Production Tools
The following list is a compilation of a few useful tools. In an environment that seems to be a never-ending introduction of new tools and services, these have stood the test of time. Each image is a link to the source Web site.
| Design and development | |
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Nielson Norman Group Jakob Nielsen & Donald Norman Donald Norman is the author of The Design of Everyday Things. His books are indispensable for UI developers. This Web site provides links to essays, book chapters and other literature. |
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Designing Visual Interfaces: Communication Oriented Techniques
"An excellent introduction to the design theories involved in the creation of user interfaces." This book is similar in approach to Norman's book -- that is to say the concepts are not limited to web site layout. This book offers a thorough description of design techniques that will benefit everybody from the novice to the experienced graphic designer. |
| Production and development | |
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Web Style Guide Widely recognized as the seminal guide to building web sites, Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton have published their book online. It's a great resource for building sites and it includes a section on how to manage such projects. |
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The 960 Grid System "The 960 Grid System is an effort to streamline web development workflow by providing commonly used dimensions, based on a width of 960 pixels." These online tools provide a design section that allows you to develop and download the CSS to match the design you choose. |
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Color Scheme Designer We use this tool every time we develop an interface. |
| Evaluation and testing | |
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Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask This is an essential guide to evaluating web page content. The site provides techniques for assessing credibility and a series of questions to keep in mind when evaluating web content. |
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New Mexico State University Library: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources. Another guide for evaluation criteria |
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| Optimization and Tracking | |
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Google Analytics While there are other tools, Analytics is the 500 pound gorilla in the room. It's easy to use and has excellent support. ALl you need is a gmail account to get started. |
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Google Education / Conversion University A "how to" for Google Analytics. Follow this up with as much information you can get about adwords and you are good to go. |
