BlogmyQuery – BMQ

Every year designers are pushing the boundaries of what WordPress can do. 2012 is no different. In just a few short months we have seen a large increase in the number of premium WordPress themes being released, and the bar is certainly being raised with the new additions to the ranks.

It’s encouraging to see so many designers making their themes responsive so that their themes look great on desktops, tablets and mobile devices. Designers are also adding more custom page templates, short codes and portfolio functionality to their WordPress themes too.

Today we would like to show you 25 of the best WordPress themes that desginers have been released so far in 2012. We hope you enjoy the list.

The Themes

1. Indie Fest
Regular License: $99

A fantastic looking design for bands and musicians that comes with 8 different backgrounds and 17 main colour schemes. It features a customized twitter feed widget for updating fans, a SoundCloud player to promote your music and a newsletter sign up widget too. It also utilizes the WordPress plugin GigPress for promoting upcoming gigs.

Info & Download | Demo

2. Unsigned
Standard License: $70, Developer License: $70

Developed by WooThemes, Unsigned is a powerful responsive design for musicians and bands. The theme is very flexible as it allows you to customise the home page using widgets. Several modules are included to help you build the perfect bad website.

There’s an events module for displaying a list of your gigs and events, a discography module that lets you display album information and a galleries module to manage your photos. There’s also a video module, a SoundCloud player and a featured slider. It also includes lots of WooFramework standard features such as short codes, sidebar manager, built in SEO options and custom page templates.

Info & Download | Demo

3. LitePress
Single License: $69

A responsive clean magazine design from WP Zoom, LitePress could be used for an online magazine, news website or blog. Featured images are used heavily in this design. There’s a beautiful featured post slideshow on the home page, a featured category widget and a tabbed widget too. All of which use featured images to promote your posts.

The theme also includes a video custom post type for displaying video slideshows and a great theme options area.

Info & Download | Demo

4. Smooth Pro
Essential Package: $39.95, Standard Package: $69.95, Premium Package: $99.95

An advanced real estate theme that comes with IDX-MLS integration. One of the themes best features is the property information search box that lets visitors search by property type, number of bedrooms or bathrooms, location and neighbourhood. Results can be filtered by price too.

Agents can login to your site and add, modify or delete listings. It’s also possible to add video tours directly into listings by simply adding the video link in the post editor video field.

Info & Download | Demo

5. Backbone
Standard Pack: $79, Developer Pack: $159

With Backbone, ColorLabs have managed to create one of the most beautiful clean responsive theme frameworks available for WordPress. It uses a drag and drop user interface for the options area that lets you customise every aspect of your website. The layout and sidebar managers work great and it has a useful import and export feature for your settings.

Bacbone also comes with two stylish child themes. Kirei is a business template that is suitable for corporate websites and portfolios, whilst Vidio is a great looking blog theme made specifically for video bloggers.

Info & Download | Demo

6. A Personal Blog
Regular License: $30

A simple elegant WordPress design that is perfect for personal blogs. It comes with five custom widgets for displaying your logo, tweets and ads. It also has 5 built in short codes for controlling your typography and archives and contact page templates.

Info & Download | Demo

7. Guesthouse
Regular License: 35$

Guesthouse is a fully functional hospitality theme that was created for hotels, restaurants, B & Bs, camp sites, travel agencies, ski resorts and more. Designed using HTML5, it comes with 8 theme skins, lots of portfolio layouts and a home page slider that has over 20 effects.

A short code generator is also built in to help you style your content and the admin area can be branded easily with your own logo, colours and text.

Info & Download | Demo

8. Webworks
Regular License: $35

Webworks is one of the most unique and most stylish designs released so far in 2012. Users get to choose from 4 beautiful animated menus for the home page. It comes with a resume page template for your CV, FAQ page template, 6 portfolio templates, contact template and a blog template that can have the sidebar placed on the left or right or removed altogether.

The responsive design also looks great on mobile devices and it supports 50 font types.

