BlogmyQuery – BMQ

Typography is not only an all-important aspect of design, it is also an art form in and of itself. Choosing the right font, the perfect spacing and even the correct shape of text can be an important factor as to whether a project fails or succeeds. Although Illustrator is not really used for multiple-paged projects, many would agree that it is one of the most powerful applications for creating vector graphics, such as logos, and it is also often used for one-page documents, such as business cards, posters, or postcards.

Since we can easily transfer graphics from Illustrator to Photoshop and InDesign, designers often use Illustrator to create vector type that they can then incorporate into projects in another program. For instance, you can create a nice type design within Illustrator, then add some extra effects in Photoshop. Or you may need to design a text illustration within Illustrator to place within your brochure project in InDesign.

If you have never taken the time to explore the type side of Illustrator, you may be surprised at the powerful tools that Illustrator provides for working with type. Similar text features found in Photoshop and InDesign are also available in Illustrator — only Illustrator comes with its own unique set of typographical features as well. So for those of you who use another Adobe Suite program, you will easily catch on to Illustrator’s type idiosyncrasies.

No matter what your purpose for working with type in Illustrator is, as a designer, you will not only improve your work, but also save valuable time by knowing the different typographical tools available. Here, we will focus on some of the most important aspects of typography that every Illustrator user should know:

1. Metric vs. Optical Kerning
2. Roman Hanging Punctuation
3. The Glyphs Panel
4. Hyphens and Dashes
5. Styles Panels
6. Placing Type on a Path
7. Point Type vs. Area Type
8. Creating Columns of Text
9. Text Flow Between Containers
10. Scaling Area Type Numerically

1. Metric Vs. Optical Kerning

Kerning is an important aspect of design. It has to do with the adjustment of space between letters in order to improve the visual treatment of typography, and Illustrator provides the right kerning tools for designers. In more recent versions of Illustrator’s CS series, three automatic kerning options are available: “Autoâ€� (also known as metric), “Opticalâ€� and “Metrics – Roman Only.â€� In addition, manual kerning is available. All have their place in design, but knowing which one to use when can be confusing without some basic knowledge.

Auto, or metrics, kerning is built into type using kern pairs; for instance, all PostScript fonts have kern pairs built into them. Illustrator interprets this kerning code to determine how much space to put between certain letter combinations, such as “WA,� “LA,� “To� and “Ty.�

Optical kerning is also an automatic kerning option built into type but slightly different than the Auto option.  It uses the shapes of the letters to determine the space to put between characters. Optical kerning works well when combining letters of more than one font or when a font has little to no kerning built in. Use manual kerning where possible, since it provides the highest level of control. Most often, though, one would use manual kerning only in display copy, headlines, business cards and other short blocks of text.

The “Metrics – Roman Onlyâ€� option, which was added into Illustrator in the CS4 version, is for Japanese typography. This option adds kerning only to Roman glyphs or any character that rotates in vertical text. Basically, it works with Latin characters, such as Basic Latin or Latin Extended, and the half-width Katakana. To switch to Optical kerning, first select the text you wish to change. Then, under the Characters palette (Window → Type → Character), click on the Kerning drop-down menu. Then select “Optical.â€�

Or, if you would like to manually kern letters yourself, place the cursor between two letters, and choose a value in the Character palette:

To turn off kerning between selected characters, set it to “0�:

Keep in mind that to adjust the value between entire groups of letters, you will have to use the tracking settings in the Character palette. The tracking is adjusted in the drop-down menu located to the right of the Kerning drop-down menu. Hover your mouse over the menu to see “Set the tracking for the selected characters,� as in the screenshot below:

Illustrator’s default kerning is “Auto,â€� so simply select this if you would like to turn it back on.

Useful Tip: One excellent way to save yourself some time while designing is to use Illustrator’s keyboard shortcuts to change manual kerning and tracking settings. To change the kerning between two characters, simply place the cursor between the two letters. Then use Alt/Option + left/right arrow. The kerning will decrease with Alt/Option + left arrow and increase with Alt/Option + right arrow.

To change the tracking for an entire group of letters, first select the letters you want to change. As with kerning, use Alt/Option + left arrow to decrease tracking and Alt/Option + right arrow to increase tracking.

2. Roman Hanging Punctuation

Roman hanging punctuation will give your blocks of text a clean appearance, taking your typography from amateur to pro. But what exactly is this tool that is hardly talked about? Turning on the Roman hanging option in Illustrator will make the text line up evenly by “hanging� quotation marks in the margin. Otherwise, quotations are set flush with text, within the margin.

To turn on Roman hanging punctuation, open the Paragraph tool panel, and click on the arrow on the upper right of the box. A drop-down menu will appear in which you can choose “Roman Hanging Punctuation.�

Keep in mind that you can turn on or off the Roman Hanging Punctuation for entire blocks of text. Just select the blocks of text and use the same drop-down menu to change the setting.

3. The Glyphs Panel

Glyphs are any characters found within a font family. The Glyphs panel in Illustrator is the place to locate font objects, from normal characters to the special symbols. Whatever font you have selected when you open the glyphs panel is the menu that will be displayed. Fortunately, you do not have to keep exiting the Glyphs panel every time you would like to see the glyphs for another font or see glyphs similar to the one you’ve selected. You can also keep the Glyphs panel open while moving your cursor to different locations in the document.

To open the Glyphs Panel, go to Window → Type → Glyphs. Click on a glyph to select it; double-click to insert it in the line of text. Illustrator places the character wherever your blinking text cursor is located.

Hover your mouse over glyphs to see the Unicode (the name given to each character in the Glyphs panel); the Unicode is displayed at the top of the panel. Once you have found the glyph you would like to use, simply double-click on the character to insert it into your current project.

To see a different font, simply choose a different family and style from the drop-down boxes at the bottom of the panel.

To see the glyphs in a larger or smaller preview display, click on the zoom in and out buttons located in the lower-right corner of the panel.

In the “Show� menu at the top of the panel, you can limit the type of characters displayed in that font; for instance, “Oldstyle Figures.�

You might notice that some characters in a font include an arrow in the lower-right corner of the character box in the Glyphs panel. This arrow indicates that alternate glyphs are available for this character. To access these alternates, simply click and hold the character. Drag your cursor over the alternate glyph you would like to use, and release the mouse. The glyph should now be inserted in the text.

4. Hyphens and Dashes

One of the easiest ways to disqualify yourself as a professional designer is by using hyphens and dashes incorrectly. The rules are somewhat tedious but fairly easy to learn and remember.

A hyphen is the shortest in length and is located on the keyboard next to the “+â€� sign. It has three functions. It is used when a word is split at the end of a line of text. It is used to join two words together to create a compound word, such as “fun-loving dadâ€� and “anti-American.â€� A hyphen is also used with two-word numbers, such as forty-two. If in doubt, look up the word in a dictionary and use a hyphen if the word is not present. Example: “Twenty-two dollars is all that your un- line break loving dad will give to a well-intentioned suitor.”

An en dash is the second longest in length and is used to show a span of time or a numerical range; for example, 5–9, July–September, 1:00–8:00. In the Glyphs panel in Illustrator, the en dash Unicode is U+2013. Example: “Our vacation is from June 13–18.”

An em dash is the longest in length of the three and is used to show a break in thought. For instance, “Down the road—and a long winding road it was—they traveled as quickly as possible.â€� In Illustrator, the em dash Unicode is U+2014. Example: “We gathered our supplies — all eight truck loads — and started slowly up the bypass.”

5. Styles Panels

When working with large amounts of text in Illustrator, you do not have to keep applying the same font styles manually to every heading and block of text. You can simply save your settings using the Character Styles panel or the Paragraph Styles panel. Both can be found under Window → Type.

To set a style, simply type your heading or paragraph using the font styles you want to save. Then go to Window → Type → Character Styles, or Window → Type → Paragraph Styles. A Styles panel box will appear, and in the upper-right corner will be a small arrow, which is the Styles menu. To create your own name for the style, choose “New Characterâ€� or “Paragraph Style,â€� type a name, and click OK.

When you would like to add your new Character or Paragraph Style to text, select the text. Then click on the style that you created in the Style panel box. The style you saved will now be added to the text.

To edit a style, click on the style in the panel box, then click to the Character and Paragraph Style options in the drop-down menu, or simply double-click on the style you want to change.

Now on the left side of the dialog box that pops open, click on a formatting category. Make the changes you need, click OK, and all text that you’ve applied to this style will be changed. Keep in mind that if text is selected, the changes will be made to it only. Click on the Selection tool and then click anywhere on the work desk to make sure that text is not selected before attempting to change the style of all text.

To delete a style, select it in the Character or Paragraph Styles panel. Then click the “Delete� button in the bottom-right corner of the panel. Or just drag the style onto the “Delete� button. The formatting of text associated with this style will not change, but a style will no longer be applied to this text.

6. Placing Type On a Path

Most Illustrator users know that type can be placed on a path to create shaped text or text that wraps around an object. The technique for applying text to a path is different depending on the path, though. Type can be placed on either an open path, which is a line with a beginning and end, or a closed path, such as a circle or square.

Open Paths

To place type on an open path (i.e. a line with a beginning and end), begin by creating a path, such as a curved line. Make sure to select the Type tool, and then move your cursor over the path until the cursor changes to a Type on a Path icon, which has a line through it.

Then just click on the path, and you will have created a Path Type object. The Stroke objects will be gone, and a blinking cursor will appear in which you can type your message.

To make any changes to your open path type, choose the Selection tool and click on the path. In and out ports (small white boxes) will appear at either end of the path and a line in the center and on the far left and right. Basically, Illustrator is now treating the path as it would area type. Drag one of the lines to make the text path shorter or longer; make sure that your cursor is an arrow with a line-and-arrow symbol next to it.

You can change the actual type just as you would any other area type, including by changing the font size. Doing this, though, may make the text extend outside of the area type’s boundaries. If this happens, a red plus sign will appear.

If you click on the plus sign, the cursor will change to a linked container cursor (it looks like a text box). Then, click on another area in your project to create another open path line of the same size and shape as your first. New text will continue to flow onto this new line.

Or simply drag the beginning and end lines to make text fit on the path:

Make changes to the actual path that the text sits on by choosing the Direct Selection tool and then clicking on the path. You can now lengthen or shorten the path or change the shape, just as you would with any other path.

You can also move the type to sit underneath the path by dragging the center line to the opposite side of the path. Or go to Type → Type on a Path → Type on a Path Options. In the box that appears, check the “Flipâ€� box and click OK.

To flip type over, go to Type → Type on a Path → Type on a Path Options. Select the Flip box and then select “Ascenderâ€� in the “Align to Pathâ€� menu. Other changes can be made in this dialog box as well: change the effect, choose other path alignment options or adjust the spacing.

Closed Paths

The confusing part of placing type on a closed path is that the start and end points are in the same place. With an open path, your starting point is wherever you click with the Type tool to create a Path Type object, and the end point is the end of the path. On a closed path, both the start and end points are wherever you click, because the object creates a continuous line. The center line on a closed path, such as a circle, would then be at the bottom of the circle if your start point is at the top. To place type on a closed path, you will have to choose the Type on a Path tool by clicking on the Type tool and dragging to pull out the Type menu.

Then click on the path where you would like the text to start and begin typing. Once again, make sure the cursor changes to the Type on a Path symbol.

Just as with an open path, you can change the location of the start and end points and, therefore, move the location of the text on the object.

You can also move type underneath the line or flip type over the same way as you would with open type. Simply go to Type → Type on a Path → Type on a Path Options, and change the settings to get the desired effect. Or you can make changes by dragging the center line.

7. Point Type vs. Area Type

Point type, created by selecting the Type tool, is so called because it adds text to a certain point in an image. Area type, created by selecting the Area Type tool, adds text to fill a specified area of an image.

Point type is often used for headlines and other single lines of text. The more you type, the longer the text line becomes. To move text to another line, you must manually press Enter or Return on the keyboard. Area type is used for paragraphs of text and is surrounded by a bounding box. As you type, the text automatically flows to fill the box. The bounding box in area type will have two large boxes, called ports, in addition to the normal bounding box handles. These ports are the in and out boxes from which text flows between area type containers.

When selecting point type with the Selection tool and if you have selected “Show Bounding Box� in the View drop-down menu, a bounding box will appear surrounding the text. However, when changing the shape or size of the bounding box with point type, the text will become distorted because no shape is holding the text. On the other hand, changing the size or shape of area text will simply change the way the text fills the bounding box.

8. Creating Columns of Text

Any area type can easily be divided into columns, or even rows, whenever needed. First, create the area type, and then select it. Go to Type → Area Type Options. In the box that appears, you will see options for changing the settings of both rows and columns, as well as for resizing the area type.

Change the number of rows or columns by changing the Number settings underneath the Row or Column settings. The “Span� changes the width of individual rows or columns, and the “Gutter� changes the distance between each row or column.

If you select the “Fixed� box, then you can resize the area, and the number of rows or columns will change, not their width.

With the Fixed box deselected, the size of the rows and columns will increase or decrease when resizing, but the number of rows or columns will remain the same.

If you break the text into both columns and rows, rather than just one or the other, then you will want to choose the way text flows between columns and rows in the Options section. Selecting “By Rows� will cause the text to be read from left to right, first in the top row and then in the bottom row. Selecting “By Columns� will cause the text to be read left to right, first in the left column and then in the right column.

9. Text Flow Between Containers

With certain projects, you may need to make text flow from one area type container to the next. For instance, you may have created an area type frame in the exact size you need, but as you type, the text “overflows,� which Illustrator alerts you about with a red box with a plus sign inside.

Clicking on this plus sign with the Direct Selection tool will change your cursor to the linked container symbol.

Click again on the artboard and Illustrator will create a new container of the exact same size as the first. Text will now continue to “flow� from the previous container into this new one.

If you would like to create a container of different proportions, though, then click and drag on the artboard until the container is the size you desire.

10. Scaling Area Type Numerically

Instead of resizing an area type bounding box by using the handles, you can scale it numerically, making for a more accurate size that can be repeated. Go to Type → Area Type Options, and enter the size of box you need.

Or you can go to Object → Transform → Scale to size a bounding box numerically. Keep in mind that these techniques will also change the scale of the text. To keep text the same while changing the box only, click on a side of the frame using the Direct Selection tool, and then scale the bounding box. The text should remain the same while the size of the bounding box changes.

Type Tool Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts will make your work in Adobe Illustrator go that much faster. Memorize each of the following to improve your workflow:

• Shift + Control/Command + O : Create outlines.
• Alt + Control/Command + I : Show or hide hidden characters.
• T : This way you can select the Type tool faster.
• Control/Command + T : Show or hide the Character panel.
• Shift + Control/Command + T : Show or hide the Tabs panel.
• Alt + Control/Command + T : Show or hide the Paragraph panel.
• Alt + Shift + Control/Command + T : Show or hide the Open Type panel.
• Shift : Hold down while the Type tool is selected to switch between horizontal and vertical text.
• Escape : Press while typing to escape from the type object. The Selection tool and type object will also be selected.

Keep in mind that these are only type tool shortcuts and commands. Print out a complete list of shortcuts from KeyXL to have on hand if needed.

Other Resources

You may be interested in the following articles and related resources:

• Illustrator’s Type Tool: A Comprehensive Introduction, Vector Tuts+
  Learn about Illustrator’s Type tool in this comprehensive introduction.
• Vertical Type Tools, Bloomsburg University, IT Department
  Another excellent article with basic tips on using Illustrator’s Type Tool.
• Using Adobe Illustrator CS4: Type, Adobe
  Look up specific help on type in Illustrator from Adobe itself.

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© Tara Hornor for Smashing Magazine, 2011. | Permalink | Post a comment | Smashing Shop | Smashing Network | About Us
Post tags: illustrator, typography

One of the greatest things about having access to the Internet, is the educational opportunities that it affords the public. People in all professions have the ability to expand their knowledge base through the wealth of information being shared via the Internet, and the same holds true for those who are studying graphic design.

The Internet is positively bursting with tutorials and resources that can help one advance through the various stages of becoming a successful graphic designer. All the way, from a newbie to an experienced pro. Today, that is our purpose here. Gaining knowledge about graphic design so that we can advance our skills and blossom in our chosen fields.

Here is a collection of invaluable educational resources on graphic design that have been broken down into different categories depending on your preferred methods of consumption. Each one of us has their own approach of learning, either learning visually, auditory or through repetitious means. It was in that vein in which the resources were collected.

We have tutorials for your hands-on approach, podcasts for a more auditory take and an assortment of PDFs and articles to read through.

PDFs

The first category of resources that we have gathered are some assorted graphic design PDFs that will freely add to the educational foundation on which you are building. These community supplied supplements cover a range of graphic design elements and areas. So take a look through and begin downloading your new skill builders from the list below.

Design Your Imagination is a valuable graphic design ebook that should be in any beginners toolbox. Deconstruct website design and learn to hone your creative skills with this comprehensive guide to the web:

As with any good learning experience, you need someplace to start, and some choose to start at the beginning. With The History of Graphic Design you can do just that. This informative PDF offers a brief rundown of the history of graphic design:

When it comes to teaching design in a whole new way, The Design Funnel: A Manifesto for Meaningful Design brings a unique look at the world of design, and guides the reader to honing their design process. From beginner to established pro, this manifesto could offer you a fresh perspective on your approach:

Graphic Design Teaching and Learning is a helpful learning tool that takes on both the approach of teaching graphic design as well as learning it. Definitely an interesting and a worthwhile read:

PDFoo – Graphic Design

PDFoo is a large collection of ebooks and PDFs all related to the field of graphic design. This resource provides a full download and will keep your nose to the grindstone for days:

Pictorial composition and the critical judgment of pictures is a wonderfully informative ebook that will allow anyone, no matter their level of expertise, to dive in and learn the basics about the composition and overall aesthetics of images:

Just Creative Design’s Type Classification eBook is a fantastic educational resource for those wish to learn more about the fine art of typographical design. Whether type is to be your specialty or not, this ebook is worth a read:

A theory of pure design; harmony, balance, rhythm is another learning library must add. This ebook explores in great depth the fundamentals of design theory. It is an artistic exploration into the very principles which lie at the foundation of illustration and painting as fine art:

An Introduction to Graphic Design is another useful ebook to be stocked in any graphic designer’s learning library. It offers a look at the basic fundamentals of graphic design to build a more solid foundation:

The Q&A E-book : Interviews With 25 Popular Bloggers pretty much tells you all you need to know about it in the title. Gain insight into the processes of the big names in the design field through this interview filled ebook and learn tricks that you can implement in your own:

The final PDF we have for you is the Graphic Design Wikibook. Think of the Wikibook as an open-content collection of textbooks, in this case specifically focused on the graphic design world. Do not let its position fool you, it is definitely worth a gander:

Articles

This second section of resources is an array of great articles all geared specifically towards graphic design education. Combing through the archives of some of the best known sites for assisting the growth of the community, we have pulled some must-read posts from their pasts just in case you missed them. Even if you do not read another post from any of the sites they have come from, these articles you should not let pass you by!

Earlier, we mentioned needing someplace to start, well Teach Yourself Graphic Design: A Self-Study Course Outline is one of those places. This article is absolutely filled with resources that will help you begin your self directed graphic design studies:

Want to know how to design? Learn The Basics. is a fantastic article from Just Creative Design that gets at the heart of design through the very basic elements of design. These are the fundamentals that you cannot get by without:

The Difference Between Art and Design is an extremely insightful discussion about the difference between art and design. This is a long running debate in the design community, and if you are going to be a designer, you should certainly familiarize yourself with the ongoing dialog:

Art vs Design is another pertinent and well thought out dissection of the art vs. design issue. Part of a solid foundation of learning comes from having a firm understanding of the field you are working in, through this evolving dialog, any designer can gain better footing in this design landscape:

Graphic designers are often wondering What Skills Will I Learn as a Graphic Designer? especially when they are starting out. This article examines this very query in specific details:

Underneath all of the fundamentals of graphic design lies the theory that drives it. In the article 50 Totally Free Lessons in Graphic Design Theory the TutsPlus family definitely delivers with a bevy of knowledge building lessons in theory:

For more on theory, Noupe’s Graphic Design Theory: 50 Resources and Articles is another wonderful collection of graphic design theory based resources from our sister site. Help expand your design horizons even more with this educational article:

Learn the Basics: 25+ Sites And Resources To Learn Typography is a great article from 1st Web Designer that will serve to enhance your typographical knowledge base. Typography is an important element in design and understanding it is key in your design growth:

As far as useful articles on design go, David Airey put together a post on the communities favorite books about graphic design. What ’s your favourite graphic design book? opens up the comments to the community and the post evolves from there as the replies pour in:

In your quest for graphic design knowledge you can even turn to About.com whose course Introduction to the Elements of Design will give you a grasp of the basics of graphic design. Another article that serves as a good starting point:

Speaking of graphic design books, this site has a brilliant article on them. 30 Delightful Graphic Design Books spans the various arenas of graphic design to find some of the industries most useful books that will aid you in your thirst for knowledge:

The Design Cubicle offers this insightful article Tips to improve as a graphic designer for anyone on an educational journey through the field of graphic design. It is certainly worth a look for new and old designers alike:

Finally, when it comes to growing as a designer and learning to hone your skills, the blogosphere is an invaluable tool. The following article 100 Must Read Design Blogs helps you to maximize your surfing by pointing you in the direction of some great sources for educating yourself:

Podcasts

In this category, we move into the auditory section of our graphic design learning experience with some selected podcasts. These informative online broadcasts take on the task of offering an educational outlet for the masses over the virtual airwaves with a different approach than you can get most anywhere else. Especially if you are more inclined towards audio forms of learning the podcasts are for you, but they are truly for anyone interested in learning more about this field.

For Graphic Designers Only is a business minded graphic design focused broadcast which talks with industry experts to gain insight and give advice to the community. From building an individual freelance business to a more business firm oriented perspective this is a useful podcast:

Rookie Designer‘s The Podcast for the Not-So-Accomplished Designer is a look at the graphic design landscape with a beginner’s gaze. This is a great place to start in the podcast pool, whether you are a newb or in need of a little refresher course:

Design Guy takes a simpler approach to the design principles, taking the time to explain them in laid-back basic ways that should be easy to wrap your head around. Get your new design projects off the ground in no time with a little help from the Design Guy:

Art a GoGo Podcast is certainly useful to anyone looking to solidify the base of their design work through an exploration of art. The Art a GoGo podcast features discussions about art news and the overall world of art in an educational and entertaining way:

There have not been many logo specific resources, but Logo Design is an informative podcast that does help balance the scales a bit. Learning about logos through tips and in-depth discussions has a new face, the “Logo Design” podcast:

Boagworld Web Design Advice is a fantastic weekly podcast which runs the proverbial gamut of the graphic design field. Offering the community interviews, reviews, and news Boagworld is a podcast for all levels of the designer from the learning to the learned:

Art History Podcast is another podcast that can help you learn more about the art that has shaped and paved the way for the design world today through thoughtful analysis of timeless classics. Unfortunately the show is not still active but there are plenty of past episodes to learn from:>/p>

PixelPerfect is another great resource for the designer looking to increase their knowledge base in both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Complete with demonstrations to teach you the tips and tricks of both graphic programs. If you use either one, then you should check out this podcast:

The Rissington Podcast is another insightful broadcast in which the hosts take questions from their listeners and answer them for the entire graphic design community. This would certainly be the problem solver’s podcast for designers old and new:

CreativeXpert Design Interviews is a completely interview-based podcast which features a brilliant array of expert guests to provide the insight that lays the foundation for this informative show. With some of the brightest minds in the field sharing their techniques and inspiration, this podcast can enrich anyone’s educational journey:

Another interesting podcast with a bit of a different twist on the show is FEED – A Magazine of Graphic Design. FEED is exactly what it sounds like from the tagline; it is a community based submission driven graphic arts magazine in the form of a podcast:

The final podcast that we are going to feature for growing as a designer is Design Tools Weekly. This is another weekly broadcast that discusses the topics that designers are looking to have delved into. This is another show that bends the learning curve in your favor:

Websites

We are going to wind things down with some useful websites to keep bookmarked and tracking regularly through their feeds for feeding your thirst for graphic design knowledge. We thought this would be a good place to finish, because most of the sites themselves are a growing resource that will continue to deliver new opportunities to learn. If you have not seen these sites, or not seen them lately, then we recommend that you stop by for a refresher on what they have to offer!

Design is History is a fantastic resource for all those treading the design waters looking to learn more. The site scans so many eras in graphic design, teaching you the history and principles that shaped this dynamic field:

As far as starting points go, Smarthistory takes the seeker of knowledge back even beyond the start of graphic design, and into the history of art from around the world for a more comprehensive overview of the seeds that helped sew the graphic design field:

Arty Factory is an educational resource hub for design and art lessons online. They are totally free for all and provide an array of fully illustrated classes on drawing, painting, and design:

BBC Learning – Art and Design is an online resource for building and advancing your art and design knowledge. This site offers various courses to help you grow in your selected field:

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History is another wonderful place to turn for a more historical perspective and learning opportunity as you study through the great works of art from all over the world and all through time:

Graphic Design Forum is one of the largest forums on the web for all things graphic design. If it is experience that you need to gain, then you have come to the right place, no matter what level of designer you are:

All Graphic Design is an expansive resource in and of itself, all fed by the online design community. From forums to templates to articles and more, this is a one stop learning hub for graphic designers:

TutsPlus is a tutorial junkie’s playland for hands-on graphic design walk throughs. If you are not familiar with the TutsPlus site and family then you are selling your graphic design business short. They offer both free and premium levels of tutorials:

The MFA in Interaction Design program trains students to research, analyze, prototype, and design concepts in their business, social, and cultural contexts:

Speaking of invaluable hubs for all things graphic design Design Talk Board comes in to educate the online masses with piles of resources, jobs information, graphics news, talk forums, software training, and oh, so much more!

Graphic Design Principles Index is an installment based online graphic design course that is hosted by Duke University. The program is divided into 39 different parts:

AIGA is a site that all professional graphic designers should be aware of. This is an association that is dedicated to advancing the overall design field as ‘a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force’ in our society:

HOW Design Forums is another wonderful and informative graphic design forum that will enrich any graphic designers learning experience. So many great communal contributions that you would be amiss to, well, miss:

If it is informational sites that you are looking for, then SitePoint certainly needs to be on your radar. No matter your level of learning, this fast growing online media company and information provider has something for all web professionals:

Graphics.com is a community resource that is shared by any and all graphic designers who wish to be apart of it. Complete with tutorials, educational videos, a full forum, and more, this is another resource center worth looking into:

Packaging Design Archive is a collection of very well designed product packaging that users can flip through to study the presentations that are housed there for learning purposes. Not to mention, a little inspiration:

Packaging of the World is another communal collection of product design, whose deep databases are full of helpful examples that you can once again study to learn from. If you like to learn by example, and package design is your passion, then look no further:

The Chicago Design Archive is another great place where you can browse through a collection of locally created designs from the Chicago area and learn from a more hands on approach:

STA Archive is an annual design contest where you can show off the skills that you have learned and been honing:

We thought we would cap this section off with one more graphic design based forums for the online community. Your Design Forums can provide learning opportunities through shared experiences and advice of the community:

Further Reading

If there are any sources for graphic design learning tools that you tend to turn to that we left off here, please let us know by adding it in the comments section below to keep the learning experience expanding!

Consider Some of Our Previous Articles:

• Useful Glossaries For Web Designers and Developers
• The Web Design Community Offers Advice To Beginners
• Lessons From Swiss Style Graphic Design

(ik)

This article is an excerpt from Eric Meyer’s recent book Smashing CSS, published by Wiley in cooperation with Smashing Magazine.

In this article, the focus is on what’s coming: styling techniques you’ll use in the immediate and near-term future. From styling HTML 5 elements to rearranging layout based on display parameters to crazy selection patterns to transforming element layout, these are all techniques that you may use tomorrow, next month, or next year. With partial browser support, they’re all on the cutting edge of Web design.

Accordingly, be careful not to get cut! A number of useful sites can help you figure out the exact syntaxes and patterns you need to use these techniques.

Furthermore, a number of JavaScript libraries can extend support for advanced CSS back into older browsers, in some cases as far back as IE/Win 5.5. Some are very narrowly focused on certain browser families, whereas others are more broadly meant to allow support in all known browsers. These can be useful in cases where your visitors haven’t quite caught up with the times but you don’t want them to miss out on all the fun. (Some of these libraries are CSS3 PIE, cssSandpaper, :select[ivizr], ie7-js, eCSStender).

There are also a good many CSS enhancements available as plug-ins for popular JavaScript libraries such as jQuery. If you’re a user of such a library, definitely do some digging to see what’s been created. Again: Be careful! While these techniques are powerful and can deliver a lot of power to your pages, you need to test them thoroughly in the browsers of the day to make sure you didn’t just accidentally make the page completely unreadable in older browsers.

Styling HTML 5

Styling HTML 5 is really no different than styling HTML 4. There are a bunch of new elements, but styling them is basically the same as styling any other element. They generate the same boxes as any other div, span, h2, a, or what have you.

The HTML 5 specification is still being worked on as of this writing, so this may change a bit over time, but the following declarations may be of use to older browsers that don’t know quite what to do with the new elements.

article, aside, canvas, details, embed, figcaption, figure, footer, header, hgroup, menu, nav, section, summary {
	display: block;
}
command, datalist, keygen, mark, meter, progress, rp, rt, ruby, time, wbr {
	display: inline;
}

You may have noticed that I left out two fairly important new elements: audio and video. That’s because it’s hard to know exactly how to treat them. Block? Inline? All depends on how you plan to use them. Anyway, you can place them in the declaration that makes the most sense to you.

But what about really old browsers, like IE6? (Note I said “old,” not “unused.” In an interesting subversion of popular culture, browser popularity has very little to do with age.) For those, you need to use a bit of JavaScript in order to get the browser to recognize them and therefore be able to style them. There’s a nice little script that auto-forces old versions of IE to play nicely with HTML 5 elements. If you’re going to use and style them, you should definitely grab that script and put it to use.

Once you’ve gotten your browser ducks in a row and quacking “The Threepenny Opera,” you can get down to styling. Remember: There’s really nothing new about styling with these new elements. For example:

figure {
	float: left;
	border: 1px solid gray;
	padding: 0.25em;
	margin: 0 0 1.5em 1em;
}
figcaption {
	text-align: center;
	font: italic 0.9em Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;
}

    <img src="splash.jpg" alt="A toddler’s face is obscured by a rippled and dimpled wall of water thrown up by her hands slapping into the surface of the swimming pool in whose waters she sits.">

Figure 7-1: A styled HTML 5 figure and figure caption.

Classing like HTML 5

Perhaps you like the new semantics of HTML 5, but you’re just not ready to take your sites to full-on HTML 5. Maybe your site’s user base is mostly older browsers and you’d rather stick to known quantities like HTML 4 or XHTML. Not to worry: You can have the best of both worlds with the venerable class attribute.

This approach was documented by Jon Tan in his article. The basic idea is to use old-school elements like div and span, and add to them classes that exactly mirror the element names in HTML 5. Here’s a code example.

.figure {
	float: left;
	border: 1px solid gray;
	padding: 0.25em;
	margin: 0 0 1.5em 1em;
}
.figcaption {
	text-align: center;
	font: italic 0.9em Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif;
}

    <img src="spring.jpg" alt="A small child with twin pigtail braids, her back to the camera, swings away from the camera on a playground swingset while the late afternoon sun peeks over the crossbar of the swingset.">
    <div class="figcaption">Swinging into spring.</div>

Figure 7-2: A styled HTML 4-classed figure and figure caption.

If you compare the styles there to those found in the preceding section, you’ll see that the only difference is that the names figure and figcaption are preceded by periods — thus marking them as class names. The markup is a little different, of course, though it’s the same basic structure.

The advantage of this approach is that if you have these styles in place at the point when you decide you can convert to HTML 5, then all you need to do is change your markup to use HTML 5 elements instead of classed divs and then strip off the periods to turn the class selectors into element selectors. That’s it. Easy as cake!

Media Queries

This could honestly be its own article, or possibly even its own book. Thus, what follows will necessarily be just a brief taste of the possibilities. You should definitely follow up with more research, because in a lot of ways this is the future of Web styling.

The point of media queries is to set up conditional blocks of styles that will apply in different media environments. For example, you could write one set of styles for portrait displays and another for landscape displays. You might change the colors based on the bit depth of the display. You could change the font based on the pixel density of display. You might even rearrange the page’s layout depending on the width or number of pixels available in the display.

Figure 7-3: A basic three-column layout.

How? Consider some basic layout styles for a three-column layout:

body {
	background: #FFF;
	color: #000;
    font: small Arial, sans-serif;
}
.col {
	position: relative;
    margin: 3em 1%;
    padding: 0.5em 1.5%;
    border: 1px solid #aaa;
    border-width: 1px 1px 0 1px;
	float: right;
	width: 20%;
}
#two {
	width: 40%;
}
#footer {
	clear: both;
}

As nice as this might be (in a minimalist sort of way), it is likely to run into trouble on smaller—which is to say, narrower—displays. What if you could magically change to a two-column layout on such displays?

Well, you can. First, restrict the three-column layout to environments that are more than 800 pixels across. This is done by splitting the layout bits into their own declarations:

body {
	background: #fff;
	color: #000;
    font: small Arial, sans-serif;
}
.col {
	position: relative;
    margin: 3em 1%;
    padding: 0.5em 1.5%;
    border: 1px solid #aaa;
    border-width: 1px 1px 0 1px;
}
#footer {
	clear: both;
}
.col {
	float: right;
	width: 20%;
}
#two {
	width: 40%;
}

Then wrap those last two declarations in a media query:

@media all and (min-width: 800px) {
    .col {
    	float: right;
    	width: 20%;
    }
    #two {
    	width: 40%;
    	}
}

What that says is “the rules inside this curly-brace block apply in all media that have a minimum display width of 800 pixels.â€� Anything below that, no matter the medium, and the rules inside the block will be ignored. Note the parentheses around the min-width term and its value. These are necessary any time you have a term and value (which are referred to as an expression).

At this point, nothing will really change unless you shrink the browser window until it offers fewer than 800 pixels across to the document. At that point, the columns stop floating altogether.

Figure 7-4: What happens below 800 pixels.

What you can do at this point is write another media-query block of layout rules that apply in narrower conditions. Say you want a two-column layout between 500 and 800 pixels):

@media all and (min-width: 500px) and (max-width: 799px) {
    .col {
    	float: left;
    	width: 20%;
    }
    #two {
    	float: right;
    	width: 69%;
    }
    #three {
    	clear: left;
    	margin-top: 0;
    }
}

Figure 7-5: The reworked layout, which shows between 500 and 800 pixels.

And finally, you can apply some single-column styles for any medium with fewer than 500 pixels of display width:

@media all and (max-width: 499px) {
    #one {
    	text-align: center;
    }
    #one li {
    	display: inline;
    	list-style: none;
		padding: 0 0.5em;
		border-right: 1px solid gray;
		line-height: 1.66;
	}
    #one li:last-child {
    	border-right: 0;
    }
    #three {
    	display: none;
    }
}

Figure 7-6: Single-column layout, which shows below 500 pixels.

Note that in all these queries, layout styles are defined in relation to the display area of the browser window. More generically, they are defined in relation to the display area available to the document in any medium in which it is rendered. That means that if a printer, for example, is used to print the document and it has an available display area 784 pixels wide, then the two-column layout will be for printing.

To restrict the column shifting to screen media only, alter the queries, like so:

@media screen and (min-width: 800px) {...}
@media screen and (min-width: 500px) and (max-width: 799px) {...}
@media screen and (max-width: 499px) {...}

But what if you want the three-column layout used in some non-screen media, like print and TV displays? Then add in those media using commas, like so:

@media print, tv, screen and (min-width: 800px) {...}
@media screen and (min-width: 500px) and (max-width: 799px) {...}
@media screen and (max-width: 499px) {...}

The commas here act as logical ORs, so the first query reads “use these styles on print media OR TV media OR a display area on a screen medium where the display area is 800 pixels or more.�

And if you want the three-column layout used in all non-screen media? Add a statement to the first query using the not modifier saying “anything that isn’t screen.�

@media not screen, screen and (min-width: 800px) {...}
@media screen and (min-width: 500px) and (max-width: 799px) {...}
@media screen and (max-width: 499px) {...}

As before, the comma joins the two in an OR statement, so it reads as “anything not on a screen medium OR a display area on a screen medium where the display area is 800 pixels or more.â€�

There is also an only modifier, so that a query can say something like only print or only screen and (color). As of this writing, not and only are the only modifiers in media queries.

You aren’t restricted to pixels for the previous queries, by the way. You can use ems, centimeters, or any other valid length unit.

Table 7-1: The base media query terms

Table 7-1 shows all the query terms that can be used in constructing media queries. Note that almost all of these terms accept min- and max- prefixes (for example, device-height also has min-device-height and max-device-height cousins). The exceptions are orientation, scan, and grid.

Styling Occasional Children

There are times when you may want to select every second, third, fifth, eighth, or thirteenth element in a series. The most obvious cases are list items in a long list or rows (or columns) in a table, but there are as many cases as there are combinations of elements.

Consider one of the less obvious cases. Suppose you have a lot of quotes that you want to float in a sort of grid. The usual problem in these cases is that quotes of varying length can really break up the grid.

A classic solution here is to add a class to every fourth div (because that is what encloses each quote) and then clear it. Rather than clutter up the markup with classes, though, why not select every fourth div?

.quotebox:nth-child(4n+1) {
	clear: left;
}

Figure 7-7: The problem with floating variable-height elements.

Figure 7-8: Clearing every fourth child.

A quick explanation of the 4n+1 part:

• 4n means every element that can be described by the formula 4 times n, where n describes the series 0, 1, 2, 3, 4… .That yields elements number 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and so on. (Similarly, 3n would yield the series 0, 3, 6, 9, 12… .)
• But there is no zeroth element; elements start with the first (that is, element number 1). So you have to add + 1 in order to select the first, fifth, ninth, and so forth elements.

Yes, you read that right: the :nth-child() pattern starts counting from 0, but the elements start counting from 1. That’s why + 1 will be a feature of most :nth-child() selectors.

