the most popular blogging tool all over the internet. Name any other CMS – WordPress eats them all out for lunch!

However, as a web designer/developer/enthusiast, being knowledgeable about an extra CMS… read more

Book Suggestion Illusive 2: Contemporary Illustration and Its Context

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:06:05 +0000

The book suggestion of this week is Illusive 2: Contemporary Illustration and Its Context. This book is really inspiring, there were some amazing illustrations and you can spend ours checking them out. Another amazing thing about this book is that you can always go back and there will always be… read more

Where Are All the Awesome Free News Apps for Mac?

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 04:00:47 +0000

Ever since the release of the Mac App Store, I’ve been waiting for one specific category to take off: News apps. More specifically, innovative and free news apps.

This expectation isn’t some fanciful dream but something that arose out of a clear precedent: the iOS App Store. Today we’ll briefly discuss… read more

Illustrating with the Gradient Mesh Tool

admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:00:37 +0000

Learn the secrets to mastering the gradient mesh tool in Illustrator. This tutorial covers techniques like transparent overlay and adding anchor points, as well as sampling color.

GuideGuide: Free Plugin For Dealing With Grids In Photoshop

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:34:29 +0000

This article is the fourth in our new series that introduces the latest, useful and freely available tools and techniques, developed and released by active members of the Web design community. The first article covered PrefixFree; the second introduced Foundation, a responsive framework; the third presented Sisyphus.js, a library for… read more

Is the traditional business card dead?

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:59:08 +0000

Source

5 Simple Ways to Get Your Work Out There

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:03:21 +0000

One of the hardest things to do when starting out as a designer is to get your name and work out into the world. It can be an intimidating feat, as more designers are popping up all over the globe, but here are a few things you can do to… read more

25 Beautiful Examples of Couple Photography

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:45:19 +0000

25 Beautiful Examples of Couple Photography

6 Tips For Building a High Quality Blog Following

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:25:55 +0000

Shane Snow is a New York-based tech journalist and co-founder of Contently.com, a marketplace for brand publishers and journalists.

In 2010, New York City startup, Birchbox launched a blog about beauty products before it had any customers. The beauty sample delivery service – and its blog – exploded in popularity.

Today, to… read more

Beat the January Blues

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:00:25 +0000

Now that the holidays are over it’s back to the grindstone. However, many businesses and freelancers struggle in January to get rolling. This blog post by Carol Tice on Entrepreneur.com gives some good info on how to beat the January doldrums. I’ve taken the tips that pertain to freelancers… read more

Best of the Vector Web – December 2011

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:00:13 +0000

Each month, we search the web for the best vector-related content and showcase it here for you all to enjoy. This month, we showcase high quality tutorials on creating cubist style logos, speeding up your work in Illustrator and InDesign, and more. We have loads of tutorials, in addition to… read more

Signs that You’re Working with a Bad Developer

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:45:19 +0000

Signs that You’re Working with a Bad Developer

How One Author Found Success With Digital Books

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:19:10 +0000

It’s said that print is dead — and not just newspapers or magazines, but maybe short stories too. After 20 years working in print, former Chicago magazine editor Dick Babcock found the perfect platform for his short story: Kindle Singles.

Babcock’s short story tops the best sellers list on Kindle… read more

5 Steps for Finding New Customers

admin — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:36:41 +0000

Ronald Brown is a successful startup CEO with an extensive background in technology and consumer marketing. His new book, Anticipate. The Architecture of Small Team Innovation and Product Success is available via iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

The subject of finding customers is one of the most mysterious in… read more

2011′s Biggest Winners and Losers in Ecommerce

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:29:01 +0000

In-demand products, unparalleled site design and usability, competitive search engine marketing, continuous innovative, exciting holiday specials — these are just some of the variables that make up a successful ecommerce business.

On the other hand, some of the top pitfalls for Internet retailers include lousy service, uninventive products, confusing corporate messaging… read more

Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: January 2012

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:45:49 +0000

Our Top 20 Posts from 2011

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:22:34 +0000

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2011 has been Speckyboy’s best year yet in terms of growth. More great readers and followers, more great authors, more great sponsors. However, at the core is (hopefully) great content here on Speckyboy. And just to recap some of our best content, here are our… read more

#LastTweet Collects Finals Tweets of Those Who Died in 2011

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:25:38 +0000

The New York TImes Magazine has scoured the web for the final tweets of some of 2011′s biggest personalities and avid tweeters who died this past year.

