Tag Archives: Designer

A Top London Interior Designer, What Do You Feel?

Interior designers sometimes get asked about the hottest colour trends. And this season, we have a confession to make: white is the new black! White interior designs are hip and trendy once again, and in particular those sterile white kitchens are now all the rage. This is particularly true in London, where the dull and gloomy skies can make clients cry out for a touch of bright white interior design freshness.

When you walk into a beautiful white kitchen designed by a top London Interior Designer, what do you feel? Many of us are overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions. We feel carefree and almost as if we are floating on air. The pervasive whiteness brings to mind age-old simplicity, sanitary freshness, contemporary impact, and a roomy, playful outlook. The interior designer will use the white kitchen as a philosophy to evoke a sentiment of purity for food preparation and to empower boundless chef-inspired inspiration.

Many interior design consultancies use white as a fabulous background for the presentation of magical colours and textures. For example, one top trend today is to use deeply varnished wooden joists to contrast with sharply-defined white architectural surrounds. Colourful interior design accents really “pop out” in this context. Alternatively, the quiet pastels of a London autumn can make for a classic and sophisticated interior design scheme.

The newest London kitchens may be white today, but the true home of the white kitchen has got to be Sweden. Just like London, Stockholm has short days and long nights for much of the year. Homeowners naturally crave interior designs that maximise the amount of reflected internal light in these climates. Swedish interior designers will create themes that are inspired by the widespread use of wintertime candles and sconces.

Returning to less northern cities like London, a simple white kitchen works well with dramatic black accents. A very dark or bold interior design element, used rhythmically in the kitchen, creates balance and interest. Contrast in tone and color is the underpinning of what might otherwise be experienced as a ‘simple’ or ‘flat’ kitchen.

Is a white kitchen ‘classic’ in the sense that it can ‘fit’ into any interior design? Certainly not! Understanding design context, and especially the architecture of all the elements, the proportions of color and tone, and a true balance with the surrounding interior spaces, are essential for the presentation of a visual logic, a ‘whole’. Top London interior designers recognise this, and their efforts have made the white kitchen philosophy a real winner today.

It is such a delight for the interior designer to be able to transform a house into a home

As a professional London Interior Designer, I meet with clients all the time who simply crave more originality and personality in their interior spaces. It is such a delight for the interior designer to be able to transform a house into a home by judicious use of lighting, stencils, photo frames, rugs and frames, to name just a few. Each of the different classes of accessories allows the professional interior designer to lean into a certain style, emotion or personality framework in order to create stunning results. In this article, I will draw on my experience in London’s design community to suggest a few great options if you’re looking to spruce up your home this winter with some interior designer magic.

LIGHTING. If there are nooks and crannies that just don’t get enough light, interior designers may recommend low-voltage illumination to make your interiors look larger and more welcoming. This can also boost your mood – perfect for the gloomy and overcast London skies that are all too common this time of year. Some professional interior designers will recommend theatrical lighting moods, so that you can flip between settings to choose either relaxed, or atmospheric and edgy, or task-orientated, all according to your needs.

COLOUR. The hue of the lighting system can substantially impact the overall look of a room. Incandescent filaments are now being phased out across the European Union, and London interior designers are having to rely instead on compact fluorescents or halogens to create custom effects.

SCONCES. Wall-mounted sconces slide over lightbulbs to give a gentle fuzzy glow to a room. Interior designers sometimes combine glass outer sheaths with paper diffusers to create unique effects and soften the overall feel.

ARTWORK. Art is great, but well-lit artwork is even better – and interior designers are often specially-trained in how to perfectly illuminate choice pieces of art. Recessed lighting can be a great solution for both photographs and paintings. For sculptures, some interior designers love to use spotlights or feature lighting for more of a museum showcase feel.

INTERIOR DESIGNERS DO OUTSIDE, TOO! Exterior lighting is a great way to make a fabulous first impression for evening dinner guests or invitees to a luxury London soiree at your designer home. Exterior lighting solutions can even cast light indoors, as well … some interior designers like to be really creative and hide exterior lights in bushes or under trees to create natural diffusion before the light trickles in through the windows and makes fabulous patterns on the ceiling or wall.

