The era of website design is slowly taking a new shape and moving toward a new direction that most of us have little expected just a year or two ago. However, it is not just HTML5 that is initiating this change; there are other players too such as Microsoft Silverlight, Adobe Flash 4, ICEfaces, JavaScript libraries and many more. In fact, as majority of web experts suggest, upcoming era is going to be the era dominated by rich internet applications, popularly known as RIA. Here in this article, we are going to explore different aspects of RIA and will dissect different RIA frameworks for having a better understanding of each framework.

RIA: What it is?
It is basically a web application that behaves more or less like a desktop application. In earlier days, RIAs were mainly used on static pages but now, they are widely employed for giving users a different taste. They are more powerful, feature-rich and more user-friendly. However, RIA is not without shortcomings. Unlike desktop based applications where reloading is not required, web application needs to be reloaded completely for opening a new page or for fetching information via web. Moreover, desktop application is much more user-friendly than its counterpart is, since it runs on the machine of the users and therefore it is good at delivering seamless service.

But you should not make a conclusion that web application is good for nothing because it can be accessed anytime and from anywhere. This application is having some issues related to user interactivity but people are working hard on it to redress this issue as quickly as possible.

RIA: A Viable Solution: – It is really tough to reap the benefits of both the applications. RIAs are really good at providing highly interactive and feature-rich interface to the users. As there are a number of RIAs available, you need to know the pros and cons of each of these below mentioned RIA frameworks if you want to make your mark felt in this changing topography: -

ICEfaces: – It is an amazing RIA framework that is intended to facilitate the tasks of the programmers by removing JavaScripts from the equations. In fact, all the JavaScript/Ajax that you use in your web application can be handled by exploiting the advantages of this ICEfaces. Creation of rich internet applications can be simplified to a great extent by removing some complexities that are closely associated with JavaScript functions.

If your developers are experts in JavaScripts, this application is the best thing that you can have in your organization. However, ICEfaces do not offer some components you might require while developing a web application. Bank of America, NASA, Union Pacific etc are some of the websites that use ICEfaces.

Adobe Flash Builder 4: - Cross-browser and cross-platform compatibilities are some of the unique and exciting features of Adobe Flash Builder 4 that you will certainly not like to ignore blatantly. Though flash technology has been around for quite a sometime, it kept a low profile until the launch of Flex that has almost revolutionized this sphere. If you put it against JavaScript, you might find some drawbacks but that will not make much difference. Moreover, flash can be embedded into HTML pages and that means there will be little or no impact on the performance of the applications while getting rendered in the browser. Applications that require complex graphical interface, should use Adobe Flash Builder 4. Hyundai, Mint.com etc are some of the websites based on this application.

Silverlight: – It is rival product of Adobe Flex/Adobe Flash from the houses of Microsoft. But sadly enough this product has failed to gain popularity and it seems it is groping in the dark about how to make it popular among users. As is to be expected, Silverlight applications are based on .NET backend and that means you will have to shell out a good amount of money for the same purpose. Netflix is one of those few sites that are running on Silverlight.

HTML5: – It is unquestionably the latest move in the RIA direction. It is in fact a merger of the bests of CSS, Flash, JavaScript libraries and HTML4. And what’s more, it is open source and that means you would not have to pay a single penny for using it. However, most of the web browsers are still a little queasy about HTML5. It is having some troubles with the compatibility issues as it is a much-advanced product than we are used to be, and therefore, it will take some time before becoming popular.

JavaScript Libraries: - Slick and interactive web applications are possible to develop thanks to JavaScript libraries like jQuery and MooTools. Front-end interface functions can be handled easily by leveraging client-side scripting that come with the framework. These are basically JavaScript files that include a bevy of cross-browser-tested functions. ExtJS, YUI, MooTools, jQuery etc are quite popular among developers and they are highly interactive and features-rich.

