Web Design, Art, & Multimedia – Byron Bay, Australia
Explanation Of Terms
Scalable Vector Artwork
Vector artwork is a lot different to a "bitmap", or normal image based artwork such as a photograph. In vector artwork the artwork is mapped mathematically, consisting of points, curves, colours and gradients etc. In a bitmap image the information is stored in an array of "bits" or tiny pixels, each with different colour values which when viewed as a whole come together to form the picture image. Scalable vector artwork is the most appropriate form for creating a 2D logo design, as it can be scaled to any size and imported easily into other programs and forms, including 3D. It can also be used to generate a fully scalable screen-print design for example.
More information about vector graphics on Wikipedia
Why Development Files?
Often I am approached by a client that wants a revamp of some of their existing graphic design work. When I ask them for the resource files, they either do not have them, do not know how to get them, and or will have to spend considerable time tracking down their original artwork files. For some reason this seems to happen a lot with logo designs in particular. Without the original source files it basically means that extra time is needed to recreate the original artwork. In some cases the only artwork the client has is the final product as a compressed, low resolution file, such as a tiny logo for a website, that is inappropriate for printing, and very difficult to recreate exactly. Resource files are also important if special typefaces have been used in the original design.
I provide my clients with all my development files on CD ROM. Should they need to take the files to another designer one day, they will have all the original resources and development files at hand.
Content Management Systems
Most importantly a website that has a content management system (or 'cms') in place, allows the client to be able to update the website themselves. This includes editing text and other content, creating and deleted pages, and uploading new images to the site etc. There are many different content management systems out there, some are much more complex than others, and some a relatively straightforward to use, some are very expensive, many are free open source templates. I use one that has been developed by Silverstripe, which includes a wsiwyg (what you see is what you get) editor that is very similar to Microsoft Word for example. Therefore if you can already use Microsoft Word, you will find this content management system relatively easy to operate.
More information about Content Management Systems on Wikipedia
Blogs
A blog is type of webpage with a mechanism in place for writing and uploading regular updates, or new content items. Usually these pages have mechanisms in place to allow for comments from the public, and include an 'RSS feed' facility (explained in next paragraph). Blog pages are particular popular these days because they are not only easy to manage, but especially because the can play a big part in boosting a website's ranking in Google. This is because Google favours websites that it sees as providing fresh content regularly. Nowadays we also have video blogging, micro blogging, mobile blogging, and more. My sites include a webpage blogging system that you can easily log on to, with comment administration included. You can also create blogs that only specific users can access.
More information about Blogs and Blogging
RSS
RSS is an abbreviation for 'Really Simple Syndication'. It's kind of hard to explain, but basically there are two mechanisms that work together. One is a website that offers an RSS feed (or subscription), and the other is an RSS feed reader. RSS readers are included in most browsers and google also offers a free 'reader' utility. Whenever you see a website that has a blue 'RSS' icon in the menu bar, this means that this page offers an RSS feed that you can subscribe to. When you use an RSS reader to read your RSS feeds (or subscriptions) the new items in the webpage are fed directly into your reader. For example you could subscribe to an RSS feed from a news website (or any website that interests you), and this content along with content from any other sites that you subscribe to is fed directly into your reader. Basically in the age of information overload, RSS feeds are a great method for channelling the information that you are most interested in from different websites, all into the one page, for easy viewing. Most blogs by nature, offer an RSS feed.
More information about RSS on Wikipedia
User Forms
My sites, come with user forms facilities, which allows you to construct a form and send this information to a database. For example you may want to collect a database of visitors that are interested in a specific product, and collect and store their names and email addresses.
Search Engine Optimisation
Search engine optimisation or 'seo' basically means constructing a site in the best possible way to be recognised and favoured in ranking by Google and other search engines (though Google is obviously the main one these days). This includes technical under the bonnet work, such as making sure the site is programmed in a certain way (the right way). It also includes the site structure and content composition, for example making sure that your site includes the most relevant content in the right places. This (and much more) is all part of the process of constructing your site in such a way as to best connect your site with the right audience via the search engines.
More information about SEO on Wikipedia
Web Standards Compliant
Web standards ensure that your site adheres to the latest web standards and protocols as set out by W3 - The World Wide Web Consortium. This includes standards for website accessibility and the way your site is coded for maximum accessibility by website browsers such as Safari, Internet Explorer and Firefox etc.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics offers a great way to track and monitor the traffic to your website. It is one thing to have a website, but it is another thing to be able to know how it is working. This includes the amount of visitors, your most popular pages, and where your visitors are coming form. As a webmaster for your site, I correctly install the google analytics code which allows your site to be tracked by Google Analytics.