Archive for year: 2017

Original Source: https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2017/10/5-ways-to-design-with-accelerated-mobile-pages/

The mobile web keeps growing at a rapid pace.

Smartphones continue to sell strongly, with Apple alone forecasting to bring in $180 billion from its smartphones by 2021. There are over 224 million smartphone users in the United States, making the mobile web an essential focus for any website owner.

The continued growth of mobile web users makes it important for designers and front-end developers to grasp proper design for accelerated mobile pages.

The practice of accelerated mobile pages emphasizes design choices that align with what search engines perceive as friendly, including a defined audience, high-quality content, proper formatting and seamless mobile compatibility. You will notice a variety of accelerated mobile pages when browsing Google in mobile by the abbreviation AMP in search results.

Accelerated mobile pages still use HTML, though they incorporate special elements that prioritize speed on mobile devices. AMP technical requirements are established by the AMP Project, with the standards worked on alongside major traffic influencers like Google. The project was created in response to clunky user interfaces and slow load times when browsing sites on a mobile device.

AMP emphasizes instant speed and a familiarized appearance, giving creators the ability to style their pages within the AMP framework. The boilerplate-centric design on most AMP pages gives a similar feel of navigation, despite differences in content presentation and color schemes.

The result is a faster, more cohesive browsing experience that improves drop rates, increases reader engagement and ushers in mobile web browsing as a mainstay.

With the power and potential of AMP so evident, it’s practical for designers to regard the tips below to help optimize the AMP experience, so their clients will benefit in a variety of ways.

1. Consider AMP-Carousel for the Homepage

Make an impression on the page most of your visitors will begin with. Static content can be displayed on AMP to showcase available products, piquing interest for e-commerce sites as well as those displaying general content.

The AMP-carousel feature enables designers to display multiple similar pieces of content on a horizontal axis. After importing the carousel component in the header, you can utilize type=”carousel” to show up a list of images, appearing as a continuous strip. It’s an eye-catching feature that’s ideal for the front page when you’re trying to hook visitors into seeing something beyond the homepage.

2. Show Related Posts and Products

Encourage site visitors to dig deep into your content. You can accomplish this by showing a list of related products or posts to the one they’re presently viewing. You can statically publish a list of relevant content, accomplishing it instantaneously by using <amp-list>, which populates a CORS request into an amp-mustache template to result in dynamically generated content relevance you can personalize to your specific preference.

If visitors enter a landing page that doesn’t align with their requests, they will either leave the site or look further for what they’re seeking. The suggestion of product alternatives is an excellent method to accommodate the user’s search process, at the very least drawing them more into the site. Even if they do not find what they are searching for exactly, they may find an alternative that does the job just as well.

3. Use AMP-Analytics to Find Areas to Improve

It’s important for any website owner to know how visitors are interacting with the content. The <amp-analytics> component can be used either directly or integrated with a third-party analytics platform, including Google Analytics. Within the <amp-analytics> tag, add the “type” attribute and set the value to your vendor of choice, of which there are many options. The <amp-analytics> component will help website owners have a clearer picture of what pages and design elements are resulting in conversions and which components are experiencing low user engagement.

It’s important to keep in mind when analyzing analytics that, with AMP, smart caching is naturally embedded. The result is that you may view less traffic than usual. Just keep the caching element in mind when analyzing your numbers initially.

4. Use the Built-In Validator

Ideally, designers will never get something wrong, but it can happen. To ensure everything is working properly on a page, use AMP’s built-in validator by adding #development=1 to the end of the page URL. If you open Chrome dev-tools and see the message “AMP validation successful,” then everything is working. If not, you can dig in deeper until the issue resolves. You can also use Chrome dev-tools to verify that all external resources, ranging from images and videos to custom fonts and iframes, are loaded properly.

Additionally, you can validate metadata by using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool, either by fetching a URL or inserting a code snippet. These tools can help ensure everything is validated, so search engine crawling is enabled. On the note of search engine crawling, also double-check your robots.txt file, to verify that “Disallow: /amp/” is not present in any line. If it’s there, crawlers will not be able to access your AMP files.