Optimal viewing experience is like the mythical Holy Grail of website design industry that everyone likes to have. But as the fate would have it, it keeps alluring and alluding us. To ensure better viewing experience, website designers all over the world are toiling hard and making experiments with the width and height to add a certain level of flexibility in the structure of the design. But what is unnerving them is the vast variety of viewing platforms. There are iPad, Mac, different resolutions, netbooks, mobile phones and so on and so forth. As of now, it is almost impossible to maintain a standard given the sheer variety of platforms. Here in this article, we are going to find out the pros and cons of different varieties of web layouts that you need know if you wish to do something in this sphere:

Absolute Layouts: – Absolute layout is certainly one of those few measurements that are not widely employed in web design sphere. It is mainly associated with the print where inches, cm, mm and picas are widely used for giving a proper structure to a design. It is quite popular with Word processing software such as Microsoft Word and if you are trying to make your website print friendly, you should try out this layout.

Relative Layout: – This type of layout is typically employed on the layout where the width is set at 100%. It can do fairly good job and can make a website appear good and impressive in both 24-inch widescreen desktop monitor and in small netbook screen. That simply means that, there will be fewer issues with screen resolutions.

Fixed Layout: - If you are trying to impose some kinds of restrictions on the layout of your website, fixed layout is the option for you. It is ideal for pixel-based measurements and it is usually employed in print industry. Therefore, if you choose this layout, your website will appear more or less similar in different platforms.

Elastic Layout: – This layout is highly flexible in its form and it allows content of website to grow or shrink in accordance with the requirements of the screen. As it has an exceptional ability to scale text, content etc, it has got rave reviews from different sources, more particularly from different designing community. Elastic layout is starkly different that of the fixed layout and thereby giving website designers an option to experiment with.

Liquid (or Fluid) Layout: - There is no better way to add dynamism to your website than using liquid layout. Here content finds it place automatically and this is what has given it utmost popularity. As it gets adjust with the width of a screen automatically, you should not discard it so easily.

You might have mastered the art of website design and possess a certain level of authority on Photoshop but still you find yourself struck in the middle of a project. This is not uncommon given the ever-increasing complexities and cutthroat competition in web design field. Since you are not getting enough time to hone your designing skills, you will run the risk of losing your creative edge that can cost you dearly in the long run. Therefore, we suggest you to take a short break from your busy schedule and try to refresh the basics of website design. Here in this article, we are going to discuss 7 basic website design tips that will help you reinvent your passion for website design:

1. Use of Contrast: – A slight change in the contrast can make a website look elegant and great. Sometimes, you might find that there is something missing in the final design. At that particular moment, you can try out something different by making some subtle changes in the contrast. If there is anything that deserves to get the attention, you should make it look prominent by making subtle variations in the contrast.

2. Try Gradients: – This technique is widely used and employed by a sizable section of website design for giving a website a stark visual twist. It can yield an impressive outcome but you need to how to use dexterously. This technique should be employed judiciously and with meticulous precision and it should complete the theme of your website.

3. Make Your Website Colorful: - Choosing the best color scheme for a website is certainly a challenging task. It requires intuition and an eye for details otherwise; you might find yourself wasting hours after hours fruitlessly while making a decision in this regard. It is nerve-wracking and often time drives a person to the brink of insanity. Remember one thing that you should not spill colors on a website all the time. All you need to do to use color properly and shun variations if it is not required.

4. Letter Spacing: - Spacing between letters can play a crucial role in determining the look and feel of a website. There should be enough space between letters otherwise visitors will not be able to figure out what you actually want to convey through it. Make some changes in the letter spaces and you will be in for a shock.

5. Case: - Chance in Case can be done fairly easily but have you ever thought it immediate impact on the design of a website. Use of uppercase, lowercase or both of them can make your website look dramatically different. But sadly enough there are not many website designers that try to utilize the advantages of this and even some do not think it worthy enough to give much attention.

6. Blur: – Blur is a powerful and highly effective tool that will let you put emphasis on certain element of a website by blurring something just next to it. The impact of the project can be increased dramatically by blurring different objects either in the background or in the foreground. This is a case of shifting focus to an object by blurring one object.

7. Focus On Alignment: – Give your website something extra that will help you website to stand tall in the crowd. You can make slight deviation while maintain clean and straight line to give a pleasant surprise to your viewers. By alerting alignment in the design, you make a design memorable and highly effective. This technique does not apply to text only but it is now used extensively in the field of template design.