Info & Download | Demo

9. ShopDock
Standard License: $39, Developer License: $59

Powered by WooCommerce, ShopDock is an Ecommerce design with a difference. Rather than having to go to the checkout page to view the number of items in their cart, a permanent shopping cart (the ShopDock) is displayed at the bottom of every page using Javascript. It sounds a bit gimmicky but is actually a very useful feature.

Coded in HTML5 and CSS3, ShopDock has a responsive design and it also comes with 7 colour schemes and a great looking customizable feature product slider on the home page.

Info & Download | Demo

10. Perseus
Regular License: $35

A simple yet beautiful WordPress design that is suitable for blogs or portfolio websites. The portfolio template allows you to place portfolio items in 1, 2 or 3 columns. You can also add a nivo slideshow to any of your pages.

It’s not the most feature rich WordPress theme available though this simplicity should appeal to those of you who are looking for a basic yet elegant design for their website.

Info & Download | Demo

11. Eleven40
Regular License: $24.95, With Genesis Framework: $79.95

Powered by the Genesis framework, Eleven40 is a beautiful responsive design that can have a 1, 2 or 3 column layout. It also comes with 4 colour schemes and works with custom headers, featured images and threaded comments.

Info & Download | Demo

12. Vintage Camera
FREE

A free, retro blogging design that comes in 5 different styles. It has a responsive design and supports WordPress post formats such as videos and quotes, custom flyout menus and 3 widget areas in the footer. Custom header and background options are supported too.

Info & Download | Demo

13. Delicacy
FREE

A beautiful clean design that was developed for food related blogs. Recipe details such as preparation time can be added underneath the post editor, though the design could easily be used for any type of blog.

It also features a nivo slider on the home page, 4 custom widgets, 6 colour schemes and 6 background patterns.

Info & Download | Demo

14. Resolution
FREE

One of the best looking free WordPress designs released this year. Resolution is big, bold and stylish. It uses beautiful fonts and blog post pages have no sidebar so that more emphasis is placed on content. The theme comes with a basic options area that lets you customise the background image and it supports WordPress menus too.

Info & Download | Demo

15. Convertible
Access to all Elegant Themes designs for $39 per year

A great theme for marketers, Convertible allows you to create professional looking landing pages easily. Pages can be designed using a user friendly drag and drop page builder. 13 modules are included to help you build your page including image and content sliders, testimonial boxes, tabbed content and ribbon headers. It also boasts a very cool Ajax powered options page.

Info & Download | Demo

16. Sundance
FREE

Sundance is a clean blogging theme from the Automattic team. It supports sticky posts and custom headers, backgrounds and menus. A full page template is included and the home page has a beautiful video carousel to showcase your latest video posts.

Info & Download | Demo

17. Veles
Regular License: $35

A clean corporate design that comes with 3 different home page layouts. It also comes with a services template, contact template, about us template, blog template and 4 different portfolio template layouts. 5 different sliders are included too and there built in short codes for styling your content.

Info & Download | Demo

18. Feature!
Regular License: $45

Feature! is a community magazine theme that integrates beautifully with the popular plugins BuddyPress and bbPress. Coded using HTML5 and CSS3, it comes with 6 different colour schemes and 100 background patterns and there is a built in review system with 3 different thumbnail types.

Unlimited sidebars can be created if you want to give each page a unique look. 6 custom widgets and lots of short codes are built in to the theme too. It’s a great option for an online magazine.

Info & Download | Demo

19. Domena
Regular License: $20

Domena is a simple clean template that will help you sell your domain name online. A light and dark version of the design are available and there is 4 different colour schemes available for buttons and links etc.

What makes Domena so special is it’s integration with Google Analytics. This option will be particularly useful to those who are selling domains with good traffic. A mobile version of the theme is also included.

Info & Download | Demo

20. Pixem
Regular License: $35

Pixem is a unique responsive portfolio design that was coded using HTML5. It’s an incredibly versatile theme which comes with light and dark colour schemes. It also includes 12 background images, 2 portfolio styles, four custom post types, seven custom widgets and 8 unique page templates.

