Image Coloring with Photoshop

Here is a quick Adobe Photoshop technique for colorizing black and white photos. Swedesignz also has a number of other tutorials to check out. Combining this technique with an effective image, on the appropriate project, will allow you to achieve some pretty stunning results.

Rochester, MN Real Estate Website

We wanted to take a minute to point out a local Rochester, MN Real Estate website from local realtor Shawn Buryska. The design and depth of information on the site is something to be admired in the online real estate market. Interactivity also plays a roll, in this example of a great Web 2.0 site, by searching for featured Rochester Minnesota online MLS Listings and saving your favorite properties. This is truly a site we hope you'll visit whether you're searching for a home, selling your own, or just looking for good website ideas.

The visual design of Web 2.0

So what are the visual design elements of Web 2.0? Well to start, gradients, colorful icons, reflections, dropshadows, and large text all play a big role. Granted these particular design features are not required of a Web 2.0 site, but they certainly seem to be prevalent in the new breed of sites emerging on the Internet. In a way, through design and CSS, you can immediately announce to your visitors that you are proficient in the latest coding and design trends, and staying afloat in the quickly changing world of web design. For further reading, check out Pixel Acres article about The Visual Design of Web 2.0.

CSS Shorthand Guide

There's no definitive guide to CSS shorthand, but we've found a very concise CSS Shorthand Guide that's very well rounded. You can learn all about font, background, border, and numerous other CSS styles that can be condensed in your code. This saves time, money, and bandwidth!

CSS Forms

CSS Forms have taken on a life of their own on many Web 2.0 sites. Here is an article showing examples of beautiful and functional forms made with CSS. These forms can be used anywhere, from generated leads and contacts, to checking out on your e-commerce site. You'll no longer have to code the boring looking forms, and you can add a little more fun and flavor to your website!

A Closer Look at Color

Digital Web Magazine has posted an interesting article on Color. As a designer we normally think of color as a tool to achieve a desired look or feel on a website. But the implications, history, and science of color goes far beyond the web designer's color wheel. And their article hits on many of the significant aspects of color.

Collection of Fonts

Every designer needs a good source of fonts. They're the basis for getting significant text information to the viewer, and different fonts allow for different interpretations of the information. Here is a great collection of fonts that are free to download. It's another Web 2.0 site, so you can preview what your text will look like in any of the fonts before downloading.