galileo maeshary

Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts

Top 10 Must Have iPhone Apps for Bloggers

"The web is going mobile and it is going faster than anyone can think. Majority of the bloggers are now using their iPhone or similar style phones to jot down ideas, write entire posts, stay connected and so much more. In this showcase we will be highlighting some of the most essential iPhone Apps for bloggers."

Top 10 Must Have iPhone Apps for Bloggers

3 Nifty iPhone Apps For News Consumption On The Go

"...There are a couple of iPhone applications built by independent programmers that provide even more news consumption bliss, and there are three that I wanted to highlight today."

3 Nifty iPhone Apps For News Consumption On The Go

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Get Wireframing: The All-In-One Guide | Hi, I'm Grace Smith

Huge collection of wireframing tools, resources, tips, tutorials, etc. from designer Grace Smith:

Get Wireframing: The All-In-One Guide | Hi, I'm Grace Smith

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Blogging resources

I'm playing catch-up this weekend, having not blogged much for a couple of days. This first post is a handful of useful blogging resources.

First, if you're not in the mood for designing your own blog template, a collection of pre-packaged templates:

40 Amazing Blogger Templates for Personal Blogs

But we're all creative folks, right? (well, ok, I haven't worked out my template for this blog yet, but I'll get there...) Starting from the beginning? Here's a guide:

How to Make a Creative Blog Layout

Want to work out that perfect background design? Here's a collection of techniques and tutorials about designing website backgrounds:

Outstanding Website Background Guide: 60+ Impressive Resources « Noupe

Once you've got your blog up and running, here are

15 Basics of Insanely Useful Blogwriting

Enjoy!

Tools to make designer's lives easier

Might have to check out the last tool, FiveSecondTest, looks interesting:

23 Brilliant Web Apps To Simplify Designer's Work Life @ SmashingApps

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Super Awesome Buttons with CSS3 and RGBA

ZURB | Super Awesome Buttons with CSS3 and RGBA

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Fun with 404

We've all seen them, either by clicking on an old link or mistyping a URL in our browser: the 404 "page not found" error page. The number comes from the http standard response code: Oops. Sorry, can't find that page.

One of my co-workers expressed his opinion that users should never get 404/"page not found" errors, that instead the design of the site should be clever enough to place them where they intended to go, or at least close enough. This is a great strategy, and while it may not always be possible, I've seen it put to good effect. As an examepl, if a user is in the middle of directory of services, and mistypes a service detail page URL, the interface could give them the standard 404 page. But instead, it could take them to a searchable a-z list, thus assuming they were trying to look for a particular service based on what they types. Nice, and definitely a better user experience.

All of that said, you still need a page for users to land on when clever site architecture just can't get the job done. Here are a few ideas and suggestions:

Don't leave the user at a dead end. Give them some way to continue by offering a sitemap, search feature, popular links or some other way to go somewhere else. Make sure the global navigation and footer is available.
If there are any strategies that will help a user be more successful, that help will be appreciated. Keep it simple and brief, though, as users scan more than they read.
Here's even a blog post about monetizing 404 pages.

But why not have some fun? There are some very clever 404 pages out there, here is a collection from All About Technology: 53 Custom Designed "404 Error" Pages Of Big Sites (Shared via AddThis)

Enjoy, and be careful typing those URLs...

Keeping Your Designs In Line: A Grid Bookmarklet

From Allan Jardine | Reflections: "As all designers know, the grid is absolutely fundamental to layout, whether you want to keep to a tight grid, or break it for effect. Grid is a highly configurable JavaScript bookmarklet which overlays a layout grid on any web-site you wish."

Get the Grid Bookmarklet

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Many Eyes

I was reading over a presentation that included a map created using this IBM site, an online tool for creating information visualizations. Check it out:

Many Eyes

Shared via AddThis, hat tip to Erin Malone's social games research.

Design Pattern Repositories

When designing interactive experiences, there are lots of ways to innovate, but also situations where it doesn't make sense to reinvent the wheel. There are many parts of a larger experience with which users could or should already be familiar, and this is where design pattern libraries can be excellent resources for designers. Here is a list of libraries and resources culled from a LinkedIn group of user experience designers that I thought I'd compile for easier browsing: