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What is Hypertext Transfer Protocol

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Hypertext Transfer Protocol

Designing a website is a learning process. We understand that coding and programming is difficult, so it is important to start with simple concepts. One of the terms everyone should know before learning web design is hypertext transfer protocol.

What is Hypertext Transfer Protocol?

If you open your web browser and look at the address bar you will see the letters http, or https. Those letters stand for hypertext transfer protocol. You may be wondering why that needs to be there when you type in a website’s address. Well, it’s because the Internet is made of hypertext — hypertext is how information is read across the Internet. This is where HTTP comes in.

According to Search Win Development HTTP is, “the set of rules for transferring files (text, graphic images, sound, video, and other multimedia files) on the World Wide Web. As soon as a Web user opens their Web browser, the user is indirectly making use of HTTP”. This means that when you input a website’s URL, that HTTP tells the web server to fetch that website.

Why is Hypertext Transfer Protocol Important?

Hypertext Transfer Protocol, or HTTP, is a set of rules used to transfer information. The information includes files of any type across the Internet. These files include images, sound, video, and other multimedia files. HTTP is necessary for the Internet because all web servers have a program that reads HTTP requests. That is also why you don’t need to type in “http” before the website URL anymore. With HTTP, there are certain error codes. Error 404 is a common HTTP error code, meaning the page you’re looking for doesn’t exist. There are other less known error codes as well.

Basically, without hypertext transfer protocol the Internet wouldn’t work at all. Along with hypertext, it is a building block of the Internet.

CSS Animation: For Simple Animations

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CSS animation

CSS Animation is used to animate HTML elements without using JavaScript or Flash. Animations have become more popular in web design, because our eyes are naturally attracted to movement. Instead of learning a new programming language, you can use CSS3 to do animation. CSS animation has become more popular because it is easy for simple animations.

Some CSS Animation Basics

CSS which is short for, Cascading Style Sheets, is an easy-to-learn programming language. It’s also a way to save time and money with animation. There are two CSS animation building blocks. The first is something called a keyframe. A keyframe is just tag in the code which tells the computer how to define the shape and style of the animation. In the code it looks like this: @keyframe. For example, this is where you’d define how the animation starts such as “bounce in”. The second block is the animation properties that are going to fill the keyframe, to define how it is animated. For example, the animation can “bounce in” for “two seconds”. This completes the animation’s actions.

Why People Like CSS Animation

The code is easy to learn — it’s just an extension of CSS. You don’t need to learn an entirely new code, such as JavaScript, to animate your site. Even better, the animations consistently run smoothly. This is because the browser controls the animation sequence, so it improves performance. CSS Animation is great for simple animations such as moving text and images. You can also learn animation shorthand for this language, for cleaner and faster code.

 

CSS Animation is the type of code that you don’t need to go to school to learn. In fact, you might be able to teach yourself with a variety of online classes and tools. Overall, this code is a good thing to learn if you already know CSS3 — it will make your website much more dynamic.

What is Hypertext? Part 2

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hypertext

What is hypertext? As a follow up to our first blog about it, we thought we’d expand a bit more. In our New York office, we see a lot of clients struggle with the basic idea of hypertext. Since it is so important for the Internet, here is a deeper explanation of what it is, and why the Internet needs it.

What is Hypertext?

The simplest definition is from W3.org, which says:

  1. It is text which is not constrained to be linear.
  2. It contains links to other texts.
  3. The term was coined by Ted Nelson around 1965.
  4. HyperMedia is a term used for hypertext which is not constrained to be text: it can include graphics, video, and sound. 

If you do not understand this definition just think of the World Wide Web. There is no linear order to it, meaning you can view any webpage at any time. Hyper text connects one page to another. This connection between pages creates a web, hence the name World Wide Web. Every page on the Internet links to another page. For example, when you search for a website on a search bar or search engine it will use hypertext to find that site. That is what HTTP stands for, hyper text transfer protocol. Websites themselves are structured with the programming language called HTML, which stands for hyper text markup language. 

Search Engines and Hypertext

Hypertext plays a big role in the ability of search engines. Search engines use this to scan websites for keywords or search engine optimization, aka SEO. SEO is dependent on hyper text, because without it search engines would not be able to search for websites. The Internet needs hyper text to function correctly. In fact, the Internet is entirely dependent on it. This is why hypertext is important to know if you want to build a website or begin coding. Hopefully this blog has cleared up any previous confusion.

How to Design a Website

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design a website for all devices

Here is a quick blog about how to design a website. Here at Union Square Design, this is what we do. While actually creating a site can take a while, here are some basic tips on how to design a website. If you’re looking to get into web design, knowing these steps are important. 

