Graphic Design Skills

Long before computers were invented, graphic design by way of the hand has been around and thriving. Although graphic design as a discipline is fairly new, the word having only been invented around 1922, throughout humankind's history, the process of cooperation between a client and a designer to form art that conveys a message is ever present. Such is the very nature of graphic design - to be informative and to open the audience's eyes to a particular idea or expression. Examples, visual communication, include poster making, logos, seals and fonts. Designing these involves skills necessarily honed and improved over time.

One skill important to graphic designers is proficiency in the visual arts. The art they produce, whether traditional or computer-generated, is primarily visual, and so are the audiences - therefore they must be able to utilize their designs in a way that would be pleasing and memorable to the target audiences' eyes. Another one is proficiency in typography, or the art of designing, modifying and arranging type glyphs. This deals with the font designs in the produced art too, which especially needs to be understood by the audience. Properly arranging the type characters ensure that the message is conveyed the best way possible.

Of equal note, or perhaps more so, is the page layouting. Page layout is a major concern in graphic design, be it hand copied books, print media, digital advertisements or magazine layouts. As said earlier, page layout may be the most important part in the design process - who would want to read something that induces a headache by its swirl of unintelligible colors, images and text? If the mission is to communicate a message, having below average layouts are a definite setback. Making sure that the page is easily understood and not in anyway cluttered and messy is a responsibility that is ever on the shoulders of a talented graphic designer.

Like the page layout, which is its counterpart in print, interface design is also an integral part in graphic design. The explosion of the Internet brought about a lot of changes in different disciplines, where they also have to focus in designing interactive websites and softwares. Logo designing also falls in this section. Another important skill would be chromatics, or the organization of color in print and screen. Coordinating color, especially in the case of computer monitors is essential to ensure the target audiences' continued patronization.

Through the ages, designing has taken many different forms, transforming to meet the demands and the needs of the people, its targeted audience. Utilize the technologies available in our times today - traditional pen and paper methods are still important, of course, but computer mediated designing is becoming more widespread day by day. Practice skills that help hone the technical and artistic skills, but also remember to stimulate the mind, probably the most important tool for graphic design. Let imagination and inspiration take over. Observing other designs will also help a lot in improving the skills needed in graphic designs.

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Magento Designer - Create Business Friendly Sites a Hassle-Free Way

Modern day website designers do not like to go through all the hassles and complicated procedures as they always aim at making the sites as simply as possible. Such simplicity is sought-after to create user friendly sites that will surely result in more business for the clients. Magento designer can easily ensure such a website with this powerful e-commerce solution. There are varied reasons for a website designer to opt for these solutions.

First of all, a designer using Magento is equipped with more customization power, implying that you are at ease to update the feel and look of your store as per its category and level of product. This gives more flexibility in the form of promotional and marketing power. You can also have access to the store that has limitless unique design. Many designers fail to place every product in its own page of customize information. But Magento can quickly customize the products as per category bases without complications.

Magento designer is now frequently preferred also for its unique ability to quickly load many themes immediately. This also means that few key strokes are enough to enable you in swapping default store design and temporary or specific events.

You are no more dependent on a programmer for simplest of the tasks if you are a Magento designer as the e-commerce solution is object-oriented program. Template tags from any of the template files allow you easier access to all modules. So as a designer, your work on a website goes on uninterrupted.

Another useful aspect of Magento designer is its unique modular template system that reduces the amount of (X) HTML. The modular of Magento can immediately tell you where you are going wrong so that you do not have to waste time in finding out the unclosed mark up that a validator has indicated at.

Overall, with Magento, a designer is at complete ease in creating of websites of varied sizes as per the requirement of a business. Magento designer is capable of carving out the templates and themes that are modern and clean and easier to handle, especially when compared to other e-commerce solutions.

James Allen is the author of this article. For more information about Magento Designer and Magento Development Company please follow this link Magento Web Designer.

