Blog - Web Design
A - Z of Web Design Jargon
Read the guide to web design industry jargon. A tool to help you understand what web designers are talking about!
The peeps at Smashing Magazine have very kindly compiled a comprehensive list of web design jargon. The list is ideal for anyone starting out in web design, or for anyone who is looking to have a new website designed. Some of the technical terms and acronyms that web designers use can be very confusing for anyone, so the list is very handy indeed! In addition, Smashing Magazine have also provided resources for each term for more in-depth information.
So if you don’t know your Front-End from your Plug-In, then this list is ideal.
Here are some of the web design terms in more explaination:
Breadcrumb
Breadcrumbs are the bit of navigation elements that generally appear near the top of a give web page that show you the pages and subpages the appear before the page you’re on. For examples, on a blog, the breadcrumbs might look something like: Home > Category > Year > Month > Post (or they might be a lot simpler that that). The breadcrumbs term comes from the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel.”
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Also referred to simply as CSS, Cascading Style Sheets are used to define the look and feel of a web site outside of the actual HTML file(s) of the site. In recent years, CSS has replaced tables and other HTML-based methods for formatting and laying out websites. The benefits to using CSS are many, but some of the most important are the simplification of a site’s HTML files (which can actually increase search engine rankings) and the ability to completely change the style of a site by changing just one file, without having to make changes to content.
Favicon
Favicons are tiny (generally 16×16 pixels, though some are 32×32 pixels), customizable icons displayed in the web address bar in most browsers next to the web address. They’re either 8-bit or 24-bit in color depth and are saved in either .ico, .gif or .png file formats.
HTML
Stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It’s the primary language used to write web pages. HTML is primarily intended as a way to provide content on websites (with CSS handling the layout and stylistic options), though it can also be used to determine how that content is displayed.
Usability
Usability refers to how easy it is for a visitor to your site to use your site in its intended manner. In other words, are navigation, content, images, and any interactive elements easy to use, functioning the way they were intended, and that your intended target visitor will not need any special training in order to use your site.
To see the full list: A-Z list of Web Design Industry Jargon click here
If you have any other web design terms that your not sure about, please let us know and we’ll try our best to give you a non technical explanation.
Domain Names
Choosing the right domain name for your company
I read this very interesting blog post on the startups website about choosing the right domain name for your company. They mention a very important acronym that’s worth remembering the next time you are deciding on what to call your website;
RAIL
R - Recall
How easy is it to recall the name?
A - Aesthetics
How does the name look? How will it look on business cards and company literature?
I - Impressions
First impressions are crucial, so choose your name carefully
L - Length
Web addresses are limited to the 26 letters of the English alphabet, ten numerals and a hyphen - 37 characters in all. When picking a name, less is more. A short name is preferable to a long one.
Webby Award Winners Announced
The 13 Annual Webby Awards has finally announced the winners and losers for 2009
With over 70 categories, the Webby Awards Winners, Nominees and Honorees include beautiful websites, interactive websites, and sites that excel in usability and functionality. The very very best websites however, have all these characteristics.
The Webby Awards
The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy, the Webbys are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member body of leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities.
Some of the winners from this years awards include:
Websites Category
BEST COPY/WRITING
NYTimes.com
http://NYTimes.com
BEST HOME/WELCOME PAGE
adidas.com homepage
http://www.adidas.com
BEST USE OF ANIMATION OR MOTION GRAPHICS
Coraline Website
http://coraline.com/
BEST USE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
The Big Picture
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture
BEST USE OF TYPOGRAPHY
Wordle
http://www.wordle.net/
BEST VISUAL DESIGN - AESTHETIC
The Turbo Gene Test
http://www.saab.com/turbogenetest
BEST VISUAL DESIGN - FUNCTION
NIKEiD
http://www.rga.com/award/nikeid.html
BLOG - BUSINESS
5 Blogs Before Lunch
http://www.5blogsbeforelunch.com
BLOG - CULTURE/PERSONAL
1000 Awesome Things
http://www.1000awesomethings.com
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
Seymourpowell
http://www.seymourpowell.com
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
cake-factory
http://www.cake-factory.com
SELF-PROMOTION/PORTFOLIO
Thank You begins with a T.
http://www.thisisgrow.com/awards/thankyou/
Interactive Advertising Category
BANNER CAMPAIGNS
Volkswagen Innovations
http://www.achtung.nl/awards/2008/volkswageninnovations/
EMAIL MARKETING
Be Aware
http://216.31.180.181/entries/beAware/woman.htm
ONLINE CAMPAIGNS
IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD
http://kungsgrillen.se/iaawcampaign/
ONLINE GUERILLA MARKETING
Wario Land Shake it!
http://www.awards.goodbysilverstein.com/2009/wario_youtube/
RICH MEDIA ADVERTISING: BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS
TheLadders.com $100K Experiment
http://100k.theladders.com/
RICH MEDIA ADVERTISING: BUSINESS-TO-CONSUMER
Nike SPARQ
http://www.rga.com/award/sparq.html
VIRAL MARKETING
Diesel XXX SFW
http://www.break.com/index/sfw-porn-clips.html
Click here to see the full list of Winners and Nominees for the Webby Awards 2009
Tips to Help Your Website Convert
Design to Sell: Here are 15 Useful Tips to Help Your Website Increase Sales!
I read 2 very interesting articles in smashing magazine this week, about converting your website into a selling tool.
A good looking website may help with making your brand stronger, but good looks alone aren’t enough to sell the products or services that you offer. For that, you need to introduce the element of marketing.
The 15 points covered include:
1. Subliminal Suggestion
2. Prevent Choice Paralysis
3. Show The Product
4. Let People Try It
5. AIDA
6. Guide attention
7. Always Provide Next Actions
8. The Gutenberg rule
9. A/B Testing
10. Footnotes: The Good and the Bad Ones
11. Testimonials
12. Scannable Feature Lists
13. Streamline The Sign-Up Process
14. White Space Is Not Lost Space
15. Set your type properly
To read these very helpful articles in full detail:
Click here for the first article
Click here for second article
I hope you enjoy!
What’s Really Important for Your Website
A list of 5 important things, that will really make your website work for you!
We read a very interesting article today by Paul Boag. It was written exclusively for the Webdesigner Depot. It gives a list of the 5 things that have the biggest impact on a client’s website.
1. The client is the secret to a successful website
This point talks about how it is not only the web designer who makes a successful website. It is the clients dedication and decisions that shapes a website.
2. Clients have a diverse and challenging role
Clients need to realise that they have many roles to play when running a website and it can’t all be left to the web designer. Sooner or later the web designer will hand over the website to the client.
3. Clients identify problems, designers provide solutions
Problems can occur when clients try to find solutions to problems instead of relying on their web designer
4. Sites should evolve
This point explains why it is more beneficial to evolve a website instead of starting from scratch and re-designing a website. Keeping it updated and investing in your website is key.
5. Content is king - Act like it!
Why employ a web designer to create a nice looking website, and not have great content to go with it? That’s what copywriters are for!
Ive just summarized the points made by Paul Boag, if you would like to read more on this article - please click here
Paul Boag is the founder of UK Web design agency Headscape, author of the Website Owners Manual and host of award-winning Web design podcast Boagworld.com.
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