The great thing with this kind of selector is that if you want to change from selecting every fourth element to every third element, you need only change a single number.

.quotebox:nth-child(3n+1) {
	clear: left;
}

Figure 7-9: Clearing every third child.

That might seem pretty nifty on its own, but it gets better. If you combine this approach with media queries, you get an adaptable grid-like layout.

@media all and (min-width: 75.51em) {
    .quotebox:nth-child(5n+1) {
    	clear: left;
    }
}
@media all and (min-width: 60.01em) and (max-width: 75em) {
    .quotebox:nth-child(4n+1) {
    	clear: left;
    }
}
@media all and (min-width: 45.51em) and (max-width: 60em) {
    .quotebox:nth-child(3n+1) {
    	clear: left;
    }
}
@media all and (min-width: 30.01em) and (max-width: 45.5em) {
    .quotebox:nth-child(2n+1) {
    	clear: left;
    }
}
@media all and (max-width: 30em) {
    .quotebox {
    	float: none;
    }
}

Figure 7-10: Two views of an adaptable floated grid.

Note that this particular set of queries is based on the width of the display area of the browser as measured in ems. That helps make the layout much more adaptable to changes of text size and browser window.

If you’re interested in selecting every other element — let’s say, every other table row — there are some more human alternatives to 2n+1. You can select even-numbered or odd-numbered children using :nth-child(even) and :nth-child(odd), as in this example.

tr:nth-child(odd) {
	background: #eef;
}

Styling Occasional Columns

It’s easy enough to select alternate table rows for styling, but how about table columns? Actually, that’s just as easy, thanks to the :nth-child and :nth-of-type selectors.

In a simple table with rows consisting of nothing but data cells (those are td elements), you can select every other column like so:

td:nth-child(odd) {
	background: #fed;
}

Figure 7-11: Styling the odd-numbered columns.

Want to fill in the alternate ones!

td:nth-child(odd) {
	background: #fed;
}
td:nth-child(even) {
	background: #def;
}

If you’re after every third, fourth, fifth, or similarly spaced-out interval, then you need the n+1 pattern.

td:nth-child(3n+1) {
	background: #edf;
}

Figure 7-12: Styling both odd- and even-numbered columns.

Figure 7-13: Styling every third data column.

That’s all relatively straightforward. Now, what happens when you put a th at the beginning of each row? In one sense, nothing. The columns that are selected don’t change; you’re still selecting the first, fourth, seventh, and so on children of the tr elements. In another sense, the selected columns are shifted, because you’re no longer selecting the first, fourth, seventh, and so on data columns. You’re selecting the third, sixth, and so on data columns. The first column, which is composed of th element, doesn’t get selected at all because the selector only refers to td elements.

Figure 7-14: Disrupting the pattern with row headers.

To adjust, you could change the terms of the :nth-child selector:

td:nth-child(3n+2) {
	background: #edf;
}

Alternatively, you could keep the original pattern and switch from using :nth-child to :nth-of-type:

td:nth-of-type(3n+1) {
	background: #fde;
}

Figure 7-15: Restoring the pattern by adjusting the selection formula.

Figure 7-16: Restoring the pattern with :nth-of-type.

This works because it selects every nth element of a given type (in this case, td elements) that shares a parent element with the others. Think of it as :nth-child that also skips any elements that aren’t named in the :nth-child selector.

RGB Alpha Color

Color values are probably one of the most familiar things in all of CSS; some people are to the point of being able to estimate a color’s appearance based on its hexadecimal representation. (Go on, try it: #e07713.) It’s not quite as common to use the rgb() notation for colors, but they’re still pretty popular.

In CSS 3, the rgb() notation is joined by rgba() notation. The a part of the value is the alpha, as in alpha channel, as in transparency. Thus you can supply a color that is partly see-through:

.box1 {
	background: rgb(255,255,255);
}
.box2 {
	background: rgba(255,255,255,0.5);
}

Figure 7-17: Boxes with opaque and translucent RGB backgrounds.

You can also use the percentage form of RGB color values in RGBA:

.box1 {
	background: rgb(100%,100%,100%);
}
.box2 {
	background: rgba(100%,100%,100%,0.5);
}

The alpha value is always represented as a number between 0 and 1 inclusive, with 0 meaning “no opacity at allâ€� and 1 meaning “fully opaque.â€� So half-opaque (and thus half-transparent) is 0.5. You can’t put a percentage in there for historical reasons that are too messy to get into here.

If you supply a number outside the 0 to 1 range, it will (in the words of the specification) be “clampedâ€� to the allowed range. So if you give an alpha value of 4.2, the browser will treat it as if you’d written 1. Also, it isn’t clear what should happen when an alpha of 0 is used. Since the color is fully transparent, what will happen to, say, invisible text? Can you select it? If it’s used on a link, is the link clickable? Both are interesting questions with no definitive answers. So be careful.

RGBA colors can be used with any property that accepts a color value, such as color and background-color. To keep older browsers from puking on themselves, it’s advisable to supply a non-alpha color before the alpha color. That would take a form like so:

{
	color: #000;
	color: rgba(0,0,0,0.75);
}

The older browsers see the first value and know what to do with it. Then they see the second value and don’t know what to do with it, so they ignore it. That way, at least older browsers get black text. Modern browsers, on the other hand, understand both values and thanks to the cascade, override the first with the second.

Note that there is no hexadecimal form of RGBA colors. Thus, you cannot write #00000080 and expect half-opaque black.

HSL and HSL Alpha Color

A close cousin to RGBA values are the HSLA values, and an even closer cousin to them are HSL colors. These are new to CSS 3, and will be a delightful addition to many designers.

For those not familiar with HSL, the letters stand for Hue-Saturation-Lightness. Even if you didn’t know the name, you’ve probably worked with HSL colors in a color picker.

Figure 7-18: An HSL color picker.

The hue is represented as a unitless number corresponding to the hue angle on a color wheel. Saturation and lightness are both percentages, and alpha is (as with RGBA) a number between 0 and 1 inclusive. In practice, you can use HSL colors anywhere a color value is accepted. Consider the following rules, which create the equivalent effect.

.box1 {
	background: hsl(0,0%,100%);
}
.box2 {
	background: hsla(0,0%,100%,0.5);
}

Figure 7-19: Various HSL color tables.

Figure 7-20: Boxes with opaque and translucent HSL backgrounds.

You can do old-browser fallbacks with regular RGB values, though having to specify an RGB color and then HSL color does sort of detract from the point of using HSL in the first place. HSL allows you to get away from RGB altogether.

Shadowy Styles

Ah, drop shadows. Remember drop shadows? In the mid-90’s, everything had a drop shadow. Of course, back then the shadows were baked into images and constructed with tables even more tortuously convoluted than usual. Now you can relive the glory days with some fairly simple CSS. There are actually two properties available: text-shadow and box-shadow.

Take the former first. The following CSS will result:

h1 {
	text-shadow: gray 0.33em 0.25em 0.1em;
}

The first length (0.33em) indicates a horizontal offset; the second (0.25em), a vertical offset. The third is a blur radius, which is the degree by which the shadow is blurred. These values can use any length unit, so if you want to do all your shadow offsets and blurs in pixels, go to town. Blurs can’t be negative, but offsets can: A negative horizontal offset will push the shadow to the left, and a negative vertical offset will go upward.

Figure 7-21: Dropping shadows from a heading.

You can even have multiple shadows! Of course, whether you should, is a matter of opinion.

h1 {
	text-shadow: gray 0.33em 0.25em 0.1em, -10px 4px 7px blue;
}

Note that the color of a shadow can come before all the lengths or after them, whichever you prefer. Note also that the CSS 3 specification says that the first shadow is “on top,� which is closest to you. Shadows after that are placed successively further away from you as you look at the page. Thus, the gray shadow is placed over the top of the blue shadow. Now to shadow boxes. It’s pretty much the same drill, only with a different property name.

h1 {
	box-shadow: gray 0.33em 0.25em 0.25em;
}

Figure 7-22: A heading with multiple shadows.

Figure 7-23: Shadowing the element box of a heading.

Even though there’s no obvious element box for the h1, a shadow is generated anyway. It’s also drawn only outside the element, which means that you can’t see it behind/beneath the element, even when the element has a transparent (or, with RGBA colors, semi-transparent) background. The shadows are drawn just beyond the border edge, so you’re probably better off putting a border or a visible background (or both) on any shadowed box.

You can have more than one box shadow, just like you can with text shadows:

h1 {
	box-shadow: gray 0.33em 0.25em 0.25em, -10px 2px 6px blue;
}

Figure 7-24: Multiple shadows on the element box of a heading.

Here’s where I have to admit a small fib: The previous examples are the ideal cases. As of this writing, they wouldn’t actually work in browsers. As of mid-2010, to make the single-shadow example work, you’d actually need to say:

h1 {
	-moz-box-shadow: gray 0.33em 0.25em 0.25em;
	-webkit-box-shadow: gray 0.33em 0.25em 0.25em;
	box-shadow: gray 0.33em 0.25em 0.25em;}

That will cover all modern browsers as of mid-2010. Over time, the need for the prefixed properties (-moz- and –webkit-) will fade and you’ll be able to just write the single box-shadow declaration. When exactly will that happen? It all depends on your design, your site’s visitors, and your own sense of comfort.

If you also want to get drop shadows on boxes in older versions of Internet Explorer, then you’ll need to add in the IE-only Shadow filter. Read here to find out more.

Multiple Backgrounds

One of the really nifty things in CSS 3 is its support for multiple background images on a given element. If you’ve ever nested multiple div elements just to get a bunch of background decorations to show up, this section is for you.