This bring to an end my mini-series on how London interior designers use accessories, styles and history to create astonishing results.

Win Over Failures and be a Better Web Designer

All success stories start from a tale of failure. But it wholly depends on the person how small he wants that tale to be, and keep on continuing his quest for success. Ask those who are successful and famous, how many times they had failed before getting their first success move right towards the target?

 

For web designers, there could be many tips which they need to keep in their mind 24×7, but the points below, however it may sound simple but must prioritize among them all . I am saying this, not because these bullets are coming right away from my pen. The reason you may understand after reading it till the bottom of the page.

 

Till now you might have come across many headings and tags like, ‘Tips to become a good web designer’ or ‘10 tricks to create awesome designs’ etc. But there is nothing like that with this article. Here I have tried to jot down some very simple mistakes which people know but still fall to them.

 

Failure to update

 

Failure of keeping your site updated lowers the chances of your visitors to re-visit your site and hence you lower the popularity of your website. No body is interested in stale or redundant news. So keep your site full of current news, widgets, tools and techniques. Data updating could be one way among many to keep your visitors glued to your site.

 

2.Failure to check the market

Keep an eye on the market trends, what’s new has come or what is out of the trend. It is very important because the world over Internet is so quick in changing its preferences that it keeping up with its pace is a maneuvering task. A constant change in approach is the new mantra to keep up the ‘uniqueness’. So be on your toes and stay alert.

 

3.Failure to maintain

Many websites contain nested font tags and basic HTML errors, which could be corrected easily. Simple typo errors, wrong alignment, broken error links etc., can create a bad impression over users. The power of Internet has made websites so vulnerable that even before acknowledging any mistake, it gets nagged by many, resulting in the negative publicity of the web site.

 

4.Failure to make content stand-out

Don’t stuff too much advertisement on your website. Believe in your content & website and let them only bring revenue for you. Too much advertisement on your web site can give it a spammy look rather than informative or professional.

How to Avoid Getting Ripped Off by Your Web Designer

OK, you’ve heard, read, and been told by folks that having a website is a great way to reach a global audience. You even know some folks who do a substantial business entirely on the internet. You don’t want to be left behind, so you decide to have your own website. But let me warn you – there are several things that you need to do, learn, understand and research before you jump in, unless you have money to burn. If not, let’s get started right away.

First of all, you need to decide what you really want and expect from your website. When I say want, I mean everything – A to Z. How do you want your website to look aesthetically? How do you want your navigation? Do you want a static site or a dynamic one? How frequently do you want it updated? Will you write the content yourself or will you seek the services of a copy writer? (warning: if you copy content off some other website you are doing copyright infringement and may receive a DCMA complaint and even get sued). Always plan your website content keeping the focus on your customer. What does your customer seek before arriving at your website? It is advisable to visit a few websites, especially your competitors and see how they have their websites done. This will give you pointers and help you take directions.

Once you know what you expect from your website, start inviting web design and development quotes from multiple sources, like recommendations from friends and associates, online sources like elance, yellow pages, etc. Also ask them what type of hosting plans will be required. Once you’ve taken sufficient quotes, do some research for hosting providers on Google; you will get several choices. I’ve found that AwareINDIA.net is one of the good ones who give excellent support. Their rates are also very economical (just a few cents to a few dollars a month depending on the plan you choose). You will also need to have some idea of search engine marketing (SEM) costs before you form a budget for web design. SEM is a great way to ensure free long term visitor traffic to your website. While SEM will not be required immediately, it makes sense to know if all expenses meet your budget, else you will require making some compromises. It is also advisable to let your SEM company work hand in hand with your designer, as your website also needs to be search engine optimized (SEO) so that SE robots can index your pages properly and rank them higher for your desired keywords and phrases.

