Learn Web Design - Digital Marketing Journals Hong Kong

15Jan

By Eric KarkovackNo Comments

building website, creating a website, google web designer, internet design, Learn Web Design, social media, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design

Learning to Appreciate Great Content

The web is teeming with content. There are articles, videos, and podcasts to serve every niche. And we can’t forget about the many newsletters out there. That certainly applies to web design and all its subgenres. Perhaps we should be celebrating this golden age of content creation. Publishing is easier than ever. We can learn just about anything we want on demand. How cool is that? It’s worth wondering if we’re pushing the limits of the human mind, though. There’s so much content that we can become overwhelmed. It may also lead us to devalue those who create it. For example, consider your social media habits. How many times have you “liked” content – even if you didn’t bother to read it? I find myself doing this quite often. The act represents a tiny show of support – which is fine. But i...

How Old-School Technologies Still Shape Web Development

20Dec

By Eric KarkovackNo Comments

building website, creating a website, google web designer, internet design, jQuery, Learn Web Design, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design

How Old-School Technologies Still Shape Web Development

We may think of web design as a high-tech industry. And it does see its share of new tools and techniques. But its old-school roots are still quite apparent. If you look closely, you’ll find decades-old technology. And it’s not limited to outdated websites. The fingerprints of the past are all over cutting-edge sites as well. Sure, many of these technologies have evolved. Others have faded into the background. But we still rely on them. Perhaps more than we think. With that, here’s a look at the old-school tech that continues to shape the web development industry. The Web Designer's Toolbox Unlimited Downloads: HTML & Bootstrap Templates, WordPress Themes & Plugins, and much, much more! Apache HTTP Server Apache is no longer the top dog in web servers. However, the platform still...

9Aug

By Eric KarkovackNo Comments

building website, creating a website, Freelance Business, Freelance Career, Freelance Design, google web designer, internet design, Learn Web Design, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design

Advice for Being a Good Design Mentor

The web design community is supportive and giving. Being a part of it is a perk of the job. Many members are willing to share their knowledge and help others. Mentoring is part of the tradition. But we don’t necessarily seek out these opportunities. They tend to happen organically. As such, it can be a challenge to advise another designer. You want to make a positive impact. Yet it’s also important to respect boundaries. Nobody wants to become a nuisance or overbearing. The goal is to help others find their way. Provide sound advice and give them the benefit of your experience. It’s a foundation they can build upon. That’s what being a good design mentor is all about. Here are some tips for helping others live their dream. Show Kindness and Empathy If another web designer approaches you fo...

How to Start Testing Your Website with a Screen Reader

20Apr

By Eric KarkovackNo Comments

Accessibility, building website, creating a website, google web designer, internet design, Learn Web Design, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design

How to Start Testing Your Website with a Screen Reader

There’s no doubt as to the importance of building accessible websites. It’s a constant topic of discussion in the web design community. And, in my opinion, most designers want to get it right. Accessibility impacts all of us in one way or another. Whether it’s the particular words used in a blog post or the ability to navigate from page to page – it matters. But if you’re not someone who relies on assistive technology like a screen reader, there can be a disconnect. It’s all too easy to overlook how a given feature affects users. That’s likely because we haven’t tested it in that context. I admit that I’ve struggled in this area. And I’m betting that there are plenty of other designers who have as well. My privilege as a sighted user who navigates via a mouse hasn’t always led me to consid...

The Line between Custom Websites and DIY is Becoming Blurred

22Mar

By Eric KarkovackNo Comments

building website, CMS, creating a website, google web designer, internet design, Learn Web Design, Learn WordPress, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design, WordPress, WordPress Gutenberg, WordPress Themes

The Line between Custom Websites and DIY is Becoming Blurred

For much of recent history, a sizeable segment of professional web designers turned up their collective noses at DIY website builders. You know, those products that promise literally anyone can build a site with minimal effort. This makes sense on a couple of fronts. First, the marketing hype rarely held up when viewing the results these tools produced. Second, they might also be seen as an existential threat to designers who work with smaller clients. But a funny thing happened along the way: many of the tools we use to create custom websites are adding no-code features. For example, WordPress has joined the party with Full Site Editing (FSE). And page builder interfaces are becoming the default across the board. The line between custom and DIY is becoming increasingly blurred. What does ...

