Category: Webdesign Tips

With Christmas just a few weeks away, all you designers will undoubtedly start to plan the designs of your personalized Christmas cards, invitations, posters, wallpapers, and everything else in between that is Christmas or holiday season-related.

So, to help you out, we have a fantastic collection of free Christmas and holiday season resources and templates we know you will love.

We haven’t chosen traditional resources. Instead, we have focussed on those resources that have been designed using modern design trends. You’ll find seasonal illustration templates and icon sets, line-styled Photoshop Brushes, retro-styled characters, hand-drawn invitation templates, and finally, free seasonal fonts and wintery Photoshop Actions that scream, “Merry Christmas!”

Christmas Illustration Templates

56 Free Christmas 3d Illustrations (PNG)

24 Illustrated Christmas Elements (EPS & JPG)

3 Christmas Illustrations (PSD)

12 Hand-Drawn Christmas Cards & Patterns (PSD & AI)

14 Free Christmas Illustration Templates (SVG, EPS & PNG)

10 Illustrated Christmas Cards (EPS & JPG)

Free Christmas & New Year Illustrations (AI)

Christmas Illustrated Icon Pack (SVG & PNG)

Christmas Vector Illustration Kit (EPS, PNG & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Santa Claus with Swagg Illustrations (AI, Designed by Jordan Succar)

Santa on a Motorcycle Vector Template (AI, EPS, JPG & PNG, on Envato Elements)

Isometric Merry Christmas Vector (AI, EPS & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Vector Letters Background (EPS)

Merry Christmas Vector Illustration Concept (AI, EPS & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Illustrations (AI, JPG, PDF & SVG, on Envato Elements)

Merry Christmas Typographic Christmas Greeting Illustration (EPS)

95 Winter & Christmas Illustrations (AI, EPS, PSD & PNG, on Envato Elements)

Happy Holidays Free Vector Illustration (AI, Designed by Marko Jotic)

Santa, Reindeer and Christmas Pudding Vectors (AI & EPS, Designed by Jenny Hadfield)

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Background Illustration (EPS)

Christmas Icon Sets

25 Free Christmas Icons (SVG)

47 Christmas Icons (SVG, on Envato Elements)

33 Christmas & Winter Icon Set (AI, EPS, SVG & PNG)

Merry Minimal Christmas Icon Set (AI, JPG, EPS & PNG, on Envato Elements)

12 Hand-Drawn Style Merry Icons (AI, EPS, PSD & PNG)

Christmas Icons (PSD & JPG, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Icons Vector Set (AI & EPS)

Line & Solid Christmas Icons (AI, EPS & JPG, on Envato Elements)

8 Christmas Icons (Sketch App)

78 Christmas Icons (AI)

Christmas Icon Set (EPS)

Christmas Vector Icon Set (EPS)

15 Flat Vector Icons for Christmas (AI)

15 Flat Christmas Icons (AI)

32 Christmas Vector Icon Set (EPS & AI)

12 Vector Holiday Icons (AI)

16 Vector Christmas Icons (AI & EPS)

15 Flat Holiday Icons (AI)

Christmas Badge & Logo Templates

Christmas Vector Elements (AI & EPS)

Christmas Sharp Badges (AI & EPS, on Envato Elements)

Vintage Vector Christmas Badges Pack (AI)

Black and White Vector Christmas Badges Pack (AI)

Christmas Flyer & Invitation Templates

Christmas Flyer Set (AI & PSD, on Envato Elements)

Christmas Flyer Template (PSD, on Envato Elements)

Vector Vintage Party Christmas Flyer Template (AI & PSD)

Free Christmas & Happy New Year Party Flyer Template & Mockup (PSD)

Real Photo Invitation or Greeting Card Mockup (PSD)

Free Christmas Flyer Mockup (PSD)

Christmas Party Invitation with Hand-drawn Santa Vector (AI & EPS)

Christmas Banner & Label Templates

A Huge Christmas & New Year Vector Banner Kit (AI & EPS)

Retro Distressed Christmas Label Set (AI & EPS)

Christmas Photoshop Brush Packs

126 Christmas Doodles Brush Pack (Photoshop)

Free Christmas in July Holiday Brushes (Procreate)

91 Christmas Brush Collection (Photoshop)

13 Christmas Stamp Brushes (Photoshop)

Christmas Patterns

Snowmen Vector Free Seamless Pattern (AI, EPS & PNG)

