June 24, 2009 — A module tab is a design pattern where content is separated into different panes, and each pane is viewable one at a time. The user requests content to be displayed by clicking (or in some instances hovering over) the content’s corresponding tab control. Read more…

June 23, 2009 — Design patterns were first described in the 1960s by Christopher Alexander, a civil engineer who noticed that many things in our lives happen according to patterns. He adapted his observations to his work and published many findings on the topic. Since then, design patterns have found their place in many areas of our lives, and can be found in the design and development of user interfaces as well. Read more…

June 22, 2009 — JavaScript is an integral part of the RIA revolution. JavaScript allows developers to create rich and interactive web interfaces and establish asynchronous communication with servers for constantly up-to-date data without a page refresh. Many things that were once accomplished using Flash objects can now be built using JavaScript - with the added benefit that it is free, typically more web and mobile accessible under most circumstances using best practices for development techniques, and without the need to use proprietary software for development. Though JavaScript has been around for a while, new tools, techniques, and information are constantly being pumped out to continually push the technology into greater heights. In this article, we wish to share with you a huge list of fresh and new tools and resources that JavaScript developers will find useful and informative. Here are a few other posts that you might find interesting: * 50 Useful JavaScript Tools * 40 Useful JavaScript Libraries * jQuery and JavaScript Coding Read more…

June 20, 2009 — Today we are glad to release 30 Swirl Brushes, a set with 30 high-quality swirl Photoshop brushes with an average size 2000px. These brushes were created with Adobe Photoshop CS4 and also work with the version CS, CS2 and CS3. This set was designed by Thomas Béal especially for Smashing Magazine and its readers. Read more…

June 20, 2009 — Working on a Mac is a nice experience. Not only because of the aesthetics, but also because of the many useful tools built right into the operating system. One such tool is Exposé, which allows instant access to just about anything on your desktop with the press of a button. If used correctly, it can be a powerful ally in the war against screen clutter, but if you’re unfamiliar with it, it can seem quite daunting. That’s where I come in – I’m here with five useful tips that will allow any Mac user to get the most out of Exposé, and their screen space. You may be interested in the following related posts as well: * 30 Must Have Tweaks For Your Mac * Mac Hacks: 17 AppleScripts To Make Your Life Easier * Mac OS X Leopard: Designer’s Guide to Icons * 200+ Hotkeys To Boost Your Productivity Read more…

June 19, 2009 — Almost everyone out there who runs a website has toyed with the idea of selling ads on their website. So many options are available. Dozens of ad and affiliate networks exist, and you have different ad formats to consider. Should you sell text ads or banner ads? Should you allow Flash ads? What about ads with sound, pop-ups or floating ads? People have so many decisions to make that they often just end up slapping on some AdSense code and calling it a day. And that’s fine. Read more…

June 18, 2009 — Today we are glad to release Quartz Icon Pack, a set with 90 clean, sharp and (hopefully) useful icons for your project. [Links checked February/16/2017] Read more…

June 18, 2009 — Without argument, one of the most important things to consider when creating a website is that it be accessible to everyone who wants to view it. Does your website play nice with screen readers? Can a user override your style sheet with a more accessible one and still see everything your website has to offer? Would another Web developer be embarrassed if they saw your code? If your website is standards-compliant, you could more confidently answer these questions. Let’s take a look at 10 ways to improve the accessibility of your XHTML website by making it standards-compliant. We’ll go the extra mile and include criteria that fall beyond the standards set by the W3C but which you should follow to make your website more accessible. Each section lists the criteria you need to meet, explains why you need to meet them and gives examples of what you should and shouldn’t do. Read more…

June 18, 2009 — Today’s desktop wallpaper collection is all about horror. Wallpaper can convey the depths of emotion and feeling and whatever you want them to convey. You will always find a wallpaper to express your feeling or mood. It’s always nice to refresh your perspective with some inspirational, elegant, stylish and beautiful wallpaper. Read more…

June 17, 2009 — Website designs have so many different elements that work together to convey information in a usable and organized manner. For a website to be effective, every element on the page, from the header to the footer, needs to add to its overall usability and readability. In this article, we’ll take a look at the footer and see what exactly makes for a good website footer. Keep in mind that just because the footer is at the bottom of the page doesn’t mean you should slack off with good design practice. We’ll look here at what to include in footers, the importance of site maps, usability practices and styling ideas and trends. We’ve also compiled almost 50 well-designed footers to give you ideas and inspiration for your own footer designs. Read more…