Web Design Blog - Web Designer Ramblings

How To: Your Web Design Budget

2010-03-07T07:40:00.000-08:00

How do you, as a small business owner, decide how much to spend on a web site? You can find pricing that ranges from $500 to $5000 or more (US) for basic business web sites. How do you decide a good price? What should you look for in a web designer? What price range offers the greatest value?

Fear not, my intrepid small business owners, I have written an article that will help guide you through th process. "How To Set A Web Design Budget" is written just for the entrepreneur looking for great web design and realistic pricing. We share the secrets to choosing a great designer, and a great deal!

Who Can Design A Sunset?

2010-03-06T02:58:00.000-08:00

If man invented sunsets, only the rich would ever see them. Thankfully, this magnificent art is a free gift from our Creator.

I was recently looking at sunset photos I captured during my years spent in Phoenix, Arizona. Doing so, I realized how many memories of those glorious moments I have. Indeed, those sunsets are of greater significance to me than any movie or television show I've seen. Perhaps there is an as yet undiscovered emotional benefit that comes from appreciating a beautiful sunset. After all, who of us does not like to receive beautiful gifts? This priceless gift is a daily reminder of our Creator's love for humankind.

See more Arizona sunset photos in my photo blog stylepeterson.com. This photo was captured in Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona. Sunset colors reflect on a palm tree lined fishing lagoon in this desert park.

Great Web Design Is On Sale!

2010-03-03T04:05:00.000-08:00

I know that many of who visit my web design portfolio need a great web site, but feel that our web design services may be too expensive. Well, now is the time to give us a call! We are having our annual web design sale and this is your time for a great deal on stylish, effective web design!

The truth is, that our web design fees have always been reasonably priced to serve the small business owner and entrepreneurial start-ups on a budget. We take great pride in creating web design that can compete with the best on the Web at any price. So take a look at our web design portfolio and contact us for a free, no obligation price quote. You will never have a better opportunity for a great deal on Newark1 web design!

Secrets to Longevity?

2010-02-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

"People who don't smoke, are physically active, drink alcohol in moderation, and eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day live 14 years longer, on average, than those with none of these attributes." The conclusion is based on an 11-year study of 20,000 people. —UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, U.S.A.

50 Ugliest Auto Designs

2010-02-16T08:02:00.001-08:00

Looking at really bad design is fun! I got a kick out of an article in Business Week of the Fifty Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years. I think the choices made are dead-on. The Hummer is on the list, as well as the Cadillac Escalade, two of the most recent monstrosities to come out of Detroit. I personally loved the design of the Delorean however, and don't agree with its place on the list. It was a pretty exotic design for its day although it may seem a bit dated now. See if your clunker made it to the list!

Consumers Hate Slow Loading Web Sites

2010-02-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

I know how you think. You are convinced that the world is waiting with baited breath to see the spinning, gyrating, blinking, 'thingamabob' you insist must be on your home page. So, you tell your web designer to make it work, confident that any potential customer visiting your web site will be hopelessly smitten by the spinning, gyrating, blinking, 'thingamabob' on your home page. Your web designer adds it to your site . . . But it comes with a high price. That slow loading Flash animation keeps visitors waiting 20, 30 seconds or more. Worse, it may be causing you to lose customers! Here is proof:

The Gomez Survey, which was conducted in December of 2009, found that the vast majority of consumers expected web pages to load quickly regardless of what time of year the site was visited, and that goes for travel, retail and most any other type of "serious" site. If it's a business, and it's online, consumers expect near-instant page loads. Anything less, and all sorts of bad things begin to happen.

The Gomez survey had the following findings:

•A third of online shoppers had a bad experience on a retail Web site during the recent 2009 Holiday shopping season and 15 percent found the problem to be “unacceptable.”
•These bad online experiences caused nearly one in five online shoppers to shop at another site.
•In general, 41 percent of online shoppers will only tolerate one or two bad online experiences before abandoning a retailer’s Web site.

