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Handy Code Snippets for Web Designers/Developers

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Antonio Lupetti, via his excellent web design/development site Woork, has posted a handy round-up of HTML/CSS/Javascript code snippets. For users of Panic’s Coda development app on the Mac, these items should definitely be added to your Clips library.

10 Useful Code Snippets for Web Developers (via Woork)

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Ski Lodge is an Ideal Example of a Top Notch iPhone User Interface

Friday, December 12th, 2008

Ski LodgeSince it’s introduction this past summer, the iTunes App Store has exploded with content, as thousands of applications across a range of categories vie for users’ attention and dollars. One of the toughest tasks for the consumer is separating the wheat from the chaff; identifying high quality mobile applications that provide value for their dollar.

There are different ways an application can stand out from the crowd. Word-of-mouth certainly plays a huge part. So to, for the lucky few recipients, does ending up as a featured app within iTunes or on the Apple website.

One other distinguishing characteristic is design. Specifically, user interface design. Currently, the App Store doesn’t allow for any means of demo or trial downloads of applications, so in many cases, one of the only pieces of information the user has is screenshots of the app in action (along with the much maligned user reviews).

The most recent iPhone app that’s really grabbed my attention, based solely on its UI, is David Watanabe’s new Ski Lodge. Ski Lodge is an app that gives you access to information and current conditions at hundreds of ski resorts throughout North America. And it does so with an absolutely beautiful user interface.

I haven’t skied in more than a decade (though we’ve got some great runs within an hour’s drive of Seattle), but I’ve downloaded the app anyway. Why? Because gorgeous, functional apps like Ski Lodge are exactly what the iPhone platform is all about. Sure, there are a probably other ski information applications available for mobile phones, but Ski Lodge gets it right. It’s not just about the information; it’s about presenting the information in a novel, fun, engaging way that feels like a natural part of the whole iPhone experience.

Ski Lodge Website | iTunes Link

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Homepage Backgrounds That Will Make Your Eyes Bleed

Friday, December 22nd, 2006

From time to time, media or consumer-oriented websites have sold their backgrounds (the area visible outside the main content of their homepage) for advertising. NewsDesigner.com points out two particularly painful-to-view examples today as retailer Kohls purchased ad space on the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and Boston.com’s homepages. Bright, migraine-inducing red…

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Flash vs. CSS Web Design

Monday, December 11th, 2006

Web design blog Fadtastic has an interesting editorial from a former Flash web developer on his reasons for moving from Flash-based website design to standards-compliant CSS design. Some of the points covered are fairly common points of argument in the Flash v. CSS debate (e.g., search engine optimization, accessibility issues for visually-impaired users, etc.), but the author goes on to make a number of interesting points.

One particular statistic of interest is his challenge to Adobe’s standard argument of 96%+ adoption rates for the Flash Player (Adobe, Flash’s publisher, contends that the vast majority of Internet users worldwide have the Flash plugin installed on their computers – allowing them to seamlessly view Flash-based content on websites. The author sites one particular German study of Internet users that suggests that little more than half of users (53.9%) have the Flash plugin installed on their computers.

Click here to read the full piece at Fadtastic »

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