If you look closely, you’ll find decades-old technology. And it’s not limited to outdated websites. The fingerprints of the past are all over cutting-edge sites as well.

Sure, many of these technologies have evolved. Others have faded into the background. But we still rely on them. Perhaps more than we think.

With that, here’s a look at the old-school tech that continues to shape the web development industry.

Apache HTTP Server

Apache is no longer the top dog in web servers. However, the platform still holds a significant market share. W3Techs reports that it runs on over 30% of servers. That’s a close second to competitor Nginx.

Equally impressive is Apache’s longevity. Its initial release came way back in 1995.

The web was a much different place in those days. Most websites of that era consisted of static HTML. Let’s not forget about the low-powered hardware and limited bandwidth as well.

Apache has managed to keep up with the times. It’s a highly scalable platform that can handle large amounts of traffic. It also supports next-gen tech like HTTP/2 and IPv6.

Plus, Apache is responsible for many familiar technologies of its own. Development staples like .htaccess, gzip compression, and URL rewriting are supported.

jQuery

People continue to write off jQuery. But it’s hard to find evidence of a slowdown. The JavaScript library is used on over 77% of all websites.

Compare that number with its supposed heyday of 2012. Its usage was a mere 49% back then.

Being bundled with WordPress is one factor in jQuery’s growth. The world’s most widely used content management system (CMS) boosts those numbers. But that’s not the only reason.

Many of us are familiar with jQuery. And we know how to use it. That level of comfort continues to make it a go-to library.

Plus, it’s still in active development. jQuery continues to be refined and optimized for performance.

Yes, there are other worthy frameworks. And vanilla JavaScript has come a long way. But we bury jQuery at our own risk.

JPEG Images

We’ve been attempting to replace JPEG images for some time. Newer formats like SVG, WebP, and AVIF promise lossless compression. But this old-school file type from 1992 still bests them.

Both SVG and WebP are gaining ground. Yet JPEG carries on with a nearly 78% usage rate. Why is that?

For one, JPEG has the advantage of being a long-established format. Just about every image editing app supports it. And many of us have become used to saving images this way.

It’s also universally compatible with web browsers. WebP, for instance, doesn’t work with some legacy apps. That’s becoming less of a concern, however. Many of these browsers are vanishing from the landscape.

But after all these years, JPEG still works well for photographs. And its file size outperforms WebP in certain situations. It may not be the best option in every instance. But the format is still a viable choice.

The Command Line

The command line harkens back to a time before the graphical user interface (GUI). You may remember typing commands into MS-DOS if you’re of a certain age. And early systems like Unix were also command-based.

It almost seems ironic that the command line interface (CLI) is still a part of web development. The lineage is there, though. Linux powers many web servers, after all. But it’s also the “Throwback Thursday” of the industry.

Web hosting companies have attempted to replace or supplement the CLI. Visual control panels can replicate some functionality.

But the CLI also brings speed and efficiency to the party. Tools like WordPress have their own CLI flavors. And they can accomplish tasks without the overhead of a GUI.

It also offers fine-grain control over commands. You can target specific database tables or folders with relative ease.

The CLI survives because it’s still incredibly useful. And it beats using punch cards any day.

HTML

Maybe it’s a bit obvious. But no talk of old-school web technologies is complete without HTML. It’s still the basis of what we do.

Conceptualized in 1989, HTML saw its first release in 1991. It has since seen numerous iterations. And it is still evolving to meet the needs of the modern web.

HTML is capable of powering a website by itself. But it no longer stands alone. We can combine it with other languages to get the desired result. That could be CSS, PHP, Java, JavaScript, Ruby, or anything else that comes along.

These additional tools allow us to style and manipulate elements. We can tie in with a database to conditionally produce output. That has paved the way for the complex web applications we see today.

At 30+ years old, HTML is still as relevant as ever. And perhaps more flexible to boot.

Older Tech Continues to Find New Purpose

Longevity isn’t very common on the web. Or not on the front end, at least. Design trends come and go quickly. As do the tools and services we rely on.

But beneath all of that lies a bedrock of foundational technologies. Each of the items above qualifies. They’ve been a part of our job for decades.

And they’re far from the only ones. We didn’t delve into CSS or FTP, for instance. But they, along with dozens of other tools, are vital pieces of the jigsaw for developers.

Their continued presence brings comfort. That’s a good thing in an industry that changes so quickly.

The post How Old-School Technologies Still Shape Web Development appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

You’ll likely take notice of the issue as you try to do them at scale. The more clients you have, the more difficult it is to manage. Things that used to take a few minutes of your day can turn into hours.

Developing processes for these tasks can help. It’s all about finding ways to create efficiency in your workflow. You can cross items off your to-do list faster and without cutting corners.

How does it work? And what tasks can be streamlined? Here are a few examples to help you get the most out of your time.

Use Tools to Speed up Software Updates

The age of content management systems (CMS) has brought a constant stream of updates. Apps like WordPress require a lot of attention. The core software, plugins, and themes all need to be updated.

