It may sound like closing outdoor cushions when we speak about Linux users – Geek. Majority computer users still thought about Linux as a command-based system, that they may lost in the middle of booting the computer. That’s so wrong and I would like to give some correction on this matter.

One of my favourite Linux distro is none other than ubuntu. I have been and still encourage those office-use computer to install on it. It’s free, it runs well in some old computer (save money in long-run) and it is stable. As for my profession as a web developer, it helps on my testing too.

I almost can’t believe myself when I first doing a web design for a client back then. I used the pre-installed image manipulation software GIMP to do it. Here are a few things I need to emphasize on…

Stable server

Not only you don’t need to worry about viruses, marewares or even trojan. You don’t have to worry about the localhost too. In Windows or Mac, you may need to install a third party program. While in Linux, it has almost build it on running .php Somehow, all my websites and client’s sites are hosted on a Linux machine, that make me easier to test the site locally before launching the sites.

Do more

Ubuntu has most applications installed. A browser, email client, GIMP and text/code editor. It’s all there, without any program to be installed. No worries about viruses, no need of installation again, that definitely save a lot of time and let me work on more important stuff.

However, web design is still my first priority job. Photoshop CS3 has been a good companion compare to GIMP. Ubuntu, see you in my next netbook

User interface and User experience are very close to each other, both needed a very detail attention in between.

Recently I just finished code a new layout for simplyWP, an Internet web design firm co-found with my wife. There are a few points I learnt from the process.

Javascript is not so necessary

It is not always about the technology. Javascript can be very helpful if implement nicely and functionally. However, over using of Javascript on a web design, not only will it burden the loading time (Did you know recently Google put loading time into the PR ranking too?). I dumped a few fancy Javascript after a few round of testing the site.

Little graphic is necessary

Icon is a good attention grabbing tool. There is a reason why a lot of web designers are coming out with new icons design almost everyday. I personally don’t use much graphic, not the mention icons. But on this project, I like how the icons works on grabbing the attention of the user as well as call-to-action button.

Time to resume my job while learning from this priceless experience.

I find these points I learnt are great for the recent auto insurance quotes project. Call-to-action is what web design needed to do most. There is this project ending soon, but I might take some times adjusting it a little bit more

This question raised again after another client gave me a request to design a project according to InsuranceSpecialists.com. I always question the doubt behind the client’s “according“, since most of my clients like me to follow exactly their design afterward.

I am not condemning the client, it is just a question of my working ethic as well. Or perhaps I should apply how Microsoft has always applying “Customer behaviour” by their R&D department.

If you ask, I would say Microsoft never copy what Macintosh has, only that the users (we) are the one who looking for the specific features, and if the features are highly demanded, why not applying on the next release? It’s the consumers who are going to use and buy the products after all.

Recently, my friend who also wanted to become my competitor came to me and asked another interesting question…

Did you design a website from scratch?

I was like, why not? As I answered him, I remembered the stories he told me a year ago while I came back for a short holiday.

He told me that, he joined a website to get the exclusive premium theme for a CMS system. From there, he adjust and make some graphical changes on the theme and sell it as an original work of his for his client. He did works like http://www.godietpills.com and some other personally known friend’s job.

I doubt he stop doing that since he asked the question. So I did not question him about the motive of the question nor the next question I wanted to ask.

So what do you define originality?

Seriously, getting from someone and edit the graphical appearance and claim the originality. While he who created a theme years back still insist his end-user to place back the copyright with his name on it. Looks like a mafia gang for me, if you ask me.

Well, doesn’t matter how he act, the one thing I know about his business nature now. Copy + edit + Paste = Sells. From now on, whatever he did for his next client, I will if any chance, ruin his business for this. It is not only about business ethic, but it’s about cheating/lying/con/scam.

Well, finally get this up and I think I should be free for a moment now. Everything is set and ready to go. Check out the latest project A Day A Smile. Anyway, after finishing this job, I was thinking a few thing, that actually satisfy myself…

The perfect poetry

Nowadays I hand code both HTML and CSS, with Strict document type and manage to get no error at all It’s like having a little exam with myself and I keep getting A Anyway, I do notice how error could slow down a page load, as well as divitis that jam the browser.

The design

I don’t recall myself a good web designer, I would say I am more to a webmaster. I am more into SEO, code, develop idea, solving web technical problem. Design isn’t on my side yet, though I have constantly tried to update myself by looking for more and research more. Whenever I got the chance to design my own website. I will put a 2 days there to make sure everything is track with whatever my mind can imagine. And it work for this one

Solution to a problem

From time to time, there will be some error and technical problem floating. I need to think fast and accuracy on how to solve it. Previously I would need a paper and sketches to come out with idea that can solve them. Now, everything is on my mind (speaking of saving the planet use less paper). Well, I like challenge like this

Anyway, everything coming back to square one now. Have to keep up with all the list in my to-do task.