Do you want to attract online customers? Dump the Flash and give them a fast-loading website. At Newark1.com we have been giving our clients that advice for years. Prompt service is even more important online if you want to make the sale!

Creativity Or Consumption?

2010-01-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

Imagine if we as a culture placed a higher value on creativity than consumption. What a different world it would be! Consumerism engenders greed and a spirit of rivalry. An endless desire to accumulate the most things never brings out the best in men or society. To be truly creative requires a willingness to learn, share and cooperate, if the thing imagined is to be realized. Sadly, most of us are not afforded the opportunity to do work we enjoy. As a web designer, I am deeply appreciative of the fact that what I do on a daily basis pleases others. Indeed, I am on "pins and needles" more from the anticipation of a client's acceptance of my hard work than from waiting for the check to arrive. Work well done produces a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It adds meaning to life.

We are all inherently creative. After all, our Creator is masterfully creative. We are made in his image, with a measure of his abilities. However, in our consumer driven society, few of us can afford the time needed to explore creative urges. I remember an observation made in a recent episode of Anthony Bordain's "No Reservations" travel and food show that showcased the culture and cuisine of Indonesia. He made the comment that "everyone here seems to be able to make something." He was commenting on the creativity that seems to be endlessly woven into the fabric of daily life in that culture. Such creativity produces a better person. Less competitive, less eager to exploit the work of others, more focused on producing good with one's own hands.

If we truly valued creativity, teachers and those who have gained experience through a lifetime of good work would be given much greater respect. We would also be a happier culture, less prone to the emptiness that comes from consumerism's vain pursuits.

Camera Worthy: South Street Seaport, NYC

2009-12-28T13:31:00.000-08:00

StylePeterson.com Travel Photography blog has a cool new feature for any who plan to visit New York City and is intent on capturing great photos. Camera Worthy offers critiques of many New York City attractions from a photographers eye view. Find out what are the best places and attractions to photograph . . . and where to avoid if you are intent on capturing the most memorable photos. This week's Camera Worthy reviews the South Street Seaport in New York City.

Civility Lost . . .

2009-12-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

I was on the subway recently, traveling from New York City to Hoboken, a pricey New Jersey enclave popular with well-paid young professionals who work in Manhattan. This subway system has a small sign in all cars reminding riders that the seats nearest the doors are courtesy seats. A gentle written reminder asks them to "please give this seat to an elderly or disabled person who is riding the train."

Well, this early evening, the train was crowded with holiday shoppers and travelers. One particular elderly woman, laden with shopping bags, entered the car, standing in front of an occupied courtesy seat. Two young professional couples occupied the courtesy seats on both sides of the aisle and saw the woman enter the train. This elderly woman, seeking a bit of rest, would look at their faces, hoping to get a sign of recognition and a seat. However, the couple immediately in front of her pretended to be sleeping as the train made additional stops (being a lifelong veteran of subway ridership, I know pretend sleep when I see it). Finally, after 4 more stops, the elderly woman was able to find a vacated seat in another part of the train. Instantly, the couple in the courtesy seats "woke up" as she walked away, and began sipping upon large Starbucks lattes they both held (amazingly without spilling) as they "slept". Clearly, they had willfully ignored the elderly woman, too selfish to surrender a seat.

Had I been standing closer as I observed this irritating lack of human decency, I would have gently reminded that young man of the wonderful opportunity he was missing to extend a small human kindness due this older woman. This seemingly minor drama spoke loudly of a selfishness and callous disrespect for neighbor that can be so easy to acquire in modern society.

At the same time, this incident prompted self examination. Am I selfish? Do I pass up opportunities to extend kindness to others? Truthfully, the answer is yes. We are bombarded with selfish messages and a culture that emphasizes self-fulfillment. Unless we willfully make the effort to consider the needs of others, we will be swept along with the me-first spirit of western culture. I've decided to learn from what I've observed. I have started asking myself, on a daily basis, what good acts have I done, especially for strangers. Doing so will remind me of the importance of developing a pattern of kindness in dealing with others. It takes genuine effort to fight being swept along in the sad decline in civility that attends modern life.

