I need to apologize for the lack of posts the last few days, I vowed not to blog if it was above 110f outside, and now I realize I can’t change the weather. It was 113 today and here I am blogging.

Initially I was a bit skeptical about making a web design almost ‘too big’ but the more I see the more I like. Here’s a great example of what I mean of over-sized. However if you marry the right background and images to the big as houses font it can be an effective combination. If you picture the same structure but scale back the grandeur you’re left with just another site.  In the competitive world of web traffic ensuring the visitor who lands on your site makes it beyond the first few moments is critical.

Naturally this option isn’t a solution for all designs. Consider the content of your website, can you convey enough information to captivate the viewer and still make it clear as to the purpose of your site when you may only have room for 10-20 words on the page landing? If so then a big design like this one is not only possible but worth considering.

Think bold, be bold, if you need consultation on a new design just send us a message.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign.com

I’m consistently impressed with the range and scope of plug-ins and custom themes that are being developed. From the simplest theme to ever increasingly difficult applications the WordPress platform can be a strong solution to get you up and running. We offer the ability to then develop the theme to give it the branding you seek. Please contact us for additional information.

I’ve fallen in love with this gallery and if you feel especially bold there’s always this one. The navigation (especially on the former) is lovely and doesn’t detract from the images being the focal point.

A holiday weekend beckons, hope you all enjoy it.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign

I recently started a new blog and after just a week I’ve seen visitors using 18 different browsers/versions of browsers. Did you know when all versions of all browsers are considered there are more than 50 potential browser programs someone landing on your site may be using.

I dare say my blog is like many other sites, 82% of all my traffic are using either IE or Firefox. What to do with the other 18% then? I’m showing Safari, Seamonkey, Mozilla, Opera, Chrome and others. The best way to check if your site appears ‘normally’ on most browsers (all is probably optimistic) is to run a check.

Browser Shots offers a free scan of your url, you can preselect all or some of the known browsers prior to running the scan. Results can take a while so brew some more coffee while you wait. When you get back you can see if your site by definition is due a serious overhaul or not. The older the site the more potential for that being the case, especially when you consider how many versions of each browser have been released over the years.

Again, the key to deciding what to do with your site is knowing where it stands in real terms. Hopefully checking browser views will help.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign

This is the first suggestion in a series of ideas to improve your current web design. If your site isn’t performing as it should it’s critical to assess if navigation and other  improvements will provide a benefit or if you might be better starting fresh.

Modifying an existing site (especially as it ages) can often take more design/programming hours than just cleaning the slate and building something new and (importantly) contemporary. So…it’s best that you take the time to review what you have and make an educated decision.

Feedback Army have a solution that involves people (yes…real people) who will review the site and answer questions that you set! You can submit 3-6 questions (some examples are provided) and for a fee you will get responses specific to a review of your site. They advertise it as risk free so it’s a good place to start.

We’ll provide the same service for you at Green Seed Web Design if you have a site that needs a facelift, has poor navigation or perhaps a replacement completely. Our initial consultation will provide suggestions and recommendations and is free you contact us. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you’ve done the hard work of having someone arrive at your site it’s business suicide to have a site that doesn’t keep the visitor engaged.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign

This is a JavaScript User Interface (UI) and the variety of applications are all listed on the site. With this you can build borders that give off light and an effect similar to flash. The visual appeal is that with an effect similar to filtered glass the dominant color of the page refects back into the pop up window.

Again, the images captures the use better than my description so I’ll need to dig into a thesaurus for better words than translucent. Needless to say it’s Open Source and has been tested with Firefox2 , IE 7, Firefox 2, Opera 9 and Safari 3.

Just worked it out….it’s like looking through frosted glass!!

Tim at greenseedwebdesign

I never knew blogging could be such fun, so creative but also demanding. I feel this would be a great time to ask yourself some crucial questions about if you should blog. With this checklist I feel you’ll have your answer.

The five reasons you should blog:

1. Build a network – I’ve already seen that not only am I connecting with new people who have a common interest but I’m also finding more creative methods of finding those people. I also love that it’s global, my blog has been live for 4 days and I’ve had visits from 25+ countries
2. Communicate – It’s a very open way to share your thoughts with a great number of people. A good blog has to include some insight into your daily routine, it might seep out or spill out but the blogs I enjoy are the one where you find the author interesting, funny and clear. Adding personality is critical.
3. Do you journal? – A blog is simply that, you can really mentor yourself via a blog. Are you aware of where you are and where you are heading. It’s a very visible way of tracking how you feel and what it is important to you.
4. Marketing – Blogging is a superb way to introduce you – be it your skills, your experience or your methods and it can drive new business to you without question
5. Enjoy a challenge? – You simply have to be creative. Simply taking ideas and regurgitating them won’t make for a good blog nor will it develop allegiance. Obviously the web is an endless ocean of ideas and it’s how you take an idea and make it your own that will make your blog a success.