Christmas Gifts Vector Free Seamless Pattern (AI, EPS & PNG)

Snowman & Santa Seamless Pattern Graphic (EPS & JPG)

20 Christmas Colors Patterns for Photoshop (JPG & Photoshop Patterns)

26 Vintage-Retro Xmas Patterns (Photoshop Patterns)

Christmas Fonts

Free Honey Christmas Decorative Font

Happy Christmas Script Font (on Envato Elements)

Free Christmas Festive Serif Font

Snowy Decorative Christmas Font (on Envato Elements)

Merry Christmas Free Font

Christmas Time Free Font

Christmas Photoshop Actions

3 Free Christmas Actions (Photoshop)

50 Christmas Lightroom Presets LUTs (on Envato Elements)

3 Christmas Photoshop Actions (Photoshop)

10 ‘Make it Snow’ Actions (Photoshop)

The post 50 Free Christmas Templates & Resources for Designers appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

With Christmas just a few weeks away, now is the perfect time to give yourself a little bit of seasonal cheer by decorating your desktop with a beautiful Christmas wallpaper.

All fifty of the wallpapers below have been photographed by professional photographers or created by designers, and are all free to download and use. You will find decorated trees, red candy canes, winter scenery, vintage seasonal scenes, sparkling lights, stockings hanging over the fireplace, people celebrating, perfectly wrapped gifts, cute dogs in Santa hats, and so much more.

Go on, grab yourself a high-resolution Christmas desktop wallpaper, and bring some seasonal cheer to your desktop background!

Santa’s Treasure & Merry Christmas by Cris DiNoto

Christmas Decoration Art by Brooke Lark

Puppy in Santa Hat by Jakob Owens

Two Red Candy Canes by Joanna Kosinska

Rustic Christmas Gifts by Nietjuh

Merry Xmas LED Sign by Tom Rickhuss

Santa Claus Holding Clothes Iron by Cottonbro

Christmas Vibe Illustration by Sam Ji

White & Gray Christmas Wall Decorations by Joanna Kosinska

Holiday Season Christmas Tree by Lilla Bardenova

Feliz Nevidad Rustic Christmas Scene by Beatriz Pérez Moya

Santa Clause Eating Cookie by Gratisography

Pine Tree in Snowfield by Lionello DelPiccolo

Woman Holding Christmas Gift by Kira auf der Heide

Santa Claus is Superman Ilustration by Beibei MUG

Wooden Christmas Doll Scene by Couleur

Winter Love Illustration by Erikas

Vintage Santa Cat Photo by Rawpixel

Christmas Stockings Hanging on Fireplace by Dan LeFebvre

Festive Cookies & Milk by Nietjuh

Christmas Culture Trip by Jean-Michel Perchet

Woman Holding Christmas Lights by Valeria Boltneva

Greeting Card Calligraphy on Tree by Jessica Lewis

Puppy Playing with Christmas Ribbon by Jakob Owens

Christmas Scene by Nick Fewings

Holding a Small Christmas Parcel by Ben White

Vintage Happy Holidays by Cris DiNoto

Merry Christmas Handwriting Card by Rawpixel

Bokeh Merry Christmas by Nietjuh

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Lichterkette Christmas Lights & Decorations by Couleur

Stacked Christmas Gift Wrapping by Yvette Fang

Wrapping a Gift Present by Kira auf der Heide

Woman Wearing Christmas Socks by Tookapic

Christmas Delivery by Wallpaper Cave

Pulling Christmas Tree Illustration by Wallpaper Cave

Little Elf People by Paige Cody

Cat & Christmas Stockings

Candy Canes & Assorted Christmas Items by Jeshoots

Gift Boxes with Red Baubles by Mel Poole

Bringing Home the Christmas Tree by Denise Johnson

Small Dog Writing a Christmas Card by Rawpixel

Merry Text & Christmas Wreath by Debby Hudson

Christmas Gift Boxes by Freestocks

Minimal Christmas Trees by Maria

Rustic Christmas Tree Decoration by Andréas Brun

Christmas Present Illustration by Lilla Bardenova

Cute Puppy Wearing Santa Hat by Rhaúl V. Alva

Red Christmas Tree Baubles by Sean Wells

Red Coffee Christmas Scene by Toa Heftiba

The post 50 Beautiful Christmas Wallpapers for Your Desktop appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.1clanek.info/?p=961

You’re probably thinking of your own version of the “perfect” design. Whatever it is, you probably have fond, nostalgic feelings around it, and would likely defend its rightful place among the best in the world.

