The Square Grid

The Square Grid is a simple CSS framework for designers and developers, based on 35 equal-width columns. The grid is equiped with a 28px baseline-grid for a smooth vertical rhythm with each block (DIV) defined with a margin of 1 square (28px) from the next block.
The Square Grid

FEM CSS Framework

The FEM CSS Framework is a 960px width 12 column grid system. It is based on the 960 Grid System, but with a twist in its philosophy, making it more flexible and faster to play with boxes.
FEM CSS Framework

Formalize CSS

Formalize CSS is a useful framework for giving your forms a cross-browser uniformity.
Formalize CSS

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Phono – jQuery Phone Plugin

Phono is a simple JQuery plugin and JavaScript library that turns any web browser into a phone; capable of making phone calls and sending instant messages. You can even connect to SIP clients; all with a simple unified API.
Phono – jQuery Phone Plugin

Wijmo – jQuery UI Widgets

Wijmo is a complete kit of over 30 jQuery UI Widgets. It is an extremely dangerous mixture of jQuery, CSS3, SVG, and HTML5 that when combined become an unstoppable force on the web.
Wijmo – jQuery UI Widgets

SlideNote – A jQuery Plugin For Sliding Notifications

SlideNote is a customizable, flexible jQuery plugin that makes it easy to display sliding notifications on your website or in your web application.
SlideNote – A jQuery Plugin For Sliding Notifications

IMGr – jQuery Image Rounder

IMGr is a jQuery plugin for rounding image corners. The script utilizes CSS3 in modern web browsers, and VML in Internet Explorer 8 and below.
IMGr – jQuery Image Rounder

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Discons

The Discons icon set, designed by Dave McNally, consists of 95 icons and all are 24px circles. Each icon has one unified shape – the glyph was combined with the background and knocked out of the shape. This means it’s easier for you to alter colours as there’s only one shape for each icon.
Discons

Glossy E-Commerce Icon Set

Ecommerce Glossy has been created by the folks at Iconshock for Hongkiat readers. It consists of 21 different e-commerce related icons in total and comes in these formats: AI, PSD and PNG.
Glossy E-Commerce Icon Set

2400 Flag Icon Set

Liquidcity has created a flag icon for every major country in the world, plus a few more. They've created them in several sizes so they'll look great no matter where you use them – 16×16, 24×24, 32×32, 48×48, and 64×64. They also come in 2 variants – as flat and standard, and the other with a lovely glossy finish.
2400 Flag Icon Set

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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The Square Grid

The Square Grid is a simple CSS framework for designers and developers, based on 35 equal-width columns. The grid is equiped with a 28px baseline-grid for a smooth vertical rhythm. Each block (DIV) is defined with a margin of 1 square (28px) from the next block. It aims to cut down on development time and help you create beautiful-structured websites.
The Square Grid ?

Jo – HTML5 Mobile App Framework

Jo is a new and lightweight JavaScript framework designed for HTML5 apps.
Jo – HTML5 Mobile App Framework ?

Frame Box – Lightweight Tool for Creating Mockups

Frame Box – Lightweight Tool for Creating Mockups ?

Ultimate CSS Gradient Generator

HTML5 introduced many exciting features for Web developers. One of the features is the ability to specify gradients using pure CSS3, without having to create any images and use them as repeating backgrounds for gradient effects. This easy to use copy-and-paste tool gives you complete control when creating your CSS3 gradient.
Ultimate CSS Gradient Generator ?

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Quovolver – a simple jQuery plugin for revolving quotes

Quovolver is a simple extension for jQuery that takes a group of quotes and displays them on your page in an elegant way.
Quovolver – a simple jQuery plugin for revolving quotes

Gridulator – Make pixel grids, lickety-split

Tell Gridulator your layout width and the number of columns you want, and it’ll spit back all the possible grids that have nice, round integers. Just the thing for pixel-based design folk. There are inline previews, courtesy of the canvas element, and when you’re all set Gridulator can crank out full-size PNGs for you, ready for use in your CSS, Photoshop docs, or what have you.
Gridulator – Make pixel grids, lickety-split

Hello, want to kill some time?

Hello, want to kill some time?

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Schizo Octopus Website Template

This template has a fixed layout one page portfolio template with two columns with the download containing the Photoshop Files, XHML/CSS Coded template and also includes documentation.
Free for personal or commercial use. No need to credit.
Schizo Octopus Website Template

CSS Heaven 2

CSS Heaven 2 is a free CSS Template suitable for small business websites and blogs.
This template is released under GPL License.
CSS Heaven 2

Euphoria

Euphoria has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
Euphoria

Template 6

This template could be used as a corporate website & blog, it contains: Two template pages , valid HTML & CSS and all of the PSD files.
Template 6

SilverBlog

SilverBlog is a minimal template suitable for blog designs that has been built with HTML5 and CSS.
It has been released under GNU GPL license.
SilverBlog

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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WordPress Snippets

The idea behind WordPress Snippets is simple; to provide small snippets of code, helping you to create a magic WordPress Theme. The original documentation of WordPress is excellent, but not as straight forward as you may want. Straight forward is the lead word for WP Snippets. No talk, just Snippets.
WordPress Snippets

10 useful new WordPress hacks

This WP hack list, from CatsWhoCode, has a whole of lot fresh new snippets to help with WordPress dev. Want to remove comments autolinks? Or, are you looking for a hack that will display a Twitter style “time ago” date? If so, you will find the answers in this post.
10 useful new WordPress hacks

10 Useful WordPress Search Code Snippets

In this post will find 10 really useful code snippets that will help improve your WordPress Search functionality.
10 Useful WordPress Search Code Snippets

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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How To Create a Detailed Briefcase Icon

Follow this step by step guide to create a detailed briefcase icon, building the rough outline with basic shapes, then adding depth and definition with various Photoshop layer styles such as Inner Glow and Stroke. And finally bringing the icon to life by using real photographic textures to give a tactile leather feel to the icon.
How To Create a Detailed Briefcase Icon

Draw a Trophy Icon in Photoshop

Draw a Trophy Icon in Photoshop

Shiny Lock Icon Photoshop Tutorial

Shiny Lock Icon Photoshop Tutorial

How to Create a Beautiful Guitar Icon

Learn how to start from scratch and draw your own guitar icon in Photoshop. This tutorial will show you how to create your own wood texture and create a guitar using the basic tools in Photoshop.
How to Create a Beautiful Guitar Icon

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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SIDEWAYS – jQuery fullscreen image gallery

Sideways is a simple, yet elegant fullscreen image gallery created with the jQuery and some simple CSS.
SIDEWAYS – jQuery fullscreen image gallery

Full Page Image Gallery with jQuery

In this tutorial you can learn how to create a stunning full page gallery with scrollable thumbnails and a scrollable full screen preview. The idea is to have a thumbnails bar at the bottom of the page that scrolls automatically when the user moves the mouse. When a thumbnail is clicked, it moves to the center of the page and the full screen image is loaded in the background.
Full Page Image Gallery with jQuery

Orbit: A Slick jQuery Image Slider Plugin

Orbit is a killer jQuery plugin that lets you create a simple, effective and beautiful slider for images of any size, and even includes some parameters for making awesome captions and a sweet timer.
Orbit: A Slick jQuery Image Slider Plugin

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Create a Retro Sci-Fi Movie Poster in Photoshop

If you are a fan of of sci-fi movie art, then you will love this intermediate Photoshop tutorial.
Create a Retro Sci-Fi Movie Poster in Photoshop

Urban Type Art – Photoshop & Illustrator Tutorial

London is hip again, and in this tutorial Holland-based designer Bram Vanhaeren shows you how he created a new piece that draws on all that’s great about the city – taking inspiration from the Olympics, underground club scenes and the city vista from up high.
Urban Type Art – Photoshop & Illustrator Tutorial

Create a Cosmic Scene with Photoshop and Cinema 4D

In this Photoshop and Cineme 4D tutorial, you will be shown how to create a space composition, exploring techniques for creating 3D text in Cinema 4D, a glass effect in Photoshop and a slew of different light effects.
Create a Cosmic Scene with Photoshop and Cinema 4D

Create an Awesome 3D Text Effect with Abstract Brush Decoration in Photoshop

In the tutorial, you will shown the processes used to Create an Awesome 3D Text Effect with Abstract Brush Decoration in Photoshop. This is an intermediate tutorial so some steps can be tricky.
Create an Awesome 3D Text Effect with Abstract Brush Decoration in Photoshop