Info & Download | Demo

21. HyperGrid
Regular License: $35

One of the best gallery showcase templates released over the last few years, Hypergrid is a great design for galleries and online portfolios. Advertising has been integrated into the design perfectly and it comes with a built in submission form to encourage visitors to submit their own websites or designs. The only thing it lacks is the option to charge visitors for submissions.

Info & Download | Demo

22. Big Company
Regular License: $30

Big Company is a clean corporate design that comes with 15 different colour schemes. What sets this apart from most other business designs is the ability to customise every single page with a different background. This is a great tool for branding different areas of your website.

A fantastic looking pricing table manager is also built into the theme and there are numerous custom page templates too.

Info & Download | Demo

23. Handmade
Regular License: $35

With a cute design that is more common on personal blogs, the Handmade theme from Obox is a fully functional WooCommerce eCommerce design that stands out from the crowd. Large images are used throughout the theme to list products and it has a stylish blog template as well.

Handmade is a great choice for an arts and crafts shop or a personal blog and is powered using the OCMX Live theme framework so WordPress beginners will be comfortable using it.

Info & Download | Demo

24. Right Now
Regular License: $35

Right Now is a stunning WordPress design for photographers that was developed using HTML5 and CSS3. The rotating full screen background supports images and video. Visitors can change the background using a gallery slider at the bottom of the page. Thankfully, there is a button at the bottom of the page for visitors to turn off audio if they find music from your video annoying.

The theme also supports over 450 Google fonts though one of its best features is the gallery manager that lets you upload more than 100 images at the one time. It’s shaping up to be one of the best selling WordPress themes in the ThemeForest marketplace in 2012.

Info & Download | Demo

25. Wisdom Of Life
Regular License: $35

Wisdom Of Life is a clean corporate theme that has a magazine style layout. It was designed for charities and non-profit organisations though could easily be adapted for a news or business website. It includes options for events management, 4 different portfolio page templates and lots of custom widgets.

Info & Download | Demo

What’s your favourite design from the beginning of this year? If your favourite theme didn’t make our list, please leave a comment below and share it with other Noupe readers.

(rb)

When I was with a former employer there were rumors of upcoming layoffs (obviously the rumors ended up being true or I wouldn’t be referring to it as a FORMER employer). The company denied the rumors, which sent employees a message to be nervous. Sure enough, layoffs started. First it was some forced retirements. Then the sales force got hit hard. Naturally, the creative department, which was one of the largest of any American company, started suffering odd hits among the staff.

Many of these people were leaders in creative innovation that were completely undervalued and underused. Matthew Hawkins was one such individual. His success at making his passion the top priority in his life shows how much untapped potential went to waste while working for the company. But, as the saying goes, “one door closes and another opens.� The open door also allowed him to profit from his passion, rather then let it bypass his pocket and go directly to his employer.

Matthew Hawkins. Self portrait in paper.

How He Started A New Creative Path

“Well,â€� Matthew begins, “I was working at a greeting card company as a production artist and they had these free soda machines. So every time you went to get a soda a little plastic cup would drop down and at the end of every day I’d amass a small stack of plastic cups. One day I turned one over and drew a face on it with a Sharpie. Then I used some index cards and made little paper limbs for my little ‘Cupenstein.’”

“So I started making more and more cup figures,” Matthew resumed, “and started making more and more elaborate paper accessories like cars and whatnot. In a little while these creations were more paper than plastic cups. About this time I came across the website http://www.paperforest.blogspot.com and they feature artists who were making these amazing little paper crafts and sharing the templates online. I made a paper craft character to promote a comic I had just released. I was hooked and things just took off from there.”

