Interbrand recently published their 2008 list of the best global brands. I thought it would be educational to take a look at the websites for these brands and see how they compared.
Read MoreWeb Design
12 Essential Web Site Building Blocks
Whenever I take over responsibility for a new web site, there are a number of core things that I like to ensure have been set up. I call these the ‘building blocks’ of a web site — the fundamental elements that should be in place on almost any site. They include:
Experiment in Making an Article Sidebar More Readable and Visually Appealing
I recently read a great article on Boxes and Arrows about the myth of the fold. Turning to the sidebar to learn more about the author, I was struck by some of the design decisions that had been made regarding this part of the page, most notably the choice to right-align all the sidebar content.
Read MoreVote for Your Favorite Typography Preferences
Here’s an interesting idea. Text Prefs is an online typographic survey where you can choose your preferred text formatting — font, text size, line height, column width — and then vote for it.
Read MoreRedesigning the TechCrunch Web Site Footer
I’ve been a reader of TechCrunch for some time. Although I mainly read it via RSS, I occasionally visit the site — either to post a comment or view something that’s not displaying properly in my RSS reader.
Read MoreIs It Fair To Criticize Bad Design?
Jacob Nielsen recently posted an Alertbox simply titled Four Bad Designs. While I don’t disagree with his observations and his conclusions, I also felt that perhaps it was a little unfair to single out these sites in particular for his scathing remarks:
Read MoreBBC News Site Redesign and User Feedback
You may or may not be aware that the BBC recently redesigned its news web site. I’m not going to comment on the merits of the redesign (well, okay, I like it) — there’s plenty of that going on elsewhere:
The Evolution of a Button
If you’re familiar with my Elements of Design showcase then you know that I am a firm believer in the saying “the devil’s in the details.” Read More
Examples of Typographic Style on Commercial Web Sites
There’s something special about opening a page that uses great typography and layout. The headline pops out at you, drawing you in. Through good use of spacing the text looks readable and inviting.
Read MoreNew Book: Web Design for ROI
I recently came across an interesting new book — web design for ROI.
It’s based on the idea (that many designers seem to forget) that most web sites are business-focused and so should be designed and run like one.