2 Ways You Can Get Graphics For Your Website

When creating your website, you have to consider the kind of website graphics that you will use. Proper graphics instill confidence your users and allow you to increase your conversion rates if done right. Having the right kind of graphics can highlight your website content, and make users feel as if you're a big company.

To get the best kind of graphics available, you should hire the use of a professional website designer. They usually cost more than purchasing your website graphics, but the results that you get in return is stellar. It usually is well worth the money and your website sales will skyrocket.

If you figure out that you can't afford to hire a professional website graphics designer, then you should consider using pre-made graphics for your website. These graphics usually come in JPEG or PSD format, and are easily customizable for your use. We will take a look at some of the graphics that you can find online for your website and how you can put them to use today.

1) Free graphics

There are a ton of free website graphics on the internet, and you have to know where to look to find them. If you're main goals isn't brand building and you just want a website that looks professional, then you will want to consider using free graphics. Free graphics exist in all kinds of forms and some of them are good while others need some work. You will have to decide which one is best for you and whether or not you should go to the professional route.

You can find free backgrounds, images, icons, charts, diagrams, clip arts, bars, and just about any kind of free graphics available. You just have to know where to look as your options are limitless. When using these free graphics however, you will want to be sure to give proper credit to the owner of these graphics. The best way to give credit is to include a link back to the owners website. Let's now take a look at another way that you can attain website graphics.

2) Create them yourself

Yes, believe it or not, you can actually create your own website graphics. This will allow you to save on the cost of hiring out the work and you can create professional graphics all in your spare time. It takes some time to get started but once you've gotten the hang of things you will start creating your own graphics in no time.

One of the best ways to create your own graphics is with PSD files. These are Adobe Photoshop readable files and they allow you to customize pre-made graphics instantly. This will give you the option of creating website graphics in a snap all while saving yourself the hassle of creating them from scratch.

To find PSD customizable files, simple do a search on Google for some. You will find that there are no shortage of them out there and they are a great alternative to hiring a graphics designer.

Both of these techniques can allow you to have the kind of professional graphics that you dream about. It's up to you what the final decision will be but once it's done you should be all set to go. Good luck with finding the best graphics for your website.

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Website Design Visitors Make The Difference

When in business on the internet, the website of a business is the welcome mat and provides that crucial first impression. In addition, the website design might make visitors want to stay around or it can drive them away. The design of any site should put out the welcome mat for visitors and encourage them to stay, buy, browse or learn, depending on the purpose of the web site.

While most business owners do not intentionally make a site visitor unfriendly, they may accidentally make a site hard to navigate or unpleasant or distracting to look at. If that is the case, visitors may not stay and the sales or traffic numbers will show this clearly. There is a lot more to good site design than pleasing colors or a nice logo, although both are important.

Website designers whether professionals or amateurs also know that contrasts are important. While some colors might coordinate, such as dark grey and light grey, and they may seem to be appealing for a site theme, a grey link on a lighter grey background will not be seen easily. This can make buying more difficult, or navigating the site more difficult for the visitor. Bright yellow links on white backgrounds are often difficult to see. No one wants to lose a sale because the visitor could not easily see the link.

Internet users have developed advertisement blindness and to overcome this, most sites use-blinking advertisements. However, this can also work against sales and clicks if there are too many blinking advertisements on a single page. No element can be focused on and it can be very annoying to a visitor to the site. Limiting flashing banners to one on a page allows them to focus on a single element.

Additionally, a smart search engine for sites which offer many products may make a difference. While a person may type in a single misspelled phrase such as space heater and receive no results, a smart site search engine will look for the product with the closest results. Finding the products that most closely match what the person typed in, can save sales for the retail site.

While there is no way to cover all the tips that can make a site more successful these are some of the most basic errors new site owners can make. Although a professional design, company is not always necessary it certainly can save some errors and time. In any case, remember the visitor wants to see what they came for quickly and a good site will put out the welcome mat.