The magazine features tweets from actress Elizabeth Taylor, war photographer Tim Hetherington, Indy Racer Dan Wheldon, saxophonist Clarence Clemons and more.

Social media is often… read more

8 Ways Digital Will Improve B2B Sales in 2012

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 06:19:48 +0000

Guy Nirpaz is the CEO and co-founder of Totango, which analyzes user actions on SaaS applications, providing sales teams invaluable information in qualifying prospects and prioritizing people to contact who are most likely to buy or renew.

How B2B products and services are purchased and sold is rapidly changing. Some call… read more

Apple’s Museum That Never Was: Why Does Stanford Keep it Secret? [VIDEO]

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:24:09 +0000

Where does the world’s largest collection of Apple-related history live? In a fascinating archive owned and operated by Stanford University.

But good luck actually finding the trove of hardware, software, recorded interviews, revealing documents, candid photos and internal videos. Everything… read more

How Freelance Interning Can Help Your Business

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:00:52 +0000

Looking to give your karma a boost in 2012? Why not consider working for free? Let me clarify: not working for free everyday, but donating your time and experience to help others and to learn from others as well.

Designer Roy Barber has embarked on a project whereby he spends… read more

Facebook 2012: What the Future Holds for the Social Media Powerhouse

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:09:37 +0000

What do you do after your site grows to 800 million users and expands to 1 trillion pageviews per month? Why, plan a $100 billion IPO, of course!

Going public is clearly the biggest thing on tap for Facebook in 2012, but the world’s most populated social network and its users… read more

Freebie: Free Vector Web Icons (91 Icons)

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 23:14:48 +0000

Today’s freebie may be the last one for this year, but that doesn’t mean it will be the last of our freebies on Smashing Magazine — no siree! Before this year does come to an end, we are happy to present to you a fresh new Web UI set includig 91 icons… read more

Internationalizing And Localizing Your WordPress Theme

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:53:37 +0000

An important part of developing a WordPress theme is to prepare it so that users from every corner of the planet can translate its messages to any language. This article covers the basics of internationalization, which is the process of designing a theme in such a way that the end… read more

How to Properly Design a Print CSS Stylesheet

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:41:07 +0000

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Targeting unique CSS styles is a simple process based around media queries. Web designers have been using these techniques for years to much success. Yet in just a short couple of years recently stylesheets have grown in tremendous popularity. Now more than ever it’s important to… read more

Interview with Justin Currie

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:00:26 +0000

Today we are going to meet a young Canadian graphic designer Justin Currie. Despite his youth, he has great artwork and his own recognizable style that he calls Shattered Vector Painting. In this interview Justin shares the technique he uses to create this style. “An artist is always learning, always… read more

Our 50 Favorite Web Designs from 2011

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:39:12 +0000

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Some of the best and brightest trends we’ve seen this year (2011) in web design include responsive web design, single page scrolling websites, the proliferation of slide shows and sliders, the spread of font replacement and parallax scrolling. Some of these new trends may be… read more

13 Location-Based Marketing Tips for Entrepreneurs

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:05:27 +0000

Scott Gerber is the founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes youth entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment. The YEC provides young entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.

You want to deliver marketing… read more

Daily Inspiration #1017

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:10:20 +0000

So You Got a Nook Tablet? Tips for New Users

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:58:48 +0000

If you’re a new owner of a Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet, you’re in for a treat — the sleek device is exceptional for reading magazines and newspapers, surfing the web and storing plenty of exciting apps. Plus, it’s extremely intuitive and easy to use.
SEE ALSO: Nook Tablet [REVIEW]

It… read more

Best Of 2011: Outstanding Collection Of Fresh And Free To Use Icon Sets

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:35:10 +0000

Yet another excellent showcase of some of the fresh and free to use icon sets that have been released in 2011 is presented in this post. In the earlier period, we had posted some very good collections of icon sets which were extremely appraised by our visitors and on their… read more

The Myth Of The Sophisticated User

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:48:51 +0000

As I sat in my local co-working space, shoulder-deep in a design problem on my MacBook Air, I could hear him. He was on the phone, offering screen-by-screen design recommendations to his client for the project they were working on. When this acquaintance of mine arrived at the subject of… read more

6 Game-Changing Digital Journalism Events of 2011

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:40:31 +0000

The year 2011 brought extraordinary progress for online journalism.