Take, for example, this simple set of styles and markup to present a quotation:

body {
	background: #c0ffee;
	font: 1em Georgia, serif;
	padding: 1em 5%;
}
.quotebox {
	font-size: 195%;
	padding: 80px 80px 40px;
	width: 16em;
	margin: 2em auto;
	border: 2px solid #8d7961;
	background: #fff;
}
.quotebox span {
	font-style: italic;
	font-size: smaller;
	display: block;
	margin-top: 0.5em;
	text-align: right;
}

One’s mind has a way of making itself up in the background, and it suddenly becomes clear what one means to do.
—Arthur Christopher Benson

Figure 7-25: Setting up the quotation’s box.

Now, adding a single background image is no big deal. Everyone has done it about a zillion times.

.quotebox {
	background: url(bg01.png) top left no-repeat;
	background-color: #fff;
}

Figure 7-26: Adding a single background.

But what if you want a little quarter-wheel in every corner? Previously, you would have nested a bunch of divs just inside the quotebox div. With CSS 3, just keep adding them to the background declaration:

.quotebox {
      background:
             url(bg01.png) top left no-repeat,
             url(bg02.png) top right no-repeat;
      background-color: #fff;
}

Figure 7-27: Applying two backgrounds to the same element.

Commas separate each background value to get multiple backgrounds:

.quotebox {
background:
             url(bg01.png) top left no-repeat,
             url(bg02.png) top right no-repeat,
             url(bg03.png) bottom right no-repeat,
             url(bg04.png) bottom left no-repeat;
      background-color: #fff;
}

Figure 7-28: Applying four backgrounds to a single element.

The effect here is extremely similar to nesting a bunch of divs. It’s just that with CSS 3, you don’t have to bother any more.

That similarity extends into the way background are composited together. You may have noticed that I split out the background-color declaration in order to have a nice flat white behind all the images. But what if you wanted to fold it into the background declaration? Where would you put it? After all, each of these comma-separated values sets up its own background. Put the color in the wrong place, and one or more images will be overwritten by the color.

As it turns out, the answer is the last of the values:

.quotebox {
background:
             url(bg01.png) top left no-repeat,
             url(bg02.png) top right no-repeat,
             url(bg03.png) bottom right no-repeat,
             #fff url(bg04.png) bottom left no-repeat;
}

That’s because the multiple background go from “highest�—that is, closest to you as you look at the page—to “lowest�—furthest away from you. If you put the color on the first background, it would sit “above� all the others.

This also means that if you want some kind of patterned background behind all the others, it needs to come last and you need to make sure to shift any background color to it.

.quotebox {
background:
             url(bg01.png) top left no-repeat,
             url(bg02.png) top right no-repeat,
             url(bg03.png) bottom right no-repeat,
             url(bg04.png) bottom left no-repeat,
             #fff url(bgparch.png) center repeat;
}

Figure 7-29: One element, five backgrounds.

Because of the possible complexities involved, I prefer to split any default background color into its own declaration, as shown earlier. Thus I’d write the preceding as:

.quotebox {
	background:
             url(bg01.png) top left no-repeat,
             url(bg02.png) top right no-repeat,
             url(bg03.png) bottom right no-repeat,
             url(bg04.png) bottom left no-repeat,
             url(bgparch.png) center repeat;
      background-color: #fff;
}

When you use the separate property, the color is placed behind all the images and you don’t have to worry about shifting it around if you reorder the images or add new images to the pile.

You can comma-separate the other background properties such as background-image. In fact, an alternate way of writing the preceding styles would be:

.quotebox {
    background-repeat: no-repeat, no-repeat, no-repeat, no-repeat, repeat;
    background-image: url(bg01.png), url(bg02.png), url(bg03.png), url(bg04.png), url(bgparch.png);
    background-position: top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left, center;
    background-color: #fff;
}

Different format, same result. This probably looks more verbose, and in this case it really is, but not always. If you drop the parchment background, then you could simplify the first declaration quite a bit:

.quotebox {
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    background-image: url(bg01.png), url(bg02.png), url(bg03.png), url(bg04.png);
    background-position: top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left;
    background-color: #fff;
}

Figure 7-30: Similar background, alternate syntax.

Given those styles, none of the background images would be repeated, because the single no-repeat is applied to all the backgrounds that are assigned to the element. The only reason you had to write out all the repeat values before was that the first four have one value and the fifth had another.

And if you were to write two values for background-repeat?

.quotebox {
    background-repeat: no-repeat, repeat-y;
    background-image: url(bg01.png), url(bg02.png), url(bg03.png), url(bg04.png);
    background-position: top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left;
    background-color: #fff;
}

In that case, the first and third images would not be repeated, whereas the second and fourth images would be repeated along the y axis. With three repeat values, they would be applied to the first, second, and third images, respectively, whereas the fourth image would take the first repeat value.

2D Transforms

If you’ve ever wanted to rotate or skew an element, border, and text and all, then this section is definitely for you. First, though, a word of warning: In order to keep things legible, this section uses the unprefixed version of the transform property. As of this writing, doing transforms in a browser actually would require multiple prefixed declarations, like so:

-webkit-transform: …;
-moz-transform: …;
-o-transform: …;
-ms-transform: …;
transform: …;

That should cease to be necessary in a year or two (I hope!) but in the meantime, keep in mind as you read through this section that it’s been boiled down to the unprefixed version for clarity.

Time to get transforming! Possibly the simplest transform to understand is rotation:

.box1 {
	-moz-transform: rotate(33.3deg);
}
.box2 {
	-moz-transform: rotate(-90deg);
}

Figure 7-31: Rotated element boxes. The red dashes show the original placement of the elements before their rotation.

In a sense, transforming is a lot like relative positioning: The element is placed normally and then transformed. You can transform any element at all, and in the case of rotation can use any real-number amount of degrees, radians, or grads to specify the angle of rotation. If you’ve ever wanted to rotate your blog by e radians or 225 grads, well, now’s your chance.

As you no doubt noticed, the boxes in the preceding example were rotated around their centers. That’s because the default transformation origin is 50% 50%, or the center of the element. You can change the origin point using transform-origin:

.box1 {
	transform: rotate(33.3deg);
	transform-origin: bottom left;
}
.box2 {
	transform: rotate(-90deg);
	transform-origin: 75% 0;
}

Figure 7-32: Elements rotated around points other than their centers.

Two notes: First, negative angles can be equivalent to positive angles. Thus, 270deg is equivalent to –90deg in the final positioning of the element, just as 0deg and 360deg are the same. Second, you can specify angles greater than the apparent maximum value. If you declare 540deg, the element’s final rotation will look exactly the same as if you’d declared 180deg (as well as –180deg, 900deg, and so on). The interim result may be different if you also apply transitions (see next section), but the final “resting” state will be equivalent.

Almost as simple as rotation is scaling. As you no doubt expect, this scales an element up or down in size, making it larger or smaller. You can do this consistently along both axes, or to a different degree along each axis:

.box1 {
	transform: scale(0.5);
}
.box2 {
	transform: scale(0.75, 1.5);
}

Figure 7-33: Scaled elements.

One scale() value means the element will be scaled by that amount along both the x and y axes. If there are two values, the first specifies the horizontal (X) scaling, and the second, the vertical (Y) scaling. Thus, if you want to leave the horizontal axis the same and only scale on the y axis, do this:

.box1 {
	transform: scale(0.5);
}
.box2 {
	transform: scale(1, 1.5);
}

Alternatively, you can use the scaleY() value:

.box1 {
	transform: scale(0.5);
}
.box2 {
	transform: scaleY(1.5);
}

Along the same lines is the scaleX() value, which causes horizontal scaling without changing the vertical scaling.

.box1 {
	transform: scaleX(0.5);
}
.box2 {
	transform: scaleX(1.5);
}

Figure 7-34: Two scaled elements, one scaled only on the Y axis.

Figure 7-35: Two scaled elements, one scaled only on the X axis.

When writing CSS yourself, it seems most convenient to just stick with scale() and fill in a 0 for the horizontal any time you want a purely vertical scaling. If you’re programmatically changing the scaling via DOM scripting, it might be easier to manipulate scaleX() and scaleY() directly.

As with rotation, you can affect the origin point for scaling. This allows you, for example, to cause an element to scale toward its top-left corners instead of shrink down toward its center:

.box1 {
	transform: scale(0.5);
	transform-origin: top left;
}
.box2 {
	transform: scale(1.5);
	transform-origin: 100% 100%;
}

Figure 7-36: Two scaled elements, each with a different scaling origin.

Similarly simple is translation. In this case, it isn’t changing the language from one to another, but “translating� a shape from one point to another. It’s an offset by either one or two length values.

.box1 {
	transform: translate(50px);
}
.box2 {
	transform: translate(5em,10em);
}

Figure 7-37: Translated elements.

Again, this is very much like relative positioning. The elements are placed normally and then transformed as directed. When there’s only one length value in a translate() value, it specifies a horizontal movement and the vertical movement is assumed to be zero. If you just want to translate an element up or down, you have two choices. First is to simply give a length of 0 for the horizontal value.

.box1 {
	transform: translate(0,50px);
}
.box2 {
	transform: translate(5em,10em);
}

The other is to use the value pattern translateY():

.box1 {
	transform: translateY(50px);
}
.box2 {
	transform: translate(5em,10em);
}

There is also a translateX(), which does about what you’d expect: moves the element horizontally!

Figure 7-38: Two differently translated elements.

While you can declare a transform-origin in cases where you’re just translating, it doesn’t matter all that much whether you do so. After all, whether an element’s center or top-left corner is pushed 50 pixels to the right doesn’t really matter. The element will end up in the same place either way. But that’s only true if all you’re doing is translating. If you do anything else at the same time, like rotate or scale, then the origin will matter. (More on combining transforms in a bit.)

The last type of transformation, skewing, is slightly more complex, although the method of declaring it is no more difficult than you’ve seen so far.

