DESIGN Web Outsource

WYSIWYG editors render your code as they appear on a web browser. These editors have a user-friendly point-and-click interface that help web programmers visualize their code as they go, although most prefer a totally text based editing system. However, Lifehacker has a good lineup of WYSIWYG editors, with pros and cons worth considering. The list:

-The open-source favorite Kompozer
-Industry giant Adobe Dreamweaver
-iWeb from Apple’s iLife bundle
-Expression Web, Microsoft’s way of saying sorry for Frontpage
-Flux, a well-regarded upstart Mac WYSIWYG

Personally, I’d go for Kompozer basically because it’s free. As a programmer myself, I respect software licenses and the fees that may come with proprietary software. Given time, any programmer worth his salt will just need a pen and paper to sketch a layout on, then directly write the code for it. In the meantime, he can save enough money for a better, more coding-oriented IDE.

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Option #1

A single IE-only stylesheet inside of a conditional comment; inside that file, different versions of IE are targeted with hacks.

Drawbacks to #1

• Every version of IE will load the extra styles, even the unused ones
• Potentially adds an extra HTTP request
• Changing something in the main stylesheet may require that you hunt down IE-only styles in a separate file

Benefits to #1

• IE styles are in one file, so they’re easy to maintain

Option #2

Multiple IE-only stylesheets inside conditionals, each targeting a different version of IE.

Drawbacks to #2

• Changing something in the main stylesheet may require that you hunt down IE-only styles in as many as 2 or more extra files

Benefits to #2

• No unnecessary HTTP requests
• No unnecessary lines of code loaded in the main stylesheet

Option #3

A single stylesheet that targets all browser, but within that stylesheet, IE-only hacks are present.

Drawbacks to #3

• Unnecessary lines of code are loaded for all browsers
• Your main stylesheet will not validate (thanks to comment from Jeremy Carlson for pointing this out)

Benefits to #3

• No extra HTTP requests
• No need to open multiple CSS files to adjust something that’s hacked for IE

Option #4

One or more JavaScript files inside of conditional comments that target different versions of IE, dynamically adding or removing styles and/or class names.

Drawbacks to #4

• IE Browsers without scripting enabled will not see the corrected CSS
• A slow loading script could cause the styles to be applied late, making the layout temporarily look awkward
• Will be complicated to maintain, and could also require extra IE-only stylesheets, adding to the page bloat and slowness

Benefits to #4

• Could work on buggy elements that won’t behave with pure CSS (I’ve seen this happen and have used this method when time/budget was limited and the CSS was too messy to deal with normally)

Option #5

Ignore IE.

Drawbacks to #5

• Locking out a significant portion of your potential traffic/sales
• Client screaming at you because the website looks like crap in IE

Benefits to #5

• Only one hack-less stylesheet to maintain
• Peace of mind (but short-lived because of the screaming client)

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Most Web developers, when they think of alignment think of the align attribute or the CSS float property or something like that. But the alignment of the elements on your page is just as important as whether your text is justified or your image is floated to the left. Alignment provides the structural framework of a design. The alignment can affect the mood of the page as well as how effective it is at getting its message across.

But page design can be as structured, with a rigid system that is obvious, or it can be more subtle. If you understand how to align elements effectively on your Web page, you’ll be able to break the rules effectively as well.

These images show you a Web page with three simple elements and how you can lay out those elements on the page to create different designs. All that is changing in the layouts is where the elements are placed on the page.

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A custom logo design can project professionalism, unify product lines, differentiate products, and create a brand. Without the right logo, your success in each of these areas could be limited.

Professionalism
We have known CPAs, doctors, and other local service professionals who operated without professional logo design. But when the business gains broader exposure, it becomes essential to cultivate an image based on professionalism, not personality. Broader exposure can result from advertising, increased numbers of clients, a Web site, a new partner, or for other reasons.

Unify Product Lines
Imagine a pair of Nike shoes without the “swoosh” logo: it’s just another pair of sneakers. Imagine the iPod® without Apple® Computer: we see just another MP3 player, stylish but pricey. In both cases the company logo makes the individual product more valuable by connecting it with the company’s other products and reputation.

Differentiate Your Products
Logos enable products and packages that would otherwise look the same to stand apart. Imagine a Tommy Hilfiger® shirt without the logo—that would be just another shirt. Ask yourself this: “Does my business stand out from my competitors?” If not, a professionally designed logo may be what you need.

Create a Brand
In the cases of Nike® and Apple®, the companies have turned their brands into lifestyle choices. The cornerstone of this branding is a professional logo design—without it, there will be no brand.

Your Logo
With a custom logo, your company can project professionalism, unify product lines, make products or services stand out against competitors, and create a brand that your customers will wear with pride. Where do you start? For many small businesses, the best solution is a professional online logo design service.

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Go for Professional Logo Designers You might save a few dollars doing your own logo or getting it done from the next door boy who knows the basics of designing but if you are serious about your business you should always go for a professional logo design firm. Your corporate logo is your identity, your customers recognize you by your logo, so the more professional and sophisticated your logo is the better will be your customer’s impression about your company.

Though most of the logo design companies charge exorbitant rates to create a corporate logo design but the industry is changing. These days there are companies that offer excellent professional logos for nominal charges (e.g., corporate logo design

Simplicity – Keep it Simple An ideal corporate logo design should be simple and memorable. Corporate houses spend thousands of dollars to ensure that customers remember them at all point of time and a simple logo is the key to that. Think about the Nike logo, it’s simple and memorable—once you see the Swoosh, do you ever need to think twice about the company name?

Colors Colors you use for your corporate logo are a very important factor in your brand establishment. If you already have your corporate colors ask your logo designer to use those colors for the logo. If you don’t, suggest the colors that you think might give your prospective clients some idea about the type of business you do. For example, a company working in the fields of forest conservation might like their logo to be in green. At the same time, you also need to consider which colors will go well with your corporate stationeries as well.

Black and White version While emphasizing the colors we must also remember that it is important for a corporate logo to come out well in black and white. A corporate logo design is used in all corporate communications including fax and photocopied document where they will be in black and white and the logo design must be such that it holds the same impact even in black and white.

Minimize Colors This is more important from an economic and usability point of view. Corporate logos are often required to be printed for stationary and corporate literature. Using a one or two spot color logo can save a lot of cost compared to printing a full color logo.

Logo Format It is advisable to always use a vector format for your corporate logo design. A corporate logo may be required to be reproduced at any size for different purposes in the future. A logo design done in vector format can be expanded to any size without any loss of image quality, where as a corporate logo in raster format will loose image quality, if scaled up. Also it is easier to convert a vector logo design to bitmap than vice versa.

If you get a professional logo design firm to do your corporate logo and brief them about this basic tips (most of the knowledgeable firms are well aware of these principles) you are sure to get a satisfactory corporate logo design that would go a long way in helping you establishing your brand.

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