Current Web Design Articles

Web Design, HTML, and XML Articles from the About.com Guide to Web Design and HTML

By Jennifer Kyrnin

Subscribe to this page

12/31/2008 - Annual Report - Web Design Portfolio Project
Create an annual report for your freelance business or for a fictional company.

12/29/2008 - Worst Windows HTML Editors
If you're looking for an HTML editor for Windows, there are lots of great choices out there. But these are not them. These Web editors for Windows are some of the worst I've found after doing an evaluation of over 130 editors in 35 categories. If you must choose an HTML editor, don't choose one from this list.

12/29/2008 - Worst Macintosh HTML Editors
If you're looking for an HTML editor for Macintosh, there are lots of great choices out there. But these are not them. These Web editors for Macintosh are some of the worst I've found after doing an evaluation of over 130 editors in 35 categories. If you must choose an HTML editor, don't choose one from this list.

12/29/2008 - Worst Linux/UNIX HTML Editors
If you're looking for an HTML editor for Linux/UNIX, there are lots of great choices out there. But these are not them. These Web editors for Linux/UNIX are some of the worst I've found after doing an evaluation of over 130 editors in 35 categories. If you must choose an HTML editor, don't choose one from this list.

12/29/2008 - Promoting Your RSS Feed
Creating an RSS feed is probably the easiest XML document you'll ever write, if you choose to write it from scratch. And once you have your feed, you'll want to promote it. It can be tempting to try to find custom icons and scripts to link to it, but the best way to promote your feed on your site is to link to it. This article covers various ways to link to your RSS feed, gives you sources for good icons to use, and shows you how to make your own icon for your links.

12/27/2008 - RSS Add to Page Buttons
These are some of the common buttons you might see to add your feed to various feed reading services. If you have an RSS feed, you'll want to link to it and get people to add it to their favorite feed reader or home page. With these buttons you can make it easy for your readers to add your feeds to their pages.

12/24/2008 - Finding the Perfect Web Editor
In my search for the ultimate Web page editor, I evaluated over 130 Web editors on 3 platforms. I looked at over 35 different features to determine which editor stood out as the best above all the rest. It took a long time, but I was able to determine which editors had the stuff and which didn't. I even gave each one a score and a star rating. This article discusses how I chose the best editors for building Web pages and which ones made the grade and which didn't.

12/24/2008 - 10 Worst Web Editors - According to About.com Readers
There are hundreds if not thousands of editors you can use to edit Web pages, how can you choose which ones are best? These are the worst editors according to About.com reader reviews.

12/24/2008 - 10 Best Web Editors - According to About.com Readers
There are hundreds if not thousands of editors you can use to edit Web pages, how can you choose which ones are best? These are the best editors according to About.com reader reviews.

12/23/2008 - You Know You're a Slave to Web Design When...
Some people see Web design as a job, but for many of us, it's an obsession. There are many signs that you are addicted to Web design. How many of these signs do you experience? And what other signs of design slavery do you exhibit?

12/22/2008 - Restaurant Home Page - Web Design Portfolio Project
Many restaurants want a website to attract customers and market the restaurant. Design the front page for a restaurant for a portfolio project. Choose a restaurant that you love or that has a website that you think doesn't do as well as it could. You could also approach a local business to see if they'd let you create their website.

12/22/2008 - Why does invalid HTML work?
It's always a good idea to validate your HTML so that there aren't unexpected problems. But one of the number one reasons why people don't validate is because when they test, the page seems to be displaying without a problem. Why is it that Web browsers will display HTML that is technically incorrect? Does that mean that we shouldn't need to worry about valid or correct HTML (or CSS or JavaScript or PHP, etc.)?

12/21/2008 - How to Add an RSS Feed to a Web Page
Once you've built an RSS feed for your website, you'll want to connect it to the site with a link tag. It's best if you link the RSS off every page of your site, but you can also link it from just one or two pages - for instance, the pages that most make sense for that feed.

12/20/2008 - Three Column Information Page - Web Design Portfolio Project
Three column websites are very popular with many clients because they provide a great way to get multiple streams of information high on the page and above the fold. By creating a 3-column information page for your portfolio, you show that you can create a great page in a format that they will like.