The thing is, there are probably some people who share your opinion, but many more who don’t. This is perfectly okay, because it means that you as a designer have even more opportunities to reach your own special niche audience.

Don’t Think Of Everyone

You don’t have to try to make that “perfect design” that will appeal to everyone. I can’t even imagine what that would look like, but it likely would be terrible.

Why? Because people have such different expectations that trying to fulfill them all is always going to fail miserably.

This is why generic designs never sell as well as many clients seem to think they will.

The next time your client insists that you try to reach a more “general” audience with your design, remind them that no one wants to bother with something that’s made with “everyone” in mind.

Think about it: what else is made for “everyone”?

Let’s see… car dealerships (with a thousand different choices and options), hospitals and health care facilities (with multiple specialists to cater to virtually anyone’s particular problem), newspapers (with hundreds of sections for people to flip right to the information that interests them).

Do you see a pattern here? Even things that are supposedly for everyone have many, many sub-categories, so that “everyone” can filter themselves into more easily manageable groups.

What You Want Vs. What Is Best

You have to line up your message with the needs of your niche audience. If this happens to include your own needs, then it will be easier for you to engage personally with whatever it is you’re selling.

There’s a lot to be said for being able to stomach the work you must do as a designer. If you hate the message you’re sending out, perhaps you need to question whether or not you need to find new clients.

The relationship between designer and client should be symbiotic, and also sync up with whatever it is your client’s target market is looking for.

Which Version Is The “Right” One?

There is never one perfect solution to a design problem that will satisfy absolutely everyone. There are only a series of perfect solutions, each one tailor-made to fit a very specific group of people – sometimes extremely specific.

Malcolm Gladwell famously outlined this tendency of ours to prefer a multitude of different solutions in his legendary TED talk about spaghetti sauce.

He gave examples of the spaghetti sauce manufacturer, Prego, that stumbled upon a completely untapped market when it began offering “chunky” spaghetti sauce, in addition to the thinner, more traditional Italian-style sauces.

To use an even more specific example of multiple solutions to problems, most cat owners are perfectly happy training their cat to use the litter box.

Some owners, on the other hand, choose to take things a step further, and actually hire someone to train their cat to use the toilet. That’s right. There are cats who are actually potty trained.

Quite literally, there is a product or service out there that caters to every possible need.

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Don’t confuse your personal favorite designs with the one your target audience is hungry for. Make sure you choose a market that you understand and you can satisfy without selling your soul.

Figure out that unique, perfect solution to your clients’ needs, and the needs of their customers, and everything will be just “perfect” from there.

The post Is There a Perfect Solution to a Design Problem? appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.1clanek.info/?p=960

Designers and copywriters have a symbiotic relationship. In our modern, web-based industry, one can’t really exist without the other.

Copywriters provide the engaging content that snags users’ attention and prompts them to buy, and designers provide the overall framework that facilitates a great experience for said user.

In fact, designers and copywriters have quite a bit to learn from each other. Having done both for quite some time now, I’m going to let all of you designers in on some important secrets from the copywriting side.

Let’s explore some of the things that you designers can learn from copywriters to improve your problem-solving strategies and communicate better with your target audience.

Headlines Are All Important

If you can’t hook your audience with the first few words, you’re toast. Similarly, if you can’t catch your user’s attention with the initial impression of a design, no one will care how well it solves their problem.

There could be a really useful article behind that bad headline, or a really useful solution behind that ugly design, but no one will care.

Sure, many designers have written and spoken at length about the undue emphasis on “pretty” designs, especially among the crop of so-called “Dribbble designers.” Designers will post work specifically to get praise and positive feedback, and not be concerned about how it actually works.

But there’s something to be said about an eye-catching design. In fact, looking good is part of the function a design serves. You have to get people’s attention somehow, after all. Pretty up those “headline” elements.

Even If You’re Preaching To The Choir

Even if people know and like your work, a copywriter will still need to work to capture people’s attention and keep them coming back. People who subscribe to newsletters will quickly unsubscribe if the content gets boring or unengaging.

It works the exact same with design. Just because people enjoyed your work in the past, it doesn’t mean they will in the future. Especially nowadays, with so many things available to occupy our attention, both designers and copywriters have to work really hard to grab those all-important eyeballs.