“While at the card company,â€� he continues, “I got a couple art directors interested in the idea of putting some punch out and assemble toys inside of cards, so we developed a line for Father’s Day. We thought kids and dads would enjoy making these models. So I was given the time and resources to fully develop them.â€�

Unfortunately, as can happen with innovative ideas, Matthew’s ideas were a bit too fresh for some. As he relates the story, “they were presented to a certain retailer that didn’t go for them and I’m not sure why we never tried the concept again. People seemed to dig them. I know I’ve hit roadblocks with other companies because they feel they aren’t instant gratification, they’re too hard to build, kids don’t have the attention span or parents don’t really want to spend time with their kids — they want something to throw at them to keep them quite for a few minutes. I disagree with all these things and that’s why I continue to work with companies who believe these toys are a great project for families and kids and have great value and fun.â€�

Luckily, Matthew landed at a company that saw value and fun in his work. “I do a lot of papertoys for my current employer, who specializes in fast food premiums — stuff you would find in kids meals from fast food restaurants. We use ‘papertoys’ (Matthew’s term for his paper creations) to cost balance plastic or plush toys. So we might do a month of papertoys so we can afford to do really cool plastic or plush toys the next month or will put one papertoy in with a group of plastic toys. With the price of oil/plastic going up, shipping getting more expensive and a rising wages in China, papertoys have become a great option for us. They are cheaper, can be domestically produced and at the end of their life, biodegradable! I also design and illustrate a lot of kid’s menus for them.

Just a few of Matthew’s creations for fast food premiums.

Matthew has also discovered that his 3d work has become an art form, showing in galleries around the globe. “I have sent papertoys to shows in LA, New York, Vancouver, Amsterdam. Places like Rivet Gallery in Columbus and Pink Hobo in Minneapolis. Lately I’ve been doing these larger scale Shadow Box type pieces that use my paper craft atheistic but applies it to a more ‘hang on the wall’ type art. I love doing large freestanding pieces but they don’t sell because people don’t know what the heck to do with them!â€�

After so many creations and successes on the market and in galleries, it was inevitable that Matthew do a collection in book form. “Urban Paper was my first book experience and it sold out in its first year but didn’t get a second printing,â€� he reflects. “Mostly I think due to a bad economy when it came out a few years back but since then I’ve done publishing projects for books and toy kits that have been selling well!â€�

One of the many books in which you can find Matthew’s work. Check out his site for more!

There’s a good chance you’ve already seen Matthew’s papertoys in a magazine or newspaper. As a 3D illustrator, he has had some impressive clients. “I started out wanting to do editorial illustration,â€� he recalls, “so I love it when I get a chance to build a little paper craft scene or toy that gets used for illustration. I’ve done stuff for a kid’s magazine, alternative newsweeklies and even did a papertoy version of Rupert Murdoch driving a paper machine robot for Newsweek!

Cover of The Pitch — Kansas City (Village Voice Publishing).

Naturally, I had to ask how long it takes him to create one of these pieces, from concept to finished piece, as it’s not just design but also paper engineering. “A long, long while,â€� he answered, dodging the question nicely. “I really have no idea. All I know is it always takes longer than I think. I enjoy the process so I don’t really count the hours but when a commercial project comes down I’m almost always under the time quoted.â€�

With a growing reputation and exposure, Matthew’s work is gaining popularity. I asked what projects he has on the horizon. “I’m actually doing some small kids crafts and a big paper craft piece for an upcoming event at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. I also have a full year of gallery shows to which I’m sending pieces. But this year, I’m really concentrating on getting some retail stuff in the market place. I went to Toy Fair a few week ago and saw a lot of crap paper craft kits being offered and I thought ‘HEY! I can make crap paper craft kits, too!’ So, I’ll be focusing on some of those projects.â€�

What’s Matthew’s future in this creative avenue? “I’m just going to keep plugging away, and I want to get back to doing more free models to download from my site. I love to share these things for free as it was a big part of what inspired me to start making them. I’m working with a few different toy companies to make a few retail papertoy kits for the market.â€�

Matthew imparts some advice for those who want to explore making 3D papertoys. “Grab a piece of paper and start cutting, gluing and folding! Really explore the medium with your hands. Don’t open up Illustrator and start making cubes.â€�

Creativity Is The Key Basis To Success!