The process isn’t too bad if you manage a single website. But it can also get out of hand rather quickly. Keeping track of new versions across multiple sites is difficult. And it’s too easy to miss an important update.

The right tool can help, however. Some services allow you to manage multiple sites via a dashboard.

These tools are a game changer for busy web designers. You can perform maintenance tasks within a singular user interface. They list available updates and can even alert you to security issues.

Keeping your CMS up to date is critical. The right tool can streamline the process and save you time.

Bulk Browser and Device Testing

Modern web browsers are outstanding. But there are plenty of outdated apps still in use. And we can’t forget about the wide range of mobile devices.

Ensuring our websites work across all screens is tedious. A litany of tests is required to verify that everything looks good and works correctly.

Automation can make a positive difference in this area. Browser testing tools will run your site on multiple devices. They’ll then provide screenshots to help you spot any issues.

These tools don’t replace hands-on testing methods. But they will provide you with a heads-up regarding what to look for. Plus, you can use them to test on lesser-used browsers and devices.

The idea is to gauge how your site works across platforms. And do so without spending a lot of time.

Keep Track of Your To-Do List with a Task Management App

How do you keep track of your projects? You’re wasting time if you’re using email or handwritten notes. These methods require fumbling through mounds of content.

Sure, your inbox has search capabilities. But what if you have thousands of messages? And thumbing through a stack of paper isn’t exactly efficient.

A task management app may be what you need. This category has come a long way in recent years. And there’s one for just about every niche. Popular tools like Trello and Asana come to mind.

Even better is that many work across platforms. That means you can look things up on your phone or computer. You can stay in the loop regardless of where you are.

Collaborative features can help you communicate with stakeholders. For example, you can check in with a colleague directly – rather than creating an email chain. And multiple people can cross items off their to-do list.

But even solo freelancers can benefit. Simply having a single point of reference is helpful. You’ll be less likely to forget something.

Automate Client Invoicing and Payment

Billing-related tasks are often a pain. They take precious time away from your projects.

And speaking of which, invoices are time-sensitive. This clashes with other things you have going on. It’s not ideal when you’re working on a tight deadline.

Old-school accounting software can help you create invoices. However, it often lacks the polished automation features of specialized platforms. You still have to get those invoices to your clients somehow.

Several cloud-based providers will do the dirty work for you. They’ll take your input and automatically email an invoice to your clients. An integrated payment gateway will collect your hard-earned money.

But these services offer more than just time savings. They also make it easier for clients to pay on the spot. Thus, your invoice is less likely to sit on their desk collecting dust.

Tax time is also simplified. Earnings and expense reports can be generated and shared with your accountant.

Make Your Web Design Business More Manageable

Every aspect of your web design business can benefit from repeatable processes. That covers technical areas like CMS updates. And it also applies to more mundane tasks like billing.

The ideas above are only a starting point. Think about other tasks that could use some attention. You can then identify ways to streamline them.

It may be easier than you think. Sometimes, it’s a matter of finding the right tool. Several apps cater to web designers and freelancers. And they can transform your workflow.

Don’t panic if you’re feeling stuck and falling behind on projects. Refining a process or two can make all the difference.

The post Develop Processes for These Web Design Tasks appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

My career has had its share of hits and misses. I’ve felt embarrassed when looking through my old projects. But time brings perspective. Eventually, you start to see things in a different light.

All projects offer a learning experience. Even the ones that didn’t have a positive outcome. As such, I wanted to share some of the most important lessons that I’ve learned.

Here are a few takeaways from those blasts from the past. Maybe they weren’t so bad after all?

Code Is More Resilient Than You Think

I’ve had to retrofit several old websites for use on mobile devices. These sites were built in the days before smartphones changed the world. They needed to look and function well on small screens.

I discovered that this wasn’t as hard as I anticipated. I had a wide range of sites to retrofit. Everything from early experiments in WordPress to table-based HTML.

The table layouts were generally the most time-consuming. However, I was amazed at how well I was able to convert them to CSS. It usually took a few hours. And the CSS-based layouts were even easier to deal with.

This demonstrates that HTML and CSS are resilient. And it’s possible to salvage quite a bit from an older website. That’s not to say everything is semantically perfect. But you can indeed squeeze some more life out of an old site.

Typography Isn’t an Afterthought

The web was once severely limited when it came to fonts. That may be one of the biggest changes over the past 20 years. But I’m not sure that any amount of cool fonts could have saved me from poor decisions.

For instance, I was obsessed with small type. I’ve found several projects where the font size was too small. Minimal line height forced lines to be squished together. The content was difficult to read.

I have a theory about why I did this. Small text was seen as more visually appealing back then. Plus, display technology wasn’t very good. Fonts often looked jagged at larger sizes. Tiny text was one way to combat that effect. Looks seemed more important than legibility.

The importance of legibility has become clear since then. Type is meant for way more than looking pretty. If it’s not readable, it’s not accessible.