12/19/2008 - 10 Best Web Hosting Providers
These are some of the worst Web hosts to choose, according to the readers at About.com. If you're looking for a Web hosting provider, or want to change your existing one, you should avoid these hosts.

12/18/2008 - Getting Started as a Freelance Web Designer
Starting out as a freelancer can be scary, but if you plan for it sensibly, you will find that it's not as hard as you might have thought. These 12 suggestions will help you get ready to start freelancing, either full-time or part-time.

12/16/2008 - How to Use RSS on Your Website
RSS is a great way to promote your site and new site content, and a great resource for RSS feeds is a list of what's new on your website. I have started a what's new RSS feed for my About.com Web Design / HTML website that I maintain with a text editor.

12/14/2008 - Build a Mailto Form in KompoZer
Learn how to use KompoZer to create a mailto form that requires no programming to work. When the form is submitted it will be sent by email to your email address.

12/14/2008 - Build a Mailto Form in Nvu
Learn how to use Nvu to create a mailto form that requires no programming to work. When the form is submitted it will be sent by email to your email address.

12/13/2008 - Sell a Product - Web Design Portfolio Project
Many people want to use Web pages to sell things. So creating a Web page that is meant to sell a product is a great use of your skills. This portfolio project asks you to create a Web page to sell something. It doesn't matter what, just so long as the page markets the product for sale and provides a way to buy it.

12/09/2008 - How to Use Basic Web Templates
There are lots of free Web templates available, and most of them are very fancy, with images, scripts, and fancy colors and styles. But then you come along some plain ones. All these seemingly ugly ones have are basic shapes and positions for the layout, perhaps even just a wireframe or basic layout. You'd never want your page to look like that, so what good are these layouts? Learn how to use these seemingly ugly layouts to create fancy and creative designs that are all your own.

12/07/2008 - Three Column Layout Templates
When you want to build a Web page, the easiest way is with a free Web template. These free 3-column templates will help get you started.

12/07/2008 - Two Column Layout Templates
When you want to build a Web page, the easiest way is with a free Web template. These free 2-column templates will help get you started.

12/07/2008 - One Column Layout Templates
When you want to build a Web page, the easiest way is with a free Web template. These free 1-column templates will help get you started.

11/26/2008 - Contrasting Foreground and Background Colors
A table of colors showing which ones contrast well together and which ones don't.

11/25/2008 - 5 Reasons to Learn CSS
CSS or Cascading Style Sheets is an important part of Web design. By learning CSS you gain control over how your pages look and can create much fancier pages than with just plain HTML. If you use pre-built templates, knowing CSS will allow you to tweak the page designs to fit your business more effectively. There are lots of great reasons to learn CSS.

11/24/2008 - Password Protect Your Web Pages
Learn how to password protect pages on your website. You can password protect single Web pages or password protect entire sections or even your entire website. The most secure way to password protect your website is with htaccess.

11/24/2008 - Password Protect a Single File with HTAccess
You can use an htaccess file to password protect one file in a directory. This is great if you want the directory to be open and only want one file in it to be protected by a password.

11/18/2008 - How to Save Money on Web Design Software
Some of the best Web design software packages cost hundreds of dollars, and if you need to buy graphics software, video software, animation software, or programming software, the costs can mount quickly. But with these suggestions for getting the most out of your Web editor, you can save money and buy only what you need to buy.

11/17/2008 - How To Add an Image to Your Web Page
Adding an image to your Web page requires only one HTML tag. In fact, it is often harder to get the image onto your Web server than it is to add the HTML to get it on your Web page. This tutorial explains how to add an image to your Web page using HTML.

11/17/2008 - How To Wrap Text Around an Image
Using CSS or basic HTML you can place your images on a page and then wrap the text around them. This tutorial explains how easy it is to wrap text around a photo or image.

11/17/2008 - How to Add a Caption to Your Images that Stays with the Image
Putting a caption on an image can be a useful feature when you want to describe the image, but getting it to stay with the image can be challenging. Learn how to use some HTML and CSS to create a nice looking caption that stays right below your image.

