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Why Do New Web Sites Look the Same?

Try Googling that question! When I Googled it I got 361 million results, so it seems to be a question that a fair number of people are asking. I also think that the answer is somewhat complex. Part of the answer is that people tend to follow the current design trend,...

Usability in HTML and CSS

As a web developer I am very aware of the need for usability of web sites. I also teach HTML/CSS as an adjunct professor at Clark College. In the time that I have been teaching HTML/CSS and trying to help students understand these languages, I have become more aware...

Typography and CSS3

Working for a graphic design firm is interesting.  Print designers can be highly-strung individuals when faced with examples of poor typography.  Straight quotes that should be curved quotes, poor kerning, fonts not using ligatures—are all examples of things that can...

Bookmarklets and Browser Security

I am a big fan of bookmarklets. (A bookmarklet is basically a piece of JavaScript code that is embedded in a web address (URL) and saved as a bookmark or, in Internet Explorer (IE), a favorite.) Bookmarklets work because JavaScript can be run from the address/URL bar...

Engaging a Design Firm for a Web Site

If you think hiring a design firm to build you a web site is daunting, try researching “what you need to know about hiring a design firm.” Do some research, and you can find 44 questions to ask before hiring a design firm, or is it 13 questions, or 8...

The Psychology of Color in Design

This summer, we had an intern from India in our studio. Aastha’s internship was her first exposure to the American business world as well as an opportunity to immerse herself in a design culture. After only a few days in our studio and her completion of a...

Is Hand-Coding HTML Web Sites Dead?

I have been coding web sites from the dawn of time (1996 or so), and currently teach college courses relating to coding for the web. Until recently, whenever a web job came into the agency, the process would be to get the client’s requirements, mock-up the home...

Bookmarket for Validating CSS and HTML

As a web coder, part of my work flow is to validate the HTML and CSS code on my pages.  In the past I have used the “Web Developer Toolbar” plugin for Firefox.  The plugin is a great tool with a lot of good features, but it always bothered me that I had to...