Simply Design Group

Like everything in life, web design trends come and go, and the only constant is change. Remember when Flash websites were a dream come true?  As with all technology, the online world is defined to quick movements. Understanding what the days will bring is therefore deemed impossible. Design can be fickle, and it's future can’t be predicted.  Or maybe it can...

We cannot tell the future, but if we had to, we would put our money on the following trends for 2012.  Start considering them now before you are left behind:

Think you're already a social media expert??  Ahh not so fast!!  Well if you think you are, you might be - but I hope to at least provide some insight for you that you may not already know.  Last week I attended a very informative boot camp on social media presented by a local marketing firm called Splash Media and I wanted to share some highlights with our readers.

Last week I attended a very informative boot camp on social media presented by a local marketing firm called Splash Media.  Lately I've been feeling the pressure to begin using social media as a marketing platform for our firm but I wasn't sure where to start.  So, I went to the boot camp hoping to learn some good "next-step" strategies.  I'm not sure where you find yourself as it relates to social media, but today starts a series of blogs on social media that I hope gives you some insight on 3 things:  1) What social media is  2) How you can use it and 3) Why you should/should not use it.

[kuh-myoo-ni-kay-shuhn]: is the activity of conveying meaningful information

I had a first this morning.  I just had my first ever meeting with a communications specialist.  Being in this business nearly 8 years I have a sense that I've seen everything there is in web development:  designers, developers, copywriters, SEO specialists, account managers, and server administrators.  I often wonder, "What direction is the web going to go?  I think I got my answer today.  I sat down with Stephanie Santos-McCleese to discuss the web presence piece of an overall communications strategy for a client of hers.

If you are waiting to see if mobile websites are really the way to go, wait no longer.  Remember when no one was really sure if the whole "internet thing" and "webpages" were going to last?  Well, they did and so are mobile devices.  The two have already furiously merged and are soon to become one it the same. 

We already know that websites are now accessed more often by mobile devices than computers, and new studies suggest that one day desktop computers will be obsolete.  Don't believe me?  Think about this:  What gives value to products like software, mobile devices, 3G networks, and WiFi?

Have you been seeing these distorted looking bar codes in magazines, catalogs, or other print materials?  Do you know what it is?  If you haven't seen them, keep your eyes open - they are popping up everywhere.  But how does this apply to you and how does it relate to web design?

This week we will be focusing on great web design tools that can help save valuable time when designing a website.  Our first look this week is at i2 Style from SciWeavers, a typeset style generator.  We could go into a long list of reasons for why typeset is important, but that's another article for another day. 

SciWeavers creates free online productivity tools.

Here's the short and sweet about i2 Style:

• Select Best Typeset Style from Several Variations
• Font Variations (Typeface & Size)
• Color Variations (Text Color & Background color)
• Shadow Variations (Text Shadow & Box Shadow)
• Border Variations (Rounded Corners, Style, & Color)
• Design CSS3 Buttons, Badges, Banners, and more
• Automatic Generation of CSS & HTML Sample Code
• No Registration, No Email

There are quite a few choices to make when you decide offer an e-commerce/shopping cart feature on your website.  Most of what I am about to explain is not something people consider when they begin this process, but it is all very essential and very important to get it right.  The reason why most people are not aware of these steps is because it's all "behind the scenes" stuff that you wouldn't know existed - until now.