The Best Free Fonts Ever!

2009-12-11T00:29:00.000-08:00

Web Designers can never have enough fonts . . . Well, actually they can. The real challenge is finding a source of low-cost, high-quality fonts. Better yet, how about free high quality fonts! I discovered a website that offers high-quality fonts that can often serve as a replacement for better known brands. FontSquirrel.com has done the hard work of collecting the best free fonts available for commercial use on the planet. These are not poorly rendered amateur typefaces but high quality fonts that will work beautifully in all sorts of web design and graphic design applications. The web site is well designed and offers a deep selection of tasteful fonts. And best of all, they are free, free, free!

We Buy Music Too!

2009-12-07T03:30:00.000-08:00

I am a web designer of a certain age . . . to old to be considered Generation X and yet, too young to be considered old. I am certainly beyond the age that most pop music is written for. It seems that for the better part of a decade and more, the music industry has been laser focused on the 15-25 year old demographic. Sadly, the music industry "powers that be" seem blissfully ignorant of an enormous adult audience eager to purchase good music, of all genres . . . if only it were being sold!

Susan Boyle, the Scottish You Tube sensation is certainly not an artist that can be marketed to the 15-25 year old pop-music generation. Yet, according to the New York Times, her debut album sold 701,000 copies in the first week. a better opening week than music veterans like Eminem and U2. In fact, no other album has had higher record sales in the first week for the past 16 years!

Here is something else the faltering music industry should take note of: 94% of her album sales in the US were cd's, not digital downloads! Interestingly, music CD sales dropped by over 16% last year alone. Why? Is it really due to the adoption of downloadable music alone? Or, could it be that the generally dismal quality of music and artists being pumped out today is being rejected by a savvy adult audience? Speaking for myself, the music industry stopped selling a product I would be eager to buy years ago!

The Need for Tolerance

2009-11-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

I found this video clip by the Chairman of the Nestle Corp., a multi-national Swiss based corporation, quite interesting. He starts out offering a bit of generic career advice, but then tackles the issue of tolerance in this age of increasing globalization.

I found his advice on this subject to be quite insightful. We are "rubbing shoulders" with unfamiliar cultures far more often in our major cities. Yet, our understanding of those cultures is often tainted by ignorance and negative attitudes that pervade our popular culture. Author Charles Caleb Colton (1780?-1832) pointed out: “We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them.”

We desperately need greater tolerance and respect as our world grows smaller and more diverse. Intolerance is a learned behavior and can therefore be unlearned. Our increasing globalization affords us an opportunity to work with persons from all sorts of backgrounds. As never before, there is a need for greater tolerance, respect, and, to use an expression seldom heard in modern conversation, brotherhood.

" . . . For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial” --Acts 10:34

Web Design, Fresh From The Oven!

2009-11-25T19:34:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like the smell of fresh baked web design hot from the oven! I have just completed a new web design for a California based client. This design balances attractive web design with legible and easily editable content. To do so, I used a very promising content management system (CMS) that I have been testing for the past couple of years: CMS Made Simple. This tools helps me to create great looking websites while giving non-technical clients the ability to easily manage web content. The best of two worlds! Visit my new web design and read my review of this elegant new CMS!

Amazing Design in the Deep Sea

2009-11-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

Dr Seuss could never dream up creatures like this! A recent study released by the Census of Marine Life, recorded 17,560 species living below 656 feet, the point where sunlight ceases in the ocean. Until recently, the deep sea was considered a desert, incapable of supporting but a few species. Yet, the new species being discovered may well be only "the tip of the iceberg."

Here is one such creature, the deep sea dweller Enypniastes, a transparent sea cucumber. Evidently, this creature plays a role in cleansing the ocean of the snowlike decaying matter that cascades down to the deep sea depths. It is a garbage-man of the sea, working tirelessly in total darkness. As a web designer, I marvel at the beauty and functional design of these creatures. They are simply living works of art! Can Evolution account for such exquisite beauty and design in a creature that lives in total darkness? The notion that a life form of such deliberate design could merely happen by chance does not satisfy me. This dapper creature plays a role in a balanced eco-system that would cleanse and renew the oceans perpetually were it not for man's polluting hand. Amazing design . . . amazing intelligence!

