Awhile back on my previous blog, I wrote an article about my favorite tools of the trade for web design. I’ve expanded this list to include new websites.
Da Fonts.com - This is one of my favorite websites to find great font! Sometimes I just search though the selections for inspirations. Not only are all the fonts downloadable, but they are also categorized by type.
FrogJS Image Gallery – I came across this script when searching for a good method to display a client’s images. Some Javascript coding for galleries I felt were bland and boring. This however, has a smooth transition and works on all browsers.
Couloir Image Gallery - I fell in love with this script for images. It has a “flash” like feeling without the requirements of flash plugins.
Cube Cart – After testing other “open source” coding e-commerce solutions, I found Cube Cart to not only be the most informative, but easiest to work with. What is nice about Cube Cart is advanced options (coupons, discounts, etc) can be purchased by many helpful 3rd party designers at very low cost. However, all the of the style and design is with a simple CSS format.
MAGIX Photo Clinic – Before I purchased Adobe Photoshop, I was in a mad search for an intuitive, photo editing program. Since I had no budget, I needed something inexpensive or FREE! I came across Magix Photo Clinic at www.tucows.com and used it every day since. Not only did it help me scale my photos and make minor edits, it was very helpful when selecting colors and identifying the HTML color code. Now that I have Adobe Photoshop, I still find myself using both programs for for editing graphics. I guess old habits are hard to break!
Tucows.com – Since i”m a girl on a budget, I’m all about free ware and shareware. Before I commit myself to an application, I want to test and ensure this is the application I need. Tucow.com helps me not only identify what application I should try, but also helps find inexpensive alternatives.
Myhours.com – Every consultant should have a method to time stamp their work spent. My Hours.com is a great application I can log and manage my clients projects and send them an accurate report for billing.
Online Icon Maker – a fun little tool to generate tiny icons.
phpBB message board – This software is great for custom designed message boards onto your website. With the use of PHP and SQL, it is fairly simple to integrate.
Stock.xchang – a friend turned me on to this website while searching for stock photos for her design. I love the fact there are free photos, and the paid options won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Dynamic Drive DHTML – I’m still a fan of javascript for some types of websites. This has a wide selection to choose from.
Crucial Memory Upgrade - Although I don’t use this website for designing, pictures and backup copies can be a memory hog. This website can test your current machine and inform you if you need a memory upgrade. It also provides you what would be compatible with your system if you do require a purchase of new memory.
Heather’s Animations – this silly website has thousands of animated GIF. Although, I wouldn’t recommend them for professional designs, they are ideal for kids websites!
WordPress Themes - When looking to create my blog, i wanted to gather ideas. I spent hours searching this directory of wordpress themes until I found the one I liked. Occasionally I scan it for future design ideas.
Adobe Video Workshop – since my designs are created by Adobe products (Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Illustrator… Flash will be coming soon!), this free training has been invaluable.
Absolute Background Texture Achieve – background images that are seamless can be difficult to find. Although this website does not have a search function, it has a huge database of background images free to download.