Website designers are literary loosing their sleep over the probable presumption of HTML5 overtaking and overturning the traditional concept of website design and development. HTML5 has already knell the death bell of Flash as HTML5 is far more interactive, engaging and addictive than its counterpart. What has made HTML5 unrivaled in the sphere of web design, is its capability of keeping WebPages light and this is what has sent majority of website developers in jittery. Therefore, if you want to survive or want to make an impact in the changing topography of website design industry, you have to master the art of developing a website in HTML5 and if you refuse to do so, things might not turn out as you have expected in coming days. Here in this article, we have compiled a list of some of the best and useful HTML5 resources and tools that can make your job somewhat easy:

WTF is HTML5: – Getting bored? Here is a rare visual treat for you that will let you explore almost everything about HTML5. This is more or less an infographic that has successfully and succinctly covered different aspects of HTML5. Here you find an interesting comparison between Flash and HTML and its imminent impacts on the web browsers.

Dive Into HTML 5: This is a highly interesting book that will take you to the depth of HTML5 and that even with a fine artistic touch. I could hardly remember reading any tech book where I have found this level of authority on both language and technology. This book, written by Mark Pilgrim, is a prized price that gives indulgent readers a chance to explore more about HTML5. This book is basically a manual that you should keep with you in this troubled time.

HTML5 Doctor: – This is a treasure trove of information on HTML5. This website features regular articles on HTML5 covering many known and unknown aspects of HTML5. Besides that, HTML5 Doctor also organizes questions and answers sessions with the visitors that can serve useful purpose.

HTML5 W3C Specifications: - W3C Specifications’ on HTML5 is the highly authentic source of information. Just go through these specifications to form a fair understanding of the probable standards of HTML5. If you have a positive knack for making a difference in web development section in coming days, you should not miss out these specifications.

HTML5 presentation: - It is a presentation developed by Google Chrome Users. However, there are some serious issues viewing this slideshow presentation in other web browsers, still it is considered as a good resource.

HTML5 Gallery: – This is a fabulous collection of some of the finest websites that are developed in HTML5. This is the best place on earth, where you can get a glimpse of the upcoming upheavals in website design and development industry.

HTML5 – Wikipedia: – Those of you who are curious about the evolution of HTML5 and its history, Wikipedia is the best place for them. Here you can get a through review of HTML5. Moreover, you can get other resources related to HTML from its References and External Links sections.

The HTML5 test: – Wanna check HTML5 capabilities of your web browser? If yes, here is an opportunity to do it right from your PC. All you need to do is to open this URL: html5test.com and it will give your browser a score. The higher the score, the better your browser is.

Designing an outstanding blog is not something that can be done in a jiffy. It is not just about positioning different website design elements or making a deliberate attempt to copy and paste a blog template. It far more complicated and requires a higher level of authority on different designing tools otherwise, things may take an ugly turn. As you are planning something big with your design blog this time around, you need to make it as magnificent and as elegant as possible. You can draw inspiration from some fabulous designing blogs such as Smashing Magazine, Website Design Depot or Template Monster but you should never follow them blindly. Try to maintain a certain level of balance in the structure of the design and if possible try to feature something without making it look clumsy. Here in this article, we are going to explore some of the unique aspects of designing an outstanding blog. Just keep exploring:

Make It Look Unique: Thousands of design blogs are there and therefore, it is quite clear that you need to do something drastically different if you want to cut a creative ice with the visitor. Use of different color schemes, different structure etc can go a long way to give your blog a different look. Try to keep things in order and in control and if you can manage to do this, you will certainly be able to make a difference in this sphere. You can give it an artistic twist or keep it utterly simple:

Make It Readable: – Since blogging is all about words and readers, you should never compromise with its readability. You may feature great content but unless your website is readable, you are sure to miss this huge opportunity. There are certain issues related to blog design and customization that are closely and intimately associated with its readability.