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Steps and Features of Website Designing

If you wish to take your business to new heights, you must harness potential of internet and get a good web site designed. There are numbers of web designing companies across that world but as it is about your business on which earning, and lifestyle of your family depends, you cannot compromise on any of the factors. Web design in Essex offers you best opportunities with specialist not only in design and development but also offer content managed e-Commerce websites with customized web applications. Internet marketing/ website management/ web hosting/ graphic design/ logo design/ domain names, you name the service and you get it. Striking and dazzling branding can also be created for your company.

Web design in Essex also provides SEO services, email marketing along with website promotion. You can also ask for programming solutions in asp/ php/ mysql/ javascript/ action script/ flash along with number of hosting packages. Website designing packages have been tailor made to suit any budget. Whatever you are looking for, a customized design or design template, everything from beginning to finish (even beyond) can be managed.

Web design in Essex is for everyone who is looking for anything related to internet. If you are looking for web hosting (website upload/ database/ server/ mail configuration/ monitoring/ back-ups), you don't need to search any further as you have reached the right place. Website Optimisation would unlock the true potential of website and would get you listed on search result pages on various search engines. It is very important for people to find you before they can reach you. It can be achieved by making website search engine friendly that can be done by carefully assigning page tittles. It can be achieved by making website search engine friendly that can be done by carefully assigning page tittles. Flash is another impressive way to attract customers to your products/ services. Video presentations can be integrated in the website by the multimedia experts.

Web design in Essex also has graphic designers in addition to promotion specialist W3 Design. You can rely on people who have expertise in the field of artistic direction along with creative solutions and have long list of extremely satisfied clients. Designers must understand all requirements of clients so that best results can be delivered. Only best practises must be followed so that website stands up to test of time. You must be a proud owner of website that has been delivered to you and earn you maximum revenue.

You may already own a good website but important question that arises here is whether it is working to its maximum potential. Get free website health check done today to know the true potential and current output of your website. Web design in Essex does not require you to be physically present in Essex; in fact IT solutions can be provided almost anywhere.

Experienced people proof read the new website and check for W3C compliance/ browser compatibility/ form operation/ CSS efficiency/ PHP &MySql/ navigation / link/ spelling & grammar check etc. which is final stage of web designing.

Click to access great resource on Web design. Also find out Web Design in Essex

Web Design Part 1 - Designing Your Own Website

When it comes to website design, most people get it wrong. It is quite a complex art that involves understanding, knowledge and technique. It isn't after all, just about the aesthetics of a page but how well it works. It's here a few things even web designers get wrong and should be avoided.

Issue number 1 is the first impressions of the website. Many businesses get this wrong, by writing for themselves, rather than the customer base. They also overdo the self praise, making them look a little arrogant. Secondly, the language may be too formal and technical and may not be understood by everyone. Within the first few seconds of visiting the website, most viewers should be able to understand what your business is about.

Another first impression issue is with navigation and focal point issues. If your website design is a little scatty and things aren't where they are expected to be, don't expect too many viewers to stick around. Keep the web design elements in some sort of logical order.

Another issue is loading time. Viewers can be impatient and are generally not going to wait around for five minutes for your website to upload. So make sure your website is free of unnecessary and clutter and any files are not too big.

Issue number 2 is to do with text and links. A fatal mistake often made is that the text and links are not as user friendly as could be. For instance, too many font colours, the font size is too small and you have to use a special browser as the font you used is incompatible with most. The latter is probably the worst crime as it means viewers simply won't be able to view your content in all browsers. The font must also be appropriate for the website and audience.

Links can be a major problem too, as they often not emphasized enough. For instance, a well designed website will show that the anchor text is a link by highlighting it in a different colour or underline, and as soon as the mouse rolls over it, the anchor text will change colour. This simply tells people that those few words are connected to a link. Other common issues are the use of anchor text that is too long or that there is too many of them. Overloading a page with links will certainly put people off and so will long anchor text.

These issues are only one of a few problems web designers come across. Yet, they can be easily tackled by a good web designer.

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In Web Design Don't Underestimate the Importance of Navigation

When people are surfing the web they will get very impatient when they can not find what they want quickly. Navigating the web has to make sense to the surfer and right away, so if the web design is done with this in mind, the layout of an effective website will have similarities to all the others.

