The usability of photos and URLs
Usability mistakes to avoid when using photos in your website There is often a temptation to use photos to brighten up a page without giving much thought to whether it helps serve a real purpose, or...
View ArticleHow important are large images?
Image-focused design: Is bigger better? The latest research from Nielsen Norman Group surrounds the use of large images. The rationale for this approach is that compelling images have a unique ability...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Canva: the design tool for non-designers
Canva is an online graphic design tool that allows users to create their own designs for a variety of purposes, including: social media posts (such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Tumblr) blog...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Social media image sizes cheat sheet for 2017
Recent studies have found that images used on Twitter double the engagement rate of posts – and this makes a lot of sense. In the world of social media, images stand out in a sea of text. However,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Images: Quality over quantity
The modern web is built on strong visual imagery. Sites like Twitter, Netflix, and even LinkedIn, all utilise large images to add to their sites’ appeal, aesthetic, and brand identity. The University...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Choosing image backgrounds for hero banners
Selection criteria for images appropriate for hero banners can be quite complicated. There are plenty of stunning photographs that would work well to welcome positive first impressions of a website,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is a JPEG file?
If you’ve ever moved photographs from a digital camera to a computer before, you’ll have encountered the JPEG (pronounced jay-peg) file format. These files will end with .jpg or .jpeg. What is a JPEG?...
View ArticleWhat is a GIF file?
If you’ve scrolled through any social media feeds today, it’s likely you’ll have encountered a few GIF files (pronounced JIF…although personally I’m in the hard ‘G’ camp). What is a GIF? So, you wanna...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The University homepage, Placekitten style
Last week I wrote about Placekitten, a service that automatically generates pictures of kittens as placeholder images in web designs. I decided to put the service through its paces by testing it on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New default WordPress theme: Fourteen Eleven
WordPress theme: Fourteen Eleven With the increase in mobile devices accessing the University website, I’ve spent a couple of hours this week working on a St Andrews themed responsive WordPress theme...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What is a PNG file?
You know what a JPEG and a GIF is, but what is a PNG file? What does PNG stand for? PNG officially stands for Portable Network Graphics. What is a PNG file? Portable Network Graphics is a...
View Article