Make a 3D Colorful Abstract Text Effect

Make a 3D Colorful Abstract Text Effect

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Please note, you will need either the latest version of Safari or the Chrome browser to fully experience these CSS3 experiments.

iOS Icons Made in Pure CSS

iOS Icons Made in Pure CSS

iPhone CSS3

iPhone CSS3

Pure CSS Twitter Fail Whale

Pure CSS Twitter Fail Whale

Pure CSS Animated 3D Super Mario Icon

Pure CSS Animated 3D Super Mario Icon

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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iPhone Sketches: Paper, Pencils, Wooden Forms, Ink and Brush

iPhone Sketches: Paper, Pencils, Wooden Forms, Ink and Brush

Harvest iPhone App Sketches

Harvest iPhone App Sketches

Early Ember Sketches in Color

Early Ember Sketches in Color

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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A jQuery, CSS3 & HTML5 Hover-Based Interface

In this awesome tutorial you will learn how to create a useful hover-based user interface using jQuery, CSS3, HTML5 and @font-face. The project you’ll be creating could easily be used for a portfolio or business site and the concepts you’ll learn could certainly be used to expand the idea further.
A jQuery, CSS3 & HTML5 Hover-Based Interface

Dynamic FAQ Section w/ jQuery, YQL & Google Docs

In this tutorial, you will build a dynamic FAQ section. The script, with the help of jQuery & YQL, will pull the contents of a shared spreadsheet in your Google Docs account, and use the data to populate the FAQ section with questions and answers.
Dynamic FAQ Section w/ jQuery, YQL & Google Docs

How to easily create charts using jQuery and HTML5

For years, Flash was the only solution to display a dynamic chart on a website. But thanks to modern techniques, the dying Flash isn't needed anymore. In this tutorial,you'll be shown how easy it is to transform a basic HTML table into a profesionnal looking chart using visualize.js, a very useful jQuery plugin.
How to easily create charts using jQuery and HTML5

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Super Ajax Polling/Voting System using JQuery, Ajax, PHP and MySQL

Super Ajax Polling/Voting System using JQuery, Ajax, PHP and MySQL →

jQuery Quickie: Slot Machine Style Navigation

jQuery Quickie: Slot Machine Style Navigation →

How To Create A Great Contact Form

How To Create A Great Contact Form →

Music Portfolio Template with HTML5 and jQuery

Music Portfolio Template with HTML5 and jQuery →

A Simple Movie Search App w/ jQuery UI

A Simple Movie Search App w/ jQuery UI →

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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23 Of The Best Logo Redesigns In 2010

23 Of The Best Logo Redesigns In 2010 →

15 Famous And Successful Logo Redesigns – What Has Been Improved?

15 Famous And Successful Logo Redesigns – What Has Been Improved? →

50+ Creative Logo Designs With Hidden Thought

50+ Creative Logo Designs With Hidden Thought →

25 Inspirational Logos You Wish You Had Thought Of Yourself

25 Inspirational Logos You Wish You Had Thought Of Yourself →

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Aloha Editor – The HTML5 Editor

Aloha Editor allows you to edit content you would never imagine you can. It is the world's first full featured Editor that allows you to edit dynamic content live and in place.
Aloha Editor – The HTML5 Editor

1dl.us – Your all-in-one tool site

1dl.us is a useful all-in-one resource, that feature URL shortening, Upload Pics, Pastebin and a Password utility.
1dl.us – Your all-in-one tool site

CSS3 PIE: CSS3 decorations for IE

PIE stands for Progressive Internet Explorer. It is an IE attached behavior which, when applied to an element, allows IE to recognize and display a number of CSS3 properties.
CSS3 PIE: CSS3 decorations for IE

FontFonter

FontFonter uses custom CSS and other techniques to temporarily replace a site’s font styles with Web FontFonts.
FontFonter

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Brilliant Adobe Photoshop CS5 Tutorials From 2010

Brilliant Adobe Photoshop CS5 Tutorials From 2010

40 Dazzling Photoshop Abstract and Lighting Effects Tutorials

40 Dazzling Photoshop Abstract and Lighting Effects Tutorials

40 Professional and Detailed Web Layout PSD Templates

40 Professional and Detailed Web Layout PSD Templates

100 Free Photoshop Actions (And How to Make Your Own)

100 Free Photoshop Actions (And How to Make Your Own)

In Defense Of Photoshop (Good Read)

In Defense Of Photoshop (Good Read)

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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You will find five fresh sets that that are perfect for web and mobile app developers, and all are completely free.

200+ Exclusive Free Icons: “Reflection”

You’ll find these icons great to use at small sizes, such as for website navigation, menus and more. Both vector and raster versions are included.

The set contains 208 icons and is available free of charge for personal and commercial projects, with attribution required.
200+ Exclusive Free Icons: “Reflection”

Free Mobile Berries

This set contains 80 icons, sized at 64×64px and are in .png format.
Free Mobile Berries

Content Management System Icon Set

This CMS Icon Set is made up of 12 high quality icons sized at 48×48px, and available in .png-format. The set was designed to be used in content management systems, but can also be useful for other user interface designs. You can use the set for all of your projects for free and without any restrictions.
Content Management System Icon Set

Designer Icons – Professionally Hand-Crafted Free Icon Set

12 Professionally Hand-Crafted icons for designers and creatives. Each Icon is 32×32px with a transparent background.
Designer Icons – Professionally Hand-Crafted Free Icon Set

Tron Legacy Social Icons

This social media set has been inspired by the classic movie Tron. In total there are 20 icons, and the download package has the PNG, BMP, GIF, ICO and AI versions.
Tron Legacy Social Icons

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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gCons – All-Purpose Icons for Designers and Developers

gCons are a set of free all-purpose 32×32px icons for designers and web developers consisting of 100 icons. The icons come in 12 different colors and are available in PSD, PNG, JPG and GIF formats.
gCons – All-Purpose Icons for Designers and Developers

PixeloPhilia2

This set contains 44 beautifully crafted icons designed specifically for software and web developers.
PixeloPhilia2

ComFi Telecom Icons

ComFi Telecom Icons

Sketchy Social Media Icons

Every icon in this set are in .PNG format (making them easy to edit) and include four sizes for each icon: 16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 57×57.
Sketchy Social Media Icons

Rubber Stamp Style Social Media Icons

The Rubber Stamp Style Social Media Icons set contains 12 creative icons in .png format and sized at 256×256px.
Rubber Stamp Style Social Media Icons

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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80+ Nighttime Cityscapes and Skylines with Amazing Architecture and Colors

80+ Nighttime Cityscapes and Skylines with Amazing Architecture and Colors

Capturing Textures and Patterns in Photography

Capturing Textures and Patterns in Photography

Showcase of Beautiful Photography

Showcase of Beautiful Photography

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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35 Creative Ambigram Logo Inspiration

35 Creative Ambigram Logo Inspiration

30+ Music Inspired Logos

30+ Music Inspired Logos

30 Fresh And New Logo Designs

30 Fresh And New Logo Designs

Creative Logo Design Ideas for Companies

Creative Logo Design Ideas for Companies

45+ Creative Logo Designed With Text

45+ Creative Logo Designed With Text

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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The HTML5 Roadmap, Past and Present

The most publicized reason for the push to build web apps in HTML5 is that Flash is not allowed on the iPhone and the iPad, but the reasons go deeper and more technical than that. This article gives an insightful overview of how HTML5 has rapidly progressed in the last few years.
The HTML5 Roadmap, Past and Present

Build a HTML5/CSS3 Website Layout Without Images

In this tutorial you will learn how to build a decent-looking HTML5 & CSS3 website that doesn't to rely on any images for the layout elements.
Build a HTML5/CSS3 Website Layout Without Images

How to Create a Drop-down Nav Menu with HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery

In this tutorial, you’ll take a look and see what you can achieve with HTML5 and CSS3 when it comes to the staple of current web sites: the humble drop-down navigation menu. You’ll also use jQuery to handle the effects and add the finishing touches.
How to Create a Drop-down Nav Menu with HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery

The State of HTML5 Apps

The State of HTML5 Apps

HTML5 Canvas Cheat Sheet

HTML5 Canvas Cheat Sheet

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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CSS3 Rounded Image With jQuery

In this tutorial you will use the CSS3 border-radius and box-shadow feature to make the image element look like the screenshot above.
CSS3 Rounded Image With jQuery

