Since I work in web design everyday, there are many terms that are part of my common vocabulary that not everyone may be familiar with when related to web design. I can forget this when explaining a feature to a client and they may be left scratching their head thinking “Huh?!” I want all my clients to feel comfortable talking about the design process and understand what makes up their specific site.

I’m going to outline some of the basic terms and concepts use in web design that my clients will experience when talking to me about their project. I have included screenshots for some of these as well. To view a larger version of this template you can click here. The example used is a ready made template that is currently for sale. Read More…

I’ve been designing web sites for small businesses and work at home moms for nearly 5 years, during that time I’ve seen a lot of bad web site designs. I created a list of my own Do’s and Don’t s when it comes to web design. This is not a complete list, but one that I try to follow when I’m creating sites for clients. If you’re unsure about how to go about creating an effective web site, read on to get some ideas about what can make or break your web site.

Don’t: Use FrontPage or other WSYING editors, or graphical editors. These editors usually create messy HTML code that is not as easily read by all web browsers. They are also more likely to create both visible errors and other errors that may prevent your visitors from navigating your site effectively.
Do: Use clean HTML and CSS to design in a way that is W3C compatible. Using clean coding ensures that your site is usable by more users and accessible by those with disabilities as well. Dreamweaver or hand coding are your best options. Clean coding techniques also promote great SEO results! Read More…