A video of this marvelous creature is shown below. What a designer creates often provides an insight into his (or her) personality. What does this delightful creature tell us about its Intelligent Designer? There is a delicacy and exuberance about this creature and a sense of love for color. There is a love for movement and grace. Can Evolution explain such qualities in a creature that lives in total darkness?

A Grand New York City Idea

2009-11-18T07:09:00.001-08:00

Banks have been getting a good measure of bad press since the current recession began, and perhaps rightly so. However, here is one grand New York City idea sponsored by Citibank in New York City, that I like! For the past couple of years, they have sponsored The Pond in Bryant Park, which offers free ice skating during the fall and winter season in New York City. It is a delightful family offering and a great way to sample a bit of the best of "The Big Apple" inexpensively.

Bryant Park, located on the corner of 6th Ave. & 42nd Street is a classicly beautiful urban space that is converted into a skating rink, with shops and eateries during the fall and winter season. Ice skating is free and offered seven days a week. There is a $12 charge for skate rentals. I stopped by on a recent Friday evening, and found it abuzz with cheerful skaters and visitors, both local and international. Visit The Pond at Bryant Park website for more info!

Advertising And The Battle For Children's Minds

2009-11-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

Advertising is war, and the land to be conquered and pillaged is the human mind. I saw an incident today that shows how early that war begins, as advertisers seek to cultivate and capture the loyalties of ever younger consumers.

I had worked all day today without eating. So, in a desire to get the fastest meal possible, I stopped into my local McDonalds. While I dined, I noticed a bright red toy display, featuring toy plastic characters from a children's movie installed by the front counter. Interestingly, the entire display stood no higher than four feet. In fact, an adult would need to come down on bended knee to see what was in this display. But the determined warriors of advertising had a different prey in mind . . .

I watched as a young mother and her child, perhaps about four years of age, walked to the counter. The child walked right to the toy display which stood at perfect eye level for her. "Mommy, buy me one of these," she begged, pointing to the small toys displayed before her. Well, needless to say, that child had one of those toys sitting on her tray when they sat down to eat.

There is a macabre intelligence behind purposely placing a display of movie-branded toys so that a target audience of five-year-olds can be lured into making a purchasing decision. Indeed, the child made that purchase, the adult merely paid for it! Oddly enough, as I observed that mother and child, I could see more evidence of how much influence advertising had on them. Every item of clothing the child wore, coat, pants, blouse, and sneakers, had either an external designer label or a picture of a character connected with a children's television show or movie. The mother was also "under the influence," wearing a coat emblazoned on the back with a foot-wide graphic of the designers trademark.

As a web designer, I know all to well the need to appeal to consumers. It's what marketing is all about. However, is the creation of five-year-old consumers controlled by marketing and celebrity a healthy thing?

Clinical psychologist Allen D. Kanner, PhD, observes that this advertising is creating an epidemic of childhood materialism. Thanks to advertising, he says, children have become convinced that they're inferior if they don't have an endless array of new products. As psychologists learn more about the workings of the pre-teen mind, many are helping marketers to target children more effectively. "Psychologists who help advertisers are essentially helping them manipulate children to believe in the capitalistic message, when all the evidence shows that believing in that message is bad for people," says Tim Kasser, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill "That's unethical."

How do you feel about the battle for your child's mind?

An Enduring Sense of Style

2009-10-30T01:10:00.000-07:00

During a photography jaunt in New York City yesterday, I caught a glimpse of a video featured in the Macy's 34th Street window. I normally pay scant attention to anything featured in Macy's window displays, but two things (actually three) lured me to this. The first was the plaintive voice of Billie Holiday singing her classic "I'm a Fool To Want You." Well, anything that features Billie's vocal stylings is sure to peak my interest. The second, was seeing an elegant Leica M9 camera briefly in the hands of the beautiful model/actress. As a photographer, that really drew me in! The Leica M9 is considered the finest camera in the world. Beautifully designed, it is the model of enduring taste and refinement. Any commercial that uses a Leica M9 for a product placement knows a thing or two about style! Finally, the alluring cinematography blended it all together, and kept me in front of the window long enough to view the entire commercial a second time.