Skewing an element distorts its shape along one or both axes:

.box1 {
	transform: skew(23deg);
}
.box2 {
	transform: skew(13deg,-45deg);
}

If you provide only a single value for skew(), then there is only horizontal (X) skew, and no vertical (Y) skew. As with translations and scaling, there are skewX() and skewY() values for those times you want to explicitly skew along only one axis:

.box1 {
	transform: skewX(-23deg);
}
.box2 {
	transform: skewY(45deg);
}

Figure 7-39: Two skewed elements.

Figure 7-40: Two elements, each one skewed along a different axis.

Here’s how skewing works: Imagine there are two bars running through the element, one along each of the X and Y axes. When you skew in the X direction, the Y axis is rotated by the skew angle. Yes, the Y (vertical) axis is the one that rotates in a skewX() operation. Positive angles are counterclockwise, and negative angles are clockwise. That’s why the first box in the preceding example appears to tilt rightward: The Y axis was tilted 33.3 degrees clockwise.

The same basic thing happens with skewY(): The X axis is tilted by the specified number of degrees, with positive angles tilting it counterclockwise and negative angles tilting clockwise.

The interesting part here is how the origin plays into it. If the origin is in the center and you provide a negative skewX(), then the top of the element will slide to the right of the origin point while the bottom will slide to the left. Change the origin to the bottom of the element, though, and the whole thing will tilt right from the bottom of the element.

.box1 {
	transform: skewX(-23deg);
}
.box2 {
	transform: skewY(-23deg);
	transform-origin: bottom center;
}

Figure 7-41: Two skewed elements, each with a different skewing origin.

Similar effects happen with vertical skews.

So those are the types of transforms you can carry out. But what if you want to do more than one at a time? No problem! Just list them in the order you want them to happen.

.box1 {
	transform: translateX(50px) rotate(23deg);
}
.box2 {
	transform: scale(0.75) translate(25px,-2em);
}

Figure 7-42: Multiple transforms in action.

In every case, the transforms are executed one at a time, starting with the first. This can make a significant difference. Consider the differing outcomes of the same transforms in different orders.

.box1 {
	transform: rotate(45deg) skew(-45deg);
}
.box2 {
	transform: skew(-45deg) rotate(45deg);
}

There is one more transformation value type to cover: matrix(). This value type allows you to specify a transformation matrix in six parts, the last two of which define the translation. Here’s a code example:

.box1 {
	transform: matrix(0.67,0.23,0,1,25px,10px);
}
.box2 {
	transform: matrix(1,0.13,0.42,1,0,-25px);
}

Figure 7-43: The differences caused by transform value ordering.

Figure 7-44: Matrix transforms.

Basically, the first four numbers are a compact form of expressing the end result of rotating, skewing, and scaling an element, and the last two translate that end result. If you understand matrix-transformation math, then you’ll love this. If you don’t, don’t worry about it overmuch. You can get to the same place with the other transform values reviewed in this chapter.

If you’d like to learn about matrix transforms, here are two useful resources:

• Examples of Linear Transformation Matrices
• Coordinate Transformation Matrices

About the book

Smashing CSS takes you well beyond the basics, covering not only the finer points of layout and effects, but introduces you to the future with HTML5 and CSS3. This book is for developers who already have some experience with CSS and JavaScript and are ready for more advanced techniques.

(vf) (ik)

© Eric Meyer for Smashing Magazine, 2011. | Permalink | Post a comment | Smashing Shop | Smashing Network | About Us
Post tags: CSS, css3

I used to think the beginning of a website design project was the best part. Hopes are high. People are full of great ideas. Nobody is disappointed yet. But as I gained experience, I found that learning about a client’s brand, competitors and customers doesn’t always give clear direction about design goals.

Brand discussions can generate goals like “be modern,� but they don’t necessarily determine how to accomplish those goals. Competitor reviews can devolve into cherry-picking sessions that spawn “frankencomps� rather than provide helpful feedback. And mood boards, which communicate a general feeling, don’t help to articulate or prioritize design goals. With a design matrix, you can guide discussions and establish clear direction.

Hey, You Got Math In My Art…

Sometimes the abstract nature of design is enough to make you envy the people over in accounting, with their definite answers and proven formulas. While the beauty of design is that it transcends the world of definite answers, introducing a little math in the form of design matrices can help you create better websites by providing a clear picture of where the website design is today and where it should go tomorrow.

Design matrices don’t require any serious math skills because they’re based on the coordinate system. Chances are you’ve seen a competitor matrix that ranks brands according to two key attributes on X and Y axes (for example, value could be plotted against profit margin). A design matrix is essentially like a competitor matrix but ranks the client’s website against competitor websites, and it uses design attributes (“clean� and “warm,� for example) instead of other points of competitive comparison.

A typical competitor matrix ranks brands according to rational factors. (This example, which compares a few car models, was created for illustrative purposes only.)

A design matrix ranks website designs according to design attributes. (This example, which compares airline website designs, was created for illustrative purposes only).

Design matrices are powerful tools for determining the path of the website design process, because: they force you to determine two design attributes to focus on; they build consensus within a team; they guide the clients’ perception of competitors; and, most importantly, they lead to differentiated website designs.

The Art (And Math) Of Building A Design Matrix

Step 1: Gather Information

To build a design matrix, you will need to know the client’s core brand attributes and main competitors. You should also have a broad understanding of what the redesign aims to accomplish (from a design perspective): “the website is cluttered� or “our website is not engaging.� The good news is that information gathering is a normal part of the discovery phase.

A design matrix should not be the only piece of work involved in the discovery phase, but it can replace some other approaches. Creating or documenting a brand’s position and defining the key redesign goals are essential. However, a design matrix could potentially replace mood boards. A mood board is a collage or grid of images that capture the “feel� or “tone� of a brand. They are valuable tools for providing direction to new brands, but they provide a less concrete direction than a design matrix. If the brand is in its nascent form and needs broad high-level direction, then mood boards work well; but if you are working with an established brand or a client who prefers a concrete approach, then a design matrix is the best bet.

Document the brand’s position before creating a design matrix. (For illustrative purposes only.)

Image Spark is a great resource for creating online mood boards—particularly useful if you are working with a company that requires high-level brand definition.

Another common discovery activity that design matrices can replace is the “competitor website review.� Looking at competitors’ websites can generate lively discussion, but too often it either shifts the focus to feature sets instead of design direction, or it becomes a cherry-picking session for disparate design elements from a variety of websites that the designer is somehow supposed to mash together into a single coherent website design.

Create a design matrix that shows the current website in relation to competing websites. This way, you are less likely to get distracted by feature sets or be expected to combine all sorts of design elements. That said, if you are looking for an energizing group activity, competitor reviews can generate more brainstorming than a design matrix. Doing both is an option, but if you do that, then do the matrix after the walk-through of competitors.

Delta Airlines’ website.

United Airlines’ website.

Looking at these individual airline websites, rather than comparing them on a design matrix, can lead to a less design-oriented and more feature-focused conversation.

Step 2: Determine Your X and Y Axes

Narrowing down a design direction to two attributes can be uncomfortable for those of us accustomed to creative briefs that list a litany of brand attributes to guide our design. How often have we heard that a design should be “clean,� “inspiring,� “warm,� “engaging,� “approachable� and “trustworthy�? How do we even accomplish just two of these attributes? And if we must choose only two, how do we decide?

Understand that a design matrix is not intended to limit the final design to two attributes. That would be almost impossible. It is intended to illustrate the two most important attributes for taking the website design to the next level and differentiating it from that of competitors.

To determine your X and Y axes, ask yourself the following questions:

• Of all the brand’s attributes, what will make this client stand out from the crowd? Which design traits reinforce those brand attributes?
• What are the competitor websites’ strengths and weaknesses?
• What does the design need to do better in order to accomplish the website’s goals?

The X and Y axes should not be nearly synonymous (for example, “warm� and “engaging�), nor should they be mutually exclusive (“innovative� and “traditional�). There should be a slight tension between the two attributes.

The airline websites, for example, are ranked according to how “clean� and “personable� their designs are. There is a slight, but not negating, tension between these two attributes. Clean websites can come across as cold if they don’t have a distinctive voice or warm color palette. Personable websites are often less functionally organized. Achieving a high ranking for both attributes is a worthy challenge, and stepping up to that challenge will definitely create a distinctive website.

You might find that you change the labels of your axes as you place the websites on the matrix (see step 3), but the above process should get you pretty close to determining what the final axes should be.

Step 3: Play a Little

You know the competitors. You have a clear idea of what is important, brand- and design-wise. You have determined your x and y axes. It’s time to try some things out.

Place all of the websites on your matrix as you would rank them off the top of your head. As you begin to place them, you will most likely rearrange some as you compare them to others. This is a natural part of the process because the matrix shows relationships as well as individual rankings.

I was influenced by Jet Blue’s overall branding and so originally ranked its website’s personality fairly high. Later, when I compared it to the Delta and Virgin America websites, I revised the ranking.

Design matrices do not have to be limited to ranking competitors. They can also show a client’s website’s position among affinity brands (i.e. brands with a similar “feel� and customer base). Mini USA and Apple, for example, might be considered affinity brands because they both exemplify modern design and appeal to similar customer types.

Step 4: Get Serious

Things will take shape fairly quickly, but there is a final step before declaring your design direction matrix done and dusted. Before sharing the matrix with the client team, make sure you can defend it. Show it to others in your agency and see if they agree with your placement decisions. Ask these key questions:

1. Do my axes represent the two most important design attributes?
2. Can I clearly articulate why I placed each website where I did?
3. Will the redesign be able to get the website to the top-right corner? If not, what is holding it back?

If you answered yes, yes and yes (or yes, yes and yes if we do a certain thing…), then your website design direction matrix is ready to share with the client.