Aim For Strategic Hooks

It’s impossible to create a winning piece of content every single time, even within the same project. Not everything can be a winner, as they say. That’s just the reality of any creative endeavor – you win some, you lose some.

Keeping this fact in mind a good copywriter needs to structure their releases to hook people at key times. Holidays and major life changes (buying a new house, weddings, children, etc.) are ideal for your most powerful hooks.

In fact, they might not even work any other time. Same thing for designers. You can get away with certain things for these types of events – crazy type, bold colors, skewed or unconventional compositions – that you would never be able to get away with at any other time.

People Have Less Time Than Ever

People are busier than they’ve ever been before. Everyone is multitasking – checking Twitter and Facebook while skimming their emails at work and texting their spouses about what to eat for dinner.

They don’t have time to slowly peruse your boring or slow website. A copywriter has a very short window to grab someone’s attention, and if they can’t do it, they can kiss that user goodbye.

Designers, you guessed it: the same applies to you. It might not be an ideal situation when someone is only giving an average of three seconds to your content, but there’s nothing you can do about it.

It’s your job to adapt to reality and make sure that people are intrigued enough by your designs to take a closer look.

The post The Symbiotic Relationship Between Designers and Copywriters appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

UI cheat sheet: Accordions – There are more to accordions than meets the eye. This guide will show you everything you need to know.

Free Practical Guide to Web Animation – The guide introduces web animation techniques with examples and tips on how to use them.

The 40 Best Free Bootstrap 5 Templates & Themes in 2021 – Find the perfect free Bootstrap template for your next project.

Useful React Hooks That You Can Use In Your Projects – Examples of how React Hooks make for an easier development experience.

Why developers are so divided over WordPress – The pros and cons of the world’s most popular CMS.

HTML and CSS Handwritten Cheat Sheets – Use this small eBook to learn the ins and outs of CSS layouts

refine – Use this React-based framework to build data-intensive applications.

8 Powerful Plugins for Integrating Social Media into WordPress – Add all manner of social media functionality to your website with these plugins.

Pearl UI – A design-system-driven UI framework for building mobile apps with React.

Repobeats – Add highly-visual insights to your GitHub repositories with this tool.

Photorealistic Mockup: Shadows + Slides Grid – A free Figma mockup to show off your slide designs.

Exploring Web Development History with Richard MacManus – One writer’s quest to document the earliest days of web development technology.

Add-to-Calendar Button – This JavaScript snippet lets users add your event to a multitude of calendar apps.

Sizze – Figma to React Native – Create an app prototype and instantly export it to React Native code.

FaviconCheck – This tool will show you how your site’s favicon will look on various devices.

8 HTML Code Snippets for Creating Responsive Newsletter Templates – A collection of sharply-designed snippets that cover a variety of potential use cases.

Quick and Dirty Bootstrap Overrides at Runtime – This tutorial can help you work around some challenging situations with Bootstrap.

The post Weekly News for Designers № 619 appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Freelancing is riddled with challenges. You end up being part designer, developer, copywriter, marketer, social media guru, customer service representative, and tax expert all at the same time.

If anyone thinks that doing freelance work is easy, they need to think again!

And that’s why it’s so important to make sure you don’t stumble into the freelance pricing trap many freelancers fall into. As there are already so many things you already have to deal with, you really want to avoid this one from the beginning.

So, What’s the Freelance Pricing Trap?

The freelance pricing trap is not charging enough for the work that you do. And it happens much more often than you would think.

Many freelancers feel like they don’t have enough experience or expertise to charge a certain rate, so they simply don’t. They price below the market rate because they feel they aren’t qualified to charge for more.

Some freelancers may actually feel bad for charging more. They feel like it’s too expensive and that they can’t justify charging so much.

However, if you want to make it as a freelancer, this needs to change.

Why it Needs to Change

Not charging enough for your services is a huge issue because it sets up the wrong expectations for your clients from the outset. It makes them devalue your work and expertise. They may also presume that you’re not as talented as others in your niche because you don’t charge as much they do.

This is a real problem. I know of an online learning school that couldn’t get work in a wealthy city because they didn’t charge as much as the competition. Since they didn’t charge as much, the perception was that they weren’t as good as other similar schools. This happens to many businesses, and it happens to freelancers as well.

It also makes the work you do less rewarding. And since the work is less rewarding, you’re much more likely to get disheartened and potentially burn out. Consider this common scenario for a moment:

A client calls asking how much a particular web project would cost to design and build. You ask for the brief, take the time to work out the number of hours it would take, and then respond with an estimate. But this is where it gets interesting.

