There are many steps that make up the web design process and often times the jargon that goes along with it isn’t what you’d normally hear on a daily basis. It’s important that the client and designer communicate clearly in terms that both can understand.

Here is a quick primer on a few common words that you might come across.

1. Wireframe – A wireframe is a basic visual guide to suggest the structure and layout of a website. Key elements of a web page are arranged as they might appear in the final site design. These areas of a wireframe are often represented by a hand sketch or may be a digital file with several boxes laid out in a grid format. Wireframes are generally free of any image graphics or other artwork. The purpose of this step in the design process is to make sense of the content and goals of the web page. Here are a couple of wireframe examples:
   
   
   
   
2. Sitemap – A sitemap’s job is to identify the key pages in a website. In addition to calling out specific links in a global navigation, the sitemap may also show a secondary nav system or even list out links to external sites. Here is a simple example:
   
   
3. Mock-up or Comp – Mock-ups or comps are used early in the design process to get feedback from clients on design ideas and direction for their site. It is a simulation of the layout and graphical elements and is usually presented as a flat image. The mock-up or comp is produced and reviewed before any HTML prototyping is done.
4. Development Site – While a website is being programmed, it may be hosted at a temporary web address. This allows for the creation, testing, and review of a site to be done out of the eye of the general public.
5. Content Management System or CMS – A Content Management System is a tool for clients to update the content of their website  without needing the additional help from a programmer or design professional. Clients can easily make changes to text, add and delete web pages, and upload photos to their site all within a familiar interface that resembles a word processing application such as Microsoft Word.

There are lots of other components to a project that may come with their share of industry terms. The key is that they’re used in a way that not only explains their meaning but lets you, the client, know what to expect during the project lifecycle.

Casselberry Church launched its redesigned website at www.casselberrychurch.org

Xcellimark worked closely with Casselberry Church to accomplish a complete website redesign that reflects the warmth and the very hope that is their church.

Casselberry Church’s new homepage design highlights several areas of ministry that are important to the church along with a warm, welcoming message. The first three boxes on the right of the homepage reflect ongoing ministries in the church while the fourth box is changed out regularly based upon upcoming events.

Studies on church websites have shown that the page viewed the most by website visitors is the “Visitor” or “I’m New” page. Additional studies revealed that the majority of visitors to churches today viewed the website before walking through the front doors.

As a result, we emphasized the importance that visitors are to the church by creating an attractive blue banner (with a picture of the church steeple) for the homepage as well as a button in the navigation titled “I’m New.”

Finally, so as to reflect all aspects of member involvement at Casselberry Church, the homepage banner transitions between several different photos, revealing the message of openness and friendship that the church was hoping to achieve.

It was important to Casselberry Church that they update their online presence with a more modern design but without the harshness of some of the edgy websites popular today.

In response to their input, we created a website with rich colors and warm tones, a design with soft and sloping angles, all set against a backdrop of vibrant photos reflecting people from all walks of life.

We all love pictures. Some of us would rather take them than be in them, but I think we could all agree that the world would be duller without images. 

Today, the internet makes it so easy to share photos. From social media applications like Facebook and Twitter, to personal and corporate websites and blogs, the use of images is commonplace. Often times what’s a little trickier is finding creative ways to make them really shine.

Many times our images are not ready to be used as is, and some level of editing is required before uploading them to a web page. They may need to be resized, cropped, rotated, or you may even want to fancy them up a bit by adding a nice border, text or color effect.

There are tons of fantastic programs available to achieve all ranges of editing. Of course, many of them come with an equally hefty price tag too. If you don’t have the resources or need to invest in a full blown professional application like Adobe Photoshop there are other options out there and many that are free.

Today I’m going to introduce you to Picnik.com.

What is Picnik?

Picnik is a snazzy and easy, yet powerful tool to fix up and edit photographs. It’s free to use (although Premium accounts are also available) and best of all it’s done entirely online in your web browser. That means there isn’t any large program that you have to download to your computer and figure out how to set up. You pretty much just upload your picture and start getting creative!

You can upload from your computer, test drive a demo image from their site, or you can open an image you already have uploaded from several social networking sites such as Flickr, Photobucket, Facebook, and more!