5. Implement Ads Within AMP

Another benefit of AMP is a preexisting framework for implementing ads. The amp-ad, or amp-embed, component is a container to display an ad. The ads load alongside all the other resources, with the <amp-ad> custom element.

JavaScript is nonexistent inside the AMP document. Instead, AMP load an iframe from an iframe sandbox. You can set width and height values within <amp-ad>, with the “type” argument specifying the ad network displayed. The “src” attribute loads a script tag for the specified ad network, with various data attributes available to accommodate further configuration from ad networks.

You can also set a placeholder or option for no available ad, via the placeholder attribute. Video ads are also possible with native support, with thorough media component support.

Accelerated mobile pages help increase search engine visibility among mobile users, especially now that Google is embracing AMP pages in its search results.

Additionally, quicker loading times, flexible personalization and visual components that seek to improve bounce rate make for a better mobile user experience than ever.

Accelerated mobile pages provide a fantastic framework for the continuing growth of mobile web users.

The Amazing New BLOCKS 3.2: Easily Create Professional Website Templates – only $14!

Source

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p.showcase {clear:both;}
body#browserfriendly p, body#podcast p, div#emailbody p{margin:0;}

Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/1stwebdesigner/~3/nE1jeYhXOc8/

Admin dashboards are an integral part of almost any web-based service or product. They form the area where users can interact with a product or service via a password-protected login stage.

Prominent examples include WordPress, Stripe, and Shopify. They typically include a significant amount of options and editable content. As such, the designer of an admin dashboard is tasked with incorporating these options while maintaining usability, design consistency, and simplicity.

When executed to a high level, the results can be stunning and present some of the very best examples of user interface and user experience design.

You might also like: 10 Free Bootstrap Dashboard Admin Templates.

V – Role Editor

This role editor dashboard uses an abundance of white space alongside a beautifully selected color palette to use across default avatars, icons and buttons.

Pehia Dashboard

A highly visual example, Pehia’s dashboard utilises subtle pink and orange gradients throughout as well as overlapping shapes, simple icons, and large user imagery.

Project Management Dashboard

This project management dashboard utilises a card-based user interface with a bold use of color for project status and tracking. The sidebar and cards contrast perfectly with the grey background color.

Zeta Hr Dashboard

This simple but effective dashboard design by Zeta offers tremendous contrast and a beautifully spacious layout. The colors are on-point and highlight the different dashboard sections particularly well.

Sweetapp

Sweetapp’s user interface focuses on white with a primary green color. Depth is provided via subtle shadows and border outlines. The design is spacious and the iconography is excellent.

Tenory Practice Activity

This dashboard design by TenorySync uses plenty of white space and bold card background colors. The timeline has been executed beautifully with great depth and visual effect.

SpendStore

SpendStore has kept their use interface design very simple. It’s highlighted with beautiful gradient buttons and a satisfying off-pink highlight color. The details have been executed with precision in this admin dashboard.

Tapcore

Tapcore’s dashboard is exceedingly clean and uses many aspects of the Material design movement. The content sections use a subtle drop shadow for contrast and the iconography is cohesive throughout.

Metronic

The Metronic admin dashboard template is a standout amongst competition. The navigation is unique but has a high degree of usability. The colors work beautifully throughout the graphs, charts, and typography.

Papanda

Papanda uses a two-tone color scheme of blue and orange. It also integrates custom illustrations which are a delight to experience and offer extra brand continuity throughout the design.

Original Source: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/ccleaner-tips-and-tricks/

CCleaner is considered one of the best PC cleaning utilities that offers multiple cleaning tools in a single interface to ensure your PC is clean and junk free. If you want to use CCleaner but…

Visit hongkiat.com for full content.

Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/1stwebdesigner/~3/aIed7GfyCOg/

Most website builders will help you create a basic website. But what if you need more? If your goal is to build a customized platform that serves the needs of your business – then you’ll want to know more about the Simbla Website Builder.

