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CSS Validation, How Important Is It?

speckyboy — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 11:00:10 +0000

A really interesting question was asked recently on Answers, discussing the importance and relevance of CSS validation. It would be interesting to discover how much stock developers actually do put in to it, or, is it more important to focus on the actual page being able to function? We would love to hear from you.

You can leave your thoughts, tips and insights in the comment section below, or you can leave your answer on the original question on Answers here: CSS validation, How Important Is It

This question was originally asked by Ben G.

Here is the best answer, as voted by our users, so far:

So, what do you think, how important is CSS validation?

Thanks to everyone who asked a question, but most importantly thanks to everyone that took the time and effort to offer helpful and useful answers.

Three Fresh CSS Frameworks

speckyboy — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:00:48 +0000

CSS Frameworks are those marvelous and innovative tools that will speed up your web development process by taking care of the multitude of repetitive processes you would have to cover for every project, and on top of that, they (mostly) take care of any cross-browser compatibility issues. They have also never been as popular, with new frameworks cropping out from week-to-week. As such, in this design news round-up we have selected our favorites from recent months.

The Square Grid

The Square Grid is a simple CSS framework for designers and developers, based on 35 equal-width columns. The grid is equiped with a 28px baseline-grid for a smooth vertical rhythm with each block (DIV) defined with a margin of 1 square (28px) from the next block.
The Square Grid

FEM CSS Framework

The FEM CSS Framework is a 960px width 12 column grid system. It is based on the 960 Grid System, but with a twist in its philosophy, making it more flexible and faster to play with boxes.
FEM CSS Framework

Formalize CSS

Formalize CSS is a useful framework for giving your forms a cross-browser uniformity.
Formalize CSS

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

4 New jQuery Plugins

speckyboy — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:42:22 +0000

In today’s news round-up we feature four powerful and new jQuery plugins that will add plenty of cool functionalties to your sites or applications.

Phono – jQuery Phone Plugin

Phono is a simple JQuery plugin and JavaScript library that turns any web browser into a phone; capable of making phone calls and sending instant messages. You can even connect to SIP clients; all with a simple unified API.
Phono – jQuery Phone Plugin

Wijmo – jQuery UI Widgets

Wijmo is a complete kit of over 30 jQuery UI Widgets. It is an extremely dangerous mixture of jQuery, CSS3, SVG, and HTML5 that when combined become an unstoppable force on the web.
Wijmo – jQuery UI Widgets

SlideNote – A jQuery Plugin For Sliding Notifications

SlideNote is a customizable, flexible jQuery plugin that makes it easy to display sliding notifications on your website or in your web application.
SlideNote – A jQuery Plugin For Sliding Notifications

IMGr – jQuery Image Rounder

IMGr is a jQuery plugin for rounding image corners. The script utilizes CSS3 in modern web browsers, and VML in Internet Explorer 8 and below.
IMGr – jQuery Image Rounder

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

3 Fresh Icon Sets for Web Designers

speckyboy — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:00:48 +0000

As you may have noticed, from time-to-time we like to highlight to our readers some of the best freely available and freshest possible icon-sets. We really do love them, and we are sure you will love the selection we have for you today. You will find a mixed bag of social icons, an almost complete e-commerce set, and, finally, a flag icon-set that consists of a monumentally huge 2400 icons.

Discons

The Discons icon set, designed by Dave McNally, consists of 95 icons and all are 24px circles. Each icon has one unified shape – the glyph was combined with the background and knocked out of the shape. This means itâ€™s easier for you to alter colours as thereâ€™s only one shape for each icon.
Discons

Glossy E-Commerce Icon Set

Ecommerce Glossy has been created by the folks at Iconshock for Hongkiat readers. It consists of 21 different e-commerce related icons in total and comes in these formats: AI, PSD and PNG.
Glossy E-Commerce Icon Set

2400 Flag Icon Set

Liquidcity has created a flag icon for every major country in the world, plus a few more. They've created them in several sizes so they'll look great no matter where you use them – 16×16, 24×24, 32×32, 48×48, and 64×64. They also come in 2 variants – as flat and standard, and the other with a lovely glossy finish.
2400 Flag Icon Set

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

Basic job description for a Web Designer

speckyboy — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 09:56:36 +0000

The most difficult task any budding web designer will experience is finding that first break-through job with a web design company or agency. But, how would you describe who you are and what you can do in a professional manner? On the flip-side to that, how would a web design agency describe what they are looking for any new designer?
This is a questions that was recently asked on Answers, and we would like to open it up to our readers for some advice and tips.

You can leave your thoughts and tips in the comment section below, or you can leave your answer on the original question on Answers here: What should a basic job description look like for a Web Designer?

This question was originally asked by Ben G.