How to Design a Website

Websites are not too hard to make. What it takes is a web designer and probably a graphic designer. Maybe you will be fortunate enough to get someone who can do both. Once you’ve picked out your website’s platform (such as WordPress, SquareSpace, or Wix) you’ll then need to think of the design. When choosing a platform you need to consider how much coding you want to do. Some websites, like Wix, doesn’t require you to code at all. Other websites may need you to code.

First, what you would do is start with wireframing. Wireframing lays out the foundation of the website. It’s sort of like blueprints for a house. This dictates how the viewer will see your website. Usually this is the time when people talk about F-Shape Patterns (which is a layout based on how people read a website), what fonts to use, and the color scheme you want. Then after these steps and discussions a sitemap is usually made. Sitemaps show graphically how the website’s links and pages work together. After this is done, you start building the site on the platform of your choice.

After this there are basic web design rules to follow, such as including search bars, headers, and company logos. Whether you are designing a website for your company, or just yourself, you need a plan. One final tip we have is to make your website available on every device, be it mobile, tablet, or computer. So with these tips, you can begin designing your site.

What is HyperText Markup Language (HTML)?

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HTML code

HTML is an important language for web design. This language is a building block of website creation. As a language, HTML is probably the easiest language to learn, which is why it is one of the first languages coders master. Ultimately, this language is important for everyone interested in web development to know about.

What is HTML Used For

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. The language is basically the foundation of front-end web design. It is what people see when they go to a website. HTML consists of short codes, called “tags” that dictate what websites will look like. For instance, what you are reading right now it hypertext. The computer has taken HTML code and translated it into something readable. The tags are in between brackets<>. So if you’re editing HTML, and want the text to be bold, you would write <b>. HTML gives the coder tools to make paragraphs, lists, italics, bold words, etc. It is often used with CSS, another basic Internet language, to create websites completely.

What Does HTML Look Like

HTML is really simple if you look it. The words written between the tags <> dictate what the website will look like. To end a tag, the user puts a backslash /. Here is a pretty straight forward code:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>This is a title</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <p>Hello world!</p>
  </body>
</html>

As you can see this is easier to read and understand than some other codes. This code, along with a knowledge of web design, will ensure a great-looking website. In fact, hypertext markup language is modified every few years to ensure it’s staying up to date. This way, new trends in web design can be accounted for.

 

So, if you’re looking to get into coding, learning HTML is a great place to start. In fact, we believe it’s the only place to start, because of it’s importance.

Using Animation in Web Design

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animation

 One new trend in web design is animation. Animation is a huge area of web design and development. Almost every website has animation built in. Animations aren’t just GIF’s, but subtle movements you may have overlooked. According to New Media Campaign, animating certain elements of a website is good both for looks and for usability. Here are a few different ways you can animate your website.

Types of Animation

There are many different forms of animation, such as:

  • loading screen animations
  • navigation/menu animations
  • hover animations
  • slide animations
  • background animations

Navigation/menu animation is sometimes so subtle that users can easily miss it. If you click on a button that says “Menu” and the menu slides out from the side of the page, then that is animation. This interaction runs much smoother than say, being directed to another page or a drop down menu. Loading screen animations are a great way to keep users entertained while they wait for the site to load. If you keep it fun, users won’t get upset and leave. Hover animations work well to make your site interactive. For example, if a user brings the cursor over a picture, and it turns into a moving GIF, that is a great way to use hover animation.

Slideshows and other background animations are a great way to showcase your business or portfolio on your website. It will attract the attention of users to snapshots of your best work. The human eye is naturally attracted to motion, which is why a lot of portfolios include slideshows these days.

 

With these animation tips in mind, you can attract users with your site’s interactivity. People like entertainment, and animations are entertaining. Today, they are much easier to employ in website design than they used to be. So be sure to take advantage of this latest trend in your own site.

 

Web Redesign Tip: Use Web Standards

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use web standards

There are plenty of creative ways to design a website. However, there are some web standards that work for everyone. If you use web standards, you won’t have to worry about using an outdated trend. These standards will help bring an audience to your website and give you the ability to make long term goals. We use standards because people like patterns. If you use web standards your website your web traffic will increase.

Use Web Standards

Some examples of web standards include: having a search bar in the header, a logo in the top left corner, and a horizontal menu. These examples might seem obvious, but if a user has to search for a search bar, they will not be pleased. It’s best to leave it where it is normally found. This way, you won’t confuse your audience. One standard that has become more popular recently is to have social media icons in the footer. Social media sites have become very important to businesses. It’s a way to reach people who wouldn’t have ordinarily found your site. These links at the bottom allow people who like your business to take that a step further — and “like” you on Facebook.

