To develop Android apps you will need the Android SDK (Software Development Kit) installed on your machine. As there are several different ways to do so, in this quick tip I will present the options available and why you might want to choose one over another.
Continue reading %Quick Tip: Installing the Android SDK%
Video in web design was anticipated to be a top trend in 2016, and what was once thought of as impossible is now a widely-consumed concept by users in certain industries. Video is designed to captivate the user emotionally so this trend mostly applies to travel websites, hip startups and e-commerce stores selling luxury items.
In short, video can bring a sensual notion of a time and place that still photography can struggle to match.
But video can be heavy, in terms of both of megabytes and screen real estate, and it should be used with extreme caution. Let's take a look at some of the ways that we can make websites with video more accessible to the average user, and much more accessible to the more-common-than-you-might-think disabled user.
Video can be a high-risk web component, but it isn’t hard to maximise its effect and optimise its user experience. Most of the decision-making comes down to “how big should it be?”, and the answer solely depends on exactly what you’re using it for.
While most “hero” headers tend to use big background images, videos are becoming more commonplace too. How these differ from “explainer” videos is quite clear. Ambience-style videos don’t take a central focus on the webpage; the colours, speed, tone, mood and overall impression subtly induces emotional feelings, leaving the user with a desire to keep reading and scrolling.
Ambience videos are usually full-screen, and in-turn of lower quality; this is to keep the webpage size low and the loading times fast. Sometimes they’re blurred or even abstract - as long as they make you feel the way the website wants you to feel.
Here’s an example: a travel agent website selling luxury island holidays may want you to feel adventurous, so their video might slowly transition between various scenic island destinations with soft lighting and relaxing hues, making you feel as if you were literally right there in the moment. It can make all the difference between “Ah! Yes! Please!” and “Ehhh, maybe someday.”
Explainer videos (which are smaller/not full-screen) have been around since as far back as I can remember. Historically, they’ve converted very well and they’re usually set in the middle of the hero header, but other emerging trends (like card-based design) have allowed us to use video in smaller, more modest ways.
Facebook videos are now set to autoplay but no sound will be appear unless you imply in some way that you’re watching the video, such as full-screening or interacting with the video.
I adore this kind of non-invasive functionality and we’re now starting to see it in effect with card-based designs, meaning compact, user-friendly videos that can be combined with text alternatives to satisfy a wider crowd. And that’s a huge deal.
Autoplay functionality helps those with motor disabilities to interact more easily with video media, but the overall reduced frame of the component means that we can sum up the video in text side-by-side, sort of like visual alt attribute. Video doesn’t have to be invasive anymore; it can heighten the experience without warding off users with simpler needs.
Multimedia websites allow catering for all types of users.
Continue reading %How to Offer Great UX When Using Video%
Notifier is a jQuery plugin to push notifications on your webpages.
The ‘RGen’ bundle is a collection of HTML landing page covering pretty much any industry. Can you believe for $16 there are 37 different landing page layouts including digital agency, apps, books, gyms, real estate, yoga, travel, finance and many more.
Definitely take a look at their landing page builder that helps combine any combination of sections within your One Pager. Also good to know there is neat integrations into newsletter software like MailChimp, Campaign Monitor and more.
If you want to receive these “Most Loved” awards in your inbox each month, subscribe to our Inspiration Newsletter.
Below are 6 One Page websites we awarded “Most Loved” in February – hope you enjoy!
Beautiful One Pager for the 2016 ‘Valio Con’ to be held in San Diego. The long Single Page website features gorgeous parallax scrolling speaker cards that include great photos, their bio and social links. The responsive adaption is solid too and the site retains the parallax effect but doesn’t feel over-the-top. Quite a neat footer feature too that includes links to the previous event sites with speaker videos.
Real fun interactive One Pager that works out your hourly rate based on a bunch of online tests. The illustrations are great and transitions smooth. Lovely bit of marketing this by Finn that, at the end of the quiz, promotes outsourcing labour tasks to free up your valuable time. Smart.
Hilarious arcade-themed One Pager that hosts Leo’s Red Carpet Rampage, a game where you race down the red carpet on a quest for Leonardo DiCaprio’s ultimate award. Smart bit of marketing this by The Line digital agency in London.
The Uber ‘Brand Experience’ One Pager features lovely parallax scrolling effects and well integrated video elements.
Beautifully designed One Pager promoting a new startup that delivers piñatas via drones. Make sure you watch the video too – hilarious and really well made. Excellent work as usual by Bakken & Bæck.
Parallax scrolling landing page promoting a running product called ‘SHFT’ that links out to their store on Shopify at the end. Make sure you check out the slick off-canvas navigation transition. Also a lovely subtle fade transition that brings in the newsletter signup section. Lovely work this by Umwelt from Denmark.
Hope you enjoyed our February Round-Up by RGen Landing Page Bundle! Why not give this a RT if you want to help spread the love:)
New round-up! Here are our 6 "Most Loved" One Page website awards from February: https://t.co/0TCEM5gjas http://pic.twitter.com/DRn0tZ5cjH
— One Page Love (@OnePageLove) March 1, 2016
Move over, Annie Leibovitz—SitePoint-approved pro photographer coming through. Okay, so you might not be stealing any jobs away from Annie after you grab our Pro Digital Photographer & Photoshop Bundle. But you will pick up new skills, polish old ones, and learn how to take (and edit) amazing photos. Get the bundle for $29 and save 96%!
Get over 30 hours of training in manual photography and Photoshop. Developed by leading pro photographers, the course will take you through every button and setting on your camera, help you master exposure, and teach you the ins and outs of night photography, travel photography, portrait photography, fashion shoots, and more. Then, polish up your shots with Photoshop skills like whitening teeth, giving them a magazine look, and adjusting color. This course will even teach you how to set up your own photography business, should you decide to go pro.
Grab the Pro Digital Photographer & Photoshop Bundle for $29 at SitePoint Shop!
Continue reading %Sorry, Your Instagram Shots Are Just Okay%