11/12/2008 - What to Include in Your Web Design Portfolio
Your Web design portfolio should include examples of your best work. But Web design portfolios present special problems because you don't have hard copies to save for a print portfolio, and online screen shots don't capture the dynamic nature of the pages. Learn what to choose and how to display it.

11/11/2008 - Web Grids - Columnar Layout in Web Grids
When you work with Web layouts, you often have more control over the horizontal sizes than you do about the vertical. So grid layouts become columnar layouts. This gallery shows how grids can create dynamic layouts with various numbers of columns.

11/10/2008 - Why Use a Grid to Design Your Page?
Grids are an important part of layout in Web pages. They are a great way to impose order on your Web pages and provide balance to your layouts.

11/3/2008 - How to Detect Mobile De
Learn how to use various techniques to detect mobile devices and send them a style sheet written for them or to a completely different Web page.

10/28/2008 - Flat-Rate vs. Hourly Billing
Deciding whether to charge a flat rate or an hourly fee is an individual designer's dilemma. This article discusses the pros and cons of each method so that you can make a decision that works best for your business.

10/27/2008 - How to Decide on a Fair Hourly Rate for Web Design Work
Coming up with an hourly rate for your Web design work can be intimidating. But with this formula, you will have a rate that is both realistic and honest and will allow you to both cover your costs and make a profit.

10/21/2008 - Painting the Web by Shelley Powers
This book seemed to be the answer to how to get people to come and stay on your site by making Web graphics that are appealing and interesting. But it's not.

10/20/2008 - Website Optimization by Andrew B. King
If you're looking to create a website for a modern corporation or just look like one, then you need the book Websihttp://www.kyrnin.com/about/build_about_data.phpte Optimization by Andrew B. King.

10/06/2008 - What Pricing Structure Should I Use?
Deciding how to price a Web project can be scary for the new freelancer. You don't want to charge so much that potential clients are scared away, but you don't want to charge so little that you don't meet your expenses. This Guide will give you suggestions for how to set up a pricing structure for your business.

09/29/2008 - Earn Money on the Web
The Web is a great way to make money. If you are a writer, you can make money from Web pages you build, if you're an artist you can sell your designs or creations, or if you're a designer you can freelance as a Web desiner/developer. All you need to make money on the Web is a computer and a website.

09/22/2008 - How to Create a Self-Signed SSL Certificate
It's easy to create your own SSL certificate and sign it yourself. You can then avoid paying for certificates you don't need.

09/22/2008 - Signed vs. Self-signed Certificates
When you use SSL to create a secure, encrypted connection to your Web server you can use a signed certificate by a recognized certificate authority or you can sign the certificate yourself. There are only a few differences between each type of certificate, but they are critical ones.

09/15/2008 - Graded Browser Support
Being a Web designer is difficult because there are so many differences between browsers and you need to support many of them. Deciding how to decide which browsers you support or don't support is important - as there is no way you can support them all.

09/09/2008 - 8 Tips to Take Your Website or Blog to the Next Level
Whether you're looking to get more fame or just more money from your website or blog, it can be challenging to move onwards and upwards. But sometimes it just takes one simple thing to get you started moving again. These ideas can help you improve your site, get more visitors, and get to the next level.

09/08/2008 - What do I need to switch design firms?
Choosing a design firm to work on your website is challenging, but what if you need to change? There are things you should think about before you change designers, and things you should make sure you know about your site.

09/02/2008 - What is SEO Friendly Content
Search engine optimization or SEO is all about what words are on your page. If you don't have the words, you can't optimize for that term in a search engine. So writing content becomes very important if you're going to optimize for search engine keywords.

09/01/2008 - Don't Demand Links - Even Asking Can Seem Annoying
Backlinks are a great way to get better rankings on search engines. Especially if you're lucky enough to be linked from a site with a higher Google PageRank than you have. If you've been doing SEO for any period of time, you know this. But asking, or even demanding those links from other Web developers can backfire.

09/01/2008 - How to Get a Link on This Site
If you're a Web designer or write about Web design, you might be able to get a link to your pages on this website.