It’s been a while since Matthew left his fulltime job and the safety of a weekly paycheck. I asked how he feels about his success as a 2D illustrator/designer, moving into the 3D arena. “It’s weird!â€� he admits. “It wasn’t something I planned. I just found something I enjoyed and shared it. As soon as I stopped trying to make a career drawing and designing what I thought would sell and just followed my passion, things just started to happen for me!”

“I’ve managed to make a decent career doing what I love.” He adds, “I find having that background in concepting, illustrating and character design gave me a leg up over some paper engineers who are more engineer-centric and not as creative. So I’ve found a sweet spot between the technical and the creative. I love it when I get to jump a technical hurdle in pursuit of a creative goal.â€�

One of Matthew’s innovative projects.

Matthew’s piece from the Pee-Wee Herman Show in Los Angeles.

Available at Barnes & Noble: Robot Wars. Build ‘em, battle ‘em, love ‘em!

Andy Warhol and his fifteen minutes of fame… unless you leave him out in the rain!

I asked Matthew what other uses his toys might have and he answered: “Kindlingâ€� demonstrating how important it is to have a sense of humor about one’s work. His papertoys are worthy of a place of honor in our lives… though not when on fire! Mostly because they are whimsical, fun, colorful and beautiful; but also because it reminds us that creativity is boundless and that is our strength and gift. Use it well.

Check out Matthew’s site for more information, lots of more cool papertoys, videos, books and other stuff. You can even download some free toys!

(rb)

The other day Rachel Andrew posted Stop solving problems you don’t yet have, where she brings up an increasingly common problem with front-end development – unnecessary bloat.

I agree completely. Too many people include too much by default in their web projects these days. Boilerplates, polyfills, shivs, crazy conditional comments, rare or uneccesary meta elements, and so on.

Read full post

Posted in CSS, Coding, JavaScript.

Copyright © Roger Johansson

Process Charting (also known as Process Mapping) is one of the oldest, simplest and most valuable techniques for streamlining work. It is used in nearly every level of production.

At the base of each product lays a properly designed production process that includes plenty of stages which help to channel efforts in the right direction and don`t get side-tracked from the main goal. So no matter what kind of service or product you provide, you more than likely will have some kind of process diagram you are working off of.

Breakdown of the Breakdown

Since every process consists of actual tasks that must be completed the diagram usually gets divided into the main steps. For example, basic steps for companies and freelancers that create websites are:

• Concept/Idea;
• Design;
• Develop;
• Test;
• Launch.

Of course, there are a lot of intermediate stages such as researches, conclusion of a contract, creation of the main structure, discussions etc.

Nowadays, a great deal of websites dedicated to the business of the web have a special section with a graphical representation that visually depicts the sequence of steps in their process. Sometimes it’s only a simple chart or text which explains the stages of their work; other times it’s really a piece of art; where the user not only can get acquainted with the process, but can also be delighted and inspired by the beauty of the process diagrams.

Whatever form the process diagrams may take, they are definitely a must have. They’re required not only to improve productivity, but also to make your work more transparent and your company more trustful. It’s a kind of guarantee of control for the customer and, of course, an essential part of website design.

In this collection you will find some of the most inspiring and outstanding examples of process diagrams.

Sites That Get It Right

1. Deda – Web and Graphic Designer

2. Web Agency Pisa 

3. 3 Sided Coin

4. Mark Jenner – Front-End Designer

5. Mihael Miklosic – Web Designer

6. Alan Horne  – Web/UI Designer and Front-End Developer

7. Paper Street Interactive

8. Jean-Philippe Gams – French Designer and Developer

9. Ketch Studio

10. Camstech – Digital Agency Dubai

11. Webzeit 

12. Danny Giebe – Designer and Front-End Developer

13. Jordesign – Designer

14. World of eStore

15. Growcase

16. Submit Quickly

17. Nadine Roba – Designer

18. U Feed Me Back

19. Sebastianjt – Web Developer and UI Designer

20. Tarful

21. Tugrul Altun – Designer and Developer

22. Raffaele Leone  - Italian Web Designer

23. Eric Barse – Web Consultant

24. Sandra Wilcox  - Graphic Designer

25. KenGraphX 

26. John Jacob – Designer and Developer

27. Rodolphe Celestin – French Web Designer

28. Reverend Danger

29. Jan Ploch – Web and Graphic Designer

30. Janko at Warp Speed

31. Ryan Coughlin – Web Designer and Developer

32. Sendoushi

33. FortySeven  Media

34. Work by Simon

35. Rise Strategy

36. Pointless Corp

37. Tympanus

(rb)

