Web design in its various forms has become big business around the world. From the most basic amateur pages to complex multilevel corporate projects, producing a website always depends on the resources, requirements, and time constraints of the individual. The lower end web design projects are moving increasingly towards automatic content management systems; where users can pick a template, customize and in a very short time create a functional website. At Word Wizards we focus more on custom solutions for our clients, nothing we do here is “cookie cutter” and each project we take on results in a professional quality, fully integrated, web solution.
Sounds cool, right?… But what does it take to design and implement a professional grade website? It takes a team effort, and specifically, it requires a team of unique individuals, each with their own expertise in various aspects of web design. We have noticed that there are usually three “gurus” required to make a web design project effective. These three flavors of design experts each focus on a different critical aspect of the web design process, and work together to ensure that the three top priorities of website development are handled with expert care.
The three main things to manage when creating a new website are, functionality, appearance, and implementation. Functionality is responsible for making sure that the structural design effectively satisfies the intended function of the website and creates an effective, non-confusing user experience. Appearance takes structure and functional organization and translates it into a graphic design that is visually appealing to the users and consistent with the brand and intended purpose of the client. Implementation is the back-end guts of the website; which includes all the coding, hosting, domain support, CMS workflow, and database support.
The Functional Expert
Generally, this is a person who really understands the way individuals use the internet for different purposes. This individual is responsible for creating a structure that provides easy access to all the important information. In addition, this web expert must understand and manage the constraints of SEO and weave them into the fabric of the page from the beginning. Possibly the most important role of the functional web designer is the creation of a user friendly workflow, providing a user experience that works for the intended purpose of the website and doesn’t confuse any less than savvy internet users.
The Appearance Expert
To transform conceptual structure and theoretical workflow into visual form takes the expertise of a master graphic designer. This expert must know how to utilize advanced graphic design software and create visual components from scratch that will be used to create the physical appearance of a web page. It is the responsibility of this person to come up with an exciting and effective visual experience for the users, making sure that everything is in plain sight, and being creative with the way everything will look, while still maintaining functional integrity.
The Implementation Expert
Sometimes known as the “webmaster” or, in our office, “the code warrior!” This individual is gifted with an intimate knowledge of the ever evolving world of programming languages. The functional and visual elements of a website are mute if you can not host it, integrate it, and keep it working smoothly. When designing a new website, this person holds the reigns, because all of the work your team produces will reflect their level of talent and proficiency. It is this person’s responsibility to put your plans into action, keep the web page updated, and hard code any interactive or data driven elements into a functional machine known as a web page.
Thus, we have created a trifecta of experts, but there is still one person missing from the team…
The beloved SUPERVISOR. Yes, its is the supervisor that truly brings it all together. This person doesn’t need to be an expert at any one function, but the they must have a working knowledge of all of components of the website and coordinate between the various members of the design team. This person is responsible for organization, cross coordination, and managing the needs of the client as reflected by the design and capabilities of the team.
So now you know what it takes, and if you don’t think you can squeeze it all by yourself, the Word Wizards Web Design Team is here to give you a helping hand!
SEO Tips – Spam Defense Catpchas Vs. Bots
Written by Ben
Many blogs use comments to provide a more interactive experience for their users. People can share opinions, criticize disagreements, or even just let you know that they found your article helpful. Sadly, when you allow unrestricted access to your comment feed, spammers and spam “bots” quickly move in and start taking advantage for their own malicious SEO purposes. Furthermore, if you require every commenter on your blog to sign up, many people will be turned off at the seemingly blatant attempt to “capture” their information for the sake of interaction. So how do you allow easy access to posting comments and prevent the spammers from taking advantage?
Catpchas To The Rescue:
A catpcha is a special field added to a form that prevents automated services from polluting your feeds with filth. The concept is that it requires just a little bit of human thought to answer , preventing automated “bots” from spamming you constantly. We chose to use a simple question in written format that makes sense to any legitimate users, but confuses bots and thwarts spamming attempts by denying them access. There are many different categories of catpchas, some visual, some verbal, and some written.
HumanCaptcha
HumanCaptcha is plugin written by Outerbridge which uses questions that require human logic to answer them and which machines cannot easily answer. Most captchas are based on the requirement to reproduce a number of randomly-generated characters (which are sometimes blurred, jiggled and/or on a fuzzy background). HumanCaptcha generates a simple question which the user must answer using logical thought. HumanCaptcha is much more accessible than standard captchas, which many people find difficult to read or understand. Visually impaired people are more likely to be able to use HumanCaptcha than a character-based one.
Lock it up!
CAPTCHAs are useful for improving security in a number of situations, for example:
1. Reducing Comment Spam in Blogs
Most bloggers will have come across programs that submit spam comments, often with the aim of improving the search engine ranking of a website. By using a CAPTCHA, only humans can enter comments on your blog, and people do not need to sign up before they enter a comment.
2. Protecting Email Addresses From Scrapers
Spammers crawl the web looking for e-mail addresses rendered in text. CAPTCHAs can hide your e-mail address from web scrapers, by requiring users to solve a CAPTCHA before revealing your e-mail.
3. Deterring Viruses, Worms and Spam
CAPTCHAs may reduce the likelihood of e-mailed viruses, worms and spam, by only accepting an e-mail if it has been established that there is a human behind the sending computer.