3 Web Sites and Their Wireframes

The New Yorker

I occasionally visit The New Yorker, and thought it would be a good fit for this project. The website layout is very minimal, with the emphasis placed on the pictures and headlines.

Nike

Nike uses large, dynamic rotating images on the homepage, along with a few simple sections. The interface is very simple and clutter free, so the bold images are key.

Wired

I love the Wired logo, and I think the website does a good job of supporting its bold, graphic style. By keeping things simple, Wired keeps the focus on their awesome content.

I used Photoshop to create all of the wireframes.

4 Web Sites Where Images are the Star Attraction

Peggy Sirota

Peggy Sirota's photography website is simple and playful. The website is very clean—allowing the images to stand out—and pops of color add a bit of playfulness against the stark white background.

Getty Images

I worked for a time doing stock photography editing, and I found Getty's website to be the most user friendly out of the many stock photography sites I worked with. It is easily searchable, and the images stand out nicely against a simple white and black interface.

Dwell

A continuation of the magazine, Dwell.com is all about modern living. This is another site where a simple white background, and a clean design allows the images to stand on their own.

Pinterest

A social networking site, Pinterest is all about sharing images and inspiration with your followers. The site makes it easy to find and follow people who's aesthetics & interests are similar to your own. The search engine is a good starting point, but I think the best way to find people with similar taste is to follow Pinterest's links to people who have pinned the same images as you.

4 CSS Properties that Intrigue Me the Most

Border-image 

Customized borders are a great way to make a website more unique. Unmatched Style discusses the border-image property and links to a few more resources for getting started. It seems like a great jumping off point for creating custom borders. 

Gradients

I'd like to learn how to create and fine tune gradients using CSS. CSS 3 files has a good overview for getting started. I also found this gradient generator which will be helpful for playing with color combinations.

Multiple Backgrounds

Layering backgrounds seems like a great way to add flavor and depth to a website. Mozilla Developer Network has a short tutorial for getting started.

Transitions 

Some web pages benefit from a little bit of movement, so I think the transition property would be a fun one to explore. Web Designer Depot discusses using simple transitions to add a bit of movement to the page.

4 Online Resources for Learning More about CSS

Shay Howe 

This site has a good section on getting to know CSS. The basics are covered for beginners, and more advanced topics are also offered for those who wish to continue their training.

Lynda.com 

Lynda.com has a number of videos dedicated to learning CSS. It is a subscription based site, but you can pay for one month and watch unlimited videos during that time.

Mozilla Developer Network 

Mozilla offers several tutorials through their developer network. They have a section devoted to CSS—beginning through advanced—to help aspiring developers get started.

Code Academy 

Code Academy has numerous tutorials devoted to CSS. They walk you through code examples, and allow you to make edits and try them out via their website.

4 Examples of Websites I Like

Brain Pickings 

This website has a blog format with the most recent articles at the top. The design is clean, simple, and easy to navigate, which makes it a pleasure to return to and read the latest articles.

Khan Academy

I recently began using this website to brush up on my math skills. The site has a clean interface, is easy to navigate (bold yet simple math graphics guide you along), and does a good job of tracking where you have been/left off and guiding you forward. I like the interactive features, and timelines that display your progress alongside the tutorials.

MOMA

The MOMA has acquired a massive collection of artwork over the years, and I love that they have made it available to the public via their website. It is easy to search and browse their collection, and I think they have done a great job of organizing vast amounts of information into a user friendly interface. 

Rifle Paper Co.

As an artist, I am always keeping an eye out for artists & craftspeople that do a good job of showcasing and selling their wares online. I like this site because it has a lovely design, a simple interface, and the shop integrates very cleanly into the site.