Image Highlighting and Preview with jQuery

In this tutorial you will be shown how to highlight and preview images that are integrated in an article or spread over a page. This is a nice way to allow your users to view a bigger version of an image that is relevant to some context.
Image Highlighting and Preview with jQuery

Simple AJAX Commenting System

In this tut,, you are going to build a Simple AJAX Commenting System. It will feature a gravatar integration and demonstrate how to achieve effective communication between jQuery and PHP/MySQL with the help of JSON.
Simple AJAX Commenting System

Interactive Photo Desk with jQuery and CSS3

The idea of this tutorial is to have some photos on a surface that can be dragged and dropped, stacked and deleted, each action resembling the real world act.
Interactive Photo Desk with jQuery and CSS3

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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spirit20 Mini Pixel Icons

The spirit20 icon set consists of almost 500 transparent PNGs at 20×20 pixels, and is completely free to use for both personal and commercial projects. No attribution is required.
spirit20

Boolean: The Pixel Icon City

Boolean: The Pixel Icon City set consists of 100 icons, all in PNG format and sized at 16×16px. These icons are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.
Boolean: The Pixel Icon City

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Layers: Screen Capture for Mac (PSD Compatible)

Layers screenshot captures every window, every palette, every menu, every menu and status bar icon, every icon on the Desktop, and even the Dock and the Desktop background for each of your connected displays will be saved as a separate, editable layer in the resulting Photoshop image file.
Layers: Screen Capture for Mac (PSD Compatible)

Launchlist – Your one stop website checklist!

Launchlist is intended to help and encourage web designers and developers to check their work before exposing it to the world at large.
Launchlist – Your one stop website checklist!

Adobe BrowserLab

Adobes BrowserLab allows you to preview any web page across multiple browsers and operating systems.
Adobe BrowserLab

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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But then, along comes HTML5 to rock the boat a little bit and that description is both vague and very far from the point. So, what is HTML5? HTML5 is HTMLs latest major revision, with a lot of added features and exciting attributes.

To most, understanding all of these new features may be a little bit overwhelming and at first glance may seem a little bit unnecessary, but when you dig deeper into it a new and exciting world will open up to you, not just as developers and designers but for users as well.

Recently, focus.com published an infographic that has been designed for the uninitiated to get a better understanding of HTML5 and to be a quick reference for developers, you can view the infographic below (click the image for the source and to view it full-size).

WTF is HTML5 and Why Should we Care?

[Source]

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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In this news round-up we take a closer look at the best of the freshest jQuery slider plugins.

Nivo Slider – The Most Awesome jQuery Image Slider

Nivo Slider is a lightweight (5kb compressed) jQuery plugin for creating good-looking image sliders. It simply converts an element that wraps images into a slider and offers 9 unique transition effects.
Nivo Slider – The Most Awesome jQuery Image Slider

Galleria – A JavaScript gallery for the Fastidious

Version 2 of Galleria is a JavaScript image gallery unlike anything else. It can take a simple list of images and turn it into a foundation of multiple intelligent gallery designs, suitable for any project.
Galleria – A JavaScript gallery for the Fastidious

Recreating the MLB.com Content Switcher with jQuery and CSS3

The goal of this project is to try to recreate the Flash content switcher from MLB.com using jQuery and CSS3.
Recreating the MLB.com Content Switcher with jQuery and CSS3

jQuery.popeye 2.0 – an inline lightbox alternative

jQuery.popeye is an advanced image gallery script, built to help you save space when displaying a collection of images and offers your users a nice and elegant way to show a big version of your images without leaving the page flow. The script is quick and easy to setup and it offers great flexibility in both behaviour and styling.
jQuery.popeye 2.0 – an inline lightbox alternative

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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That is why we always love it and are very grateful when a developer devotes a huge chunk of there time and develops a tool that makes developing that little bit easier. You will find four such tools below.

CSS3 Button Maker

To use this Button Maker thing, you just adjust the settings until you have a nice looking button, then press the button and it will give you the CSS. Copy and paste at your leisure. Now you can use the class name “button” on HTML elements to make them look like buttons.
CSS3 Button Maker

HTML5 Starter Pack

This HTML5 Starter Pack is a bit different than a template. It has been built with one guiding principle: scalability. As a result, you can use this to get started on your portfolio page or the next Facebook.
HTML5 Starter Pack

Tiny Fluid Grid

Inspired by the 1kb Grid, the Tiny Fluid Grid is a super simple fluid layout generator. Its download comes with a index.html with demo code, and the grid.css containing the CSS for the grid that you have created.
Tiny Fluid Grid

Smokescreen

Smokescreen is a new open-source project aimed at converting Flash to HTML5 to run where it previously couldn't (iPhone and iPad).
Smokescreen

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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Fantastic Footers: 25 Examples And Best Practices

Fantastic Footers: 25 Examples And Best Practices »

97 Beautiful Navigation for your Inspiration

97 Beautiful Navigation for your Inspiration »

40+ Inspiring Showcase of Slideshows in Web Design

40+ Inspiring Showcase of Slideshows in Web Design »

The Best Pricing Tables Design For Your Next Projects

The Best Pricing Tables Design For Your Next Projects »

40 Creative Twitter Status Designs for Your Inspiration

40 Creative Twitter Status Designs for Your Inspiration »

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

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The Google Font API provides a simple, cross-browser method for using any font in the Google Font Directory on your web page.

The fonts have all the advantages of normal text: in addition to being richer visually, text styled in web fonts is still searchable, scales crisply when zoomed, and is accessible to users using screen readers.

Here are some Google Font API resources to help get you started:

What are the Google Font API and the Google Font Directory?

The Google Font API helps you add web fonts to any web page, and the Google Font Directory give developers a selection of high-quality fonts when using the Font API.
Google Code Blog: Introducing the Google Font API & Google Font Directory
What are the Google Font API and the Google Font Directory?

Getting Started with the Google Font API
This guide explains how to use the Google Font API to add web fonts to your pages. You don't need to do any programming; all you have to do is add a special stylesheet link to your HTML document, then refer to the font in a CSS style.

Google Font Directory

The Google Font Directory lets you browse all the fonts available via the Google Font API. All fonts in the directory are available for use on your website under an open source license and served by Google servers.
Google Font Directory

Google Font Previewer

This tool allows you to preview and sample any of the Google fonts from its directory.
Google Font Previewer

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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There are big changes in this new WP version, with a lot of exciting features like multi-site and custom post types. Brace yourselves, its coming!

In today’s news we have collected the best resources to give you the low-down on WordPress 3.0.

List of WordPress Version 3.0 Enhancements and Fixes

This is the official list of the many enhancements and fixes you can expect with the imminent release of WordPress 3.0.
List of WordPress Version 3.0 Enhancements and Fixes

WordPress 3.0: The 5 Most Important New Features

The list of new features in WordPress 3.0 isn’t very long in comparison to previous releases. However, the changes that are coming will certainly have a significant impact, particularly if you use WordPress as a CMS. Here is a rundown of the most important new features arriving in version 3.0.
WordPress 3.0: The 5 Most Important New Features

WordPress 3.0: Ultimate Guide to New Features

In this article, from SixRevisions, they will give you a head start for 3.0s release, and will walk you through the notable new features of WordPress 3.0.
WordPress 3.0: Ultimate Guide to New Features

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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Ever Thought About Using @Font-face for Icons?

With the advent of font embedding and the realization that fonts are essentially a series of simple vector glyphs. Conceptually, if you placed all required icons for a particular site into a custom font, you would then be able to use those icons anywhere on the site with the option to change the size and color, add backgrounds, shadows and rotation, and just about anything else CSS will allow for text.
Ever Thought About Using @Font-face for Icons?

Font-Embedding Icons: This Is a Big Deal

From P.J. Onori's (resource author) view, it seems like the Font-Embedding Icons are the way forward. So, he generated a font set based on his personal icon set Iconic, and writes further about how to implement the icons and why we should all be using this method for displaying icons.
Font-Embedding Icons: This Is a Big Deal

Pure CSS Icons

As an experiment Zander Martineau built a set of pure CSS Icons, using lots of CSS3, border-radius being the most obvious but also rotation, gradients and transform (for when an icon is hovered over) and all dimensions are em-based so that all you have to do to change the size of the icon is just change the font-size of their containing element.
Pure CSS Icons

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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In this news round-up we have the best and most creative jQuery tutorials to help add some creativity to your web designs.