08/26/2008 - Block Web Page Printing
Use CSS to prevent your Web pages from being printed. This technique relies on advanced CSS attributes that some browsers don't support. But in general, you can use this method to make it difficult for people to print your Web pages.

08/25/2008 - What Web Analytics Can be Tracked
There are lots of different metrics that can be tracked on a website. These Web analytics are all metrics that can be tracked and there are various reasons why you might want to follow them on your site.

08/18/2008 - Does the Accesskey Attribute Improve Accessibility?
The accesskey is an attribute that provides keyboard shortcuts to Web pages. It has long been touted as a way to make Web pages more accessible, but is it really? There are some problems associated with the accesskey that you should be aware of before you start using it.

08/12/2008 - Use mod_rewrite to Redirect Your Whole Site
Learn how easy it is to use 2 lines of code to redirect your entire website with mod_rewrite and htaccess on an Apache web server.

08/11/2008 - One Reason to Use Valid HTML
Writing valid HTML often seems like a nuisance, but one reason is if your site is moved into a database, valid HTML or really valid XHTML can become very important. Many CMS programs require valid XHTML because they are based on XML and installed in databases.

08/05/2008 - Make Zoom Buttons for Your Web Pages
Learn how to use CSS and a stylesheet switcher to create CSS zoom buttons for your Web pages so that people can choose a font size that meets their needs. CSS zoom buttons are found on more and more Web pages to let customers choose the font size they want.

08/04/2008 - The Importance of Whitespace in Web Designs
Whitespace is the space in your designs that is not content. Whitespace affects how your deigns are perceived.

07/29/2008 - How to Build a Website
Learn how to build a website in 7 steps. Building a website can be a challenging proposition, but there are only 7 things you need to do to get your website up and running.

07/28/2008 - What do those Joomla! Jargon Terms Mean?
Joomla! jargon is very complicated, and makes this CMS tool even more complicated. By learning these Joomla! jargon terms, you'll understand Joomla! much better.

07/22/2008 - Get Your Web Page Reviewed for SEO
Submit your page for an SEO review. Get suggestions for how to improve organic search results for a page on your site.

07/21/2008 - Best Free Web Log Analysis Tools
There are a lot of Web log analysis tools out there, and many are free. This is a list of some of the best free log analysis and Web analytics tools available.

07/14/2008 - How to Install Drupal
This step-by-step tutorial will take you through the steps to install a copy of Drupal on your Web server. It takes you through the Drupal installation from download through configuration. When you've completed the tutorial, you'll have installed Drupal.

07/14/2008 - How to Set Up Multiple Sites to Use Drupal CMS
You can use Drupal to administer multiple domain names off of one Web server and database. And it's easy to do - just follow these simple instructions.

07/07/2008 - How to Install Joomla
This step-by-step tutorial will take you through the steps to install a copy of Joomla on your Web server. It takes you through the Joomla installation from download through configuration. When you've completed the tutorial, you'll have installed Joomla.

06/30/2008 - What is Geotagging?
Geotagging has gotten very popular on photo sites like Flickr, but it's also possible to geotag Web pages. But why would we want to? This article discusses the basics of geotagging and why we would want to tag our Web pages with locations.

06/23/2008 - 5 Contract Must Haves for Web Designers
When you get a client for your Web design business, it can be so exciting that your contract ends up somewhat skewed. While there are lots of things you can include in your contract, these are 5 things you should consider whenever you write a contract for Web deisgn work.

06/17/2008 - Getting People to Link to You - Link Love, How to (and How Not to) Get It
Getting people to link to your site is an important aspect of promotion. Link love, as it's called, is a way to show you like other people's sites and it's a way to get some SEO support as well as new readers.

06/02/2008 - DHTML Menu Scripts and Programs
The best DHTML menu scripts and builder programs available for download or purchase.

05/19/2008 - Improve Web Designs - What You Must Know About Graphic Design to Build Web Pages
Many Web designers don't have a background in graphic design when they start working on pages. But you can still learn the basics of good design. And these tips will help you to think like a graphic designer.

05/13/2008 - I want to build a site like ____, would that violate their copyright?
Sometimes the distinction between what can be copyrighted and what can't seems blurry. But it is clear that you cannot copyright an idea. It's only how the idea is actualized that is copyrightable.