The client tells you they can’t afford that much and counters by asking if you can do it for less, much less. Not wanting to lose out on the business, you agree since you don’t feel confident enough in your ability to negotiate a higher rate.

You also really need the work and don’t want to miss out on the revenue. Or so you think…

You begin working only to realize that you’re getting paid for half of what the project’s worth. If you’re just starting out in the freelance world, that may not necessarily be a huge issue because you’re trying to build up your portfolio and get your name out there, but if you’ve been freelancing for a while, that is a huge problem.

You’ve got bills to pay and mouths to feed. You’ll end up working more hours on extra projects just to make up for the drop in pay you’ve received from this project.

You may become resentful of the client and more than likely disappointed in yourself. Instead of putting in your best work, you give less than your best effort. And why shouldn’t you? You’re getting paid less than what you’re worth.

Then it comes time to get the project approved. Surprise, surprise: the client has a list of changes they would like. But you’re already over on hours! And you’re already getting underpaid!

More resentful than ever, you dig back into the project half-heartedly. When will this project finally be finished?

Have you ever experienced a project like this? If you have, you understand the primary reasons it’s detrimental to charge less than you’re worth:

• You won’t put your full heart and soul into the project.
• You won’t produce your best work which ultimately is what would allow you to raise your rates in the future.
• You won’t attract clients that value your work and understand the costs.
• You won’t make enough money to cover your bills and will mean an increase in the number of hours you work.

What Should You do Instead?

In order to not fall into the trap of lower-paid work, here are three tips to consider:

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1. Find out what the market pays for your type of service and get to that rate as quickly as possible.

Whether it’s photography, web design, or copywriting, there’s a freelance market rate that professionals realize they need to earn to make a living.

Instead of thinking you can win more work or clients by undercutting this price, do whatever it takes to get to the market price as quickly as you can.

Yes, you’ll need to spend some time building up your portfolio and personal brand, but once you have reached that point where you’re happy, stop offering discounted rates.

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2. Don’t be afraid to charge what you’re worth.

Many freelancers don’t like asking for more money or even asking for the going freelance rate. They feel like they’re not qualified or experienced enough.

If that’s the case, continue building your portfolio, but if it’s not, don’t be afraid to ask what you’re worth.

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3. Incrementally raise your rates.

The number one thing that shoots negotiators in the foot is being desperate to close a sale. If you’re desperate for the business, you won’t be able to negotiate as well.

This means you’ll have the most trouble at the beginning of your freelance career. But once you start picking up clients and have a decent amount of work, start raising your rates.

If you aren’t as desperate to pick up your next client, you can afford to ask for more money now. If they take it, you can drop lower-paying clients at the right time and raise your rates again with subsequent clients.

Just remember to continue raising your rates once you have a healthy amount of work. It only makes sense that you charge more as you get better at what you do.

Falling Out of the Trap

If you feel like you’ve fallen into the trap of not charging enough for what you’re worth, make the decision to start charging more today.

By incrementally increasing your rates, you can quickly get to the market rate for your type of freelance work, and if you’re really good at what you do, you can even start charging more than the market rate.

That’s the kind of “trap” you want to fall into.

The post Getting out of the Freelance Pricing Trap appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.1clanek.info/?p=902

A web technology rarely maintains a continually growing user base over a long period. WordPress has done it, as has Bootstrap. But even they don’t have quite the market penetration of jQuery.

The venerable JavaScript library first debuted in 2006 and (as of this writing) is used by over three-quarters of all websites. Both its success and longevity are something to behold.

Yet, it’s also the target of a lot of online vitriol. In some circles, developers are loathed to give jQuery its due – instead focusing on the latest buzzworthy libraries.

This is understandable, as junior competitors like Vue and React have a lot of exciting features – if nowhere near the number of users. People naturally want to talk about what’s new. Established products that just keep chugging along don’t generate the same level of fanaticism.

But that doesn’t mean we should ignore jQuery altogether. It’s made a massive impact on the web and is still useful today. Join me as I take a look back at the library’s past and what the future may hold.

Bringing Cross-Browser DOM Manipulation and Effects to the Masses

Before jQuery came along, the ability to implement JavaScript with cross-browser support was difficult. In addition, the concept of using CSS for advanced effects like animation wasn’t fully realized yet. Thus, part of the library’s aim was to ensure that tasks like event handling and DOM (Document Object Model) manipulation would work on a variety of system configurations.