Awesome Bubble Navigation with jQuery

In this tutorial you are going to create a "bubbly" like effect navigation with jQuery. The idea is to have some round navigation icons that release a bubble when hovering over them. You will use the jQuery Easing Plugin for an even nicer effect.
Awesome Bubble Navigation with jQuery

Sweet Pages: A jQuery Pagination Solution

In this tut you will learn to build a jQuery plugin that will enable you to convert a regular unordered list of items into a SEO friendly set of easily navigatable pages. When finished, it can be used for comment threads, slideshows, or any kind of structured content.
Sweet Pages: A jQuery Pagination Solution

Beautiful Background Image Navigation with jQuery

In this tutorial we are going to create a beautiful navigation that has a background image slide effect. The main idea is to have three list items that contain the same background image but with a different position. The background image for each item will be animated to slide into place in different times, creating a really nice effect.
Beautiful Background Image Navigation with jQuery

Designing an Infographic with HTML, CSS & jQuery

Here is a walk-through of how to design an infographic with HTML, CSS & jQuery, showing you how resources like Cufon and jQuery’s ScrollTo plugin were used to add some flair and interactivity to its design.
Designing an Infographic with HTML, CSS & jQuery

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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40 Beautiful Typography Inspiration

40 Beautiful Typography Inspiration

20 Eye-catching Examples of Typography in Movie Posters

20 Eye-catching Examples of Typography in Movie Posters

Typography Showcase At Its Best – 68 Creations

Typography Showcase At Its Best – 68 Creations

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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40 WordPress-Powered Websites With Awesome Designs

40 WordPress-Powered Websites With Awesome Designs

Exceptional Web Sites Built on WordPress

Exceptional Web Sites Built on WordPress

30 Insanely Awesome Websites using WordPress as a CMS

30 Insanely Awesome Websites using WordPress as a CMS

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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Below you will find three more info-graphics for designers.

Colours In Cultures

What colour is happiness in China? Or good luck in Africa? Or anger in Eastern Europe? Are any color meanings universal across cultures and continents?

Colors In Cultures is a visualization of the meanings of different colours in different cultures by David McCandless and AlwaysWithHonor.com.
Colours In Cultures

So You Need A Typeface (Flowchart)

Choosing the perfect font for any project can be difficult, this flowchart certainly more than tries to help with a touch of humor.
So You Need A Typeface (Flowchart)

HTML5 and CSS3 Readiness

The browsers are grouped into color schemes based on their underlying rendering engine – e.g. all Firefox versions are shades of blue, Chrome/Safari – yellow, IE – pink. Each ray also has a different background color if it is a CSS3 feature.

Each browser is represented with a tile on the bar and gets an equal width of space, so if you see a bar that is full, that means that feature has universal support among all the 8 browsers.
HTML5 and CSS3 Readiness

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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For today’s news round-up we have some beautiful and creative Comic Book inspired art work showcases. Hop you enjoy them.

Inspired Artwork: Wonder Woman

View the rest of this gallery

Marvelous Artworks of the Incredible Hulk

View the rest of this gallery

Comic Book Artwork: Iron Man

View the rest of this gallery

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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For today’s news round-up we feature five new CSS techniques, each different in its own way, and all very useful and insightful.

Cross-Browser CSS Gradient

The CSS gradient feature was introduced by Webkit for about two years but was rarely used due to incompatibility with most browsers. But now with the Firefox 3.6+, which supports gradient, we can style create gradient without having to create an image.
This post will show you how to code for the CSS gradient to be supported by the major browsers: IE, Firefox 3.6+, Safari, and Chrome.

Cross-Browser CSS Gradient

Snazzy Hover Effects Using CSS

With all these CSS3 effects and tutorials popping up every day that show all the new and wonderful things we can make happen, we sometimes forget about poor little old CSS2.1 and the great potential it still has. In this tutorial, they will be going over how to create flexible and advanced hover techniques using CSS2.1 properties.

Snazzy Hover Effects Using CSS

Pure CSS Vignette

For those of you who don’t know, a vignette effect is a discoloration on the edges of an image. The technique involves a few divs, a bit of simple CSS, and a whole lot of fun.

Pure CSS Vignette

Realistic Looking Button with CSS3

Realistic Looking Button with CSS3

Sexy CSS Buttons

These buttons employ a couple of useful CSS properties. Most importantly, gradients, for which we use -webkit-gradient and -moz-linear-gradient. Secondly, we use border-radius and -moz-border-radius to make the button round.

For a bit of added depth and eye candy, I have added a subtle drop black drop shadow above the text using text-shadow and around the whole button using -webkit-box-shadow, -moz-box-shadow, and box-shadow.

Sexy CSS Buttons

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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For today’s news round-up we have a small, but useful collection of newly released developer tools and apps that can assist you during this learning curve.

CSSDesk – Dynamic CSS Sandbox

CSS desk is a new and useful tool that allows you to test and experiment with CSS and HTML.
CSSDesk – Dynamic CSS Sandbox

The HTML5 test – How well does your browser support HTML5?

The HTML5 test grades your current browser and depending on how well it performs will awards it a score out of 160. The score is calculated by testing for the many new features of HTML5. Each feature is worth one or more points. In some cases the tests go beyond the specification.
The HTML5 test – How well does your browser support HTML5?

iPad Peek

iPad Peek is a nifty tool that lets you see how any website will be rendered on the iPad. Click on the top border to switch from landscape to portrait mode.
iPad Peek

Elastic WordPress Theme Editor

Elastic is a visual theme editor and theme engine for WordPress that takes a new approach to WordPress theme development. Have a look at the video below.
Elastic WordPress Theme Editor

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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Everyday new WordPress themes are freely released, the difficulty is not finding fresh themes, the hardest part is finding high quality themes. In this news round-up we have collected the themes are we feel are of a premium quality, but of course, are available for free.

Light Folio Theme

The theme has a unique, simple design that would be a perfectly fit for your personal blogs, portfolios, business site and can also be used a unique magazine-style-blog.
Light Folio Theme

UpSide: A Free WordPress Theme

The UpSide Theme is a free WordPress theme that is best suited for personal blogs. The WordPress theme comes with 5 color schemes and 2 different layouts that you can set up on the theme’s options page in the WordPress Admin panel.
UpSide: A Free WordPress Theme

New WordPress Theme: Koi

Koi has threaded comments, multi-level drop down menus, social media buttons, one sidebar widget and three footer widgets. The theme also includes an option where you can config the menu, favicon, social media buttons, and footer tracking code.
New WordPress Theme: Koi

Silva WordPress Theme

While the Silva theme is easy on the eyes, it is anything but boring. Thanks to its dynamic header, you can easily feature your best posts. Above the header is a user friendly navigation menu, as well as a section for your logo, a search box and several colorful social media icons, including Twitter, StumbleUpon and Facebook.
Silva WordPress Theme

Free Dark and Clean WordPress Theme: Designpile

The theme comes with 3 color styles and a couple of jQuery-based goodies. It can be used for portfolios and blogs as well as corporate web.
Free Dark and Clean WordPress Theme: Designpile

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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Create a Kick-ass Facebook Fan Page

This article will go over where to go to create a Fanpage, some of the applications that you can (have) to install on your page, and how to link with them to produce a great Fanpage that will surely attract Facebookers to it and earn your brand some great exposure.
Create a Kick-ass Facebook Fan Page

5 Essential Apps for Your Business's Facebook Fan Page

Many Facebook apps are built for casual use, like the social games and quizzes you may see your friends using in their personal feeds. But there are quite a few apps that are ideal for a business Fan Page. These are useful for customizing your page with greater detail, showcasing your content from other social sites and getting more information from your customers. Here are five essential Facebook apps that your business may want to take for a spin.
5 Essential Apps for Your Business's Facebook Fan Page

How to Build Engaging One-of-Kind Facebook Fan Pages

Don’t let anyone tell you it is easy to create a successfully engaging Facebook Fan Page. It is not.
It’s not an insurmountable task either. But it requires planning, time, some kind of HTML knowledge, design skill, and imagination. Originality doesn’t hurt either.
How to Build Engaging One-of-Kind Facebook Fan Pages

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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Well, that’s what we have for you today, a collection of the most creative and in some ways strange social media icon-sets, which I am sure you will love.