05/05/08 - CSS Workflow - How to Start Work on a CSS Web Page
CSS workflows take into account both the needs of the designer and the needs of the language being used. CSS can be tricky even with the best tools, but if your workflow for creating a new Web page (or modifying an existing one) is consistent you'll create better pages and be faster at it.

04/29/08 - Rel nofollow - What does this mean?
The rel=nofollow attribute has been added to links all around the Internet. But what does it mean? It's one of the few instances of a rel or rev attribute having a very distinct meaning and use. rel=nofollow is put on links to prevent comment spam from being indexed.

04/28/08 - How to Build a Web Page
Building a Web page isn't hard. In fact, the very first time you build a Web page there are only 8 steps you need to follow to get your page up and working on the Internet. These 8 steps take you through all you need to know to build a Web page and host it on a website.

04/21/08 - What is the index.html page?
index.html pages are the default pages for your directories. This tutorial explains how to use them.

04/15/08 - How to Add Video to a Web Page
It can be tricky to get video to play on your Web pages. Browser support is sketchy and the tag that does work most of the time is invalid HTML. But it is possible to include video directly in your Web pages with this how to page.

04/14/08 - Do you Build Maintainable Websites?
Maintainability is not something many Web designers think about when building websites. But it can be a critical issue even just a short time later when you need to re-work part of the site or completely redesign it. These tips for creating a maintainable site will help you create sites that you look forward to re-doing, rather than dread.

03/25/08 - HTML Link Tag
The HTML link tag can be somewhat confusing because it has a lot of different possible functions. The most common use of the link tag is to link external style sheets to the current document. But you can also define related documents, such as previous and next pages in a series, alternate versions of the page, and index pages.

03/24/08 - Use Headings to Structure Your Web Pages
Headings in Web pages have specific HTML tags that you should use to define those headlines. There are many advantages to using heading tags for headings instead of larger fonts or images. There are also advantages to using headings in structured order. In fact, the W3C recommends that you use heading tags to structure your documents.

03/18/08 - Useful Meta Tags
Meta tags are often thought of as only a tool for search engine optimization (SEO), but ironically, this is one of their least useful uses. Meta tags are not heavily used by search engines. But there are a number of meta tags that you can use to add value to your Web pages - either for your readers or for your development team.

03/17/08 - Accesskey Attribute - Forms and Accesskey - Links and Accesskey
The accesskey attribute is a powerful accessibility tool in your Web toolbox, as it lets you set up keyboard shortcuts for links and form fields on your page. If you're creating a Web application, this is one more trick to make your application look and act more like an offline application.

03/11/08 - How to Play a Sound on Click or on MouseOver
You can use this DHTML script to make a sound play when you mouse over a page element or click a link.

03/10/08 - Before You Buy a Web Analytics Solution
Choosing the right Web analytics software for your website doesn't have to be difficult. Make sure you know what you need and what you want from a tool, and you'll find a log analysis package that meets your needs and your budget.

03/05/08 - What is a Webmaster 4
What do you think a Webmaster is? What does the term Webmaster mean to you? Is there some other term that better describes your job?

03/04/08 - What is a Dreamweaver behavior?
Use Dreamweaver behaviors to add scripting events to actions that happen on your Web page.

03/04/08 - Dreamweaver Behaviors
A list of the behaviors that are included in Dreamweaver and what they do

03/04/08 - How To Add a Dreamweaver Behavior
It's easy to add Dreamweaver behaviors to the elements we need to

03/03/08 - How can you tell if a site is a link farm?
It's not a good idea to link to a link farm or to participate in creating one unless you don't care that your site may be banned from search engines.

02/26/08 - Free Dreamweaver Tutorials
Free Dreamweaver tutorials make it easy to learn how to use Dreamweaver. These free Dreamweaver tutorials will show you the basics of Dreamweaver and also teach you how to use Dreamweaver for other effects.

02/25/08 - Share Your Content - With Copyright - Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a great way to share your artwork, photos, writing, or other works protected by copyright. You don't lose the copyright when you use Creative Commons, you are simply providing a way for others to use and share your work while providing you credit. It's like open source for things other than software.

