Retro Web Design Graphics

Remember the early days of web design when you had to create graphics that loaded speedily in dial-up connections using a 14K baud modem? One of the tricks used to shrink graphics was to reduce the color palette and use dithering in the converted .gif to simulate the original image. I 'kinda' missed dithering. It often added a fine pattern or noise to images that gave them a retro feel and a bit of texture and dimension. Well, I'm bringing back dither patterns baby! It feels so retro!

In the home page for my web design portfolio I converted the main graphic into a .png file that is reduced to 128 colors, and used a noise pattern to render the image. This closeup image gives you a look at the subtle texture this adds to the photo. The subtle retro feel works perfectly for the '59 Caddy in this photo. Well, as digital makes it possible to create smooth images with perfect color, its nice to step back to the look and feel we had in the days of film. Love that texture!

Web Design - Time For A Redesign?

One of the toughest questions I face at present is whether or not to redesign my own web design portfolio. Our portfolio has undergone three major web design evolutions in the ten years we have been in business. The first two redesigns occurred in the first four years of business. The current design has been online for the longest period of time, close to six years. It has been the web design that seen us through our company's greatest period of growth and success. Is it time to change?

I am not of the school that believes that a website must conform to all the latest tech "buzzwords" to be successful. The best web design is design that communicates best. Our success is proof of that. We want to keep our ability to communicate clearly and simply through any renovation our website may undergo.

In the coming weeks I will be playing with ideas for our redesign. Should we do a refresh of our current design or go for an entirely new look . . . Change is diffficult! What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Real Estate Web Design

Our web design portfolio features websites created for real estate brokers, one of the most popular markets we design for. This web design was recently developed for a real estate broker in the Washington, D.C. area. He specializes in metropolitan brownstone homes with high-design features. We provided a web design that reflects the aesthetic principles of the management team (they have a background in interior design) and provides them with easy-to-use tools for updating and adding fresh content.