Creating Buy-In With Design Matrices

Everyone loves talking about design, but with everyone talking, we don’t always hear other ideas. If you show a client a design matrix before creating the initial comprehensives, then you will visibly and quantifiably show that you are on the same page; and because of that, you’ll likely be successful in the long run.

The design matrix will clearly show which websites you think best capture the desired attributes and where the current website falls into the mix. It is a tangible foundation for a conversation about design.

Invite the client to participate actively in this stage of the design process. Clients usually want to feel like they have had direct input in the design, and designers always prefer that the input comes sooner in a high-level, directional form (“The design feels cold�), rather than later in an overly specific form (“Make that element blue�).

Discuss the following questions:

• Does the matrix address the two most important design attributes?
• Do we all agree on the placement of competing and/or affinity brands?
• Do we all agree on the placement of the client’s brand?
• If we end up in the top-right corner, are we where we want to be?

Using a design matrix can be risky, mainly for one reason. Some clients have difficulty prioritizing the two most important design elements, and then they dig their heels in and declare that there are in fact four equally important elements. Hopefully, the matrix demonstrates how your choice of attributes distinguishes the website. If you meet with a lot of resistance, just create two matrices or conduct a competitor review (as discussed in step one).

Be prepared to explain your rationale and defend your position — but also be open to suggestions. Maybe there are good reasons to focus on different attributes, or maybe the team feels that the placements of some website are not quite right. Revising a design matrix is much easier than revising a design.

Truly Going The Distance

Creating a design matrix is a great first step, and getting client feedback is an awesome second step, but the most important step is to use the matrix as a resource as you design and when you present your designs to the client.

Ultimately, the purpose of a design matrix is to move a website design in the right direction. Specifically, move it to that space in the upper-right corner that represents the best of both worlds. As you design, continually refer to the matrix and see where your new iterations might fall on it.

Think about these questions as you design, and take notes for upcoming presentations:

• Do the new iterations embody the key attributes?
• Are they better than the competing and affinity brands?
• How do they accomplish the design goals?

When presenting designs to a client, review key findings and recommendations made during the discovery phase. Before presenting your designs, review the matrix with the client, and revisit the matrix at the end of the presentation to show that progress has been made.

Training Wheels: A Step-By-Step Overview Of A Design Matrix For Cannondale

The following walk-through illustrates the design matrix process in its entirety and addresses the kinds of decisions that need to be made when creating a matrix. The exercise below is entirely theoretical. I do not work, nor have I ever worked, for any major bicycle manufacturer, including Cannondale. Thoughts about what design attributes Cannondale might strive for are purely my opinion. Thoughts about competing website design attributes are informed by looking at their websites and general industry expertise — just as yours will be.

How would you create a design matrix for Cannondale? (This example is purely illustrative.)

Step 1: Understand

For the purposes of this exercise, let’s assume that Cannondale has chosen you to redesign its website. Your first step will be to understand its brand, its competition and the desired attributes of its new website. Let’s also assume that you left the initial discovery meeting with this information:

• Cannondale’s key competitors are Trek, Giant, Diamondback and Fuji.
• Its brand is about performance, innovation and a superior craftsmanship that inspires riders.

When you ask about the desired design attributes, Cannondale’s representatives say the website should capture the sense of elation that comes with a successful bike ride. They also want the website to showcase technical innovation, dedication to quality and devotion to the individual rider. Your notes read, “inspiring, innovative, technical, individual, quality.�

Step 2: Determine Your Axes

The X and Y axes reflect the client’s most important and desired design attributes, but do look at competing websites before naming the axes; they will inform your direction and give you ideas about what would be distinctive.

Upon viewing the competitor websites, I found both Trek’s and Fuji’s to be “immersive� and “powerful,� with clean, bold imagery. Fuji’s was slightly colder and more “technical.� Diamondback has an inspiring home page, but the website loses steam and doesn’t showcase the individual bikes distinctively. Giant has a strong focus on teams and individual riders and helpful bike selection tools, but the design is flat.

So, how does all of this play into naming the axes and creating the matrix? Going back to your note about desired design attributes, we see that Cannondale wants to showcase technical innovation, which Trek and Fuji do well on their websites; Cannondale wants to inspire, which Trek and Fuji do through immersive imagery; unlike Giant, though, Cannondale doesn’t want to focus on racing.

At first, it may seem that “inspiring� and “innovative� would be good axes names, but those attributes don’t have quite enough tension. They are not synonyms, but there is no balance either. “Inspiring� and “quality� may come to mind, but “quality� is not a design attribute; it’s something the client wants to showcase (it’s an attribute of the product, not the design).

I chose “inspiring� and “technical� for the desired design attributes. “Inspiring� works because the client wants to inspire riders. “Technical� is a good second attribute because it captures innovation and product quality while striking a balance with “inspiring.� There is a healthy tension between the two words. Capturing both emotion and technical detail is difficult. Accomplish that balance and you’ll leave the competition in the dust.

Step 3: Place Websites on the Matrix

I always start by plotting all of the websites roughly where I think they fall on the matrix, and then I move them around as I consider the relationships between the websites.

I originally placed Cannondale’s website in the lower-left corner but, as I compared it to the other websites, I realized that it’s actually more technically focused than others, including Diamondback and Giant. That said, the Trek and Fuji websites are still more technical, with their bold product showcases and detailed imagery.

Inspiration-wise, the current Cannondale website seems to be on par with Giant’s: there is imagery of bikers, but it feels flat and diminutive.  Diamondback’s immersive home page raises it a bit above the others. Trek’s warmth and voice put it in the lead for inspiration. I originally had Trek in the upper-right, but I ultimately decided that Fuji’s website has a more technical feel to it.

The final matrix (below) is informative on many levels. It shows where Cannondale currently is and where the websites are that it needs to surpass in order to get to where we determined it needs to go. Naturally, the final design will have a unique flavor, but looking at the competing designs will partly uncover how to get there.

A design matrix informs the path of the design process.

Step 4: Consensus

This is a purely illustrative example, so I did not show this to a team (or the client) for feedback. Typically, feedback focuses on the desired design attributes (“Is this where we want to go?�) and the placement of all of the websites on the matrix. The most important thing is to agree on direction, of course, and then to determine the goal. The hard part is to design a website that gets there.

Step 5 (the Big One): Using It

The last step is not so much a step as a big stride. Once you’ve created the matrix, the important part comes: using it to create a better website. Make a copy for everyone involved in the project (including those in other disciplines) and have them put it up somewhere to serve as a daily reminder and motivator.

Refer to the matrix as you design. Are the decisions you are making moving you toward the upper-right? For example, if you were choosing images for the Cannondale website, ask yourself relevant questions:

• Is this image inspirational?
• Does it convey the technical expertise of Cannondale?
• How can the design be more inspiring?
• How can I better convey the technical passion of the brand?

As mentioned, revisiting the matrix when showing comps to the client will help justify your approach, but the real reason to create a matrix isn’t to sell comps or do a fun exercise during discovery; rather, it is to remind us of the path we are on. We could take so many directions, and going down a road that looks good but doesn’t take you where you want to be is all too easy.

Think of your design matrix as a compass. It’s not as precise (or cold) as a GPS; it’s an old pocket compass that wobbles a bit as you walk but still gets you to the summit.

Do’s And Don’ts

The beauty of design matrices is that they provide a new way to look at competitors and a tangible foundation on which to begin discussions with clients. They also enable you to play a little as you tweak the axes’ names and the websites’ placement to get them just right. There is wiggle room in the methodology and application, so have fun with it. That said, there are a few set guidelines worth adhering to for success:

• Don’t be afraid to experiment.
• Do get your ducks in a row. Verify the desired design attributes and the competitor and affinity brands with a client before proceeding, so that the matrix is relevant.
• Don’t base your insights on home pages alone. A website’s design is more than the home page. Your matrix might use a home page screenshot, but include it only if it represents the overall design of the website.
• Do share your toys. Get team input about the placement of websites on the matrix. It’s not an altogether scientific approach, but be as objective as possible.
• Don’t carve it in stone. Be open to recommendations from clients. Changing a matrix is easier than changing a comp.
• Do use it to sell your work. Present the matrix as part of your comp presentation in order to explain your rationale and sell your comps.
• Don’t matrix and run. Don’t abandon the matrix after the discovery process. Refer to it regularly.

Enjoy the process of creating a matrix and of seeing opportunities to design a distinctive website for your client.

Further Reading

• “Differentiating Your Design: A Visual Approach to Competitive Reviews,â€� by Michael Hawley
• “Beyond “I Hate Greenâ€�: Managing Productive Visual Design Reviews,â€� by Kim Cullen
• “The Four Phases of Design Thinking,â€� by Warren Berger

(al) (vf)

© Bridge for Smashing Magazine, 2011. | Permalink | Post a comment | Smashing Shop | Smashing Network | About Us
Post tags: business, Design, matrix

A friend of mine just earned his real estate license and now he’s in the process of setting up office online. He’s already familiar with WordPress, so he came to me and asked if I had any advice on using WordPress for a real estate website. WordPress is really the hot ticket for building real estate site right now, which is both good and bad.

On the one hand, the demand for real estate themes and plugins has encouraged innovation among developers and they’re coming up with some pretty neat tools for agents to use when managing their properties online. On the other hand, you want to make sure that your website stands out from the crowd of similarly-themed websites so that you can attract clients and impress them with your marketing skills and web savvy. For an agent, a good website shows potential clients that they have 21st century skills and can do what it takes to sell a home in this tough market.

So, in answer to his question I rounded up a list of the top WordPress themes for building a real estate website that is sure to stand out in a crowd and help you—and your listings—get noticed.

continue reading 9 Stand-Out Real Estate Themes for WordPress

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