Hand Drawn Social Media Icons

Social Network Icon Set

Free Furry Cushions Social Icons Set

Extreme Grunge Social Icons

108 Free Retro Grunge Stripes Social Media Icons

Grass Textured Social Bookmarking Icon Set

Vintage Postage Stamps Social Media Icon Pack

20 Amazing 3D social icons

Jeans Social Media Icon Pack

Glossy Waxed Wood Social Networking Icons

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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For today’s news round-up we have a small collection of amazing text effects and tutorials for Photoshop.

3D Typewriter Text

In this tutorial you’ll create some 3d typewriter hammer keys in Illustrator and mix them together with some painting techniques and the Vanishing Point Filter in Photoshop to create a stylish multi-dimensional wallpaper.

View the tutorial.

Photoshop Grungy Metal Effect

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a text effect using textures from stock images. The final image is a grungy picture with text being illuminated in the dark.

View the tutorial.

Jungle 3D text in Photoshop

This is a hunourous Photoshop tutorial that explains how to create a 3D jungle text effect. You will firstly create the text in Xara3d and then Photoshop to texturize the letters using the animals’ skin.

View the tutorial.

Retro-Style Text Effect in Cinema 4D and Photoshop

For this tutorial you will learn how to create 3D text and merge it into a retro-style scene, using Illustrator for the text, Cinema4D to make the text 3D and finally Photoshop to bring it all together.

View the tutorial.

3D explosion using the Brush and Smudge Tool

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a 3D explosion using the Brush and Smudge Tool using Photoshop and its default settings. After creating the explosion, the tutorial also features a few steps guiding you on how to create and implement your own 3d text.

View the tutorial.

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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Our readers have requested that Smashing Magazine conduct an interview with industry leaders on issues that are relevant to students and those just starting off in their design career. With the help of our panel of 16 designers, we’ll dispense advice that should help new designers get their career off to a promising start. We’ve asked a few different questions to each of the designers; you’ll see all of their responses below. First, here is a list of the designers who participated.

• Henry Jones (Web Design Ledger)
• Wolfgang Bartelme (Bartelme.at)
• Chris Coyier (CSS-Tricks)
• Chris Spooner (SpoonGraphics, Line25)
• Soh Tanaka
• Jon Philips (Spyre Studios)
• Paul Boag (Boagworld, Headscape)
• David Leggett (Tutorial9, UX Booth)
• Jacob Gube (Six Revisions)
• Elliot Jay Stocks
• Brian Hoff (The Design Cubicle)
• Darren Hoyt
• Walter Apai (Webdesigner Depot)
• Jacob Cass (Just Creative Design)
• Zach Dunn (One Mighty Roar and Build Internet)
• Paul Andrew (Speckyboy Design Magazine)

You may be interested in the following related posts:

• 35 Designers x 5 Questions
  Professional suggestions, tips and ideas from some of the best web-developers all around the world.

[Offtopic: by the way, did you already get your copy of the brand new Smashing Book?]

1. For students who aspire to work in design, what would you recommend they study?

David Leggett

Finding a good university-level design program that interests you will greatly increase your chance of finding awesome opportunities down the road, but it’s very beneficial to get experience before and outside of the education system. Find projects to help with, start your own, read up and apply as much as you can as you’re learning on the side. The extra experience will never hurt, and at the very least you’ll get to see if design is something you really enjoy.

Just to clarify, I have never taken any higher education courses in design, but I know the knowledge you get in that environment is valuable, as I’m sure others will suggest.

Wolfgang Bartelme

Well, I guess the most important thing is “practice, practice, practice.” To improve the quality of your work, you have to keep pushing yourself further and further. By the way, many great artists are self-taught. But I’m also convinced that a profound education will sharpen your skills and help you be able to judge why and how certain designs work. Personally, I studied “Information Design” at the University of Applied Science in Graz, focusing on all different aspects of design: print and advertising, exhibitions, Web design, usability, photography and film — thus giving students a wide range of knowledge, and making them more generalists than specialists.

2. How does a student determine whether design is for them or they should pursue another career?

Jacob Gube

This is a question you have to ask yourself. There aren’t any set rules or algorithms to determine whether you should be a designer. The important thing is to have passion for the work. Even mediocre designers will be able to sustain themselves, but they’ll have to work extra hard to compete with more talented and experienced designers. So, it all boils down to how much you want to be a designer and how much you’re willing to work at it and push forward. I won’t sugar-coat the current situation: the truth is that the industry is saturated, and there are a lot more designers than jobs, so you have to be sure that this is the profession you want to invest your time in.

Henry Jones

I think it’s all about passion. If you find yourself up late at night working on design projects just for the fun of it, then that’s a good sign that design is right for you. I think one of the worst situations in life is hating what you do. Loving what you do means you’ll probably be doing it and thinking about it even outside of class or when you’re not being paid to do it. You’ll constantly be honing your skills and staying on top of the latest technologies, which is very important for designers.

David Leggett

Everyone has a unique situation, and I don’t mean to suggest the following is always true: if you’re already a student at a university and have no outside experience, it may be difficult to really pursue a career in design. I say this only because personal friends of mine have struggled to find jobs in this current economic climate. Experience and something to show for your knowledge goes a long way.

Otherwise, be sure you truly enjoy whatever you decide to pursue. Many designers and artists I’ve met thoroughly enjoy their lifestyles, even when they’re struggling to find work. This is not to say that you should undervalue your work, but if you can enjoy your career when you’re not making money, then it’s probably a good match for you.

Wolfgang Bartelme

First and foremost, designing stuff has to be fun: you have to love what you do. If that’s not the case, look for something else. Secondly, you should, of course, have a decent measure of talent and imagination. Even though you will learn many skill in the course of your studies, without talent and imagination your work will be at best mediocre.

Chris Spooner

As with any career, if you’re passionate about the subject, you’re set to succeed. Careers in the design industry can seem exciting; after all, all you do is sit and color things in all day, right? I think this draws in a lot of people who maybe haven’t been particularly creative in the past and see the career as easy. This type of person might then find it difficult to be motivated to learn the required skills and to continue developing those skills throughout their career. That’s not to say that if you’ve weren’t a creative child, you can’t pursue a career in design. We all stumble across different interests throughout our lives, so as long as you feel you have a passion for design, go for it!

3. How do you balance education and work?

Zach Dunn

By my last estimate, I spend about 3 to 4 hours on client work for every 1 hour of academic work. I generally learn specialized skills more from client work than from academics. It’s easy to get caught up in client work and blogging. The hard part is making sure you don’t lose touch with the world around you. Interacting with clients and blog community members is certainly social, but you need to take a break and interact with “regular college students” from time to time. I consider it like mental detox.

I’m convinced you must put in extra time on personal projects to truly become competent in the Web design industry. Going through the motions during class and homework hours only leaves you behind. The Internet moves faster than any standard academic schedule. Keeping current and practiced is up to you.

Jacob Cass

Finding the right balance between family, friends, work and all of life’s other misdemeanors will always be a challenge, no matter what your career. You must set priorities and goals relative to what you want to achieve and get out of life. Although I have now finished studying (officially), I could say that my biggest challenge then was finding enough time to give high-quality attention to all projects, whether they were educational, personal or for paying customers. At times, I found this nearly impossible, and to be honest a lot of my university and personal work suffered from my commitments to paying customers. In saying this, I guess a lot of it comes down to having priorities, goals and good time management.

4. How did work outside your studies prepare you for your career?

Zach Dunn

Almost all of our “career” success so far has been a direct result of work done outside of studies. College is a great incubator for a number of things other than academics. I value school for reasons that are different than those of the average person. College has helped me socially. Sam recently wrote an article that does a great job of explaining more about our college philosophy in relation to Web design, titled The Role of College for Web Designers.

Certain career paths cannot start before graduation date. Lawyers, for example, can’t have hobby clients while putting themselves through school: it’s all or nothing. Web design isn’t limited by credentials for entry. Web design is largely portfolio-based. When’s the last time a client was more interested in your GPA than in your previous client work? In this industry, we have the luxury of starting early. I like to take advantage of that.

I don’t know what the future holds for Sam and me, but I’m confident that at least some of the projects we start today will have some role in it.

Jacob Cass

To be honest, I learned more in six months of blogging and following other people’s blogs, than studying for three full years at university. Doing extra work outside of the education system is vital.

