The Smashing Editorial prepares bi-weekly newsletter issues with lots of love and appreciation for the good ol’ web with the latest tips and tricks for designers and web developers. Vitaly Friedman, Smashing Magazine’s editor-in-chief, started this project back in early 2010. Today, we can’t imagine a better way of informing and communicating with our fans and readers!
Today’s icon set, designed by Manuela Langella, is dedicated to both lovers and haters of… football! A big Thank You to Manuela Langella for designing this wonderful icon set — we sincerely appreciate your time and efforts! You may modify the size, color or shape of the icons. No attribution is required, though reselling bundles or individual pictograms isn’t cool. Clink! Clink! Let the games begin!
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Creative folks like yourself know how important our daily dose of hot and steaming coffee is. Many of us even choose to work from a coffee house because the cozy atmosphere, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans and the carefully created art on the glossy foam fuels our creativity.
Designed by Oliver Pitsch, Barista is an icon set dedicated to all baristas and coffee lovers. It consists of 50 carefully crafted vector icons. A big thank you to Oliver Pitsch for designing this wonderful icon set — we sincerely appreciate your time and efforts!
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In 2010, back in the time when we started searching for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine, we launched the monthly wallpaper series. Since then, we’ve had remarkable desktop wallpapers designed by various artists from all around the globe. It would be our pleasure, dear readers, for you to share your artworks with all of us and we heartily welcome you to join in the monthly wallpaper submissions here on Smashing Magazine! Feel free to design bold, intriguing, crazy, personal, but creative, unusual and absolutely stunning wallpapers.
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Since the beginning of CSS3, Web designers have begun experimenting with different code-based solutions to add to design, and even to make up a design entirely. Even with older versions of CSS there are many design solutions that can be done with 100% code, no images necessary.
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As designers, we have to create an intuitive user experience, solve design problems and provide a beautiful and functional user interfaces. Unlike print design, we don’t have the luxury of designing in a static area; rather, our canvas is ever-changing in its content, browser width, page length and more. We do need to be able to code to some extent and be able to build a design around a structure of code. Yet, with these complications comes an opportunity for unique functionality, interactive effects and better user experience.
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We love useful stuff, and we love quality writing. Every Tuesday, we send out an editorial email newsletter with useful tips and techniques for designers and developers — thoroughly collected, written and edited by us exclusively for our readers. Once subscribed, you’ll receive a small token of appreciation — a free eBook just for you.
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Redesigning a website is a big job (needless to say) and should be handled with care. Many of us with a portfolio, blog or other website have probably thought about a redesign or at least know we need one. For many designers, though, that redesign never comes. As big and important as it is, the job can turn into a hugely daunting task that we put straight on the backburner of our to-do list.
Why is doing a simple redesign so daunting? Why is it so difficult to follow through, even when we’ve decided to do it? How can we work on designing our clients’ websites successfully every day and then perpetually neglect our own?
The problem is both a lack of correct planning and a lack of understanding of the root need for the redesign. Once we’ve identified these elements, we’re set for success. In this article, we’ll discuss how to plan and execute a redesign, and how to find the perfect timing for it.
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The future of CSS is arriving fast, and many tools, languages, and solutions have been developed that make CSS a job not just for Web designers but developers, too. In many ways, the job could become more complex and confusing, but in many other ways, the new changes will provide more opportunity and better technology for the future of the Web.
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Fluid web designs have many benefits, but only if implemented correctly. With proper technique, a design can be seen correctly on large screens, small screens and even tiny PDA screens. With bad coding structure, however, a fluid layout can be disastrous. Because of this, we need to find ways to work around most, if not all, of the cons of fluid design.
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The problem has boggled the minds of Web designers for years: fixed, fluid, elastic or a hybrid layout design? Each option has its benefits and disadvantages. But the final decision depends so much on usability that it is not one to be made lightly. So, with all the confusion, is there a right decision? By considering a few factors and properly setting up the final design, you can end up with a successful layout design that reaps all the benefits.
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