The five reasons you might want to just go walk the dog instead:

1. You want to be alone? – Blogging is a solo skill, no teamwork here, not much banter or collaboration either.
2. Repetition – A lot of time on the computer researching, thinking, planning. If you have computer fatigue turn around now!
3. Time – It takes a lot of time to create a worthy blog. More than I ever imagined. Finding the balance will be critical for me
4. Do you finish things? – If I had a bottle of wine for every blog I’ve seen that had 3 posts week one, 2 week two and one a month later and then crumble and die…I’d have many bottles of wine. A blog won’t explode overnight but it will wither amazingly rapidly if you don’t work on it daily
5. Ideas – You have to have them, if you don’t why bother? (see below)

I knew I had to be ready to start a blog. I developed a strategy and an agenda. I researched the potential and decided what framework the blog should take. I think you need a plan similar to this:

Next 1-10 days – Pre-plan 90% of what you’d like to blog about

11-30 days – Plan at least 50% of where you go next

30 days plus – Ensure you have an organized plan of where you are taking the blog

If you think you’re ready to blog we highly recommend WordPress for developers. From our experience it provides great flexibility and customization options.  The range of WordPress designs can allow you to carry your theme/brand into your blog. If you need assistance developing a wordpress blog to compliment your business please contact us.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign

Our eyes by reacting to images (quite naturally) have a huge impact on our interest, and online this is more paramount than almost anywhere. Here is a great example of linking the colors to the product, in this case tea. As soon as you land on the page the entire aura of the page is conducive to wanting a nice warm cup of tea.

This example shows how you can ensure the image is the focus while the stunning combination of darker tones frames the rest of the site beautifully. How we train the eye is crucial in a design with impact. In the first few seconds on a page the purpose of the site must be clear and colour is key to achieving this.

Finally this site is quite minimal but the color combinations are muted just enough that the cartoonish aspect of the image sets a cooler tone. I especially like the repeated branding of the ‘grape green’ used throughout the site.

I find it interesting that (and yes I know it’s aimed at childen) that this famous homepage has such a dreadful mix of palettes. Yes louder colors are more appealing to kids (in theory) but just check the rollovers when you navigate. A shocker…call the design police.

We’re always happy to work with clients on choosing the right color palette combinations with our client and help ensure the branding via use of color and shade runs through every page of our design.

Thanks – back with more soon.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign.com

Apart from reducing clutter and enhancing bold lines that connect with your client, a case can be made that for ease of navigation a more refined

and simplified approach might be the answer. I’ve found a number of sites that I think are stunning while maintaining a very simple platform. This design for a developer’s site has really lovely clarity and simplicity. When you’ve seen so many sites that are bordering on chaos this strikes me as a breath of fresh air.

Naturally this cooler approach won’t work for all types of business  but if you want your client’s first impression to be one of clean purposeful design an example such as this graphic design site really is enticing. I think the kneejerk reaction with design is sometimes to attach every accessory we can to the home page when the outcome of that may just turn out to be the visitor not wanting to linger and navigate within the page. Personally I want to make sure my next applicable client gives some consideration to this approach, in a medium where standing out is a positive thing  it’s remarkable that a home page with just 14 words of text can achieve exactly that.

Again not an answer for every situation but I think for some it’s perfect.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign.com

With logos and banners getting the perfect font can be a trial of patience and ingenuity, but this website can get you that much nearer to the finish line in just a few clicks. Ideally if you can find an image of your font as close to 100 pixels as possible it will aid the program in working…I know…I’ve tried. I’m about to launch a new blog soon and was using album cover art to replicate certain text – this program came very close to a perfect solution. You can either upload a file (it’s best to photoshop the text you want to focus on) or provide a link.

The software then analyzes your font and provides suggestions (and a chance for you to type any corrections) if it misread your upload. The other thing that helps is adding more spacing between the letters to allow a better read.

This is one to bookmark – hope it helps you too.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign.com

These 9 retro toy images will add a lot to your site – be it a directory or e-commerce. On the same topic these 177 icons are called sensibly flavors and they can really spice up a site. Hope you enjoy them.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign.com