How Web Standards become Standards

The reason standards exist is to give the Internet a sort of grounds for website design. When over 50% of websites employ the design technique we can consider it a “standard.” One aspect of design that is being used more and more is website responsiveness. This means that you can view the website on any screen — computer, tablet, mobile, etc. This is important for websites to have today. Most people use their phone, as well as the computer, to browse the Internet.

 

With this in mind, you should use web standards when designing your site for maximum efficiency. Sometimes you just need to stick with basic design requirements while building your site.

Using Minimalism in Web Design

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demonstrating minimalism in web design

Minimalism in web design is about more than just the look. For one thing, it is the most recent trend for website layouts. A few years ago, websites bombarded visitor with information, and it was overwhelming. Web designers, who probably grew up with this, now have a different approach to design. Minimalism was born out of the need for attractive, yet simple, websites. 

Minimalism’s Beginnings

In the early years of the Internet minimalism was used not for style, but because of limitations. There were only primitive forms of earliest coding languages such as HTML; it wasn’t as sophisticated as today. Websites had to be simple out of necessity. However, they didn’t look simple. While the early Internet was mostly links, text, and photos, it was more confusing to look at than it is today. With advancements in the science of computer languages, web designers can be more creative. The Internet is not just about information, but also appearances. If websites look confusing or too text-heavy, they won’t be visited — even if they have great information.

How to Use Minimalism in Web Design

One way to incorporate minimalism in web design would be to use negative space. Negative space, also known as white space, is the space between pictures, text, and headings on a website. This is useful for today’s websites; white space makes content easier to navigate and read. Another way is to use certain typography for minimalism. With the right kind of typography you can make your website visually appealing. Use sharp and clear type to keep users on your site.

 

With these tips you can begin planning your next website re-design. Using minimalism in web design is a great way to attract attention, and keep users on the site. Keeping up with trends is important on the Internet. And minimalism is about more than just looks — it’s about usability as well.

What is Parallax Scrolling?

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parallax scrolling

What is parallax scrolling? That is a good question for anyone new to web design. Parallax scrolling happens when the background image moves slower than the content in the foreground of the website as you scroll down the page. It is simpler than it sounds. And, it is currently a popular trend in website design.

Why is Parallax Scrolling Popular?

Parallax scrolling is the latest trend in design. While it can look bad if not implemented correctly, it is usually nice. This scrolling technique has only been available since the latest HTML and CSS updates happened, which was a few years ago. Parallax scrolling creates a 3-D effect as you scroll down the page, which is what makes it appealing. The 3-D effects that are created by the parallax scroll are much simpler than trying to create a 3-D animation using a different software such as After Effects. Not only is it simpler, but also cheaper and quicker to make.

How to Use Parallax Scrolling

First and foremost, you should make it mobile friendly. Not many parallax sites are yet, but people are increasingly using mobile devices for Internet usage. Secondly, don’t use it just to use it. If it doesn’t engage users, there’s no point in having it. You should use it to tell a story, or create a timeline. Parallax sites are a great way to call people to action — as users scroll they become more enticed by what they see. Third, you should make it engaging. For example, you can add effects users can click to activate while scrolling.

 

The point of using parallax scrolling is to make your website more fun. While creating a parallax website can sometimes be overwhelming, it is generally worth it. But keep in mind that this trend isn’t for every website. For some inspiration, here are some websites with great parallax scrolling. Happy scrolling!

What is Infinite Scrolling?

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apple mouse for infinite scrolling

Website design trends change as technology advances. That’s why website’s don’t look like they do back in the early 2000’s. Currently, there are a few different trends emerging, such as typography and videos. Another latest trend is using infinite scroll. What that means is that there are no pages to flip through, and you can scroll through a website forever. Infinite scrolling has been around for a while. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr use this.  

Infinite Scrolling Strengths

One major strength of infinite scroll is that it’s great for mobile devices. Flipping through pages on the tiny screen of your phone is more difficult that scrolling with your thumb. Because of this, we have gotten used to scrolling indefinitely, which is why it is being used by websites. Another good thing about infinite scroll is that you don’t have to wait for pages to load. Website’s content is loaded to your screen already. Twitter uses infinite scrolling effectively. Since users see all tweets in real time, users just scroll until they have finished looking at all the new tweets on their feed.

Infinite Scrolling Weaknesses

Sometimes when implementing infinite scroll, users just keep scrolling. For social media websites, this is effective. But if Google tried infinite scrolling, it probably wouldn’t work out so well. That’s because Google works by ranking certain websites in a general order of best to worst. Most users don’t even click on the second page of Google results. But if Google had infinite scroll? Users would probably waste more time on the site. Coming to the end of a page gives users a “sense of control”.

 

So while infinite scroll is trendy, not all sites should be using it. It is best to carefully think about whether or not you’d like to use infinite scroll. However, if your site can go mobile, you should definitely use it for mobile view.

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