It may interest you to know that there are several open source software available which can take care of your website needs. For example, OS commerce and Zen Cart are some great options if you plan to have a shopping cart system and ecommerce enable your website. If you want a discussion forum, PHPbb is one of the best used extensively. If you’re looking out for a Portal or CMS software, there are Joomla, Drupal, Mambo, Post Nuke, PHP Nuke, and many more. Some folks even use blog software to power their website which gives it an interactive edge. Popular blog software are wordpress, b2evolution and nucleus. The good news is, most of these software can be installed for free at the click of a button without requiring any technical skills, if your hosting provider supports fantastico (AwareINDIA.net does support it). In fact, you can even buy ready made templates specially designed for and compatible with these software. Some companies even make customized templates. It’s a good idea to research on these software and also discuss this with your programmer and weigh the options if it is viable or not. Building a system from scratch would be quite expensive, especially if you’re on a tight budget. In fact, just mentioning about fantastico and these open source software with your designer will immediately cause him to feel as if you’re very much aware of the market and he will certainly think twice before giving you an exorbitant quote!

Some hosting providers also provide a Do-It-Yourself website builder which is quite easy to use, eliminating the need for a web designer altogether. However, there are some limitations with such options. AwareINDIA.net does offer this option; in fact, you can even get a free trial and see if it suits your requirements. If you’re comfortable using Microsoft Word, you should be able to design your own website without much hassle.

If you do plan to use the services of a designer, make sure you have everything in black and white. Keep the terms and conditions of the contract crystal clear. This is good for both of you as it is binding. Use an escrow service if required – most online portals like elance have this option. If you wish to read more of my work, you can visit http://www.bharatbhasha.com/author.php/Nirjara%20Rustom – I’ve written several articles related to SEO, online success, marketing tips, email marketing, etc.

5 Things Every Web designer Should Know

So, you are planning to become a serious web designer? Or you think you already are? Check out on these 5 things and see if you confirm to all of these!

1. There is more than one browser

Internet Explorer for windows is by far not the only browser around. You should test your website on both the Macintosh and on the PC. You can use Internet Explorer 6, Mozilla Firefox and Opera on the PC and Safari and Firefox on the Macintosh. Internet Explorer for the mac is no longer supported by Microsoft so don’t bother testing, things will hardly work anyway with today’s CSS coding.

2. CSS is the way to go

There is no doubt about it. If you are serious about developing websites you should use Cascading Style Sheets for both your layout and your design. This way you have total control over how your page behaves in all browsers.


It also adds great flexibility to your website for later on, when you are planning to do a redesign for example.

3. Create all your code yourself

Don’t even try to use the Design view from Dreamweaver or Frontpage.


The code it generates is by far not what you want if you need to have full control of your page. For maximum control you should always work in the code view and create things yourself.

4. Use Mozilla Firefox for JavaScript debugging

The error messages Internet Explorer generates are quite irritating to say the least. It doesn’t even tell you what is actually missing and on what place things go wrong.


If there’s one browsers that can help you with your JavaScript development then Firefox is the one. The JavaScript console is by far the most detailed one and will help you very much when you are testing your scripts.

5. Use the Web development Toolbar for both Internet Explorer and Firefox

These toolbars will help you a lot because there are filled with debugging tools and handy shortlinks to useful tools.


The one for Firefox can be found at: http://chrispederick.com/work/webdeveloper/


And the one for Internet Explorer can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=e59c3964-672d-4511-bb3e-2d5e1db91038&displaylang=en


You really need to have at least these toolbars!

So now you know what you need to have to be a successful web designer. Don’t forget to download at least the toolbars. They will help you a lot and will save you a lot of time.

Hilco van der Meer is known as the author of the Cascading Stylesheet course How To Master CSS. He’s a professional web designer for over 5 years. More information about the course can be found at: http://www.HowToMasterCSS.com

How Do you Choose a Web Designer?

Its evolution. Simply put, every business needs a web site, for several reasons. If you are asking this question, you already know your business will need a web site, or it needs a new web site. Now it’s time to find the designer.

