WordPress WYSIWYG Tips from WordCamp Seattle 2012 [video]
The video of my Seattle WordCamp 2012 presentation with Christine Winckler is up. And in bonus news, my WordPress plugin was spotted on WPMU and at WordCamp Birmingham.
Blog
Which WordPress Should You Use? [link]
From the article: “It’s choice time. Time to decide which WordPress option is the right one for your blog or website. The only problem is, well, you’re kind of confused—and afraid you’ll screw up.”
Guest Post: An Accessible Internet, The Great Equalizer
In this guest post, web designer Erik Parkin discusses the power of the internet as a tool of empowerment and independence.
Embrace User-Generated Content
For many people, particularly those who haven’t grown up in a world with social media, allowing your audience to write on a Facebook wall or respond to a blog post is terrifying. I’m sympathetic to these fears, but I also think they’re drastically outweighed by the benefits of two-way communication.
It’s ALT Good: Alternative Text & Accessibility
Writing alt text is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to improve the accessibility (and SEO!) of your website.Yet many people still don’t do it! If you’re unclear at all about what it is, take the time now to understand it and implement it on your sites.
Get the Best for Less: Graceful Degradation
If you’ve used an old version of Internet Explorer recently, you’ve probably seen some sites that look different than what you’re used to in other browsers. If they’re broken, that’s a big problem, but if they’re just different, that’s ok. Let me explain what’s going on.
Don’t Use These WordPress Theme Features
If I had to give people buying a WordPress theme one piece of advice, this would probably be it: Ignore most of the features, save yourself the headache of the “lock-in effect,” and learn to love plugins!
I ♥ WorkFlowy
As a freelancer, I have to stay organized and productive. I use lots of tools to do this, but one of my favorites is WorkFlowy. (There’s a bonus happy announcement at the end of the post.)
WordPress is Not Free (Part 2)
In Part 2 of three, I’m looking at the reasons that ponying-up for WordPress hosting, plugins, themes, and consulting should cost money. Sometimes, it costs a lot.
Good Ideas Come From Remixing! [video]
This is a great four-part video series about remixing pop culture, good ideas, and technological innovations. It’s relevant to just about everything, but it gave me a new appreciation of the culture surrounding a lot of web design.
Spring Updates: WordCamp, Websites, and a Plugin [status]
I missed posting last week (sorry!), but I’ve been busy and want to get everyone up-to-speed on where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to. Three new websites, one huge plugin update, and a WordCamp Seattle presentation.
Dilbert’s Thoughts on User Testing
Dilbert knows a thing or two about designing websites. Find out what we can all learn from this recent strip.
Thinking about a Nonprofit Skeleton Site Map
I’m wondering whether a nonprofit website navigation structure benchmark might be useful. I’m looking for reader comments and ideas to help me decide whether and how to approach it. If that sounds interesting or useful to you, please chime in!
How to Report A Bug
When examining a software bug, there’s no reason to be squeamish! Get right up next to it! Poke it! Prod it! Click on all its buttons. Don’t let this metaphor get out of hand. Just read how to report a bug.
Guest Post: Why Even Pretty Websites Can Fail
Don’t let your audience and content get lost in between the design and functions of your website! In this guest post, copywriter Lauren Appa encourages us all to ask of every piece of our websites, “Does It Clearly Communicate with the Reader?”
What it Means to be a Nonprofit Web Designer
Some web designers focus just on real estate websites; others focus on ecommerce, news, or social sites. I focus on nonprofit websites, and I hope this post begins to explain what knowledge and experience that focus entails.