Jamaica Web Design Chat

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  • Best web design trends 2022

    October 29, 2022

    The very thing that makes web design interesting is its dynamism and diversity. The world of web design is constantly evolving, and the result is the trends we see year in and out. Every new trend and development should keep a web designer on his feet trying to catch up and even stay ahead of the pack.

    2022 has brought us a breath of fresh air as far as web design is concerned, with a growing interest in interactive designs, seamless experiences, and visual attraction. Let us catch up on the biggest and most creative 2022 web design trends.

    Typographic Hero Images

    This web design trend has continued from the previous years into 2022 and remains popular even today, probably because of its visual appeal and the interesting contrast between the background and text. If you have ever seen an image resembling a banner that contains large font texts that are overlaid atop interesting background colors and images, then you have seen a typographic hero image.

    The designs are easy to produce, and they go a long way to improving the personality of a website.

    Neo-Brutalism

    Neo-Brutalism is another design that made it into 2022 from the past; this time, coming from as far back as the 1950s. This trend has continued to be loved over decades because of its ability to engage the viewer’s mind. The brutalist style is rough around the edges, but beautiful and creative. Neo-brutalism is a recent trend in 2022 that continues to tease the thin line between an edgy and novel design and an unfinished work that needs improvement while delivering eye-catchy, statement-making designs.

    Engaging Interactives

    Interactions are the biggest thing in web design these days, and engaging interactions take responsiveness and psycho-physiological communication to new dimensions. Engaging interactions on websites engage all the senses of the users to get psychological responses, especially when dealing with products.

    Engaging interaction helps the user feel like they are physically touching and observing the product. They include object rotation, zooming in, and selection of colors, models, and sizes.

    Visual/Visible Borders

    Visual borders have stepped in to save the day at a time when websites are becoming more crowded and complex. They deliver an organized and professional look and make the page look spacious and clean. Simple borders are a nineties fad, but the visibility of the comeback version is higher and more pronounced than the older version.

    Do not miss getting visual borders on the website you’re designing because it delivers an important aesthetic flair.

    Horizontal scrolling

    Moving away from vertical scrolling yet? In 2022, the answer is a resounding Yes! More web designs in 2022 are featuring scrolling for several reasons. Horizontal scrolling is an interesting way to view a gallery of images, a list of products, and other visual contents on websites. And while it might be easy to think vertical scrolling is all we have known, a look back into time will remind you that horizontal browsing was how we navigated websites in the distant past.

    Horizontal scrolling is a powerful addition to websites of companies that share visual content, whether in the fashion, tech, or skincare industry.

    Conclusion

    Maui Website design agency Ocean Epic mentions while these might be the big five web design trends for 2022, some other web design trends you can consider checking out include retro revolution, moving type, handmade graphics, minimalism, and image collages. The essence is to make websites more engaging, appealing, and easier to use. If a trend ends up making it impossible or difficult for visitors to navigate the site easily, it is not worth it in the first place.

  • Web Tools to Explore as a Web Developer

    August 25, 2022

    As a business owner, it can be a challenge determining the right tools needed for your website. Many entrepreneurs actually know very little (if any) web development technologies.

    But whether you’re deciding to build a website yourself, or you’re looking to outsource the task to a company, it’s important that you get familiar with what platforms and tools are available at your disposal.

    Exploring Web Development

    Creating a website or application usually boils down to having an understanding of 3 technologies. These are HTML (the backbone of literally every website), CSS (makes things look pretty) and JavaScript (adds a little functionality and flair to websites).

    While it can seem a bit confusing, having even basic knowledge of these technologies can help you understand what’s going on with your newly created website. One of the companies that teaches these principles can be found in Jamaica (see websites – bestwebdesignjamaica.com).

    But more on them later.

    In this article, our goal is to present you with a few of the latest options on the market. Let’s dive in and look at the different options..

    HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

    As previously mentioned, HTML is the starting point of literally every single website you can imagine. This is basically the language of the internet and it helps you define the structure of your site, it’s elements and the overall design. If you’re planning to get familiar with HTML, you may want to also look into CSS.

    Cascading Stylesheets (CSS)

    CSS goes hand in hand with HTML. It defines how everything looks on a webpage. If you’ve ever visited Facebook for example, you would have noticed that the text appears a certain color or the header section has a blue background. This is all thanks to stylesheets. With CSS, you essentially define how your elements are displayed.

    JavaScript (JS)

    We often interact with online applications and sites without appreciating everything that’s happening in the backend to make things run. JavaScript is a programming language that allows you to add complex features to a website. With your scripts you can update the content of your app, create image animations and edit a bunch of dynamic behaviour. It’s powerful to have this knowledge accessible at your finger tips.

    Understanding Web Frameworks

    A framework provides the base point for development. Using one of the frameworks we’re about to highlight cuts down the time it would typically take to build out an application from start to finish. This allows the programmer to be much more efficient.

    In addition, it reduces the time it would take to launch and deploy an application. With that said however, there are of course some disadvantages to using a framework (you would still require a highly trained developer and it’s certainly not something the average business owner would interact with themselves).

    Angular

    One of the most popular options available right now is Angular. It allows you to build cool apps without requiring the use of any other framework or a plugin for that matter. There’s a bunch of templates and coding options available too.

    Ruby on Rails

    This technology was made with the purpose of allowing a faster and hassle-free buildout. Based on the fact that the code is reusable (plus the many other pros), you can launch your application in no time. There are a number of websites online today that use Ruby and you’ve likely interacted with several without even knowing it!

    Zend

    Zend is open source and created around a well-known language (PHP). It’s features are however still being create and it’s not as popular as the other 2 options mentioned on this list.

    Content Management Systems

    On this list so far, we’ve primarily highlighted the technologies behind a website and how they can be used in it’s development. Most people who decide to learn how to do things “code-free” however will most likely come across a CMS (Content Management System).

    But what is this?

    It is essentially a software which allows you to add, edit, delete and manage your information with absolute ease. No need for complicated web jargon or knowledge. The learning curve for such platforms is usually not as crazy as other things mentioned on this list.

    • Some of the popular CMS on the market include:
    • WordPress (our preferred choice)
    • Drupal
    • Joomla
    • Magento
    • Sitecore
    • and the list goes on
  • The Creative Web Design Process

    August 23, 2022

    Let’s chat Web Design and Inspiration

    As seasoned web developers we often get asked the question “what inspires you the most?“

    There’s also people that ask “where do you find inspiration when building for others?” In this quick guide we will give you some suggestions so that you can become a more creative designer.

    3 Sources to Motivate

    The scope of a web project can often influence the design of a creator. Not knowing where to start when building a custom site can often leave you feeling frustrated but before you throw you give up, we recommend at least exploring these sources:

    1. Behance
      The web design page of Behance provides more than a handful of designs to inspire the entire community (that includes you!). They are categorized and you can do searches for specific criteria to narrow your options.
    2. Awwwards
      What we love about this particular website is that there is a team of judges or “experts” that handpick the designs they love. These are often people with varying backgrounds in the field of web development so you can be sure the designs they choose are top-notch. We’re sure you’ll love the top-class designs chosen.
    3. Product Page Exploration
      Sometimes the best way to find inspiration is by exploring theme sites and landing page creators.

      We;ve found that looking at sites like themeforest and leadpages can definitely inspire you.

      Try these 3 places and message us if you have questions.

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