Useful references, tutorials, services, tools, techniques and articles in January 2008

News, Discussions

  • Automatic IE7-Update Expected in February
    On February 12 Microsoft will push a new version of Internet Explorer 7 and auto-update the previous version of IE with IE 7. Microsoft also posted guidelines on how to ward off the automatic update if admins want to keep the older IE6 browser on their companies’ machines. Is it the possible end of IE 6?
  • Internet Explorer 8 passes the Acid2 test: A Milestone
    Still being in development, Internet Explorer 8 now passes the Acid2 smiley face test (video). The beta of IE8 is expected to be released in the first half of 2008.

    Acid2 Test: Smiley Face

  • Farewell Netscape
    AOL announced that it won’t support Netscape any longer. Will the browser ‘be sorely missed’? Did it pass away peacefully in the night, a lot later than many of us thought it would? The discussion about the browser many of us used once and dismissed afterwards.
  • Movable Type Open Source
    Movable Type is now open source. This means you can freely modify, redistribute, and use Movable Type for any purpose you choose. MT Open Source has every feature in Movable Type 4.0 along with several new minor improvements and bug fixes.
  • IE’s Questionable Version Targeting
    According to Microsoft, IE8 is going to support a new feature — the so-called version targeting via the <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=8" />-declaration. Drawbacks and benefits in the article by Tim Kadlec. Eric Meyer discusses the same topic.

References, Tips

  • UI-Patterns: User Interface Design Pattern Library
    It’s a common practice to use recurring solutions to solve common problems. This project seeks to better the situation for the UI designer, who struggles with the same problems as many other UI designers have struggled with before him.

    tutorials, tools, techniques

  • Interface Research
    The Art Institute of Atlanta has conducted a usability and user interface survey among its students. The results not necessary match with your expectations. For instance, 77% of students preferred links to be on the left of the page, while 72% preferred drop-down-menus for navigation.
  • The WordPress Help Sheet
    The WordPress Help Sheet includes basic template files and PHP-snippets. The advanced version contains snippets from Styling Different Categories to Dynamic Page Titles.

    tutorials, tools, techniques

  • 114 Sources for License-Free Images
    An extensive overview of a number of sources. Most of them are indeed good.
  • Freeware Software for Web Designers
    An overview of advanced open-source applications designers and web developers can use during the design process.
  • Common Craft - Explanations In Plain English
    Among other things, CommonCraft presents products and services in a simple format to make sense of complex ideas. Now you finally know how to explain RSS, Social Bookmarking and Social Networking to your grandmother.

    tutorials, tools, techniques

  • Collection of CSS snippets
    Konstruktors offers a collection of CSS snippets for constructing grid based layouts, columns, basic typography and navigation elements.
  • Introduction to Good Usability
    Peter Conradie offers his Introduction to Good Usability as .pdf-file for free download. The .pdf covers interface design guides (breadcrumbs, tabs, linking, overlays, drop down menu, scroll etc.) as well as author’s principles of good usability.

 

 

Tutorials