Here are some of the features Picnik boasts:

• Fix your photos in just one click
• Use advanced controls to fine-tune your results
• Crop, resize, and rotate in real-time
• Tons of special effects, from artsy to fun
• Astoundingly fast, right in your browser
• Awesome fonts and top-quality type tool
• Basketfuls of shapes from hand-picked designers
• Works on Mac, Windows, and Linux
• No download required, nothing to install

Whether you just want to crop an image, or make an entire collage for the web or to print, Picnik makes it easy and fun to do. Tweaking your photos will help ensure your images are looking their best. Then all you have to do is share your creative masterpiece with the world by adding them to your website.

If you’ve been looking for a way to spice up some old photos, I’d encourage you to check Picnik out. It truly is photo editing awesomeness!

Global Teams is a nonprofit Missions organization that has grown steadily in size, scope and effectiveness since its establishment in 1983. Like most nonprofit organizations, Global Teams relies on the generosity of volunteers and donors to help carry out their mission and are naturally limited in their resources or ability to establish a strong presence on the web.

In May of 2009 we were thrilled to work alongside the dedicated people of Global Teams to launch a distinctively redesigned website at www.global-teams.net, providing them an invaluable resource for their organization on an international scale.

Based on Global Teams’ unique purposes and goals, their website was developed with a creative navigational style. In addition to the traditional left to right navigation in the header, an additional short navigation down the left was established highlighting key areas of information within the site. The homepage header is a flash file transitioning between images and text that support and reflect Global Teams’ missions and objectives.

An important objective for both Global Teams and our team was to make their site cost effective by developing website pages that are easy to add, edit and manage in the administrative area of the site. Global Teams is able to add and delete urgent prayer needs, missionary information and even conceal areas of their site when missionaries are in potentially dangerous areas worldwide.

We’re excited to watch Global Teams grow and their effectiveness increase! Watch along with us.

Do you know a mom that happens to be a Web or Graphic Designer? If you do, chances are she’s the coolest person you know and you’ve been waiting all year for Mother’s Day to buy her an equally cool gift. Lucky for you, I’ve put together a list of some quirky last minute items you might want to head out and snag.

1. Porn for New Moms - This book is 95 pages full of photos and captions of hunky men doing exactly what new mothers want. Immerse yourself in a fantasy world where your husband insists on changing dirty diapers, cooking fantastic meals, and waking up for late night feedings. That’s my kind of daddy!
2. Nestling Birds Necklace - These sweet necklaces are handmade from recycled sterling silver and make a great gift for any mom. Who wouldn’t want happy little mama and baby birds hanging around? The artists also have earrings and rings available in a similar style.
3. Moleskine Passion Journals - Designers LOVE their Moleskines. Now the classic notebooks are available in a new series that cater to other passions outside of design. These gorgeous journals have fully embossed hard covers, expandable inner pockets and theme based sections to help you organize and create. Choose from 6 passions: Recipe Journal, Wine Journal, Book Journal, Film Journal, Music Journal, and Wellness Journal.
4. Apple’s iPad- What kind of web designer gift list would this be without at least one techy item? In the off chance that the mom in your life gets to relax, what better way than sitting on the porch, kicked back and enjoying the beauty that is the iPad. If you’re feeling a little extra adventurous, grab this fun but embarrassing protective case (with wings)! The one-of-a-kind iMaxi.
5. Olive Manna Coloring Book- One of my personal favorites is this coloring book made by Olive Manna. It features 50 fun patterns ready to be colored any way you like. This serves as a double duty gift. Not only will web designer moms love to take some off screen time to get creative with their color crafting, but they can also share in the fun with their kids! The only bummer is that the books don’t go to print until May 15 so you won’t make it by Mother’s Day. However, all pre-orders will ship with a free set of mini colored pencils while supplies last.
6. Bonus Item: Web Designers Are Sexy T-Shirt- Because every mom likes to be told that she’s sexy. Okay, so this one technically can’t fall in the “things to buy” list since you can’t buy it. The website lets you know how you might win or earn a shirt. I won myself a shirt (that’s me and my boy) by crafting a killer haiku in a contest they were running. Regardless though, take this as a tip, a hint, a suggestion. You may not have a shirt to give her, but tell that mom in your life that she’s still sexy! Overlook the spit-up filled wardrobe, the messed up hair, and the not so light circles under her eyes.  Web designer or not, sometimes the best gift is a sentiment of appreciation and flattery.

To all my fellow designer moms out there, Have a Happy, Happy Mother’s Day!

P.S. If you know lots of Web Designers, but none are moms (according to A List Apart’s 2008 survey, 83.8% of people who make websites are male) leave a comment below and I’d be happy to let you know where you can mail MY gift!