The commercial is for Chanal No.5 perfume. And I must say, it is beautifully presented. Billie Holliday and a Leica M9 in a Chanel commercial? That is style! Leave it to the French!

News That Should Be In Mainstream Media

2009-10-15T08:53:00.000-07:00

With all the trivial events that seem to capture the attention of media outlets today, serious news that deserves closer scrutiny is at times overlooked. A current story in Wired magazine discussed Russia's proposed changes to military doctrine to allow for first strike (preemptive) nuclear weapons attacks in "not only in large-scale, but also in a regional and even a local war.”

On January 17, 2007, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock two minutes closer to midnight, reflecting man's inability to solve the threats posed by nuclear weapons. It is now 5 minutes to midnight. However, that is not the only potential trigger for catastrophic destruction facing mankind according to the Bulletin:

"The dangers posed by climate change are nearly as dire as those posed by nuclear weapons. The effects may be less dramatic in the short term than the destruction that could be wrought by nuclear explosions, but over the next three to four decades climate change could cause irremediable harm to the habitats upon which human societies depend for survival."

Why I Miss Albuquerque

2009-10-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a video that highlights three reasons why I miss Albuquerque, New Mexico, my home for close to three years: The Balloon Fiesta, unpretentious, friendly people, and a simpler, healthier lifestyle. Sigh . . . I miss it so!

Creative South American Graffiti

2009-10-07T15:29:00.001-07:00

Let me start by saying that I do not condone graffiti. It is a blight, and shows a lack of respect for neighbor and property. However, as a web designer there is a side of me that continuously judges the aesthetic value of what I see, irregardless of its context. Therefore, I rather enjoyed an article written by a fellow designer who recorded views of street graffiti seen during a vacation in Rio de Janeiro, and in his native Chile. Putting the context aside for the moment, the creativity and execution of many of these public expressions is simply amazing. The use of color and imagination in these works is inspiring. There is a cultural tenor in this work. It reflects the spirit of an emotionally expressive people with buoyant imaginations. As such, I would never mistake it for the typically darker character of graffiti seen in the United States.Read the article, 50 Examples of South American Street Art here. You may find it inspiring as well.

Donald Peterson

Learning From Our National Parks

2009-09-26T07:10:00.001-07:00

In viewing the Ken Burns series "The National Parks, America's Best Idea" on PBS, I am reminded of the wonderful opportunity I had to spend some years in New Mexico and Arizona. Much of nature's grandeur was at my doorstep in those states. What joy I found in exploring the natural beauty of the southwestern US! Ken Burns has created a meaningful and moving testimony to the pioneers who worked tirelessly to protect the natural treasures on display in National Parks. The decisions made to protect these expanses of nature is one of our noblest ideas.

However, I am left with a bit of an empty feeling from watching the series so far. This documentary honors the persons who saved great works of art while ignoring the artist who created them. There is an old saying that you will never find a sailor who is an atheist. The power and beauty of the sea teaches him that there must be a Creator. What does the awesome beauty and diversity of our national parks teach us?

For me, the beauty on display in our national parks irresistibly leads to one conclusion: There must be an intelligent designer behind this. As a web designer I know that creativity is not an accident. It requires careful thought and skillful, rehearsed execution to create truly beautiful work. The artistry in nature is vastly superior to anything man could achieve. Can we look at panoramas of exquisite beauty in our national parks and not praise the artist behind it all?

Nature sings the praise of its designer! God's boundless love is seen in this marvelous and awe-inspiring gift to mankind! Our National Parks are an eloquent testimony to the existence of a Master Designer.

Laundry Myths Exposed!