• Short Paragraph: Try to feature your content in short paragraphs since online visitors loathe the very idea of going through a long paragraph. Try to make it interesting, to-the point and informative to arrest the attention of the readers.
• Use List: Try to use bullet points or order lists whenever required. This will help your visitors to gather information about a post easily and effectively.
• Padding: – Margins or padding helps a visitor to separate content visually and thereby helping him to concentrate more on the content. If you can manage to utilize it properly, you will be able to keep unwanted distractions at bay.
• Bold Text: – Use bold texts whenever required to emphasis important parts of the content. However, you need to make sure that you are using bold text judiciously and sparingly. Do not overboard your blog with bold text since it can have detrimental effects as far as the visual appeal of your blog is concerned.

Useful Sidebars: – Sidebars play a vital role in adding a creative touch in your blog. Though they are primarily employed for making navigation easy and effective, they can give you an excellent opportunity to give your blog a brand new look. A good sidebar can encourage visitors to view more pages and to explore more about a website. Here are some of the elements that you would certainly like to feature in your sidebar:

Some common elements in blog sidebars include:

• Category links
• Date-based archives
• Popular posts
• Promotion of products/services
• Recent posts
• Link to RSS feed
• Recent comments
• Blogroll/friends lists
• Advertisements

Make Ads An Integral Part: Do not treat the ads of your website as something out of the box or inferior. They are going to play crucial role in your blog. Choose the location of Ads carefully and try to blend them seamlessly with your blog’s design. Make sure that the color scheme of the ads tallies with the theme of your blog otherwise, it can have serious repercussion later on.

And do not forget to add some images in post. Images are like spices; they will make your blog interesting and engaging.

An impressive interface and a good navigation can transform an ordinary website into something extraordinary. To increase visitor retention, you need to give reasons to your visitors so that they can stick to your website for quite a long time and this can only be done by allowing them to explore more about your website design. Just having a good interface may not prove highly effective in the long run if the navigation of your website is average. It should not be overtly complex but you should not make it look repetitive and lackluster. You can follow the rules but that does not mean that you have to make it look boring to the end. Here in this article, we are going to explore different variation of navigation menus that will give you a quick look at ongoing trend that dominates in this sphere:

Make It Look Mac: Though this trend is slowing losing its fizz, it is still favored and adored by a large number of website designers who still count this style as cool. It is one of those few Web 2.0 concepts that have managed to survive unscathed despite the onslaught of Web 3.0. What is all the more interesting about Mac Style navigation menu is that it is still being widely employed in a large number of websites and even in those websites which have nothing with Apple. However, the reasons are quite simple. Mac Style looks good, trendy and cool. However, before applying this style in your website, you need to make sure that it does not look out of the box.

Icons In Used: – Use of icons in navigation is highly popular in designing cycle since it serves two purposes. First, it helps users to come to term with the website by casting a casual look and secondly it helps to arrest the attention of the users. However, the icons have to be placed judiciously. It should be ensured that the icons are conveying the message clearly and they are recognizable.

Vertical Navigation: – Though the use of vertical navigation is largely limited to creative field, it is being liked widely as it gives a website a different look and structure. If it can be employed properly, it can yield an effective outcome at the end. However, before you use this navigation menu, you need to make sure that it is compatible with the layout of your website.

Hand Written Menu: – Hand written style is the most talked about trend that is making a buzz in the designing circle lately. It may look great but if you are running a corporate website, you should debar yourself from taking such drastic decision.

Experimental solutions: – An increasing number of website designers are making experiments with the navigation of their website and this is what has opened up a floodgate of opportunities for those who are passionate about designing something different. However, you should keep your creative impulse in check and try to do something that makes sense. Here are examples that you can try:

Inspiration sometimes does not come naturally. Sometimes, you may feel completely whacked out and if you are asked to do something creative at that particular moment, it can literary drive you to the brink of insanity. What you need to do at this point of time is to take a much-needed break to freshen up your brain. But if you simply cannot afford this luxury, you should not feel dejected because there is an option that can help you to keep your creative juice flowing. What you have to do is to browse through some of the best website design galleries, which will certainly have positive impacts on your website design career:

CSSREMIX: – CSSREMIX is a great platform to get all the latest and fresh websites that deserve to get attention. John Mills, who is a leading New-media designer, meticulously monitor this website and there is an option for submission. CSSREMIX features some of the best websites and you can get instant notification whenever a new website is added by subscribing to their RSS feed.

