Design Tips : Copy & Print Center

Finger-Friendly Design: Ideal Mobile Touchscreen Target Sizes

Posted by Anthony T on February 21, 2012 · Comments Off

In darts, hitting the bulls-eye is harder to do than hitting any other part of the dartboard. This is because the bullseye is the smallest target. This same principle can also apply to touch targets on mobile devices. Smaller touch targets are harder for users to hit than larger ones. When you’re designing mobile interfaces, it’s best to make your targets [...]

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Beautiful Covers: An Interview With Chip Kidd

Posted by Spyros Zevelakis on February 20, 2012 · Comments Off

The work of Chip Kidd spans design, writing and, most recently, rock ’n’ roll. He definitely has the charisma to get ahead in that third field. He is best known for his unconventional book jackets, but he has published two novels of his own: The Learners and The Cheese Monkeys. Uninterested in design trends and fashions, he often draws inspiration from collectibles [...]

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Stop Writing Project Proposals

Posted by Jonathan Wold on February 17, 2012 · Comments Off

After several grueling days I had finally finished the proposal. I sent it off and waited for a response. Nothing. After a few weeks, I discovered that they were “just looking”. Despite the urgency and aggressive timeline for the RFP (Request For Proposal) plus the fact that we had done business with this organization before, the project was a no-go. My days [...]

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How To Recruit A UX Designer

Posted by Matthew Ogston on February 16, 2012 · Comments Off

The Web has entered an era of user-centricity. If businesses are to attract new customers and retain existing ones, they must create websites and apps that deliver intuitive and tailored experiences. Whether you run an online retailer or a not-for-profit community website, the user experience is mission critical. As a consequence, we have seen a real surge in the [...]

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The Smashing Book #3: All Good Things Come In Threes

Posted by Smashing Editorial Team on February 15, 2012 · Comments Off

Yes, the brand new Smashing Book #3 is coming. The printing press is warming up, the illustrations are finished, and the chapters are being proofread. This third book is the best printed book we’ve produced so far: it is a valuable, cutting-edge, high-quality printed book that any Web designer should have on their bookshelf. This time, we’ve also prepared an [...]

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Designer Myopia: How To Stop Designing For Ourselves

Posted by Rian van der Merwe on February 14, 2012 · Comments Off

Have you ever looked at a bizarre building design and wondered, “What were the architects thinking?” Or have you simply felt frustrated by a building that made you uncomfortable, or felt anger when a beautiful old building was razed and replaced with a contemporary eyesore? You might be forgiven for thinking “these architects must be blind!” New research [...]

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Progressive And Responsive Navigation

Posted by Jeremy Hixon on February 13, 2012 · Comments Off

Developing for the Web can be a difficult yet rewarding job. Given the number of browsers across the number of platforms, it can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. But if we start coding with a little forethought and apply the principles of progressive enhancement from the beginning and apply some responsive practices at the end, we can easily accommodate for less-capable [...]

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Upcoming Web Design And Development Conferences For 2012

Posted by Louis Lazaris on February 10, 2012 · Comments Off

We’re well into 2012, and many designers and developers around the world are planning their travels for the year, which may include attending one of the many Web design and development conferences that will be held in the upcoming months. To help you out with your plans, we’ve once again put together a list of conferences and events that you might want [...]

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A Beginner’s Guide To jQuery-Based JSON API Clients

Posted by Ben Howdle on February 10, 2012 · Comments Off

Are you fascinated by dynamic data? Do you go green with envy when you see tweets pulled magically into websites? Trust me, I’ve been there. The goal of today’s tutorial is to create a simple Web app for grabbing movie posters from TMDb. We’ll use jQuery and the user’s input to query a JSON-based API and deal with the returned data appropriately. I hope [...]

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Smashing Special: WordPress Theme Trends For 2012

Posted by Siobhan McKeown on February 9, 2012 · Comments Off

This special is the first in our series of Smashing Specials — extended articles and studies dedicated to a specific topic. The special features current WordPress theme trends for 2012, covering past trends, new developments in theme design and trends in the theme development. 2011 was a great year for WordPress, with some excellent new updates that saw the introduction [...]

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