You need to use standard conventional links like buttons underlining the text and changing the color. It is not such a good idea to use clever names for the links. Simple is good. Keep in mind the type of people who are going to visit your website and have it designed to suit them.

The elements of navigation are very important so whether you are trying to inform a person about a service or product, or trying to sell them this service or product, the web design for your links can be the important factor to consider.

Inform the visitor to your website that the link is just that. Say you are in real estate and your property is in a specific city so you need a link with a map of that vicinity to guide them to all the particulars about that area. They will need the city name to click on to so specify this on your site. Professional web designers have a rule they use which is the three clicks method. When a person is surfing they will click no more than three times to get the information they are looking for so make sure that they will reach all the particulars of your site within those parameters.

Three clicks on your website should get them to all that they need to know. Keeping your web page with a simple web design is more attractive and is able to keep a persons interest better than one which is too full of information. People do not want to read a huge amount at one time. People who surf the web are basically looking for information,so only use a short movie or clip if it really adds to your site, and make sure there is an easy way to link to it or they will be gone from your site forever.

The best places for navigation

Top Menus-located below the graphic header page where the logo site is found. These will be expanding menus drop menus or single links, A text or graphic will represent them. A visitor can click on the link to any of them. Bottom Menus-can be a footer or menu bar. Footers use text links while menu bars use text links or graphics. These are all very important aspects of web design.

Right side navigation is not so often used but can be on the right side of the page as a text area or column. Most often it is used for advertising. Left side navigation is just the opposite to the right this is located on the left and usually the top of the page.

These are just a few suggestions that you are going to want to keep in mind for your web design decisions.

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Non-Technical Web Design Considerations

If you are considering a new website, or re-designing your existing one, there are some fundamental web design considerations you should make note of before committing your time and money into your new website.

1. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.
The initial impact of your web design must say "professional". Regardless of whether you want a traditional formal look or a funky modern web design, your website must look utterly professional. You wouldn't want to send out sub-standard leaflets to prospective customers, so your website, which is going to be seen by far more prospects (hopefully!) must be professionally designed.

2. Navigation is key, and print designers are not web designers.
Designing for print is different to designing for the web, especially where navigation is concerned. Good web design can only be done by the kind of designer who knows websites inside out. Once you know exactly what it is you want to say on your website, and you have categorized it, go and see a professional web designer. S/he will be able to suggest an appropriate look and feel based on your business, and the best way of navigating through it. For instance, there aren't many accountants who want a really vibrant green and red fast moving flash based design!

3. Get more than one design route.
You will have a meeting with the designer to formulate a "brief". The web designer will work with you to make sure your corporate identity is firmly reinforced whilst incorporating the colour scheme, functionality, and navigational requirements of the website. After this meeting, the designer should provide you with at least two options from which you can choose and refine, until you are happy with the web design.

4. Do the developers live in-house?
We have written articles on the kinds of questions you should be asking your web designer, and this is one of them. It's not actually the end of the world if your designer sub-contracts the development of your website, but there are advantages if the web development team are part of the same design studio. If they are, it is likely that your end product will be less expensive, your website could be produced more quickly, and if there are any issues they will be easier to sort out.

5. Search Engine Results
Lets make no mistake about it, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the next big thing you need to be concerned about, and you definitely want the people who are actually building your website to know what they're doing from an SEO point of view. The problem of course, if you're on a tight budget, is paying for it, because SEO work is not inexpensive. You will need to retain at least 50% of your budget for SEO. That's how important it is.

These are just a few of the considerations you must take into account when considering a new web design.

Paul Clarke is the Managing Director of Web Equip Ltd. A Web Design company in Sheffield, UK. You can visit Web Equip at http://www.webequip.co.uk/ for Web Design Sheffield.

