The voting stage of the .net Awards 2011 is kicking off today and to get things going we profile the top 10 young designers, who are all under 21 years of age. Here are the rising stars who’ll give the old hats a run for their money in the years to come
Higher broadband speeds mean it's now possible to use full-scale background imagery that makes your site sing, says Matthew Smith. Find out how to use it to add an emotional punch and nuance to a design but be cautious when employing this style
Colour communicates meaning and our own assumptions can often be wrong as colours have different meanings in different cultures. Cindy Li of Yahoo Applications explains how to use colour to enhance the appeal and usability of your website while ensuring it remains accessible
Actinic Software's CEO Ben Dyer looks at a number of best practice tips and advice for ecommerce merchants, designers and implementers in the areas of the checkout, product pages and customer relations
In Chapter 1 of his much acclaimed book, Adaptive Web Design, Aaron Gustafson explains what progressive enhancement really means, how it works and what it's got to do with the Galapagos finches and peanut M&Ms. Think of the user, not the browser!
When it comes to navigation on your site, one of the major questions you're likely to ask yourself is whether to fix, or not to fix. Matthew Smith looks at five top examples of fixed nav systems
Used incorrectly, overlays can be disruptive and act as barriers, but use them well and they can boost focus and minimise server calls. Matthew Smith explains
With sites being accessed by an increasing array of devices and browsers, users deserve a quality experience no matter the size of their display. Ethan Marcotte explains how our designs can become more responsive
Miniclip is one of the web’s largest online gaming sites with 30 million users a month. Founder Robert Small tells us what it’s like to build a site where 98 per cent of users are on broadband
When ‘the nation’s favourite cheese’ wanted to refresh its online presence, they turned to Iris Digital. James Griffiths, Chris Thompson and Claire Wheeldon talk us through the challenge
When approaching a fresh site design, what’s the best way to tackle layout and ensure a guaranteed win? Elliot Jay Stocks shares his best web design tips
Separate mobile site, or responsive design? Don't take sides in the Nielsen-Clark debate: use top task analysis to find out what your users really want, says Christiaan Lustig