And you didn’t need to be a JavaScript expert to use it. Even a little bit of background knowledge would empower a developer to, say, add or remove CSS classes from an element based on user interaction. The documentation offered up many useful code examples that could be modified to fit a particular need.

It also allowed for the implementation of advanced UI elements, with the help of jQuery UI. Features such as accordions, date pickers, and tabbed interfaces were built right into the project. They could also be styled via CSS or a custom theme. And its architecture also allowed for custom plugins to be built as well.

In other words, it brought consistency to an otherwise inconsistent area of development and was fairly easy to use. This made jQuery an attractive option for developers looking to add JavaScript to their projects.

The library has been used by all manner of different products. For example, it has been bundled with WordPress for several years now. And, with WordPress powering over 40% of all websites, that has undoubtedly boosted the usage numbers for jQuery as well.

In all, the ability to work with the sheer variety of browsers and devices out there made jQuery a safe, reliable choice for developers.

The Criticisms

There’s no such thing as a perfect tool. Everything web designers use has its flaws and shortcomings. jQuery is no different.

Over the years, the library has endured a lot of criticism. And plenty of fair points have been raised. Here are a few that stand out:

jQuery Is No Longer Necessary

As we mentioned, jQuery initially provided cover to developers who wanted to bring advanced features to their projects without having to worry about compatibility. Well, there are now more options for doing so.

CSS, in particular, can replace jQuery in many instances. Elements like animation, for example, can be crafted without the need for a third-party dependency. It’s a native solution that can take advantage of hardware acceleration. The result is lightning-quick performance without the overhead.

In addition, vanilla JavaScript has also come a long way since the early days of jQuery. With wide browser support, developers can be more confident in what they build with it.

jQuery Is Inefficient/Antiquated

When a project has been around for 15+ years, there are bound to be some inefficiencies. However, it’s worth noting that the version of jQuery your project utilizes can make a significant difference.

Consider the case of WordPress. Through several versions of the content management system (CMS), jQuery 1.1.x was bundled. These legacy releases were kept in part to maintain backward compatibility with themes and plugins.

The last of these, jQuery 1.12.4, was released in 2016. Not until WordPress 5.6 (released in 2020) did the more modern jQuery 3.5.1 make its way into core.

If you’re still stuck with those older versions, performance can definitely suffer. But, in my own testing, sites running later jQuery releases seem to perform significantly better in Google PageSpeed Insights. Of course, your experience may vary.

That’s not to say jQuery is always going to be the most efficient solution. Still, progress has been made in this area.

A Look at the Future

For all the criticism, it doesn’t look like jQuery is going away anytime soon. Part of that is due to the massive number of products that depend on it.

For instance, separating it from WordPress core would be a monumental task. And that’s not even counting the number of themes and plugins that also use the library. Even a highly coordinated effort to sever ties would likely take years.

The other thing to note is that jQuery is still in active development. There’s been an effort to bring it up to speed with the modern web. Recent releases have improved performance and fixed bugs.

In addition, the project has placed its focus squarely on jQuery core. Both the jQuery UI and jQuery Mobile projects are winding down, freeing up resources for the core revamp. The content delivery network (CDN) that hosts the project’s code is also being fortified.

The upshot is that jQuery is still improving and therefore continues to be an option for web designers.

Should You Still Use jQuery?

Admittedly, I’m not a hardcore JavaScript developer. I can’t tell you the best library for your project, or whether you should use a library at all. These are very much personal decisions, based on preference and need.

If you’re comfortable using jQuery, you can be confident that the library will still work and receive updates. Frankly, that should be enough of a reason to carry on using it.

As far as what other developers may think – haters are gonna hate. But don’t let that stop you from using the tools you enjoy and trust. For more than a decade, jQuery has earned it.

The post Despite Its Critics, jQuery Forges Ahead appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.1clanek.info/?p=889

It sounds so simple, right? You do a good job on a design project, the client loves it and pays you on time, you both walk away feeling good about the exchange.

But if you simply disappear off your clients’ radar once the work is done, you’re missing massive opportunities for more work, as well as testimonials and referrals to help your business.

There are some important things that most designers never do when ending a freelance project, and today we’re going to go over what they are and why you should always do them, no matter what.