Simbla enables you to create your own responsive website via their simple drag-and-drop UI. Powerful functionality such as a blog or ecommerce can be quickly added through their App Market. What’s more, their Online Database feature will both power your website and allow you to create advanced web applications.

Let’s have a look under the hood and see how this platform can change your business for the better:

Fully-Responsive Websites

Simbla gives you plenty of choice when it comes to building your website. You can choose from their massive selection of responsive website templates that can be customized to your liking. Or, you can build something completely unique with their user-friendly Website Wizard.

Either way, you can be confident that your site will look great on any device. Plus, you won’t have to worry about dealing with code. Simbla does all the heavy lifting in the background – building your site using rock-solid Bootstrap 3 and HTML5.

They also understand that using high-quality imagery is a key ingredient for online success. So they’ve provided users with access to their library of photos. That means you won’t have to waste time scouring the web for just the right photo – it’s all available in one convenient place.

Powerful Data-Driven Applications Made Easy

Simbla’s platform for building websites with ease has also been applied to their Online Database and Web Application builder. You’ll be able to build a database and easily implement data into your website via readymade widgets. And, because it’s all based on the powerful Parse server, custom web applications can be developed via JavaScript. Together, it results in a tremendously flexible means to customize a data-driven website.

Web Widgets
Web Widgets are what connect your website to your online database. They allow you to add high-level functionality with drag-and-drop simplicity. Features such as search, data tables, forms, image galleries and charts will enhance UX and can be styled in a variety of ways.

User Roles and Permissions
Simbla takes advantage of Parse server’s permissions model. Each user role has its own set of permissions. You can use it to set up membership-based websites – or just restrict specific areas. Combine it with the Registration and Login/Logout Web Widgets to easily allow members access to your content.

Extensible via JavaScript
Your Online Database can be accessed via JavaScript to create custom web applications. Users will be able to interact with your data in a lightning-fast environment. For example, you might build an application to enable custom filtering of a database query. This provides users with the data they’re seeking in a user-friendly way.

The App Market Provides Essential Business Functionality

There are certain features that every website needs in order to be successful. That’s where Simbla’s App Market really shines. It connects to your Online Database and enables you to implement top-notch functionality into your site. The best part is that you can conveniently manage everything in one place.

Blogs
Blogs are a great way to share information with visitors to your site. Simbla’s Blog app is easy to set up and manage, great for SEO and has the flexibility you need. Changing the design and structure of your blog is a piece of cake.

If you’re looking for a unique way to display headlines, you’ll want to check out the News app. It places your headlines in an attention-grabbing news ticker format.

Ecommerce
Selling online just got a whole lot easier. Simbla’s ecommerce app will display your products in a clean and organized manner. A simplified checkout process will help to minimize cart abandonment. Meanwhile, you’ll be able to manage and track it all through the back end. You’ll have the information you need to make smart business decisions.

Plus, you can take advantage of the Product Catalog app to share detailed information with customers. Add images, technical specifications and more to help customers learn about your products.

Lead Manager
Simbla’s Lead Manager app enables you to keep track of all leads generated through your website. All it takes to get started is adding a widget to your site. You’ll be able to add custom fields to get the exact types of information you’re looking for. From there, you can to track lead sources, manage their status and check progress. The app also allows for an internal chat, so you can check in with team members.

More Essential Apps are Coming Soon
Simbla is continually crafting new tools to help your business succeed online. Currently in development are CRM, Email Marketing, Knowledge Base, Online Scheduling and Site Analytics apps. The goal is to provide you with powerful business applications in one easy-to-use interface.

Start with Simbla for Free

Running a website often means managing accounts with several outside services. Applications that handle crucial functions such as ecommerce, analytics and lead management may each be provided by a different vendor. Simbla, on the other hand, brings it all together under one roof – using a single database. Your data is no longer spread out across the web.

Plus, the platform enables you to create custom applications that are tailored to your specific needs. Combine that with the ability to easily create a beautiful responsive website and it’s easy to see why Simbla is ahead of the pack.