There’s no doubt that eBook devices such as the Kindle and the Nook have changed how people read books forever. At the start of 2011 Amazon reported that for the first time eBook sales exceeded paperbacks. It’s doubtful this trend will ever be reversed.

Though with E ink devices, image heavy books tend to not work well (anyone who has tried viewing a PDF on an eBook will testify to this). This may change in 2012 with the rise of tablet devices, but for now printed books are still in demand. For instance, many web workers prefer to read web design and development books in printed form.

In this article we will look at 25 printed web design and development books that we think you will find useful. Many of these books are also available in digital form and the prices of which have been denoted where applicable.

Design

1. Adaptive Web Design: Crafting Rich Experiences with Progressive Enhancement
Print: $22

One of the most popular books available on Progressive Enhancement. It focuses on progressive enhancement with markup, CSS, javascript and accessibility.

2. Mobile First & Responsive Web Design Bundle
Print: $30, Ebook: $15, Print/Ebook Bundle: $38

A good bundle from A Book Apart. Luke Wroblewski’s Mobile First provides a strategic guide to mobile design whilst Ethan Marcotte’s Responsive Web Design focuses on designing for mobile browsers, netbooks and tablets.

3. The Smashing Books Bundle
Print: $49.80 , Ebook: $24.90, Print/Ebook Bundle: $69.70

Smashing Magazine have produced a beautiful series of books on web design. Smashing Book #3 is available for pre-order now, and set for release at the end of April 2012. So at the moment the best deal is the Smashing Books Bundle which contains Smashing Book #1 and #2.

The first book focuses on usability, color theory and main rules for web design, whilst the second book provides more practical advice and tips on building mobile apps and e-commerce websites.

4. Photography For The Web
Print: $34.95, Ebook: $29.95, Print/Ebook Bundle: $39.90

A digital photography book that teaches you how to take photographs specifically for the internet. It covers using light effectively, displaying and sharing your photos online, software tips to help enhance your images, and much more.

5. The Adobe Photoshop Layers Book
Print: $26.23

A whole book that is dedicated to understanding Photoshop layers. Masking, isolation, layer effects, styles and composite images are all covered in this useful book.

6. Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
Print: $22.22

With over 100,000 copies sold, Steve Krugs ‘Don’t Make Me Think’ is one of the most popular and entertaining books on web usability. Covers designing billboards, navigation, usability testing and much more.

7. The Web Designer’s Idea Book, Vol. 2
Print: $19.80

One of the most inspirational web design books available. Patrick McNeil looks at the basic principles of design and showcases over 650 websites. Sites are divided by type (e.g. ecommerce, directory etc), style (minimal, illustrated etc) and by structural elements (buttons, tabs etc).

8. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People
Print: $17.99

A book that looks at the psychology of design. Author Susan Weinschenk helps you see design from a non-designers point of view and looks into what people see, think and read. It also looks at how people focus their attention and are motivated.

9. The Little Black Book of Design
Print: $9.99

The design field’s ‘Art of War’, The Little Black Book of Design has inspired thousands of designers with short useful tips such as ‘Always ask why’ and ‘You built it, so natrually you understand it. Will the user?’.

Coding

10. Learning PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Dynamic Websites
Print: $23.99

A great book for those who want to learn how to create database driven websites using PHP, MySQL and JavaScript. Perfect for those who want to know more about the backend.