Wrap Up All The Loose Ends

The most important thing you should do when ending your project is to make sure that your client is 100% set to move forward without you. This means providing them with a package that includes everything they will need to manage on their own (site logins, full-resolution files, etc.)

It also means providing them with ways to solve any problems they might have without having to call you, in the form of FAQs, troubleshooting guides, or checklists.

Despite what you might think, it’s actually a waste of your time to have an old client call you for help with minor stuff that you could have easily provided for them in an email or spreadsheet. It’s unprofessional to hoard all the knowledge of how to use the goods you’ve created for your client in your head, making them come crawling back to you to obtain it.

You might not think this is what you’re doing, by neglecting to provide your client with information, but this is the way it comes across.

Keep Them Warm

People are much more likely to purchase services from people they’ve worked with before, so you already have that working in your favor. All you need to do is keep the line of communication open for when you need it again.

We’re all guilty of letting a relationship fade away, then finding ourselves wishing we hadn’t. But you can’t just pop up out of nowhere after months or years of not communicating with a client and ask for more work. The relationship needs to be kept warm in the meantime.

Luckily, it’s easier than you think to do this and make sure your clients never fail to think of you when they need high-level work done by a professional they trust.

It does you no good to drop off the face of the earth and never talk to your old clients again. You never know when a former client might be handy as a reference or provide some other career-boosting aid. You can’t just ignore someone for months and only contact them when you need something.

For clients, you definitely want to maintain a relationship with, make a minimum contact of one email per month. You can send them a brief update on what you’re up to, letting them know subtly that you’re still interested in referrals.

You might think you’re important and unforgettable, but you’re really not. You’re replaceable just like anyone else. In addition to your main client (as in, whoever signed your paycheck), send regular emails to any team members you worked with who you want to maintain a relationship with.

They’ll be more likely to let you know about any new projects or opportunities that might be of interest to you. Let them know what projects you’re currently working on (of course, never reveal any confidential or sensitive info).

Be Of Service

Always be thinking about how you can help your former clients, even though you’re no longer working for them. Send them information or introduce them to others you think might be able to help them. Just because you’re no longer getting paid by your former client, it doesn’t mean that you still shouldn’t try to help them in other ways.

Send 3-5 emails throughout the year that offer some kind of value – a link to a useful article, an offer to introduce someone who might be helpful, whatever – before you go asking for something.

A great way to instantly add value to any type of professional relationship is to become a connector. What that means is, if there’s someone you know whom you know a former client would benefit from knowing, don’t be afraid to make the connection and introduce them to one another. Your client will be grateful and you’ll be on the top of his or her mind the next time a juicy opportunity comes up.

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It’s far easier to keep a current client happy than it is to gain a brand new client. You should always strive to acquire new quality clients; however, it’s possible to get trapped in a never-ending cycle of finding new clients and totally ignoring the old ones.

This is the worst thing a freelance designer can do – it means you’re spending valuable time generating new leads instead of designing, which will ensure that your portfolio work never develops or makes any interesting progress and you never get picked for the cool, high-level jobs you want.

But if you can retain most of your current clients, staying in touch with them so they never forget about you when they need more work done, you’ll have the opportunity to live life at a more leisurely pace (well…for a freelancer, that is) and spend more time designing.

Now that you have finished this project, here are five questions you should ask before starting your next.

The post Those Things You Must Do When Ending a Freelance Design Project appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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The way we design and build WordPress themes is evolving. With the introduction of Full Site Editing (FSE), it is now possible to change every aspect of a site’s look and layout directly within the Gutenberg block editor.

Similar functionality has previously been available through the use of page builder plugins. It’s also something that the Customizer has long tried to address. But FSE provides a more cohesive experience.

Now, anyone with a block-enabled theme can perform everything from small style tweaks to massive layout overhauls. Additional plugins and coding skills are optional.

The potential impacts of this feature on the design process could be huge. Let’s take a look at what FSE brings to web design.

Building Prototypes in the Browser

For many designers, the process of building prototypes is completely separate from building the website itself. Tools such as Sketch, Figma, or Photoshop are used to create the look and layout. From there, client revisions are implemented and, once approved, it’s time to start on the theme.

With FSE, there’s an opportunity to move to a browser-based approach. Instead of having to translate a mockup into HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, the code is generated for us as we build. The mockup is a working website, rather than an abstract facsimile.

One can imagine the use of a block-based starter theme, which provides access to the basics of a typical website. The theme.json file can be used to configure default styles, which can then be tweaked within the Global Styles screen. Meanwhile, assets such as custom scripts and functionality are already in place – leaving a designer to focus more on crafting the perfect look.