5. What should students and new designers focus on outside of their course work to advance in their careers?

Brian Hoff

Students should definitely consider taking many business classes, especially if they want to go freelance or start their own studio one day. I’ve always been passionate enough about design to teach myself, but I wish I took more business and marketing classes. Also, I would recommend collecting designs. Having resources of inspiration and also an idea of good design is essential. I take photos of many types, colors, designs, etc. as I pass them by, and I use LittleSnapper to organize online media. Being a graphic designer is non-stop learning. Here’s an article I wrote that covers more: 16 Tips to Improve as a Graphic Designer.

Chris Coyier

No individual program is going to cover every single angle of design, especially the most modern technological stuff. Because you are already reading Smashing Magazine, you probably already have a good grasp of what’s going on in modern design. Reading and following tutorials and doing your own experimental projects on the side will definitely help you excel. That being said, your whole life doesn’t have to revolve around career enhancement. A well-rounded life will serve you well. Perhaps some of your other hobbies could benefit from your design talent. I have a friend who used to build coffee tables and decorate the surfaces with patterns of partially burnt matches. If he were looking for a design job, I would absolutely tell him to put that stuff onto an online portfolio.

Elliot Jay Stocks

Build your portfolio. Do free websites for your mates’ bands or your Mum’s friend’s wool shop. It might not be glamorous work, but doing as much as you can builds up your portfolio, and you’ll learn loads on every project. When I left university and got my first job, my portfolio was made up almost entirely of stuff I’d done on an extracurricular basis, not really the course work itself. But also don’t forget that it’s about quality, not quantity, and a good portfolio strikes a balance between variety (showing that you’re versatile) and continuity (showing that you have your own identity as a designer).

Walter Apai

It’s important to expand your knowledge to any areas that are related to design. Most design courses concentrate on the basics or on how to use the various pieces of software that are available. These are just basic tools for new designers, but they won’t make you a great designer.

Learn about art, layout and composition, and try to read at least one new book on design every month, or even one per week. Subscribe to design blogs such as Smashing Magazine and Webdesigner Depot, and never stop learning. Keep updating your knowledge whenever possible by attending conferences, reading books and magazines and becoming involved in the local artistic community. Try to become a well-rounded designer, not just an operator of Photoshop or another design software tool.

George Lois, the real-life inspiration for Don Draper in Mad Men, said it best:

“The computer has played a role in destroying creativity with Photoshop. Everybody thinks they’re a designer.”

While he may be generalizing a bit, I believe what is meant is that you can’t be a proper designer without understanding the fundamentals of art and design.

Jacob Gube

When I was a college student, what truly helped me in my career was proactively attempting to get real-world experience by doing freelance work, part time. The purpose was two-fold: to see what it was like to work with the kind of people who would become your employers once you were out of school, and to apply what you learned in class, which reinforces your education and helps you understand it hands on. You might even end up with a few portfolio pieces to show employers once you’re on the job hunt — and some money to buy those expensive classroom textbooks.

6. What one thing do you wish you knew before starting your career?

Darren Hoyt

Being in touch with my limitations and skills.

The first few years of designing for the Web (1998 to 2001), I knew being cross-trained was important, so I built my skills in design and front-end code (HTML, CSS) equally. But then I made the mistake of thinking that, if I was to become a more complete designer and developer, I should learn Perl, Flash and Unix commands, too. I sucked at all of those things and kept sucking until they asked me to stop.

Deep down, I knew I wasn’t wired for any of that stuff. And more importantly, I wasn’t actually interested in it, not compared to design anyway. Employers do value someone who is cross-trained, but not if the results are mediocre.

David Leggett

Pleasing everyone is nearly impossible. Be friendly to those who enjoy your work and friendlier to those who attack it.

Jacob Gube

I wished I had realized that quality is more important than quantity. When I started out, I focused on low-cost, high-quantity jobs, which resulted in late hours, not enough pay and nothing really that I could be proud to put in my portfolio. I wanted to work with as many people and on as many projects as I could to jumpstart my experience and resume. But the Project Triangle principle applies here: I did it fast and cheap, and so the outcomes weren’t good. If I had slowed down and focused on getting gigs that were interesting and better quality, I would have progressed more fruitfully.

Paul Boag

That constraints are good. As a Web design student, I was given endless freedom to design how I wanted and what I wanted. However, the real world is not like that. When I joined IBM out of university, my first job was to design 8-bit icons. Very restrictive indeed. When I started on the Web, it allowed only gray backgrounds and text that was justified left, right or centred. The first time I worked on a multimedia CD, it was capable of running video at only 160 x 120 pixels.

At the time, this frustrated me massively. However, in hindsight it was enormously beneficial. It pushed me creatively, and it has also given me a lot more patience with the peculiarities of browsers such as IE6.

7. What job search advice do you have for recent graduates?

Soh Tanaka

First and foremost, get your portfolio up, and make sure it represents your best work. If you lack work samples, start creating projects for yourself (websites for your hobbies, your family or for friends). As a new grad, you need to prove that you are serious and willing; the best way to get that message across is through a robust portfolio.

Secondly, hit the job boards, and send your resumes and cover letters to companies you would like to work for. Doing research and tailoring each cover letter and resume to the company is important. Stick to the job requirements, and follow directions carefully. These employers receive many applications daily, and nothing is worse than seeing a bland and generic introduction to who you are and what you offer. Stand out from the rest.

Thirdly, keep your networks open, and make yourself known! Networking is key.

Darren Hoyt

Obviously, scour the online job boards (Authentic Jobs, 37 Signals, Coroflot), but also follow the blogs and Twitter feeds of Web designers who you respect. Studying their methods will give you a clearer picture of the sort of designer you want to be. If you need advice, trying dropping them an email. But remember that not everyone has the free time to answer.

Truthfully, most designers I know didn’t get their job by applying cold to an agency they knew nothing about. Instead, they slowly made relationships with like-minded people until they began to see opportunities and get offers.

But I would stress, don’t “network” compulsively. It can look obvious and obnoxious and make you look needy. Instead, make connections with people you actually think you share interests with, people you could imagine being colleagues and friends, rather than business contacts. The rewards are much greater.

Chris Coyier

Nobody will hire you because you say you have skills. You’ll have to demonstrate your skills, so either work on your current personal website or start building one. Use the website as a portfolio and resume to send to companies. Send it both to companies that say they are hiring and to ones that don’t. Just because a Web company doesn’t hang a “Now hiring” sign on it door doesn’t mean it couldn’t use someone. Pitch them. A little advice for that portfolio: three awesome designs are better than three awesome and six mediocre designs packed in the same space. Showcase only your finest work, what you’re capable of. Quality over quantity.

8. What should new designers consider when deciding between working for an agency and freelancing?

Elliot Jay Stocks

Jumping straight into freelancing once you’ve completed your education is really tempting. I very nearly did that myself. But I’m glad I didn’t. You learn valuable lessons working for someone else first, and it’s actually much easier because you don’t have to worry about getting clients for yourself. So, I would recommend working for someone else before going it alone. It’s a great opportunity to build up your portfolio without dealing with any of the boring stuff that goes with freelancing or running your own business. I wrote a post about this a while ago: Build Your Profile to Get More Freelance Work.

Soh Tanaka

As a new designer, being at an agency or on a team is great for learning and feeling out the industry. Though you may not be able to set your own hours or work from home, a steady pay check and health insurance are both welcome during a tough economy.

When choosing the freelance route, have some experience under your belt, and be ready to be on your own. The key factor is knowing what your skills are and having discipline. Freelancing has its ups and downs, and you must be self-motivated and determined to overcome the challenges. Working from home and setting your own hours is ideal for most, but young designers should consider the requirements and reality before diving in head first. It may be wise to freelance part time until you build enough confidence and experience and know enough about your strengths and weaknesses to be able to make the right decisions when you strike out on your own.

Chris Spooner

It’s always worth learning the pros and cons of working for an agency and freelancing, because each has its perks! Here are a few that spring to mind.

Agency pros:

• Working for an agency after your studies can be great for gaining experience in how the industry works and how projects are managed from start to finish.
• At an agency, you work with like-minded colleagues, who you can learn from and develop with.
• Large agencies often attract big corporations and established brands.
• A full-time job guarantees you a monthly wage and set working hours.

Agency cons:

• You might get stuck working on projects that you don’t find interesting or might have to work on something you don’t agree with.
• Agencies sometimes have strict policies, rules and guidelines. For instance, browsing the Web, checking Facebook or tweeting might get you a slap on the wrist.
• Agencies work during the usual 9:00 to 5:00 business hours, so you will have to as well.