Here is the best answer, as voted by our users, so far:

Here is the second best answer, as voted by our users, from Devone:

So, what are your thoughts or tips for a web designers basic job description?

Thanks to everyone who asked a question, but most importantly thanks to everyone that took the time and effort to offer helpful and useful answers.

4 More Free Web Design Tools and Resources

speckyboy — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 11:00:57 +0000

It is always surprising how many fresh, innovative and always useful tools and resources appear from week-to-week from within the web design community. In this weeks design news round-up we take a look at four more cool and free new apps that may help you with your next web project.

The Square Grid

The Square Grid is a simple CSS framework for designers and developers, based on 35 equal-width columns. The grid is equiped with a 28px baseline-grid for a smooth vertical rhythm. Each block (DIV) is defined with a margin of 1 square (28px) from the next block. It aims to cut down on development time and help you create beautiful-structured websites.
The Square Grid ?

Jo – HTML5 Mobile App Framework

Jo is a new and lightweight JavaScript framework designed for HTML5 apps.
Jo – HTML5 Mobile App Framework ?

Frame Box – Lightweight Tool for Creating Mockups

Frame Box – Lightweight Tool for Creating Mockups ?

Ultimate CSS Gradient Generator

HTML5 introduced many exciting features for Web developers. One of the features is the ability to specify gradients using pure CSS3, without having to create any images and use them as repeating backgrounds for gradient effects. This easy to use copy-and-paste tool gives you complete control when creating your CSS3 gradient.
Ultimate CSS Gradient Generator ?

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

A Round-Up of Inspirational Photography

speckyboy — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:58:29 +0000

It has been a while since we last compiled a good and inspiring collection of professional photography, making this round-up well and truly overdue. We have selected a varied batch of inspirational photography articles featuring high speed images, macro shots, documentary photographs, underwater snaps and much more.

Three Cool and Fresh Design Tools

speckyboy — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 12:48:29 +0000

In today’s news round-up we have a small, yet cool, selection of useful tools, apps and resources for web designers. First up, we have a wonderfully useful jQuery plugin Quovolver) for displaying quotes in a stylish way, next up we have a small, yet very handy app for generating a grid (Gridulator) and finally a fun time-killing bookmarklet that can destroy everything on a web page.

Quovolver – a simple jQuery plugin for revolving quotes

Quovolver is a simple extension for jQuery that takes a group of quotes and displays them on your page in an elegant way.
Quovolver – a simple jQuery plugin for revolving quotes

Gridulator – Make pixel grids, lickety-split

Tell Gridulator your layout width and the number of columns you want, and itâ€™ll spit back all the possible grids that have nice, round integers. Just the thing for pixel-based design folk. There are inline previews, courtesy of the canvas element, and when youâ€™re all set Gridulator can crank out full-size PNGs for you, ready for use in your CSS, Photoshop docs, or what have you.
Gridulator – Make pixel grids, lickety-split

Hello, want to kill some time?

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

5 New CSS and HTML Web Templates

speckyboy — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:18:55 +0000

One of the most sought after resources for a web designer are high quality and, preferably, free CSS/XHTML/HTML web templates. And this exactly what we have for you in today news round-up: 5 New High Quality CSS and HTML Templates.

Schizo Octopus Website Template

This template has a fixed layout one page portfolio template with two columns with the download containing the Photoshop Files, XHML/CSS Coded template and also includes documentation.
Free for personal or commercial use. No need to credit.
Schizo Octopus Website Template

CSS Heaven 2

CSS Heaven 2 is a free CSS Template suitable for small business websites and blogs.
This template is released under GPL License.
CSS Heaven 2

Euphoria

Euphoria has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
Euphoria

Template 6

This template could be used as a corporate website & blog, it contains: Two template pages , valid HTML & CSS and all of the PSD files.
Template 6

SilverBlog

SilverBlog is a minimal template suitable for blog designs that has been built with HTML5 and CSS.
It has been released under GNU GPL license.
SilverBlog

By Paul Andrew (Speckyboyand speckyboy@twitter).

Instant Messaging Choices

speckyboy — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:48:24 +0000

Everybody uses instant messaging in some form or other. Whether it be via a web-based app like Facebook, Twitter or Gtalk, or with a standalone application like Trillian, Skype or Miranda IM – Everybody has a favorite. A question was recently posted on Answers asking what is there favorite IM client… so what is your favorite and why?

You can leave your answer in the comment section below, or you can leave your answer on the original question on Answers here: What is your instant messaging client of choice?

This question was originally asked by David Baker.

Here are the best answers so far:
From Csgs:

From Neil Monroe:

So, what is is your instant messaging client of choice?

Thanks to everyone who asked a question, but most importantly thanks to everyone that took the time and effort to offer helpful and useful answers.