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Posts Tagged ‘web’
Freelance User Interface Design Tips to Impress the Best Clients
2/8/2009 10:46 AM By Catherine TUsability experts are perceived as Interface Designers that focus on user-centered design websites that stress simplicity. That is not an undesired perception, but it overlooks the complexity of arriving at a creation that emphasizes user Interface Design principles that increase client revenue and net profit. Usability Designer tips are incomplete if these critical interface components are not stressed as strongly as you feature your portfolio.
Display, on paper and during interviews, that you have developed a wonderfully efficient process and technique that helps you design the impressive websites shown in your portfolio. Convince prospective clients that, as aesthetically pleasing as your designs are, they also employ usability engineering tools that feature the following.
- Simple and consistent navigation functions for users.
- User-familiar icons and other conventions.
- Information organization that makes it simple for users to retrieve information quickly, often in three clicks or less.
- Minimum of user scrolling necessities to find answers.
- No overuse of graphical design to distract users.
Stressing your process and technique in this manner reinforces your expertise and makes prospective clients more comfortable with and confident in your ability. Consider using only the top sources for a usability professional, like ArtisanTalent.com, as they can introduce you to the best clients with the best projects.
What Does CSS Stand For?
1/20/2009 1:32 PM By Catherine T CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. This is the styling language that allows you to set the look and feel of a Web site as a freelance Web developer. Any changes you want to make, from the type of fonts and size of those fonts to the placement of the text, the margins and background colors can be controlled using CSS. This
freelance web developer tool can be placed in the head of an HTML document to define the styles for the entire Website, or it can be used as an embedded style sheet to change the look of individual pages or groups of pages. CSS allows you to import other style sheets and create "inline styles" for a specific portion of a website.
Every time a specific feature appears in your Website, the style can be controlled using CSS. It is designed to tell the Web browser software not only what fonts, colors and margins to use, but also which style sheets have priority in the presence of multiple styles. It's a simple language (compared to HTML) which provides much of the aesthetic power of a Website.
Artisan: Location And Representation
10/15/2008 7:24 PM By Catherine TAlthough our roots are in Chicago, we have expanded over time to serve other key areas in the United States as well. These days Artisan has a roster that includes A-List talent in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
We serve over 2,000 companies across the nation from a talent pool of 8,000 artists–and we are always welcoming more of the best and brightest into our ranks.
We have grown and adapted throughout the years to continually be in a position of strength from which we can best serve our clients. If you have worked with us, you know what we are talking about already. If you haven't yet given us the opportunity to serve you, we encourage you to get in touch and let us know what you need–or what you have to offer. We love hearing from talented people as well as those who are looking to employ them.
If you are searching for the perfect match for your skills in print, marketing or on the Web, know that these are our areas of specialty. Graphic designers, brand managers and Web designers are among the many fields we represent, and since "Matching Talent with Success" is our founding principle, you can be sure that your every need will be attended to.
What Should I Know About PHP?
9/21/2008 1:31 PM By Catherine TPHP is described as an HTML-embedded scripting language. It's designed to help design Web pages quickly and easily. If you want to learn how to do freelance web developer jobs using PHP, there are many ways to learn PHP. One good way to learn is to try customizing existing PHP scripts you can download from tutorial sites. Tinker with someone else's script and try to make it your own creation. Through trial and error you will soon learn plenty about what works in PHP and what causes your code to stop functioning properly. To do this you'll need to learn how to redirect pages with PHP, basic tags, variables, how to use the If statement and much more.
What else do you need to know in order to tinker with PHP? Get a solid foundation in HTML, especially HTML forms. You may wish to include basic programming in your study. It's not absolutely necessary, but those who understand basic programming concepts will make the leap to PHP more quickly and easily. Once you begin to understand the basics of PHP you can do a Google search for helpful items such as PHP cheat sheets and PHP forms which don't require additional knowledge of PHP to implement.
Checking For Proper Function
9/9/2008 1:43 PM By Catherine TIt may seem like common sense, but functionality is one of the most overlooked items when it comes to Web design. If a designer creates a site with "dead" links, or one that generates errors on certain pages, it takes away from the overall appeal and usefulness of the Website. For this reason, designers should check each and every page; and every link on them. Double-checking work is one of the most crucial good web design practices, and it is the mark of a true professional. It is the perfect way to catch any issues–before the client does.
It can help to have a system or checklist for this type of review; that way you can be sure that you have covered every page on the Website. The hyperlinks should all work, bringing the viewer to the desired page. Any forms that were developed for the site should function as well, so be sure and try them out to be on the safe side. Once this step is complete, you can inform the client that the Website has been tested thoroughly and is ready to use.
Do I Need a Website?
8/28/2008 12:09 PM By ArtisanEvery freelancer should have a website. It is probably worth the money to buy your own domain name and hosting (though it is also worth shopping around for good deals on these services). Use a version of your name or your business name for the domain name, making it as short and easy to remember as possible. If you are not a web professional, do not use your marketing site as a chance to teach yourself HTML. Hire a professional (you may be able to barter your professional services), or at the very least pay a pro to go over your work. What should your site contain? At a minimum, it should present your expertise, samples of your work, and contact information. Depending on your marketing plan, you may also want to use a website, blog, or newsletter to share information about your field as a way of building a reputation.
What is Javascript?
8/20/2008 1:32 PM By ArtisanJavascript is a language used in current web technologies applications to let Websites do things like change background colors, open new windows or document boxes, and process Web forms. It is used in what's known as "client-side" Web development. Do you want to accept freelance web development jobs where you are required to create popup windows, web forms that are automatically validated or other functions? Javascript is the language you can use to do these tasks.
Javascript performs these functions rapidly because the script is executed in the browser rather than from the Web host's server. Javascript can be used to detect the user's keystrokes, so it can be a powerful addition to your skills for many in-demand Web 2.0 technologies your future clients may wish to add to their websites. Javascript also has plenty of uses outside Web site development; Javascript can be used in PDF files, OpenOffice applications, and music signal processing software.
Creating An Image In Photoshop
8/3/2008 11:53 AM By ArtisanIf you are trying to create a new image for the Web in Photoshop, there are a few steps you need to take regardless of whether you are working on creative graphic design or information architect jobs. The first thing you need to do is open a "new" page. When you do this, a dialogue box will appear and you will need to fill in certain information. Decide on a name for your new file and enter that in the appropriate box. You can always change it later when you are saving the file if you want to.
Next, you will need to specify both the width and the height that you want the image to be. What these numbers are will depend on your project. Be sure you are working in pixels when you do this. After that, you will need to enter the resolution. When you are working on the Web, 72 ppi (pixels per inch) is the number you should type in. As for "mode," make sure it is set to RGB. The last thing you select is the "contents," which for Web design, typically is "transparent." Once you have these things checked off, you are ready to begin working on your new document.
Multimedia Applications
6/28/2008 1:44 PM By ArtisanThese days there is a big demand for multimedia applications on Websites. The best practices for Web design call for multimedia that serves a purpose, not just content that is used to fill up a site. Video content should enhance the Website rather than be a distraction, so anything that is selected should be done carefully. The following questions may help you decide whether multimedia should be used:
- Will it enhance the messaging or help inform the viewer?
- Will it distract from the other information on the Website?
- How much content is needed?
- What is the quality of any multimedia applications that are available?
Captioning is a smart move when it comes to multimedia applications, as it clarifies the content. It is also helpful to keep in mind the fact that long download times are undesirable. Using multimedia can be beneficial if it is done well; so take the time to reflect on how it might work for you before you include it.
Contact an Artisan representative today for more help.