Get started with Simbla for free and take advantage of a complete platform for your business.

Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/abduzeedo/~3/76JO4d46zmk/perfect-office-zte-axon-m-microsoft-surface-book-office-ideas-and-more

The Perfect Office – ZTE Axon M, Microsoft Surface Book, Office Ideas and More

PauloGabriel
Oct 24, 2017

We’ve seen some great gadgets and equipment for designers. There are so many cool stuff out there that we could assemble infinite perfect office spaces every week! So we’ll assemble some, and we’d like you to help us. What equipment would the perfect office have?

This week we begin with the Alexa-powered speakers Ultimate Ears, which feature battery life from 12 to 16 hours. There’s also the ZTE Axon M which features not only one display, but two, for you to extend your use of this fantastic smartphone. You’ll also find the latest Microsoft Surface Book 2, which is pretty dope. But there’s more!

Ultimate Ears Speakers

if you’re looking for more Alexa-powered speakers, you’ll be interested to learn that Ultimate Ears has announced two new portable Bluetooth speakers that feature Alexa integration. This comes in the form of the Ultimate Ears BLAST and MEGABLAST speakers which are actually not the first Ultimate Ears speakers to feature Alexa support. In terms of features, both speakers appear to be more or less similar as they will both feature WiFi connectivity and will allow users to take calls on the speaker. They are also waterproof up to depths of 3 feet for up to 30 minutes, and will feature 12 hours of battery life for the BLAST and 16 hours for the MEGABLAST. (at Ubergizmo)

EvoDesk Adjustable Desk

Treat your body right even during long work days with the EvoDesk Electronic Height Adjustable Desk. Complete with a sleek look, this intelligent desk moves as you need throughout the day. Located on the side are controls to give you instant height adjustment. In fact, it has a maximum height of 50 inches to meet your height requirements. Offering you the finest materials, you also have your choice of three surface sizes. If you can’t stick to one size, you’re in luck. The EvoDesk has an expandable frame. This means that you can swap out different surface sizes as and when you need. It totally evolves with you and your needs. Incredibly, using the built-in controls, the desk moves at a rate of 1.5 inches per second. It takes just moments to change up your posture. (at The Gadget Flow)

ZTE Axon M

Amidst all the grumbling about lack of innovation in the smartphone space, ZTE is trying something genuinely novel with the Axon M. It’s 5.2-inch, 1080p display wouldn’t be much to brag about if it didn’t have a twin on the back. A hinge lets you place them side-by-side, giving you a 6.75-inch display. You can extend the home screen and apps to fill both screens, run two apps side-by-side, and even mirror the content, letting you set the phone up, tent-style, for two-person viewing. A Snapdragon processor, fingerprint sensor, and 20-megapixel camera round out the specs. (at Uncrate)

Microsoft Surface Book 2

It’s not the lightest laptop on the market — the 15-inch model weighs over four pounds — but it is among the fastest. Packing 8th-generation Intel dual- and quad-core processors and Nvidia GeForce graphics, the Microsoft Surface Book 2 has the computing power to crunch through any job (or game) with ease. It retains the detachable display of its predecessor, letting it convert from laptop to tablet instantly, and its 17 hours of maximum battery life ensure it’ll run all day without needing a charge. (at Uncrate)

Platonics Arc 3D Printer

3D printers have clear benefits when creating architectural models, but none of the options on the market have been built with that in mind. Until now. The Platonics Arc 3D Printer is the first to be designed specifically for architects. Created using feedback from practicing professionals, it uses a self-cleaning, self-calibrating design to eliminate time-wasting setup and maintenance processes. Using specialized software that links to most popular architectural apps, you can move from a CAD file to printable STL in just four steps, freeing up more time to focus on what’s important: your design. (at Uncrate)

Office Ideas!

Here are some office ideas for you! How do you like these? Don’t forget that you may suggest gadgets or ideas via twitter: @paulogabriel – Also, if you’d like to sponsor this post, drop me a line! I hope you enjoy these! Cheers. 😉

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