11. Effortless E-Commerce with PHP and MySQL
Print: $23.09

Another PHP and MySQL book though this one focuses specifically on ecommerce. It covers structure and design, security, user accounts, creating a catalog, the checkout and administration.

12. Murach’s PHP and MySQL
Print: $34.34

With 24 chapters spanned over a whopping 840 pages, Joel Murachs book is a great book for beginners and advanced developers alike. A good choice for anyone looking for a PHP/MySQL reference.

13. JavaScript & Jquery: The Missing Manual
Print: $23.99

Features an introduction to Javascript, Ajax and jQuery and includes lots of examples of how these languages can be used online to build forms and connect to services such as Google Maps.

14. PHP Solutions: Dynamic Web Design Made Easy
Print: $26.99

A good introduction to PHP and the MySQL databases. PHP Solutions features a lot of practical examples of using PHP such as generating images, creating online galleries and managing databases.

CSS & HTML

15. The CSS3 Anthology
Print: $39, Ebook: $17 , Print/Ebook Bundle: $34 (Promotion)

A great CSS resource that addresses common problems of text styling, navigation, cross browser techniques and more. The CSS3 Anthology is uniquely set up in a question and answer format to make it easy to find solutions to common CSS problems.

16. HTML5 & CSS3 For Web Designers Bundle
Print: $30, Ebook: $15 , Print/Ebook Bundle: $38

Another good combo from A Book Apart. Jeremy Keith’s HTML5 for Web Designers summarises the 900 page HTML5 spec into a more concise 85 pages. Dan Cederholm’s CSS3 for Web Designers explains gradients, shadows, rounded corners and other CSS3 goodies.

17. CSS Pocket Reference
Print: $8.86

Whilst CSS is easy to understand, it’s very easy to forget the vast number of CSS selectors and properties available. The CSS Pocket Reference is a useful companion for any designer who wants a quick answer to a problem.

18. Sergey’s HTML5 & CSS3: Quick Reference
Print: $46.14

Another good reference book that covers HTML5 and CSS3 topics such as HTML5 Elements, Web 2.0 Forms, HTML5 APIs, browser compatibility and more.

19. Introducing HTML5
Print: $20.99

Introducing HTML5 gives a good introduction to the possibilities of HTML5. Lots of practical examples are given such as applying the most important JavaScript APIs, how to build web forms, and more.

Drupal

20. Drupal User’s Guide: Building and Administering a Successful Drupal-Powered Web Site
Print: $23.17

Drupal developer Emma Jane Hogbin provides a step by step guide of how to use the Drupal content management system in this comprehensive user guide. It covers basic Drupal functions up to advanced topics such as designed for Drupal, accessibility and search engine optimisation.

WordPress

21. Professional WordPress Plugin Development
Print: $24.44

A practical approach to learning how to develop WordPress plugins. The book walks you through how to create a plugin file, using hooks, and much more. Code examples are given to help you understand what you need to do.

22. Smashing WordPress: Beyond the Blog
Print: $24.34

A great book from Thord Daniel Hedengren that helps you understand code concepts such as post types, child themes, the functions.php file and much more.

23. Build Your Own Wicked WordPress Themes
Print: $39.95, Ebook: $29.95 , Print/Ebook Bundle: $49.90

Written by 4 experienced WordPress theme developers, Build Your Own Wicked WordPress Themes shows you how you can build, promote and sell professional designs using the Thematic framework.

24. The WordPress Anthology
Print: $39.95, Ebook: $29.95 , Print/Ebook Bundle: $44.95

A good WordPress guide for beginner to intermediate users. The WordPress Anthology covers subjects such as the WP loop, post type, taxonomies and the WordPress API.

25. Digging Into WordPress
Print/Ebook Bundle: $75, Ebook: $27

Arguably the best WordPress reference available, Digging Into WordPress has over 400 pages of content. It’s how the WordPress codex should have been written!

With all the great web design and development books out there it’s difficult to get them all into this list. So leave a comment if your favourite design or development book was left out and tell us why it’s your fav.

(rb)