Freelance pros:

• As a freelancer, you have complete control of the projects you take on and the type of work you do.
• You’re not tied to any particular working hours, so taking a day off is no problem.
• If you can generate a consistent flow of projects, it can be much easier to earn a decent wage than you would by working at an agency.
• You can work in your pyjamas!

Freelance cons:

• You are personally responsible for your own income, a circumstance that can put you at risk.
• Freelancers need to be able to manage their time in order to avoid distractions.

I would recommend that new designers first seek out employment, which will give you professional experience with and knowledge of design. Then you’ll be able to decide whether you fit better at an agency or working for yourself.

One of the main things to consider before starting out as a freelancer is whether you’ve generated enough industry experience to be able not only to create designs but to source work, manage multiple projects and communicate with clients. These other factors definitely come into play when freelancing, so having at least some knowledge of these processes before diving in is important.

9. How can students and young designers make themselves more valuable to potential employers?

Darren Hoyt

Start building a Web presence as early as possible, even before seeking a junior position. Buy a personal domain and set up a simple portfolio, with an “About” page that gives a snapshot of your personality and talents. If haven’t done client work, do pro bono projects for friends until you have work samples to show. Displaying them publicly shows that you have pride in your work.

Be concise. Employers and human resource people are like anyone else: they are busy and have short attention spans. Don’t make them dig to find out who you are. Give your portfolio website just enough text, images and examples to paint an accurate picture. If you can’t give your own content a crisp and concise design, why should employers trust you to do that for clients?

Also, don’t exaggerate the facts when presenting yourself. Our lives are way too public these days to bother. More important than bragging or dazzling anyone with half-truths is finding a team whose needs and interests align with your own. If you get hired under false pretences, you will have wasted everyone’s time. Even experienced designers with great portfolios aren’t the right fit, disposition-wise, for every agency they apply to.

Wolfgang Bartelme

As I mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of the interdisciplinary approach. At most companies, you are unlikely to work exclusively in a single field. In fact, when you do Web design, being able to do some decent-looking icons or cut a simple screencast or promo video is good. This becomes even more important when you are self-employed. Moreover, this variety makes and keeps work interesting… at least that’s the case for me.

Chris Coyier

Just being a nice person and easy to work with is pretty huge. I think employers look for that during the interview process, at least as best they can in that short time. Someone incredibly stiff or stand-offish is unlikely to win the job over someone who is happy and casual. Design studios, in my experience, are pretty friendly and casual. Other random advice: become really good at one thing. You’ll be a lot more valuable as the guy or girl who knows that one thing really well than as a jack of all trades. Being well-rounded is awesome, but having a spike of talent in one particular area will serve you well.

Walter Apai

Social skills are necessary when dealing with potential clients. Designers should know what their clients do and provide them with the best possible service.

I’d encourage all designers to make themselves a one-stop shop for all of their clients’ design needs. That would include Web design, copywriting, printing, etc. If you’re not an expert in these fields, team up with a few peers so that you can help each other as needed.

Designers should focus on making the entire process easy for clients, but involve clients in some design decisions as well, so that they feel that they are part of the project.

I suggest asking the clients a lot of questions and truly aiming to get to the core of their business and what would work for them. The more we understand our clients and their projects, the more successful the projects will be and the better our chances of getting them as repeat clients.

A designer is a human being, too. Become a well-versed designer, understand your medium, get educated and become a well-rounded person who always aims high.

Set high standards for yourself and your work. The right clients will gravitate to someone who holds themselves to high standards.

10. What should new freelancers do during the first few months of their business to succeed?

Paul Andrew

You have to have a personal business plan. I really wish I had a plan when I started out; I really do. I jumped right in, feet first, and landed on my head! And it hurt. Partly, I think it was those first few months of hardship that even now propel me forward. That period not only affected my finances and confidence, it damaged my reputation. That is very hard to regain. I think over the years I have regained it, but it was hard work, and it all could have been avoided with a bit more planning and simply by writing a personal business strategy.

It’s not enough to have a strategy planned out in your head; it has to be on paper. You need to be able to read it and see it to live by it. Every so often you should read it again, just to realign yourself. And then read it again, and only tweak it if you really have to.

Your personal business plan could do the following:

• Describe your business objectives, business direction and where you hope to be in x number of months.
• List all potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.
• Set honest and realistic targets, and allow for a little flexibility.
• As your business grows, track its efforts and compare them to your business objectives.
• Set up a financial framework to measure how much your business is making or not making.
• Describe how you are going to attract new business to meet your financial targets.

Everyone and every business is different. Write down what is correct and achievable for you, and be very honest: it is your business after all.

Stick to the plan!

Brian Hoff

Personally, I worked for nearly three years while preparing to go freelance. I would work my 9:00 to 5:00 job, come home, eat dinner and then market myself (blog), search for new business, advertize and work from around 7:00 pm until 12:00 am. Having a good feel for running your own business is important before you go in head first.

Saving money is also important. Every business, no matter what it is, goes through periods of drought. Having money to back you up for a little while is a must. Freelancing is not for everyone. Part-time freelancing while maintaining a steady-paying job will help you get a feel for things.

Chris Spooner

I think the most important time in freelancing isn’t particularly the first few months, but more so the time leading up to going freelance. As a freelancer, you’ll need a good flow of clients to generate income; you’ll have to get busy promoting and building a name for yourself, so that when you’re ready to leave your job, you’ll be all set to simply flick the switch from employment to self-employment.

During this build-up time, you’ll want to design all of your personal branding, especially your website, to showcase what you can do. Become an active member of the design community by blogging, guest writing and networking via Twitter (or you might want to network offline or locally); and begin taking on projects that you can work on during the nights. It can be hard work managing both your full-time job and one or two freelance projects simultaneously, but when the number of inquiries reaches an optimal level, you can quickly switch from your job to taking on more freelance work — rather than making the decision one day, falling flat on your face and then having to eat beans on toast until you’ve built a profile.

Jon Phillips

I believe the first few months are crucial, especially because it usually means quitting the day job and taking the plunge into the freelancing world. It can be scary at first. Many things need to be done in the first few months, but of course nothing is irreparable. Should you make a bad decision, you can always fix things as you go along. I highly recommend getting a portfolio website up; even if you don’t have a lot to show, you need a place to showcase what you have. Then get a good invoicing system such as Freshbooks or Billings 3, network with other freelancers as much as possible via Twitter, Facebook, design forums and blogs and maybe start a blog of your own.

Elliot Jay Stocks

Work for someone else! For the first few months to be a success, you need to have work lined up, so having that in place before you make the jump is important. I’d also recommend getting a good accountant as soon as you can and some sort of system for keeping track of your money, such as Xero. Also, make sure you have a website set up long before you decide to go solo.

11. Aside from design and technical skills, what aspects of running a business should new freelancers focus on?

Paul Andrew

The advice I have been given over the years about freelancing as a business has varied. Some have told me that putting business ahead of design guarantees profit and keeps your head above water. On the other hand, I have also been told not to treat design as a business, to work on what your passion is, and the business side will take care of itself.

These are both great philosophies, but they don’t really work in the real world. The answer is to have a healthy balance between the two. Both need to be kept apart while at the same time working off each other. Think of it as the positive and negative charge of a battery. The battery only works when both charges are connected. (You can decide which is the positive and negative side in relation to business and design).

When meeting potential clients, first impressions really do count, and you really need to present yourself with professionalism. It does not matter how strong your portfolio is or who you are — it is about how professional and business-like you appear to them. You are negotiating a business transaction after all.

Yes, this means breaking away from the designer stereotype of wearing t-shirts and jeans and instead being clean shaven, putting on a business suit and remembering the manners your mother taught you. Carry business cards with you, maybe even a briefcase; do what you have to do to convince the client you mean business.

Some monkeys you should not carry on your back by yourself, and they are the finance side of your business. Let’s be honest: who understands tax and monetary law. I certainly don’t and don’t care to either. Find yourself an accountant. They don’t cost that much — maybe a week’s wage out of the year, and when you weigh the cost of doing your taxes incorrectly and the penalties that might follow, an accountant is a worthwhile investment.

It would be nice if everyone you worked with was honest. Protecting the integrity of your work, yourself and your business should be next on your to-do list. The reality is that at some point, someone will try to shortchange you or, worse, wiggle out of a payment. That is why you need a watertight contract. Every country has its own laws regarding design; make sure you know and understand yours.