The Grumpy Designer’s Cure for Massive Expectations

18Aug

By Eric KarkovackNo Comments

building website, creating a website, Design Clients, Freelance Clients, Freelance Design, google web designer, Grumpy Designer, internet design, Learn Web Design, responsive web design, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design

The Grumpy Designer’s Cure for Massive Expectations

Ever since the beginning of time (or the mid-1990s), much has been expected of web designers. In those early days, we were not only focused on learning HTML, but mastering graphic design as well. There weren’t a lot of official learning paths. Thus, our skills were often developed on the job. What’s changed? Well, we still need to know HTML and graphics. Oh, along with CSS, JavaScript, MySQL, PHP, responsive design, accessibility best practices and how a Tesla works. If there’s time left over, it might also be useful to know SEO and social media, too. As if that weren’t enough, there’s the whole issue of dealing with clients. We’re expected to soothe the panicky ones, teach the technophobes and resolve issues surrounding design politics. It seems we’re stuck in a dimension somewhere betwee...

How to Target Design Elements with the CSS :not Pseudo-Class

1Jun

By Eric KarkovackNo Comments

building website, creating a website, CSS, CSS Layouts, CSS Snippets, CSS tutorials, google web designer, internet design, Learn Web Design, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design

How to Target Design Elements with the CSS :not Pseudo-Class

Consistency is good practice in all areas of web design. On the front end, it makes for a better user experience. Under the hood, maintenance becomes more efficient. Yet there are times when a specific part of a design doesn’t quite fit the mold. It may be a one-off design feature that is utilized on a single page or area of a site. For example, home pages often include elements that don’t carry over to secondary pages. Individual blog posts might also require a certain formatting of their own. The trouble is that the HTML markup may be same throughout the website. Think of a WordPress theme that has the same structure for every page. How can you target only specific instances of an element? This is where the CSS :not pseudo-class comes in handy. It allows you to target elements that do no...

How Teaching Will Help You Become the Best Designer You Can Be

21Apr

By Addison DuvallNo Comments

building website, creating a website, design, google web designer, internet design, Learn Web Design, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design

How Teaching Will Help You Become the Best Designer You Can Be

It’s been said many times that, if you want to learn more, you should teach. Taking on proteges, apprentices, students – whatever you want to call them – who will appreciate and absorb your knowledge not only boosts your ego, it can also help you learn and grow as a designer. And no, you don’t have to become an actual teacher at a school or university. Even something as simple as writing a blog post or a tutorial can be immensely informative for you as well as your readers. But what, specifically, does teaching help you learn from a design perspective? We’re going to explore some of the key ways that teaching will help you become the best designer you can be. If that’s not an incentive to get out there and impart your wisdom, I don’t know what is. The Web Designer Toolbox Unlimited Downlo...

Why Thinking Ahead Is Crucial in Web Design

18Mar

By Eric KarkovackNo Comments

Accessibility, building website, creating a website, google web designer, internet design, Learn Web Design, Typography Design, ux design, UX Prototype, web design, web design company, web designer, web page design, website builder, website design, Wireframing

Why Thinking Ahead Is Crucial in Web Design

The difference between building a great website and a mediocre one is usually determined very early on. It’s often a matter of a web designer painting their project into a virtual “corner”. That’s where a design becomes inflexible and unable to accommodate various use cases. This tends to happen in the prototyping phase. We spend lots of time and creative energy on an idea that looks awesome. Our clients might love it just as much as we do. But only when we actually start to build it do we begin to fully understand the consequences. A design mockup serves as a compass for our website projects. If we fail to think ahead with regards to what certain elements require, it could mean being stuck in a bad situation. The end result is a site that has to make some serious compromises in order to w...