Image : http://www.flickr.com

Every single windows-based computer already comes equipped with Notepad, which can be used to create websites from scratch if you’re already adept at manual HTML coding, but since this guide is aimed at beginners, a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor like nVu be more appropriate. NVu (pronounced as N-view) is an ideal starting point as it can be used as a point and click, object-oriented web development software but also offers powerful technical features for advanced users.

Free Graphic Design Softwares

A webpage with no visual design would look bland and will not attract many visitors, so you need an image editing program to create images yourself, or to improve and optimize the ones you already have. MS Paint is serviceable and comes with every windows-based machine, but if you want a more capable program, PAINT.NET would serve as a perfect free alternative to commercial programs like Adobe Photoshop and Paintshop Pro.

Paint.net: http://www.getpaint.net

Free Hosting

These days, free hosting is abundant and easily attainable. Most of them even have shortened URLs to make your site easier to remember. You can use the shortened URLs if you can’t or don’t want to spend money on your own domain name.

While almost all free hosting services are supported by advertisement, they always offer to remove the banners or the ads for a nominal fee so you have the option of an ad-free site when you eventually decide to spend more money.

Free hosting sites:

Freewebs: http://www.freewebs.com

Free Content Management System

If you don’t want to create new html pages everytime you update parts of your site, you may need to install a CMS (Content Management System) in your website. Luckily, there are numerous blogging services floating around the net. They even have an option of hosting your site in their servers and provide you with your own subdomain, which gets rid of your need for a separate Web Hosting and Subdomain service. They also come with layout creation wizards with ready-made layout templates that will replace your need for a third party Website Design software.

So as a last ditch effort, if you’re pressed for time or do not want to go through all the trouble of creating a website yourself and just want to have one, you can use one of the numerous free CMS providers like Blogspot and Xanga.

Blogspot: http://www.blogspot.com

The examples of free softwares and services mentioned should be enough to help you start your own website without requiring you to spend a single dollar. Using them, you can focus on expressing yourself through the internet without getting bogged down with finances. You can prove that Web Development can serve as a fulfilling and enjoyable hobby that comes free of charge.

Graduating in 2003 in Business and Information Technology Jonathan Popoola has since become an expert in web design cheltenham and web design gloucestershire. Visit my site for more information on webdesign and also information on graphic design in cheltenham

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Graphic Idea Notebook: A Treasury of Solutions to Visual Problems Review

I’ve been singing the virtues of Jan White’s Graphic Idea Notebook since 1980. I recommended this to all my workshop and seminar attendees, until it became out of print. Since then Jan has written many other books — but never updated this one. Then, just last week this new edition arrived in the Design Bookshelf mail box and we all rejoiced.

What the publisher says really doesn’t do the book justice. Here is page after page of doodles, sketches and ideas all penned by Jan himself. It’s pure visual brainstorming that’s been organized into a form that is both inspiring and entertaining. It’s a joy just to thumb through the pages. Many of the ideas are classics… others are quirkish twists on visual and word plays.

Jan says:
Some of the captions identify or describe the images themselves, some are possible interpretations of an abstract concept or metaphor. All are just stabs at meaning. None claims to be the right one or the only one, because there’s no such thing. Interpret them — or twist them — to fit your story. Their only purpose is to trigger a thought and spark an idea, which is the purpose of this book as a whole.”

First there are ideas in cliches. Then ideas in mime — gestures, body language or expressions. From there through time, then facts and figures and ending with my favorite; type and typography. He even provides you with an extensive list of printing terms in six languages.

There’s no index. Who needs an index? Besides, since when could you index ideas? Yet the book is ultimately ‘flippable’ — any page you land on has a good idea. His notations are delightfully informal yet engaging.

If you need ideas. If you need creative sparks. This is the place to look. The best part is how much you’ll enjoy looking. And don’t be surprised if you find many more creative ideas than you thought you needed.

Graphic Idea Notebook: A Treasury of Solutions to Visual Problems Overview

This updated edition of the much-heralded classic of page design offers surefire ideas and inspiration to anyone stuck with the task of designing cutting-edge printed material. This book is a collection of more than 2,000 visual “idea generators”-illustrations and line art-that visualize the various abstract problems that page editors encounter.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: May 26, 2010 03:00:06

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Image : http://www.flickr.com

Everybody’s going green. Some graphic designers are on the bandwagon, but some are still figuring it out. If you’re one of the latter, but you want to get on the bandwagon, it’s really quite simple.

The same principles we teach school children about the environment can be applied to any business. Start with the basics:

Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

In any graphic design business, paper is usually the largest commodity that should be reduced, so that it doesn’t wind up in a landfill somewhere. Reduce the number of proofs you print, and teach yourself and your clients to make as many decisions as possible based on electronic images. When you show up to present a new design to a client, don’t print enough copies for everyone in the room. Print one large one to show on an easel, perhaps, and one for attendees to pass around the room. The decision maker can keep that one.

Reusing is where you can get creative. Work with your clients to create things their clients can reuse. Many products, for example, can be packaged in containers that are reusable. Aveda, for example, makes lipstick tubes that can be reused. Customers purchase just the lipstick insert when they run out. The Mary Kay company does the same with their pressed powder and cream foundations. You buy the compact only once and buy refills. These ideas are not only green ones, but they lower costs for the company and the consumer.

Recycling starts with buying products that can be recycled. This means incorporating recyclable paper, glass, and aluminum into your designs, prototypes and office supplies. Once you’ve cleared that hurdle, you must be diligent about making sure that you reduce the amount of trash your organization sends to the landfill by recycling everything possible. It will take some organization on your part, but once you’ve established a routine, it’s pretty simple.

So, if you’ve been putting off green design because you thought it would be too complicated for your business, you’ve hopefully seen now that it needn’t be complicated at all. Once you’ve mastered these basics, you’re sure to find lots of other ways to go green at work.

I’m the creator of IdeaSeed, presentation and motion graphics specialists, growing our business one client (or more) at a time. Find and explore more of my content by visiting my blog, Blooming Good Blog.

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