SSH: It's really not that scary

by Megan McDermott, 29 October 2009 - 12:50am

For a long time, I avoided using ssh. As a designer, I thought it would be too complicated and difficult to learn. As it turns out, I was wrong! For the most part, ssh (and the shell commands needed to perform tasks) isn't that difficult to do. Being able to use SSH will make it easier and faster for you to perform many common tasks on your web server. Even if you're on a shared hosting account, you may be able to access your website using SSH (check with your hosting provider to find out).

How to create a multi-column, widgitized footer for Wordpress

by Megan McDermott, 13 June 2009 - 7:14pm

Multi-column footers are a big trend in web design these days. It's a great way to provide more information and links to visitors without cluttering up the top part of your layout. On content pages, this information appears just when the user has finished reading your article, leading them to find more great content on your site and other ways to interact. This article will show you how to make a 3- 4- or more-column, widgitized footer in Wordpress.

Using Grids in Web Design

by Megan McDermott, 28 April 2009 - 1:38am

Using a grid to define your page layout results in a more attractive, logical layout. A grid is simply a regular series of lines and boxes that define sections of a page. A solid structure makes layout decisions easier and helps create a pleasing layout.

How to automatically include your header, navigation, and footer on every page

by Greg Sanderson, 8 March 2009 - 5:28pm

Have you ever wondered how large websites handle those repetitve elements that appear on every page? The navigation menu, header, and footer usually stay the same on every page of a website. But what happens when you want to change something? Do you have to edit every page and change it separately?

PHP offers a wonderful method to resolve this with the include() statement.

The ADDIE model for website design

by Megan McDermott, 25 January 2009 - 6:41pm

ADDIE is a 5-step process for web design: analyse, design, develop, implement, and evaluate. Following this process will help to ensure that you cover all aspects of a successful site and make your site as effective as possible.

21 ways to streamline your CSS

by Megan McDermott, 11 November 2008 - 7:57pm

These days, CSS development is a complex process. You may be working on sites with large CSS files, multiple developers ,and long development timelines. The more complex your CSS files become, the more difficult it is to work with them. This article will present some tips and tricks for keeping your CSS files organized and easy to work with.

How to Build a Home/Small Business Web Server in no Time

by Liam McDermott, 19 September 2008 - 10:45am

This article goes through a quick and easy process for building a home or small business web server. The finished server will have Web server software, PHP, Perl, Ruby, MySQL, PostgreSQL, quotas, e-mail server software, anti-spam and anti-virus software, and a lot more good stuff. To top it off it will have a Web based GUI to control it all. Read on to learn how.

How to Choose a Great Colour Scheme for Your Site

by Megan McDermott, 8 September 2008 - 1:52am

One of the most important parts of the initial design process is the choice of colour scheme. If your client or topic of interest already has a set of preferred colours, your choice is easy. However, there are many occasions where the choice is entirely up to you. For many people, deciding on the colours can be a difficult task. Armed with a little colour theory, some great online tools, and your own design sense, you can create attractive and unique colour schemes for your website designs. This article will show you how.

3 Ways to Highlight Links to the Current Page with CSS

by Megan McDermott, 15 June 2008 - 3:44pm

Good usability suggests that you should always indicate links to the page the user is currently on. In fact, in an ideal case you wouldn’t link to the current page at all. On the other hand, in order to build a site that’s consistent and easy to maintain, navigation menus need to be either included with a separate html file or generated with a scripting language.

How to Design Graphic Mock-ups

by Megan McDermott, 1 June 2008 - 10:22pm

A typical stage in the web design process for most professionals is the creation of a graphic mock-up. A graphic mock-up or proof allows you to focus on the overall design rather than the logistics of creating the design using CSS. This article will outline the process of creating a graphic mock-up and include several examples for download.