From breaking news curation to new revenue models, many an organization put its best digital foot forward. Social media became more tightly integrated into reporting and overall strategy, while mobile app creation and content optimization were no longer a nice-to-have, but… read more

Design Tips for Building Magazine-Style WordPress Themes

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:38:33 +0000

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The move from physical to digital magazine content is an exciting process. Over just the past few years we have witnessed thousands of new brands and templates begin to surface. Magazine editors have wisely chosen the Internet as a medium to share their news stories.

This… read more

Twitter 2012: Bigger and More Ads

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:58:10 +0000

People predicted rioting when Twitter decided to post ads within its feeds. However, those protests never materialized. Instead, Twitter was used to mobilize protests in the streets in Egypt, Yemen and Tunesia.

The two instances are related. As Twitter became a globally recognized entity, it also began efforts to monetize itself… read more

Who Are You Trying To Impress?

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:33:32 +0000

As a young creative, I had dreams of being famous. I wanted to be admired, loved and I suppose part of that was also for revenge on my more obnoxious classmates. Is that shocking? Ask yourself if you were any different? Ask yourself if you still feel that way. You… read more

Teach Them How To Hit The Ground Running And Faceplant At The Same Time?

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:14:51 +0000

A few days ago, a tutorial on how to Create A Christmas Wish List With PHP was published on Smashing Magazine’s Coding section that frustrated me. It frustrated me as it was incredibly easy to predict the comment reactions it caused. It also frustrated me as it was a classic… read more

Retro Video Game Posters and Official Artwork

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:16:26 +0000

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The gaming industry has undergone some mindblowing changes in just a few decades. It seems like only last year that Super Nintendo games were skyrocketing into stardom. Yet now in closing of 2011 we’re seeing brilliant HD graphics running through custom PC rigs, PlayStation 3,… read more

Part-time jobs for creatives that help your business sense

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:11:25 +0000

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So You Got a Kindle Fire? Try Our First-Timer Guide

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:24:19 +0000

If you’ve recently purchased or been gifted a Kindle Fire, congratulations! You’re now the owner of one of the best tablets on the market, in our opinion.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Kindle Fire, iPad’s First True Competitor [REVIEW]

Now it’s time to begin taking advantage of your device, courtesy of our handy little… read more

44 Photoshop Web Design Layout Tutorials

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:10:39 +0000

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In this roundup we have collected 44 outstanding photoshop tutorials. Enjoy these over your holiday!

Design a creative portfolio in Photoshop

How to create a colorful business web layout

Create A Detailed Solid Dark Layout In Photoshop

How to create a One-Page Website Design in Adobe… read more

Mashable Weekend Recap: 36 Stories You May Have Missed

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:14:30 +0000

With the sound of sleighbells still jangling in our half-frozen ears, we plowed through our Christmas rituals and at the same time kept on working the wires, looking for the best news the world had to offer our steadfast weekend readership. Yes, we are multitaskers.

And you know what? We had… read more

The Pros & Cons of Google+ for Small Business

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:59:53 +0000

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

For big brands, Google+ is probably a good investment — but is Google+ an efficient use of time for small businesses?

Google unveiled Google+ brand pages in November,… read more

53 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

admin — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:04:31 +0000

With the holidays in full swing, that means the new year is just around the corner. Here at Mashable, we’ve been reflecting on the changes 2011 has brought for technology and social media and what those changes mean for the future.

If you’ve been busy decking the halls and getting… read more

Merry Christmas and Thank You

admin — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:09:36 +0000

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It has been an amazing 2011 for Speckyboy. This was our first full year of daily publishing, we expanded our categories to cover almost all aspects of design from the web and mobile design to graphic design, from freebies and resources, from opinion pieces to… read more