Before you even go looking for a web designer, sit down and determine what you need, what you want, and what you can afford. You know what kind of business you have (or will have) and you know what you what to offer people from your web site. Determine if you need a brochure site to promote your business or an e-commerce site to sell your products, and what types of add-ons you want (blog, newsletter, user accounts, forums, podcast, audio/video, Flash). The more you need + the more you want = the more it will cost.

Next you need to determine if you want to use a local company or designer or if you are okay with global pros working on your project. Both have benefits.

Local

You can go into the office with your notes jotted down and meet with a real liver person to discuss what you need and find out what they can do and have done. If they have a local office, it means they have been around for awhile and will likely remain. You can check credentials and Better Business Bureau lists to ensure they are professional. But they are likely to charge more as it costs a lot to run an office. They may also only work with larger budgeted sites.

Global

No limits. You can find a web designer anywhere in the world. And the costs can vary widely from super cheap to extremely pricey. You can go for a large company or a single person. But be careful, sometimes not everything is as it seems. You may find yourself dealing with a 1 man operation when you thought you were dealing with a large corporation. When choosing a global pro, be sure to look at everything they have done and ask as many questions as you can to determine the legitimacy. Make sure you know who they are and what they can do with you.

Once you know what you are looking for, it is time to begin your search. Go to Google or your favorite search engine and do a search for what you need. Do not go with the very first result. click on every listing for the first few pages so you get a good feel for these types of sites.

First Impression

Once you have seen them all, narrow your search by choosing the ones whose sites you liked best. This is important because if you are unhappy th the site they use, you may not be happy with the site they give you.

Professional

After narrowing it down, investigate the sites. Go through every page, make sure everything works and there are no obvious typos. If they are thorough and professional about their own site, they will be with yours.

Portfolio

Make sure they have a portfolio and client list available on their site, and make sure it is current. If the portfolio looks like it has not been updated in years, the company may no longer exist. Check all the sites they have done to ensure they are professional, and make sure they have some designs you like.

Qualifications

After looking through the portfolio make sure there are sites in the portfolio or client list that they have done sites that have the same features you need on your site. If they have never done anything like what you need, it may be because no one asked, but more likely because it is not something they can do.

Contact

All companies provide you with ways to contact them. With global pro’s there is not always a brick and mortar office, so contact will usually be via email. This is fine, but it is always better when a company provides a phone number as well. You may never call, but it is always good to know there is a number incase you need it. When you do contact a company, ensure they respond to you in a timely manner. Waiting 2 or 3 business days is not acceptable. If they make you wait on the initial contact, image how long you would wait when working with them.

RFQ

Every company should offer you a free request for quote. Send an email to several companies outlining what you need, and what you want. You may want to keep your project budget under wraps until you hear back from the quotes. you may be shocked at the quotes, or you may be pleasantly surprised.

Once you have a few quotes in you can see what the budget looks like and you can now determine who to work with. Determine who has the best sites, can do the most, and do it for the best price.

Once you have that, your ready to roll on your new site.

Feling informed? Get your free quote from Creative Compulsions today.

Choosing a Web Designer

Have you hired a professional web designer to create your company’s web site only to find out after three months your site has not been completed and your designer seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth? Don’t get stock half way like thousands of business owners and end up with an incomplete web design. Here is a list of things to consider when choosing the right professional for your project: References: Ask for references. An experienced designer should be able provide good experiences from his/her clients.

Ask around: It is a good idea to find a designer based on a referral from someone you know or do business with.

Register your own domain: Make sure you do your own domain registrations. If you don’t know how to do it or don’t feel comfortable, ask your designer to help you but make sure you have complete control of your domain.

Ask for a timeframe: Experienced designers should be able to tell how long a project can take based on the requirements. If you get a runaround, you’re dealing with someone who does not know what he’s doing.

If you are a business owner then you need to have a website. The first thing for you to do is learn enough about how the internet works, and how having a website will benefit your business. There are more than enough customers out there to benefit from.

Remember that you have to be careful when choosing the designer that’s going to portrait your business image online. Once your web site is up and running you need to be able to react to market changes and sales opportunities and you need a professional that will be there when you need it.