This could lead to a more efficient workflow. In addition, stakeholders would get an accurate, real-time view of how a website works across multiple devices. And using the block editor eschews the need to dig into code to make design-related changes.

Like every other tool at our disposal, it’s in how we choose to use it. For some, browser-based prototyping could disrupt their creative flow. Others may see it as a major boost in productivity.

Faster Design = Less Creativity?

This approach isn’t without risk. It may lead to cutting corners and a certain sameness when it comes to design.

We’ve already seen this with some commercial theme frameworks. The same features and layouts are used ad nauseam. At worst, this might lead to designing based on convenience rather than need.

Access to theme templates via the block editor could, for example, disincentivize writing custom CSS. Instead of making an effort to create a unique look, the styles that are already available may be deemed as “good enough”.

There’s also the possibility of relying too much on the default styles that come bundled with various plugins or blocks. While some will blend into your existing theme, others require custom work to fit in.

The bottom line is that, just because Full Site Editing makes design faster, we still have to pay attention to the details.

Adding Style Variations Through Child Themes

Child themes have been a part of WordPress for years. They offer a means of customizing the desired parts of a theme without the risk of losing them after an update. Update the parent theme, and the child stays intact.

FSE adds another layer, which could be useful in the design process. That is the ability to create style variations through child themes.

It involves making relevant changes to the child theme’s theme.json file. Justin Tadlock has a great write-up on the technique over at WP Tavern. There are plenty of possibilities here for web designers.

As it relates to our subject, this would allow designers to create multiple versions of a site’s design for stakeholders to consider. Switching designs is as simple as changing which child theme is active within WordPress.

Those variations could include any combination of custom color, typography, and layout. It’s great for projects where a client isn’t sure of what they want. In addition, websites that need a variety of design choices can make changes seamlessly.

These are all items that can be implemented alongside the initial design. And making such revisions in WordPress might be easier than trying to maintain multiple mockup files (which then have to be ported over to your theme).

A New Way to Design for WordPress

While other content management systems offer some form of visual theme design, it’s only recently (as of version 5.9) come to WordPress. Thus, it’s a new workflow for designers who specialize in it.

Full Site Editing, like the Gutenberg block editor itself, has its quirks. It’s also in a constant state of change. New features are always right around the corner.

But even its early iterations point to changes in the web design process. For some, that could mean doing the bulk of their design work directly within a web browser. There’s great potential in terms of efficiency.

Yet, it’s also worth pointing out that FSE isn’t a requirement. The newly-termed “classic” WordPress themes still work just fine, as does the process for designing with them.

But if you’re ready for a change, FSE could be the tool you’ve been waiting for.

The post How WordPress Full Site Editing Could Impact the Design Process appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

The start of a new era for Responsive Web Design – A look at the new techniques for creating responsive layouts with CSS.

Designing our new company brand: Meta – You may have heard a little something about Facebook’s rebrand. Here’s the story behind its design.

Material Design 3 – Check out the latest version of Google’s design language.

Building an effective Image Component – How an intelligent image component can improve optimization and performance.

Behind the Scenes: Having a Singular Focus for Your Web Design Business – The risks, benefits, and challenges of having a singular focus.

Cleanup.pictures – Upload your image and this online tool will remove objects, text or defects.

Anron Icons – Download this free icon set for Figma, with 480 icons available in 5 different styles.

An Introduction to the WordPress theme.json File – Explore this all-encompassing place for styling the block editor on both the front and back ends.

A Deep Dive Into object-fit And background-size In CSS – Get the rundown of these CSS properties, along with practical use cases.

Web Performance Metrics Cheatsheet – This quick guide will fill you in on the most important aspects of site performance.

Is There a Perfect Solution to a Design Problem? – Why your “perfect” design doesn’t need to appeal to everyone.

A Small Guide for Naming Stuff in Front-end Code – Guidelines for naming items in a descriptive and effective manner.

Fontfacer – Upload your font files and this tool will provide you with the relevant CSS.

terminal.sexy – A tool for designing, editing and sharing terminal color schemes.

The Top Add-Ons for the Gravity Forms WordPress Plugin – Enhance the popular WordPress forms plugin with these high-powered add-ons.

IconKitchen – Create your own custom app icons with this online generator.

The post Weekly News for Designers № 617 appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

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