02/19/08 - Are Web Designs and HTML protected by copyright?
Web designers and developers work hard to create their Web pages, and it can be very infuriating to spend days or weeks on a design only to find it being used on some other site a few months later. HTML, CSS and the designs they create are protected by copyright.

02/18/08 - How to Fight Copyright Violations
Fighting copyright theft can be frustrating - if the site owner doesn't have contact information or refuses to remove the content, it can seem like there's nothing you can do. But you often have more recourse than just one simple request. This step-by-step tutorial will take you through the process of fighting copyright theft, from simple initial requests through more complicated processes when initial requests are ignored.

02/18/08 - Google Copyright Infringement Letter
A copy of a letter you can send to Google to fight copyright infringements on Blogger or Picassa.

02/12/08 - Free Content Isn't Always What It Seems
There are a lot of free content and reprint sites available on the Web, but you should be aware that free can sometimes come with a hidden price tag - especially if the site is a reprinter that violates copyright. Even though you may have added the content completely unknowingly, if you are hosting plagiarized content, you could be held liable. Always check the sources of your free content - and beware of reprint sites.

02/11/08 - Build a Master Stylesheet
If one of your goals in creating a Web page is to make it look as close as possible across browsers, then the first thing you should do is create a master stylesheet to remove default browser styling. That way, when you build your designs with your design stylesheets, you'll be starting from a clean palette.

02/06/08 - SEO Checklist
This SEO checklist will help you evaluate every page on your site for effective search engine optimization. The SEO checklist is divided into 5 sections - high priority, medium priority, and low priority SEO tips, things to avoid doing, and things to never do unless you want to be banned from search engines.

02/05/08 - 95 SEO Tips and Tricks - Over 90 Factors that Impact Your Site's Placement in Search Engines
Ninety-five things you should and should not be doing on your Web pages to make them rank higher in search engines. This list looks at more than just meta tags and the basics of SEO, so even if you've got some of the factors, you may not have everything. Scroll to the end of the list to look at the things you should never be doing, as well as the things you should always do at the top.

01/29/08 - Create Your Own Dreamweaver Shortcuts
Dreamweaver is very customizable and one easy way to customize Dreamweaver is to create keyboard shortcuts for the commands and actions you do all the time. Use custom Dreamweaver keyboard shortcuts to make your work easier and more efficient.

01/28/08 - What is a Webmaster - Take Three
Back in 1998, I attempted to answer the question, what is a webmaster. I wrote up the duties commonly given to Webmasters and described what I thought a Webmaster did. This generated a lot of feedback, as people agreed or disagreed with my assesment of the job title. Now, 10 years after I wrote that first article, I've got a number of quotes from readers stating what they feel a Webmaster is.

01/15/08 - Flash Websites - Pros and Cons
Writing a website in Flash only can have definite benefits - but it can also have large drawbacks. Use this article to determine if the benefits to your site outweigh the drawbacks. Use Flash when it adds value for your readers, not just when you want to show off your skills as a Flash developer.

01/14/08 - How to Set Up a PHP/MySQL Site in Dreamweaver
It's easy to set up Dreamweaver to work with a testing server so that you can create dynamic websites using PHP and MySQL.

01/08/08 - How to Install Apache, mySQL, and PHP on Windows (WAMP)
Building Web pages in PHP with a MySQL database can be challenging, but if you set up a test server on your local hard drive, you'll be able to test your changes before you push them live. This article explains how to install Apache, MySQL, and PHP on a Windows machine using the WAMP installer AppServ.

01/07/08 - How to Build a 3-Column Layout in CSS - Step-by-Step
CSS layout requires that you think of your Web site layout as a whole, and then take the pieces and put them together. Use this tutorial to go from a simple wire-frame of a basic 3-column layout all the way to a Web page ready for content to be included.

01/01/08 - How to Preview Your Web Pages
Testing your Web pages is a critical part of Web development. But many novice designers don't realize that they can test their pages before they ever go up on the Web for other people to see. It's important to get into the habit of testing your Web pages in as many browsers as possible.

Subscribe to this page

Articles by Date | Articles by Topic