Reasons to Be Creative With Web Design

No matter whether you have a website dedicated to a business or personal interests, you should always look to create a site that has a distinctive and creative appearance. Unfortunately, if your site looks like every other page on the web, it will never stand out and grab viewer attention. In fact, if your site looks boring and unappealing, you may even find that visitors will not stay long enough to read your content.

A Memorable Site Gets Repeat Visitors

As you look at websites dedicated to a particular topic, you may find that most of them look alike. If you decided not to bookmark a site, this situation can make it very hard relocate the site later on. In addition, when your site looks like all the others, you will have hard time convincing viewers that you are unique in your business practices.

Visitors That Feel Comfortable Will Stay Longer

If you are planning to sell products or services, you will need to find some way to keep viewers at your site as long as possible. Typically, if your site has an attractive, innovative look to it, viewers will be more inclined to look around and buy something. That said, you should never trade off easy site navigation for efforts aimed at prolonging the time viewers spend at your site.

Set a New Trend

As with so many other things, web design fashions come and go. Rather than simply wait for someone else to establish a new trend, you may want to see if you can lead in this field. Individuals that work as professional web designers will usually find that leading in innovation will have a tremendous benefit.

When someone visits your site, they won't want to see hackneyed content, boring graphics, and a site design that looks like the last page they visited. Therefore, you should always strive to be as creative as possible when you design new sites. As long as you can combine these creative elements with a functional and friendly website, you are sure to find that converting viewers into buyers will be much easier.

Notes for editors: Claire Jarrett recommends Warren Phillips, a website designer in Manchester.

Website Designing - A Benefit to the World

The World Wide Web we know today practically emerged accidentally. The truth is that people were trying to find ways to communicate and transfer information via telephone lines and PC's. Along with the development of World Wide Web and its improvements, it gradually became available for everyone using a telephone, a PC and a modem, along with the usage of famous "father" of browsers, the Mosaic. It enabled people throughout the world to access millions of documents available online.

People were viewing these intentionally created documents (the first websites) which were the beginning of website designing. Their scarce graphics, abundance of text and underdeveloped layouts may seem funny today, but using dial up modems via telephone lines, their aim was not to amuse, but provide information only.

However, the establishment of W3 Consortium in 1994 cleared a path for the development of website designing process. The basic coding language was HTML, yet imperfect but subject to developing, with already many polished versions today. The standards prescribed by the W3C disabled huge organizations in development of particular or private browsers in order to monopolize the prescribed code for web design. It is almost impossible how harmful such monopolization of web design would be in the area of World Wide Web we all use on a daily basis.

When it comes to website designing and its improvement, we know them as 'generations' today. First web sites were known for abundance of text and poor graphics. Basic website designing used to operate on slow modems and had to consider the flow of information in a given timeframe. As for the second generation, more and more properties were added to the prescribed HTML, which very soon led to the third website designing, with its variety of backgrounds, layouts, animated images, ability to convey sound while browsing etc.

We consider web design of today to have reached its fourth generation, filled with advanced programs and techniques, which guarantees uniqueness in every page. Website designing, as a complete and developed process within the entire internet industry, enabled us to use codes and computer languages ourselves and make our own websites. Usage of Flash, XML and JavaScript are just minor details in the modern website designing. As an extremely complicated and yet interesting and necessary area of work today, web design and people working on it constantly incorporating additional elements, online games and videos to ease browsing but advertising as well on a regular basis.

With the modern era in website designing, practically everything is possible in every area on the web. We all gained access to numerous data which were inaccessible for a long time. There is still no one to monopolize the website designing processes, due to the existing rules and techniques in coding languages. To the benefit of all, World Wide Web Consortium still provides basic rules for the web design.

Rapid development of information flow, such as flat, wireless etc., provide further support to the resourcefulness of website designing, being a very valuable asset on market and in business promotion. There are no visible borders to web designers' creativity. These people are highly appreciated and valuable asset on today's market, since it is they who enable us find whatever we are looking for.

Author is an associate editor for Seo company india. Get all possible information about website designing india and SEO Services India. We also provide information about Link Building and Internet Marketing Services.