Archive for the ‘Tools, Tips and Tricks’ Category
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
We learn to treat the Google Docs software different than other software, when we don’t wait years for the next improvements to our applications. If you haven’t used a Google Docs application recently, you should find the interfaces much improved. I recently discovered how far the Google Docs presentations application has come — Ironically, Google Docs apps don’t seem to be named separately. Like the aspiration of other Google Docs applications, Google Presentations are Microsoft PowerPoint presentations on an attractive diet. Read more... (428 words, 5 images, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)
Posted in Business, Sales and Marketing, Tools, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Thursday, August 5th, 2010
As your website grows and expands its content and user base outside the initial scope for the project, it often becomes necessary to consider a re-design or re-organization in order to keep navigation intuitive and get the most from your content, preventing it from getting lost in a hard-to-navigate-to location. Usually a content re-design starts with your sitemap and grows from there, but when you have too many pages sometimes it’s quite difficult to simply re-organize them in your head or even on paper. The Card-Sort method is a great way to fluidly alter sitemap organization on paper to achieve the most intuitive organization for your users when re-designing. It all starts with a stack of index cards, and a big black marker. Read more... (415 words, 1 image, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)
Tags: Canada's Web Shop, Card, Card-Sort, Chris, Chris Savoie, design, Organization, Re-Design, Re-Organization, Savoie, Sitemap, Sort, TheWebShop, Tips, Tricks
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks, Web Design, Web Development | No Comments »
Friday, June 11th, 2010
Google Tasks has been available inside Gmail for many months now. But what if you wanted to only load that functionality? More so, you want it loaded on your Firefox sidebar? How do you do it? Well it’s easy. Here’s how:
1) Login to your Google Account (assuming you have a Gmail account)
2) Go here https://mail.google.com/tasks/ig?pli=1
3) Drag that google.com favicon (green check mark icon) to your bookmarks menu bar
4) Once you have that right there, right-click on it and select “Properties”
Read more... (131 words, 5 images, estimated 31 secs reading time)
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Before the invention of movable type and printing, simple grids based on optimal proportions had been used to arrange handwritten text on pages. One such system, known as the “Villiards Diagram,” was in use at least since medieval times. Interior designers arrange rooms based on a grid system, and city planners work on a grid too. It’s a wonder what took web designers and developers so long to show interest in a system that has been essential to the printed word since the ‘30s. Read more... (244 words, 1 image, estimated 59 secs reading time)
Tags: 960, design, grid, Illustrator, mockup, PhotoShop, tools, Web, winnipeg
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks, Web Design | No Comments »
Friday, June 4th, 2010
Google Suggest returns search queries based on other users’ search activities and search term popularity. So, if your company name doesn’t show up on Google suggest auto-complete, it may mean that it isn’t a popular phrase online (or not yet).
Here are some of our clients with a good position on Google Suggest:
Note that this doesn’t always work. Especially if your company name is common. You may want to try different phrases to work it out. Read more... (117 words, 4 images, estimated 28 secs reading time)
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Friday, May 28th, 2010
It’s always a good idea to design or wireframe a website or application before jumping straight to the coding or graphic design part. Wireframing, prototyping, mocking it up reduces the time to decide which part goes to which part.
The importance of it has always been taken for granted by many designers and developers to speed up development not knowing that it actually increases the development time because of revisions, missed user cases and sometimes simple user interface design mistakes. Read more... (368 words, 9 images, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks, Web Design, Web Development | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
![places_logo[1]](http://www.thewebshop.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/places_logo1_thumb.gif "places_logo[1]")
Google Places allows business owners to claim their business and customize their listing on Google Maps. Updated business details will appear on Google Maps, Google.com search and mobile results, and GOOG-411. Advanced features, including coupons and impression statistics, allow business owners to enhance and monitor their online presence.
- Local customers already search Google for the products and services you offer. Create a business listing to be sure they find you.
- Keep your address, phone number, hours of operation, and more up-to-date. Even create coupons and display photos and videos, all for free. Read more... (139 words, 2 images, estimated 33 secs reading time)
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Friday, April 16th, 2010
Sharing a big file over email is never fun and it doesn’t always work. So I’d like to share to you what I use whenever it calls for that kind of situation. Here are my top 5 best free online file storage and sharing services:
1) Dropbox (2GB Free)
The free Dropbox account comes with 2GB of space and if you need more than 2GB of space, dropbox offers Pro plans for up to 100GB.
Visit https://www.dropbox.com
2) drop.io (100MB Free per drop)
drop.io’s free “file drop” is 100MB each. drop.io offers upgrades to 10GB and 20GB drops. Read more... (254 words, 6 images, estimated 1:01 mins reading time)
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
I thought it was another April Fools prank but I just checked and the Google Street View is really now in 3D.
Above: Regular view
Above: In 3D
How do you enable it? Do you see that orange guy in the left side part? Yes, that’s the one with the 3D sunglass. Click it and the Street View automatically switches to the 3D version.
Of course, the only way to see this is to have those 3D eyeglasses. So next time you go to a movie, ask if you can take one home. Read more... (100 words, 3 images, estimated 24 secs reading time)
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »
Friday, March 12th, 2010
I have to say that Google’s list of web services is growing at a rate that I personally can’t cope up. Until I found this Firefox extension – Google Shortcuts. It displays all of Google services as buttons just next to your address bar either as a single button with a dropdown of services or as a toolbar with the list.
The settings window lets you choose which services you frequently use and want to show.
It’s a very small extension that makes your life simple. You got to have it! Read more... (114 words, 5 images, estimated 27 secs reading time)
Posted in Tools, Tips and Tricks, Web Development | No Comments »
![places_logo[1]](http://www.thewebshop.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/places_logo1.gif "places_logo[1]"){kind=logo}
