Mac-alicious

Where Do I Go From Here?

• Apple Wallpapers
• Vladstudio
• Flickr

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Big Typography

As they say, big is beautiful, and theres nothing more beautiful than a big, thick text type when it comes to web design. Big typography works best on portfolios and as header text for blogs, and it will make a big memorable impression with your visitors.

Big Photos

Big photos can grab your users attention and most of all can be pretty stunning. On top of that they can help show what your website is all about or perhaps show your skill if you’re a photographer. There are negatives to using huge photos though, such as big load times.

Amazing Colors

Colors can catch a user out, especially when they’re surfing various websites. If they see something bright and eye catching they’re more likely to stick around for a little bit longer to see what you’re all about. Having a good color palette or using a bunch of awesome colors together can make you stick out.

Minimalism

As the saying goes, less is more, and a big trend encompassing the web at the moment is using less in order to remove clutter and increase white space. All of these things make your website easier to read, and generally less clutter makes your site look better.

Illustrations

If you’re good with Illustrator or a born artist, illustrations can make your website stand out. Mascots or scenes are eye catching and not a lot of websites utilize them, so having them gives you bonus points when it comes to design.

Retro

Retro websites (when done well) are extravagant, and a bunch of people are making steps forward to make retro new again. By making something look old you might (ironically) be making it seem different and new.
Taking inspiration from the can not only help you become inspired

Creativity

People love a bit of creativity, and web design has evolved from what was something that people did as a hobby to a full art form. Adding more creativity and showing your ability as an artist can really make what you have stand out.

Realism

People like real stuff, and culture is shifting from dream worlds and trying to escape the world to trying to be part of it again. Whether thats being more green or eating “real” natural vegetables, people are obsessed with the real. Making your website realistic or giving it realistic elements will catch a users attention.

Textures and Patterns

This links back with the realism bit somewhat. Textures help add more feeling and “realism” to a website. Of course, textures like anything else can be used badly and make something look tacky. But when used right they can look lovely.

Rich User Interfaces

Rich user interfaces are only going to become more common as CSS3 and HTML5 take over the web. Websites have started using hover overs and click effects as they become easier to implement, allowing users to have more of an idea of what’s going on when they do something.

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Reply to peoples tweets

Lets be honest, Twitter is a social platform, and as such it is based around socializing. People go to Twitter to socialize in a way they can’t anywhere else. A lot of people on Twitter don’t talk to other people on Twitter, and instead just use it as another way to plug their blog or website. Instead, you should reply to people, question people, and make conversations with people.

How does this help?

Think about it, if you’re following someone on twitter who has made a conversation with you, you’re unlikely to stop following them. Similarly, if you start conversations with people on Twitter, they’ll think twice before they click that unfollow button.

Not only that but by replying to peoples tweets they include a direct link to your twitter profile in their replies, giving you a bit of publicity.

It’s not all about followers

What I’ve learned from twitter is a persons number of followers doesn’t always determine their popularity. In fact a common tactic in the Twitterverse is to follow a bunch of people in hope that they’ll follow you back. Don’t do this. It’ll give you a bunch of followers who aren’t really interested in what you have to say, but only in how high their follower count can go.

So obviously follower to following ratio matters, but so do lists. Lists in my opinion are more of a long term goal to increase, and they can give you more of an accurate measurement on how popular someone is. Lists are, a lot of the time, more genuine than follower counts and a bigger number of lists show more foundation in the community. Number of lists will usually if not always be significantly lower than number of followers.

Why is all of this important?

How the community perceives your Twitter account will determine how successful you are. A lot of people on Twitter have the mentality that “This person has a lot of followers, they must be good to follow”. So a high follower to following ratio is always good

Don’t just Advertise

People won’t want to follow you if all you do is advertise your site on your Twitter. That’s why it’s pretty important for you to give a host of information on your Twitter. Show people you’re human and not just another faceless website. Post links to things you find funny, to interesting articles in your niche. That way when you post links to your website it won’t seem like advertising, but asking to community to check it out, and they probably will because of the amount you’ve gave to them.

While on the subject of pointless advertising, it’s probably a bad idea to spam your users. Don’t go into overdrive and start tweeting every minute of the day (unless perhaps you’re having a conversation with someone), and don’t spam your users with useless information and dribble. If you’re tweeting too much about unimportant stuff your users might see you as a nuisance and go looking for that unfollow button.

