Even with a conventional graphic design degree under my belt I have tended to gravitate toward designing for the web. Coding sites at an early age on Geocities helped me realize how cool it was to make something out of absolutely nothing.
Today, sites have become ever more complex and visually robust. Nowadays most websites are developed with the help of a web developer who’s sole focus is coding and not designing. With that being said, I think it’s incredibly valuable for a creative designer who understands how websites are developed and who can stylize their web site projects using layout and css.
With print mediums becoming more and more rare, and digital devices becoming more and more incorporated into our lives, I think it’s super important for graphic designers to try and become as knowledgeable within the website design process as much as possible, which is why I’ve devoted this blog post to showcasing some of my favorite places to go to for web design knowledge and inspiration.
So without further ado let’s get to the list:
Google Material Design
Essentially, Google’s Material Design is a Codex for web / digital based projects. It’s a reference, guide and tool that Google developed in order to create a standard cohesion within the digital design space. Whether you’re working on an app or a website, you can use this comprehensive guide to implement ideas and practices into your project.
Zurb Design Triggers
The guys and gals over at Zurb are responsible for creating one of the best website design frameworks out there. Foundation was originally created in house for use in their website projects. Eventually they decided it worked so well that they ended up releasing it as an open source download for the public. They also have a pretty cool site that showcases what many people are doing in the web design scene. Utilizing design aesthetics coupled with the psychology behind why things work the way they do gives you a clear sense of web design approach. Through this site, Zurb does a great job at giving you a visual representation of how to solve many design problems.
W3C Schools
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the international standards organization for the web. What does this mean? It means they know their stuff and they regulate what the best standards are for web development. If you’re at all interested in learning web development this is a great place to gain a ton of knowledge. The W3C Schools website will teach you the essentials for starting to learn web development. You can even pay for certification for certain courses which is a great way to boost your credibility.
Khan Academy
This slick website is a platform where teachers, students, or anyone for that matter can learn valuable skills online. With a multitude of free courses and an impressive ui that tracks your progress for each course, it’s got the right mix of approachability and usability. They also try to incorporate levels of gamification into their system, allowing you to earn badges based on achievements you gain along the learning process way.
InVision Blog
InVision is a powerful online mockup tool that lets you as a designer upload multiple images in order to create a superficial prototype for your website, app, emails and other web projects. This platform is uber intuitive and awesome, and if you haven’t gotten a chance to check it out definitely do so. These guys also have an outstanding blog that goes into detail behind the psychosis of why we interact with our digital mediums how to use effect design tactics to engage the audience.
Webdesigner Depot
This site is a mecca for anything web design related. With a regular batch of good articles, free downloads and inspirational content, this site is generally all around awesome. If you haven’t bookmarked this site yet do it now!
So there you have it folks, some of my personal favorite web design go-to’s. If you have questions or would just like to talk about web design feel free to drop me a line using my contact form. Happy designing!
