Jumpeye Components is working on a new version of their popular FlashEff, and they’re giving away beta acces to FlashEff2 (Premium Plus pacakage) to readers of Vandelay Design. FlashEff is a Flash component that makes it easier and quick to create high-quality Flash effects (compatible with both Flash CS3 and Flash CS4).
Choosing the right content management system for a particular project can be a critical decision that has long-lasting impact on the client and the success of their website. Unfortunately, with so many options out there it is difficult to get to know more than just those that you use on a regular basis.
In this post I’d like to present some basic information about LightCMS and provide a tutorial for getting a simple website working with the basic features of LightCMS. This is a very simple tutorial that only covers the basics of the system, but hopefully it will be helpful to learn a little bit more about LightCMS in case it can be of use to you and your clients.
Lighting effects can be fun to experiment with in Photoshop, and a number of websites use this approach for creating a dramatic look. Several months ago I posted a collection of 25 websites with lighting effects, and today we’ll follow up with another 25 sites.
You’ve probably noticed that Twitter links and updates are now very commonly found on blogs. There are a few different ways that Twitter can be used and integrated into a blog, and this post will showcase 30 blogs that are promoting a Twitter account. Some show the most recent Tweets and others are simply icons and links to the Twitter page. There is a good bit of variety from these featured sites, so hopefully you’ll find some that you like.
Websites using large background images are consistently increasing in popularity. This post is a showcase of more than 30 websites using large background images. As you will see from the websites that are featured here, there are any number of different approaches and possibilities that can be used to create an impact with a background image.
Part of being a web designer (or any other type of service provider for that matter) is dealing with the reality that deadlines are going to be a part of your job. Deadlines often have a negative stigma, but they actually freelancers and independent designers to keep themselves on track and to promote efficiency and productivity, which will lead to a profitable business.
Last week I wrote about some various steps to achieving a productive workday, and in many cases your days will involve the need to meet deadlines, or at least to make progress towards meeting the deadlines at a later date. In this article we’ll take a look at 10 different things that you can do to help yourself in terms of meeting deadlines on client projects.
Adobe Illustrator provides designers with an excellent opportunity for creating amazing effects with text. This post features 30 of the best tutorials on the subject. While there are more tutorials available for working with text in Photoshop, I think you’ll see from this selection that there is plenty to be learned for text effects in Illustrator.
Blueprint-Style Text in Adobe Illustrator
Button design is something that may be considered a small detail and doesn’t often get a lot of attention, but well-designed buttons can make a big difference in the overall look of a site. In this post we’ll look at 40 buttons that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles and colors.
If you enjoying seeing great examples of button design, you may also like:
Being able to work with texture in Photoshop gives you endless possibilities for your design. There are a variety of different approaches when it comes to adding texture, some are simple and others are more advanced. The 25 tutorials featured in this post will help you to learn a number of different techniques that can be used in your own design.
Add Visual Texture in 3 Easy Steps
Freelance designers, as well as those who work for small design studios, often face the challenge of getting the most productivity out of their time and achieving maximum efficiency. While this can be a struggle for anyone in a more “typical” job, freelancers have added distractions, unique challenges, and no one to hold them accountable. To be a successful freelancer you’ll have to place a priority on productivity and find ways that work for you.
Each of us is unique and no process will work for everyone, but all of us have plenty of things that we can do to improve our workflow. In this article I’ll cover some of the lessons that I have learned through my own experience. For me, productivity is a constant goal, and always interested in finding new ways to get more out of my time. I’m far from perfect in these areas, but making consistent improvements. Hopefully some of these things will help you in your own work.
Updated regularly with articles, resources, and inspiration for web designers.
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