Get Noticed

Getting noticed is one of the hardest parts about Twitter but is definitely one of the most important. There are loads of ways to get noticed on Twitter

Advertise

No, I’m not contradicting myself, I mean advertise your Twitter account. This can be done in a ton of ways.

• Link to your account on your website with follow buttons
• Talk to people on Twitter
• Write something original that will be retweeted
• Be Talented
• Buy advertising on a website like Twitter Counter

Make a Chain Reaction

“What’s a chain reaction?” I hear you cry. Well, what I mean by a chain reaction is when a big twitter user tweets one of your tweets or articles, it will often result in followers of that user retweeting it, and then followers of those users retweeting it and so on. It’s sort of like a tree.

Think of the trunk as the big Twitter user with thousands of followers. The bigger branches are then other Twitter users who are still quite big, who then retweet the tweet to all of their followers. Now some of the bigger branches end more abruptly than others, and this might be because a lot of that users followers missed it, or maybe just not a lot of that users followers were online.

Other branches continue to travel, breaking off into sub branches and then further sub branches resulting in a lot of exposure to you. The tiniest branches are very small Twitter users with few followers, which result in no retweets by their followers.

Keep Interest Alive

As with a blog (Twitter is microblogging) keeping interest alive is very important. Posting once a month wont keep interest, especially since each post is only 140 characters long. That’s why it’s important to have an interesting Twitter profile and post Twitter updates regularly.

It’s not always necessary to post links related to your niche, and expanding on what you post while staying in the general area you subject in will add an interesting twist to your Twitter. For instance, I talk about design, so I know most of my followers will be interested in technology as well. So every now and then I post tech related news or other stuff that I find about the Internet that I know people on my Twitter will like. It’s also alright to talk about your life, so that your followers know you’re a real human, and not just a website.

Link Posting

Now that you’ve gained your Twitter followers trust you can start posting links back to your site. Now this doesn’t mean that you can just stop contributing to the Twitter community and only post links back to your site. Keep following the rules above and you’ll have a successful time on Twitter. When you get round to posting your links there are a few tips and tactics that you can put into use to get even more exposure.

Use Tags

Tags can be added to the end of a tweet or blended into it. For example “50 Amazing #portfolio #web #designs” or “50 Amazing Portfolio Web Designs #portfolio #web #design”. They help people when searching for stuff and categorize your tweets. More people will find your tweets if you have tags in them.

Su.pr and Bit.ly

I’m sure you know what Su.pr and Bit.ly are but here’s a bit of information on them. They’re both URL shorteners, Su.pr being connected to StumbleUpon and Bit.ly being standalone. Bit.ly and Su.pr are in my opinion two of the best URL shorteners around. I prefer Su.pr because it  submits all your links to StumbleUpon automatically, which can get you a lot of traffic quite easily.

Your Opinions?

What’s your opinion on Twitter? How do you use it and do you get significant traffic from it? What are your tactics? Leave your responses below in the comment area.

Where Do I go From Here?

• How to Get More Twitter Followers [FUNNY]
• Coolest Twitter Avatars Ever
• 35 Great Social Media Infographics
• Topsy

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Purple

Purple is a general term used in English for the range of shades of color occurring between red and blue. In additive light combinations it occurs by mixing the primary colors red and blue in varying proportions. In subtractive pigments it can be equal to the primary color magenta or be formed by mixing magenta with the colors red or blue, or by mixing just the latter two, in which case a color of low saturation will result. Low saturation will also be caused by adding a certain quantity of the third primary color (green for light or yellow for pigment). There is a disagreement over exactly which shades can be described as purple, some people preferring more precise terms such as magenta or heliotrope for particular shades. A difference in retinal sensitivity to red and blue light between individuals can cause further disagreement.

- Wikipedia

Roundup

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It all started in 1976

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak formed Apple Computers in 1976, starting a whole new brand which has went on to affect our digital lives profoundly, with iPods and Macbooks, they changed how things were made and more importantly (in recent years) how things are designed. In recent years Apple has reached nearly pop culture status with it’s iPod and computers.

However, Apple hasn’t always been a master of product creation, and a lot of Apple’s early stuff really didn’t concentrate on designing products, but rather how they looked. In fact, when creating the Apple I, design definitely wasn’t the first thing on Steve Wozniak’s mind.