Design Shack: – This is something that will make your jaw drop in wonder. Here you are likely to see some of the most fabulous and craziest designs. Currently, this web design glossary is featuring almost 1,800 websites and the number is increasing steadily. Now, if you do not have that time to wade through these amazing sites, you can filter them out by specifying color, category or the layout type.

CSSelite.com: – Here you can explore a superb collection of websites that are designed by some of the best designers. What’s more, you express your own opinion by making comments on any website that is featured in CSSelite. To get notified of new designs, one can subscribe to the RSS feed of CSSelite.com.

The FWA: – FWA is a popular acronym of Favorite Website Awards. It is considered as the Bible of flash website design. A coveted collection of flash website is what you are likely to explore at FWA. A fabulous collection of fascinating flash websites is what you are going to explore at FWA. It is often termed as the fraternity of flash web developers because of its immense popularity.

Cssheaven.com: – Here cool websites are featured in a thumbnail-style gallery. Cssheaven is in fact a heaven for website designers since they can get inspirations from this website.

siteInspire: – It is rated as the best design gallery so far. What is good about this gallery is that, it does not long time to get loaded. Currently, it is featuring over 500 high-quality designs that can make your head spin.

CSS Mania: – At CSS Mania, you are likely to find some of the best designs. CSS Mania is a familiar name in the field of website design and it is highly likely that you must have seen this website before. They also offer an API for developers.

Tryst with JavaScript has got a whole new dimension as rumor is doing the round that Google is doing something to overcome the intricacies of JavaScript. However, till now most of the designers loathe JavaScript intensely as it makes the embedded section of a website virtually invisible to majority of search engines. However, JavaScript is immensely powerful that can give dramatic twist to a website as far as website design is concerned. Now, there is a solution. You can make your website SEO friendly even if it is developed in JavaScript. What you have to do is to create a separate external JS file and put all the script there. By employing this trick, you will be able to make your visible as well as impressive. Now, if you are confident about using JavaScript in your website, you need to try out these below mentioned jQuery Tools and Resources that will help you spice up your website a little bit:

jPhotoGrid: – It is by no means an ordinary jQuery Tool. By using this jQuery Tool, you will be able to convert simple list of images successfully into a grid of photos that can be zoomed in and out. The styling effects are mainly done in the CSS file. The trick is mainly done by converting images to absolute position and this is what allows users to zoom in and out images by using their mouse.

Reel: – This is a great jQuery plugin that enables viewers to get a 360° view of something. If you can master the art of utilizing the advantages of this jQuery plugin, you will be able to a create a live projection. It is a viable alternative of Flash that is still being employed for the same purpose. Here are some of unique aspects of Reel: -

• It works finely with an existing CSS
• No need to use any browser extensions.
• Offers support for stitched images.

Coin Slider: – Coin Slider is a highly popular image slider plugin that can create beautiful transition effects. This plugin is compatible with most of the browsers and that means you would not have to face any trouble regarding compatibility issue any longer. Here are some other aspects of Coin Slider: -

• It comes with navigation box.
• You can customize it by making changes in CSS file.
• It is extremely light in weight and that means, it would not have major impacts on the site speed.
• Auto Slide option is there.
• Valid markup

Nivo Slider: – It is another powerful jQuery image slider that comes with 9 amazing transition effects. It is extremely light weight and easy to use. It comes with both control and directional navigation and it can perform seamlessly in different web browsers that include Safari v4, Google Chrome v4, Firefox v3+, Internet Explorer v7 etc. Some other features of Nivo Slider are:

• Keyboard Navigation
• It is absolutely free
• It offers support for linking images
• It comes with valid and clean markup
• 9 jaw-dropping transition effects

Presentation Cycle: – Though Presentation Cycle closely resembles Cycle, there are some differences as far as its functionality is concerned. Presentation Cycle generates a progress bar whereas Cycle only generates a list of clickable numbers. What is all the more interesting about Presentation Cycle is that it automatically generates a progress bar instead of adding HTML manually. Some other features of Presentation Cycle are enumerated thus:

• It is compatible with all modern web browsers.
• Generate progress bar almost automatically.
• Animation times can be adjusted.