DigitalWorkshop

Looking to add a secure and properly validated contact form, and a polling system to a new site (standard css, js, html and php). Anyone got any suggestions for templates to get me started. I'm looking at 123contactform.com at the moment as they seem to provide a wide range but think they probably host the scripts - which I don't want. TIA Paul

I am using absolute positioning in a relative DIV to position two images over each other and I then want to put the main navigation underneath this banner header. I can't use a fixed height because the content is responsive. Does anyone have any suggestions apart from using a dummy spacer DIV and using javascript to get and set the relevant element heights every time the window is resized (surely there's an easier way). Here's the code and CSS. I want the "nav" div to appear directly under the "banner". <header class="wrapper clrfix" > <div id="banner" style="width:100%; position:relative"> <img class="abs" src="img/photo.png"> <img class="abs" src="svg/vector_logo.svg"> </div> <div id="nav" class="wrapper clrfix"> <!-- main navigation --> <nav id="topnav"> <div class="mnu-toggle">Menu</div> <ul class="srt-mnu" id="mnu-main-nav"> <li><a href="/index.shtml">Home</a></li> <li><a href="info/news.shtml">News</a></li> <li><a href="reviews/index.shtml">Reviews</a></li> <li><a href="blog/index.shtml">Blog</a></li> <li><a href="#">About Us</a></li> </ul> </nav> <!-- end main navigation --> </div> </header> ======== CSS ======== img.abs{position:absolute;top:0;left:0} Thanks in advance. Paul

Thanks for taking the time to feedback. The slider highlights some of the many things you could do with the plugins. I tried a single image and it just didn't cover it. The images look like they are created with PS filters because these are PS filters though providing effects you won't get with other filters. And yes, some of the screenshots look dated as the products are very old - that's why they're free. But what about the layout and mechanics of the site. That's what will become the "boilerplate" not the content. In particular I've looked hard at the font sizes across desktop and tablet so you don't feel like the site is shouting at you.

I'm getting to the point where I'm happy with my design but as it is going to be used as boilerplate for several different sites I'd like a final review before I roll it out. Should be good for tablets and mobiles as well as desktop. http://www.plugincreativity.net/index.shtml The graphics in the slider on the Elemental page have not been optimised so takes a little longer to load than I'd like. One issue I would really like to solve is the "pop" of the slider. Thought I could use a quick-loading element to fix the size and I tried a simple background image to the slider DIV but couldn't get it to do what I needed. Can't set a fixed size to the DIV when it is a responsive design. Currently working on a way to break the home page subhead for tablets and mobiles. Probably go for two divs and swap them in or out as required with "display" or "visibilty" settings. Also considering darkening the text for the plugin product titles themselves. Any suggestions, problems, feedback etc welcome. TIA. Paul

Been following a discussion on LinkedIn about elearning designers needing web design and development skills now that most stuff is online. Anyone here tried applying their skills in other areas like instructional design?

@@fisicx - Many thanks, yes it was a <wrapper> closing </div> had gone walkabout. (And yes. I meant full content width not browser width - apologies) @@Grant Baker - thanks. To adapt a quote from that great philosopher (Forrest Gump's Mum) Simple is as Simple Does :-) Paul

Please can someone check these two pages on a desktop and let me know why one slider fills the page width and the other doesn't. I'm missing something really obvious but I've been over it repeatedly and just can't see it - so just need a new pair of (not so weary) eyes. http://www.plugincreativity.net/index.shtml (not full width) http://www.plugincreativity.net/products/elemental.shtml (full width) (Yes I know it disappears on the mobile version I'm working on that.) Thanks. Paul

I must be missing something obvious. Can someone tell me why this php code won't work! if (file_exists("config.php")) { if (file_exists("cp.reg")) { header('Location: pads/default/'); } else { header('Location: pads/noreg/'); } } else { header('Location: pads/startup/'); } But if I take out the nested if it works fine. But I can't see any reference to the fact that you cannot nest file_exists statements? I realise I could rewrite to set a flag for one of the file exists but it seems less efficient. TIA Paul

Since implementing eu cookie scripts we have been plagued by cookie compliance spam visitors. I am told they don't harm SEO but they skew both page visits and bounce rates which is important, especially when doing small tweaks or, in particualr, launching new pages/sites which don't have much traffic. I've looked at this option for removing ghost spam. https://www.ohow.co/ultimate-guide-to-removing-irrelevant-traffic-in-google-analytics/ which seems to involve whitelisting valid hostnames. Anyone see any issues? Have a better solution? TIA. Paul

I would definitely aim to reduce the clutter on the home page irrespective of the icon or image styles. IMO these pages look like internal content pages not a home page. Actually, I think you've got three categories of content - Tutorials, Information and Free Stuff so I would just have three columns under those headings with those illustrated and list the specifics as "menu" items below that. If you feel the need to have icons for each I'd put a large image to head each column and then put mini "inline" icons against each individual entry. I would also consider having a banner which highlights a particular piece of content and call it "This Month's Highlight" to encourage users to come back repeatedly to see what you highlight next month.

For anyone using/interested in our free photo-editing plugins, we've just updated the Elemental one with lots of new presets including burnt edges and some funky abstract patterns too. Still only 32-bit but still free. You can download it from here. http://www.plugincreativity.net/products/elemental.shtml Did I mention it was free?

Since watching Interstellar again I keep returning to S.T.A.Y by Hans Zimmer and particularly the rather more upbeat Maor Levi remix on Youtube which has the benefit of a brilliant video. I just can't work out what the helicopters might be doing in the early part of the video - are the dropping something/someone into the water or lifting them out?

Yes I'm curious why you haven't simply uploaded your images to one of the many existing microstock sites rather than enter an overcrowded market with your own site. Microstock sites might not pay very well but they do all the work getting the footfall and becasue of the sheer volume and range of material that's where your "customers" will be. And if you're hoping to make money from the advertising and referalls then footfall is what you need which means your offer needs to be very strong. if you're the only contributor then do something different and innovative to try to be unique. At the moment you're whispering into a gale IMO. If you want some pointers for design etc take a look at Unsplash.

Thanks both for the feedback. Sounds like we're approaching ti correctly but we'll do some A-B testing.

I think we're probably talking about two different things. You're probably referring to animating the content of a website product images etc whereas I'm talking about creating animated or interactive content itself. For me those examples are the equivalent of colour cycling of the 80s and 90s. Let me be clear, I accept that efficient UX animations are best done in CSS, javascript etc. But animated and interactive content is a visual skill, requiring a visual development tool. I also agree that the content must justify the overhead but it can be done. It's also not difficult to modify a website's content for limited bandwidth. There was a time when the quality of shockwave material was enough for people to wait to download that and Flash still hasn't gone away and was until recently very popular with design and developer alike even though it has an overhead. Indeed, I'd argue that the success of Flash has prompted many of the scripted solutions you highlight. Further I think you'll find that these script-based solutions will only have to be hand-coded for as long as it takes for someone to put a visual interface on them. And that's ignoring the fact that while you may have the skills to develop material like that efficiently, many people don't - otherwise no-one would be using our products, or Adobe Animate or Google Web Designer etc. In fact no-one would be using DreamWeaver, or resorting to 1&1 for their websites. We've had customers design whole websites in Flash and now in our HTML5 - can't say I'd recommend it but doesn't mean it doesn't work for them - they're usually sites for rock bands or other creatives wanting something different. It's horses for courses.