The progression from Apple I to Apple III, showing how Apple changed the design as the company became more prosperous.

Of course, Apple wasn’t only thinking about the design of its products after the Apple III, but more along the lines of how computers would work in the future. In 1983 Apple released the Apple Lisa, introducing a GUI interface with things like a desktop, a mouse and icons. Apple continued its adventures in the realm of design, but it wasn’t really until 1997 or 1998 when Apple started churning out products with real design value.

Apple’s Modern Era

From 1998 onwards Steve Job returned to Apple after having left in 1986. More importantly though (for design anyway), in 1997 Apple hired Jonathan Ive as the head of the Apple Industrial Design Group. Ive has went on to be the creator of product designs like the ubiquitous iPod and the unibody Macbook Pro.

A Quick Product History

See further down the page for an evolution on Apple’s design process.

1997-2000

From 1997 to 2000 Apple was trying to get back on its feet, and even made a deal with Microsoft to get Office on Macs. In 1998 Apple introduced the iMac and the the following year the Power Mac G4.

2001-2004

2001 was a huge year for Apple in a way, as they introduced the iPod, Mac OS X and the Apple Retail Store. All of these things have gone on to be huge. In 2003 Apple released the Power Mac G5. Subsequently in 2004 the iMac G5 was released, based on the Power Mac G5’s technology.

2005-2008

In 2005 Apple changed to Intel processors. The following year the first products implementing Intel chips were released, including the iMac and Macbook Pro. In 2007 Apple Computers changed its name to simple “Apple”, and announced the iPhone. To coincide with the iPhone, the iPod Touch was released.

2008-2010

Apple continues to update their main product to improve them, including the iPod, Macbook Pro, iPhone, and the iPod Touch. Also they released the iPad in 2010 (with no Flash support).

A Timeline of Product Design

This timeline provides key products which show the evolution of Apple’s Design in recent times (when most design ‘revolutions’ happened).

Design Process

Over time Apple has converged the design of their products. From the original iPod, iMac and Powerbook vary a lot in their designs. As time progresses the product line’s design process has merged, concentrating on minimalism in order to provide their users with the most usable and attractive experience.

The design process of Apple’s products have certainly changed a lot over the years; in the earlier years of Apple Computers design was probably one of the last things on their minds when creating their products. However nowadays Apple has got a sort of reputation for beautiful products, and they’re determined to fulfill that reputation.

On top of that, as time has progressed technology has got a lot better, and this gives Apple more design opportunities. This has allowed them to create thinner products that look awesome.

Creating a Brand

Apple has succeeded in turning their company into a brand, with products that have unified design principles. Compare Apple to Microsoft: Microsoft isn’t a brand, it’s just a company that creates software for other companies to use. Apple on the other hand doesn’t allow other companies to use their software. This has allowed them to create a design that is instantly recognizable, and the black/silver modern look that Apple’s products have has became their sort of trademark colors, showing modernity and class.

Further proof that Apple is a brand comes from the fact that their website and logo match their product designs, and have changed to match them in recent times. I think that Apple is a brilliant example of how people will buy a product because of how it looks and how it’s branded. People will keep buying Apple products because, well, they’re Apple products, and generally they look amazing.

The Apple design has pushed the boundaries of how things are designed. The iPhone has been praised over other handhelds because of its UI and product design, and most smart phones are compared to the iPhone when released. Hopefully in the future they’ll continue to break into new design concepts, and improve gadgetry by both providing competition for everyone else, and giving us their own products to use.

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Don’t assume you know everything

When I started my first blog, I assumed I knew everything. I’d been in the web design community for a good amount of time in forums and stuff like that, and I felt like I had nothing else to learn. So my first lesson to you is:

Don’t just assume you know everything. Only a fool thinks they know it all.

Always try and learn new stuff. After all, knowledge is power. This is especially important in the web design community where ideas are constantly created and people are making new stuff all the time. It’s important that you stay up to date with what’s happening and then try and take from it what you will. This way you’ll improve not only your blogging but your basic knowledge of what’s going on in the niche you work in.