Hiring a lawyer to write a standard contract for your small business would be expensive. A way around this would be to write your own, as I did. I asked a few designers for advice and researched the law online and came up with an outline for my own. I then took it to a lawyer and asked them to sanity-check it. Not as expensive as asking them to write it — still, it wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it.

So, to sum up, if you’re dressed smart, your business finances are in safe hands and you are legally protected, you are now free to do what you were trained to do and give your creativity free reign, letting your passion fuel your design. It is a long road to take, but it is necessary.

Brian Hoff

Marketing without a doubt. I receive many emails asking how I get so much freelance business or how do I find clients. My response: You have to work hard for it. Clients won’t come to you. Tell everyone what you do, start a blog, attend networking events and conferences, contact clients directly. Running your own business is hard work. There is no such thing as a 40-hour work week when you run your own business. I work seven days a week. I’ve even gone so far as to strike up new work by chatting with someone at the bar (not recommended). You have to have personality and drive to freelance successfully.

Jon Phillips

Being a freelancer means having to wear many different hats (a ton of different hats!). Spending some time on government websites and meeting with an accountant to learn more about tax laws goes a very long way. Of course, many designers, being creative types, tend to forget that it’s a business (I often forget). You need to spend time on accounting but also on networking and marketing your business. In the first few months results will be small, but your efforts will pay off in the long run. You need to be as good with numbers as you are with Photoshop.

12. What are some of the best ways for new designers to find clients?

Henry Jones

I can only speak from experience here. Shortly before I went full-time freelancing, my portfolio was listed on several popular CSS galleries. From that point on, clients found me. I was very surprised to see how many people used the galleries to find designers. Once I had a few clients and projects under my belt, I started to get a lot of referrals. So, work hard on creating a great portfolio, and use the design galleries. This is probably the best and easiest way to get the most exposure. Plenty of design-specific job boards are available, such as AuthenticJobs, where you can search for projects that are a good fit for you.

Jon Phillips

I think websites such as Twitter are a great place to get started! In fact, I found a lot of my own clients via Twitter. Design forums are also a great place to network, make friends and find work. New freelancers may also be tempted to try design contests and crowd-sourcing, but I personally think they devalue the industry, so I wouldn’t advise doing that. Even if you don’t have much to show in your portfolio, there are others ways to get gigs. There are always job boards, such as the one on Smashing Magazine and the one on FreelanceSwitch, which are great for finding clients. You might even consider buying banner ads on design-related websites. But your marketing budget may not allow this at first, so networking websites, job boards and forums would be the places to hang out.

Jacob Cass

Get your name out there. Start blogging. Showcase your work. Look on job boards. Ask friends, family, local charities. Read books and blog posts: the information is out there. Your job is to find it!

Walter Apai

Networking is one of the best ways but often one of the most overlooked ones. I suggest that new designers speak to everyone they know and use every chance they have to talk about their work and what they do for a living.

I found myself just mentioning Web design to someone the other day (not even looking for more work), and immediately they thought of someone they knew who was looking for a website redesign. Opportunities are everywhere; just seize them.

I should also mention that one should not rely on networking alone or any other single “system.” I’d encourage new designers to take a multi-faceted approach to their new career.

There are unlimited ways to get new clients. Posting on bulletin boards, both online and offline, and placing small ads in the newspaper or local magazines are just a few of the media you can use. I also think that starting local is best, and getting experience working on projects with people who you can meet in person in your own city. This is a good starting point to gain more “field” experience.

Paul Boag

It has to start with friends and family. This will help build your initial portfolio. From there, consider doing some discounted work for a local charity to gain experience in working for real clients. After that, the contacts you have made through networking will start to pay off, and hopefully you will get some work through them. Finally and most importantly, make it known that you want work. It is surprising how many freelance websites I visit that don’t state whether they currently accept work or not.

That said, I would suggest that if you are straight out of university, you should probably work for a small agency before jumping into the freelance world. Being a freelancer requires a lot of business skills that they don’t teach you in university.

13. What networking tips do you have for young designers?

Henry Jones

One option is to attend design conferences, but for young designers this can be expensive. So, I would recommend getting involved in the design community. Start reading and leaving comments on popular design blogs. Create a Twitter account, and post useful stuff. Depending on how much time you have, you could even start your own design-related blog. Blogging has been huge for me, and I believe it’s the best way to get your name out there and meet other designers. No matter what route you take, just remember to be helpful and genuine, and you will build lasting relationships.

Paul Andrew

You are young — you cannot change that fact — and you want to be successful. In any business, especially ours, you need friends, you need contacts and most importantly you need to build professional relationships. Bear in mind, though, that networking is not something you can rush; it takes time and patience.

The best time to start networking is right now. Even if you are still in high school or haven’t yet graduated college, reach out now. It is never too early to get your name out there. Your name is your most powerful and memorable asset. Work will follow, I promise.

The most important relationships for any designer are the ones they have built with fellow students. No matter what happens, they are your primary network. You can help each other by sharing knowledge and design contacts and by learning from each other.

The best way to network beyond your inner circle is to get in touch with seasoned designers. For the most part, designers are pretty selfless and love to share and help when they can. With that in mind, put together a list of designers on whom you want to model yourself and someone with a strong body of work. Send them emails, accompanied by your portfolio, stating that you are a young designer starting out and seeking a little advice. Ask them how they got started, and ask for any tips they might be willing to share? Seasoned designers need to build their networks, too, and will welcome your introduction and questions.

When I started out as a designer, I sent a letter (with my portfolio and business card) to a local design agency — certainly not the biggest one or the most prestigious — and introduced myself as a young designer who was eager to learn. I asked if I could come in for a day or two to learn a bit about the design business and gain some work experience. Thankfully, they consented, and I spent three days asking questions, picking up business cards and meeting clients. That was over ten years ago, and I still rely on those contacts now. And to this day, that has been my most productive and successful period of networking.

Not every design agency will be as open as that one was, but I would try. There is no harm in asking.

One thing to remember about networking is that success is determined not by your number of contacts but by the quality of those contacts. Even if the best designer in the world sent you a courtesy email reply, it does not mean that you are in their network or that they are in yours. A quality network contact is someone who gives you a personal reply and genuinely tries to help you. These are the contacts you must maintain. This is your network.

Finally, please don’t think of youth as an impediment. Think of it as a license to ask questions, to learn and expand your personal network.

Paul Boag

Step away from the computer. Meeting people online is great, but nothing beats meeting them face to face. Attend conferences and meet-ups and get to know people. Then follow up on those relationships via Twitter and Facebook.

Also, don’t have an agenda. Or, if you have one, be honest and open about it. Too many people network solely to win work or become a “Web celebrity.” Instead, network because you want to meet like-minded people who will inspire and excite you about your work.

Soh Tanaka

Attend industry events, seminars and any kind of social gatherings. Don’t be shy; get to know the people around you. Be interested and willing to learn from them, and at the right time let them know who you are and what you do. Carry business cards with you at all times, and have your elevator speech ready. You never know when you will run into a potential client or employer. Networking is all about expanding your opportunities, and as a designer this skill is critical.

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20 Fantastic Usability & Conversion Analysis Tools

Usability and conversion analysis tools, such as the examples listed in this article, will help you design or redesign your site to make it easier and enjoyable for visitors to navigate around. Such tools can be expensive, but they needn’t be. Amongst the pricier ones listed you’ll find many that are cheap or completely free to use.

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Project Management is often defined as the science of organizing, planning and managing the available resources of a particular organization to successfully complete a project, which aims to meet the organization’s goals and objectives.

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With Twitter, professionals are able to avidly share, distribute, and promote information with the people who are following them. After all, finding an effective way to spread content throughout the web is becoming scarce these days.

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By Paul Andrew (Speckyboy and speckyboy@twitter).

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In today’s news round up we have collected some color related articles, some tools for your inspiration and learning.

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Color in design is very subjective. What evokes one reaction in one person may evoke a very different reaction in somone else. Sometimes this is due to personal preference, and other times due to cultural background. Color theory is a science in itself.

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It all sounds good, doesn't it… There are some down-sides, though – some of the extensions are a little bit buggy (most are still in Beta) and others do lack a fair bit of polish. But if you choose your extensions carefully you will be able to build yourself a great web browsing environment.

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