2009-09-25T13:28:00.001-07:00

Yes, that's right, I am not only a web designer with an international clientele (and international man of mystery), I wash my own clothes! In fact, I rather enjoy washing clothes and ironing. There is something about going to sleep on a freshly laundered sheet that was washed with my own hands (actually, washing machine) that I find particularly satisfying. I was so excited about discovering this list of common laundry myths that I had to share it. Now that you know the truth, whites will be whiter, and colors will never fade! Read on:

Not everything Mom taught us about doing laundry was on the mark. The Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Sciences sets us straight with these laundry myths and facts:

Myth: Bleach mixed with detergent helps clean and whiten at the same time.
Fact: Adding bleach with detergent counteracts the bleach's effectiveness. Instead, add bleach during the last five minutes of the wash cycle, or use the machine's automatic bleach dispenser.

Myth: Treat a stain head on.
Fact: Rubbing can work a stain into the fibers. Always treat the stain from the back of the fabric to help push it off the garment. Remember to blot the stain, don't rub.

Myth: More suds equal better cleaning.
Fact: Excess suds hold onto soils and redeposit them onto your laundry. If you have a front-loading washer, use a high-efficiency detergent to reduce suds.

Myth: Using the dryer leads to shrinkage.
Fact: In a dryer, it's the lack of moisture, not the heat, that causes clothes to shrink. Dryers with moisture sensors shut off the dryer automatically to prevent overdrying.

Is This A Library?

2009-09-22T14:12:00.001-07:00

Today, I made one of my frequent treks to the New York Public Library, 42nd St. Branch (the one with the twin lions). They recently opened a new room that offers free laptop rentals with wifi access to anyone with a current library card. Fewer books, but plenty of wifi access! The vast changes that new technology has brought to our culture is a Pandora's box of sorts. We are losing our desire to do serious reading while becoming more distracted by entertainment on the Internet. I mentioned that in a bit of light banter with two library volunteers at the information desk. They responded with what seemed to be pent up feelings on this issue. They too, are alarmed at the rate that public libraries, once icons of literacy are turning into what are fundamentally government funded Internet cafes.

Their concerns are valid. On the whole, serious journalism and a love for reading are dying in this country. The New York Times is a whopping $2.00 at the newsstand for the daily edition, a price that discourages access to good print journalism by students and the working poor. Our culture is being dumbed down at a time when the potential for manipulation and abuse of public trust has never been greater.

Well, after my brief conversation, I sat down, opened my own laptop, and started to work. Like most inventions in our culture, the Web offers both benefits and dangers. My career as a Web Designer would not exist without the Internet. Still, I do not need to look far to see the the price we are paying as we lose our love for reading.

Suppose Everyone Consumed Like Us?

2009-09-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Suppose every country in the world had the same consumption rates as the United States, how much of this planet's resources would be consumed? The New Economics Foundation think tank in the UK estimated that "if everyone in the world had the same consumption rates as in the United States it would take 5.3 planet earths to support them . . . The figure was 3.1 for France and Britain, 3.0 for Spain, 2.5 for Germany and 2.4 for Japan. —Reuters News Service Britain. What would it take to drastically reduce our consumption of the world's dwindling resources?

Photo: Goldfield Ghost Town, The Apache Trail, Arizona. Photo by Donald Peterson

Travel Posters From The Golden Age

2009-09-17T09:05:00.001-07:00

As a web designer, I find inspiration in many sources. Travel posters are one of my favorite sources of design inspiration, especially posters from the early part of the Twentieth Century. The "Roaring Twenties" was a prosperous time in the United States, and leisure travel by steamship, airplane and automobile became the rage. To lure the newly affluent to exotic destinations, beautifully designed travel posters were created that are still admired today as an art form.

The Los Angeles Public Library has a collection of vintage travel posters from the 1920's and 1930's on virtual display. These creative and colorful posters really captured the appeal of the destinations they portrayed, and often glorified the mode of travel as much as the destination. They are wonderful inspiration as well for web designers with their engaging graphics and clear, theme focused design. Worth a visit!