Don’t burn out

When I started my blog, it was like, I had so many ideas, I just wanted to get them out there to show everyone. After about a month though I burned out, and all my ideas didn’t really count for anything because all I had was a concentrated amount of traffic in a small area of time that died out after I ran out of things to post. So that’s what our second lesson is today folks:

Don’t think you need to post something as soon a you write it. As tempting as it might be, saving your posts could help get you out of a sticky situation, such as lack of ideas or a period when you just can’t post.

Now obviously if you’re a very creative person and you can just come up with idea after idea like some sort of machine, it’s okay for you to post, post and post. Posting everyday will dramatically improve your traffic, but that’s not for everyone. If blogging is just a hobby for you at the moment posting everyday might not be plausible, and saving posts for those times when you can’t post is a great idea.

Patience is a virtue

If you’re anything like me (I’ll assume you are), whenever you have an idea you want to follow it through immediately, and try and get it working as soon as possible. So as a new blogger you might want to get your projects out the door as soon as possible (this even goes for posts). This brings us to our third rule.

Patience is a virtue, and teamed with persistence you’ll be able to get far in this world

When I started this blog I wanted to get it up and going really quickly, and this is probably what stopped me from having a good start in the blog world. It’s important that you don’t give in to these urges and set everything up correctly.

Quick Tips

• Get a good design and code it to be fast and efficient
• Make sure everything is done, such as the sidebar and the gaps in your CSS
• Install all the plugins that you’re going to require
• make it expandable so you don’t have to redesign when you get bigger

Another important thing to remember is if this is your first blog you’re not going to hit the big time straight away. Just keep churning out quality content and eventually you’ll get noticed. Of course to get noticed, you might need a little help..

Take social media seriously

When I first started blogging, the idea of sharing and socializing seemed a bit odd. I mean, blogging is just about writing, right? It’s about me helping people out in some way or another. Of course it was only after a few weeks that I realized how important socializing really is.

Now there are a ton of ways that you can socialize with your community, but I’ve found that the best way is with Twitter, crowd sourcing websites like Digg, and Stumble Upon. Twitter and Stumble Upon especially, giving you constant traffic often. Digg is pretty good if you have a good article which can hit the front page.

URL Shorteners are becoming a more popular way to get traffic to your site. I personally use Su.pr, Stumble Upon’s proprietary URL Shortener as it comes with the bonus of adding your link to stumble upon, where you can end up getting tons of visitors.

Put your back into it

This sort of ties into my other points. To make something successful you have to put work into it. Don’t just sit back and expect the visitors to flow in. Keep posting and try and make the most of what you have. In the past I’ve had websites where I’ve gave up because I haven’t had success as fast a I would’ve liked, and it’s not uncommon for someone to just say “Screw it” and give up because their blog isn’t improving in levels of subscribers or visitors.

Of course this kind of attitude isn’t going to get you anywhere. Once you make your blog stick with it. I remember starting a website about a year or 2 ago, and giving up after a few weeks. About 6 months later I was left wondering what it could’ve been if I’d stuck with it, which is sort of what spurred me to start this blog. So that’s sort of what our fifth little tip is about:

Stick with what you build, even when times are tough. Put work into it and try and make it better, instead of starting again.

Make a schedule

A schedule for posting and doing stuff is great. At the minute, for me, things are very hectic when it comes to the site, and this can cause a bit of stress and just a general cluttered environment. Although I don’t obey this little rule, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

A schedule will not only benefit you but also your readers. Users like when things are nice and regular, like, so they know that every Tuesday there’ll be a post, and you’ll know “Oh, I don’t have to work on that until Sunday because I don’t have to post it till Tuesday”. This can take a lot of stress of you and will definitely have a positive outcome on the amount of work you perceive yourself to have.

So what are your thoughts? What do you think are the most important blogging lessons you’ve learned? Leave a comment below.

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Why Use Blue?

Designer’s often use blue because of its calming ability and its neutrality in design. It can provide a clean canvas for all your designs, or it can be the paint you use to make your design come to life. It goes with most other cold colors pretty well, giving you a lot of flexibility.

Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal mixture of red and green light. On a colour wheel based on traditional colour theory (RYB), the complementary colour to blue is considered to be orange (based on the Munsell colour wheel). The English language commonly uses “blue” to refer to any colour from navy blue to cyan. The word itself is derived from the Old French word bleu.
- Wikipedia

Roundup

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