Another Poem Added and Other News
May 22, 2006
My friend Frits, sent me another lovely poem which can be viewed here.
I will be creating some new XHTML templates over the next few days.
Stay tuned.
Snazzy Wordpress Plugins
May 20, 2006
Just when I thought I was done with tweaking this site…
I’ve just installed some cool Wordpress plugins and was able to do some tweaking to the plugins I already had.
- Fixed ContactForm so that the CSS it wrote to the Wordpress pages is now in my main template CSS file. No more messy code!
- Installed QuickTags for comments. Now we can click a button to insert html into the comments
- Installed Static Home Page plugin which I will activate once I write the content for an intro page
That’s it for now. It’s a holiday weekend here in Canada so I think I will try to get in some R&R! Right! If I can tear myself away from this computer, that is.
Fluid or Fixed Width Web Designs?
May 19, 2006
There are defintiely pros and cons for either. I tend to design both styles depending on the needs of my client.
Fixed-width designs tend to give the designer a little more control of the layout. The trouble is some designers are creating fixed widths for 1024 x 768 resolution, completely forgetting that a good percentage of people, like myself, have their monitors set to 800 x 600. I have it set that way because frankly, it’s easier on my eyes.
I wear specially tinted and magified glasses for the computer as it is. I don’t need more eyestrain! So when a designer creates a fixed width design, it should still accomodate those users with 800 x 600 resolution.
Fluid designs are great because they are more accessible to users with various other devices. The design stretches across the screen in higher resolutions and with just a couple of CSS tweaks, you can make the content stop stretching beyond a certain width.
I can’t wait until all browsers conform to the current web standards. Then CSS tags like max-width might actually work the way they’re supposed to. And then maybe more designers would create fluid designs more often.
Should Writing Be Part of a Freelance Web Designer’s Skillset?
May 16, 2006
Late last night I was browsing through some online articles to get some ideas. I ran across an article about web designers and the author thought that writing is an important skill a web designer should have.
The author writes:
It’s the designer’s job to think about your site the way a user does, and tell them what they need to hear, and when they need to hear it. A designer worth their salt will be able to do it. And if your designer says, “I’m not a writer,†it may be time to find one who is.
and:
…Design is about communication, and it takes more than pixels to communicate.
I have to agree in part. I have received content before from clients whose sites I’ve designed and I’ve cringed at the poorly worded text and spelling errors. So I’ve had to suggest tactfully other ways of saying the same thing. I’ve definitely added Copy Editing to my list of services because nothing’s worse than creating a nice site for someone only to have it filled with crappy content.
Sometimes the clients don’t want you to edit anything because maybe they’re on a tight budget. So after patiently explaining to them that they need to appear professional and their content quality is far more important than the snazzy design I’m creating for them, the decision is ultimately the clients’. Time is money so it makes sense not to waste time trying to reason with a client who has his or her mind made up.
The bottom line is this: to me a site is great only if it has good quality content that’s well-written and if it means learning to write copy well so that your fabulous design stands out even more, why not give that client the extra service by offering to copy edit if the project needs it.
New Poetry Added and Other News
May 15, 2006
I’ve just created a new page for Poetry Submissions. Thanks to my friend Frits for his submission.
I’ve decided I will create 1 free XHTML web template a week. Perhaps you can make suggestions of the kinds of themes you would like to see me design. Feel free to contact me with your ideas.
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