When creating your own navigation system for your web site, Spry is a remarkable tool that organizes and breaks down the entire structure simply and easily. The Spry system makes it so easy to go back and change the structure and layout of different navigation elements with a system of menus and submenus, so that you don’t have to mess with a ton of code. Sometimes, it is easier for us to work visually to create our designs, and Dreamweaver, along with the Spry system, helps us to do that.

For the example, we are going to create and edit a menu that has submenus that go 3 deep. This makes it easy to organize a lot of information quickly, and categorize your topics in the structure of a tree’s branches. We will talk more about that later.

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I really like to create my own image galleries, but let’s face it, in the real world, we can’t always have things how we want them. Sometimes we need to get the job done in the best possible manner, as quickly and effectively as possible.

When I need a quick image gallery, I tend to use Lightroom. Lightroom is a great tool for making images pop, and it has a lot of great settings.  All you have to do is import your imagery from a folder on your computer, and then choose the settings that work best for you.

Open up Lightroom, and make sure that you are on the library tab at the top right. Go to the bottom left where it says import, and go to the folder on your computer where your images are stored. It is a good … Read More »

When creating your web site, it is important to create a site that flows in a way that helps to get your message across to your viewer. You have to create something eye-catching, but well designed. Having a solid structure is key. To me CSS is the only way to go for a consistent layout and structure. There are so many tricks and tools out there to help you along the way. Some of them may seem arbitrary, but some of them are actually helpful time savers.

Personally, I work on a laptop, and I absolutely hate to flip back and forth between a bunch of windows. Some people may disagree, but I love Dreamweaver. It just works so well, and I am so used to the interface and the functions. I have attuned myself to be able to work quickly … Read More »

There is certainly a lot to consider when laying out your site design. There are so many tools to help you out, and so many methods to get the job done. You really have to consider what your needs are, and which method will help you accomplish them.

When I design a site from scratch, I tend to lean toward the method of HTML and CSS. For some, this is a no-brainer, but there are certainly other ways to “get the job done” but I like to use HTML and CSS to make sure that the site looks consistent across all browsers, and as close to my original concept as possible. I will admit this, and I hate doing it, but I used to use HTML and the dreaded “tables” method.

Granted that I was new to web design and merely just … Read More »