Creativity Can (Still) Solve Problems

The various hacks I used to build websites are hilarious. And I know I wasn’t alone in using them.

Workarounds like slicing up large images (and putting them into a table layout, no less), trying to stay compliant with older versions of Internet Explorer, and all manner of vendor prefixes were the norm. They acted like virtual duct tape to hold everything together.

These practices weren’t great. But they were done for a noble cause. The goal was to make a site work for the widest range of users. And that’s still true today.

The concept of using “hacks” is no longer in fashion. But the creative energy behind them certainly is. The difference is that we now have tools to solve design challenges. Creative use of those tools can get us past just about any obstacle.

For Best Results, Clients Require Guidance

This was one of my hardest-learned lessons. As a young designer, client meetings were like taking an order at a restaurant. I wrote down what they wanted and did my best to deliver.

You can get by with this strategy for a little while. But it’s not so great in the long term. Positive outcomes require a solid plan. And it’s nearly impossible to do that when decision-makers don’t have the information they need.

That’s a big part of a web designer’s job. We’re the experts hired to ensure that a website is attractive, functional, and accessible. But we must speak up to keep clients informed.

These days, I’m not afraid to offer an honest assessment of a client’s ideas. I try to help them find the best path forward. It’s usually well-received and appreciated.

And the outcomes are much better, to boot. It becomes obvious as I look at recent projects. They tend to be more well-rounded than the older ones.

Don’t Be Afraid to Change

Change is like a monster hiding underneath my bed. It’s ready to strike the minute I’m comfortable with a process or technology. I once spent an unhealthy amount of time fearing and resisting it.

For example, I was terrified of CSS layouts. The thought of using a database made me break into a cold sweat. Writing PHP? Forget about it.

But a look at my portfolio proves that my fears were unfounded. I don’t claim to be the world’s greatest anything. But I did find a way to evolve. I’ve managed to learn new skills and stay with the times.

Sure, change still sends a little shock to my system (I’m looking at you, JavaScript). Yet, I’m more confident in my ability to adapt. Why? Because I’ve done it before.

Retrace Your Steps as a Web Designer

Love them or not, your old projects are there for a reason. Maybe they don’t live up to your current standards. But there are still valuable lessons to be learned from them.

That’s why I highly recommend taking a look through your archives. You’ll gain some insight into your evolution as a designer. And you can see how you’ve put those lessons to good use.

You may not realize how far you’ve come until you revisit the past.

The post What My Old Design Projects Have Taught Me appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

They may vary in scope. But most have one thing in common: the promise of making our job easier. They claim to write code, offer advanced functionality, or add killer special effects. These solutions aim to do the dirty work for us. How convenient!

I, for one, feel a bit disappointed. There’s so much hype. But I’m not convinced things are that much easier. It’s not as if artificial intelligence (AI) has replaced every monotonous task. If anything, web design seems to have become even more complex.

Besides, tools that promise an easier experience often come with serious tradeoffs. Thus, easier doesn’t always mean better.

With that, here are a few things to consider before you trade the tried-and-true parts of your workflow for a quick fix.

Does the Tool Lock You In?

Just about every design and development decision requires some sort of buy-in. This is part of the process.

Let’s say you’re creating a website mockup in Figma, Photoshop, or Sketch. You’re committing to a design tool. You’ll need to come back to the chosen app again and again. The same principle applies to everything from DIY website builders to programming frameworks.

The difference is in the required level of commitment. Pick the wrong tool, and you may be stuck with it for longer than you’d like. Becoming locked into a specific path may limit your ability to evolve. And those new features that everyone else is using? They may be unavailable to you.

That’s why it’s important to know what you’re getting into. An untested solution may seem attractive now. But where will it be in five years? You might have to start from scratch if things don’t work out.

It may be worth the risk. But there’s also something to be said for stability and flexibility.

Easier to Build, Harder to Maintain

The promise of a quicker path to launching a website is tempting. It attracts the attention of the design community. Skip over the hard stuff and get paid sooner. Who wouldn’t want that?

It sounds wonderful. But there can be more than meets the eye. A fast start often means more difficult maintenance down the road.

Take, for example, content management system (CMS) plugins. Platforms like WordPress make it easy to piece together a website.

It’s certainly possible to build a functional site with this approach. But there is danger in having bits of related functionality controlled by multiple plugins. It’s akin to using string to keep all of your favorite books together. Take one book out of the stack, and things fall apart.

This delicate balance can start to crumble if your needs change. Some plugins may no longer be suitable or are simply too rigid. That could mean swapping out critical pieces and trying to patch a gaping hole.

This doesn’t mean that you should avoid plugins. But it is worthwhile to think about sustainability. Determine the most sustainable path forward. That may take a little more work upfront. But it will save you from future difficulties.

Analyze the Cost vs. Benefit

Products advertised as making your job easier often tout cost savings as well. But is the easiest way forward really the cheapest?

That depends upon the factors mentioned above. If your website is up and running weeks earlier because of a specific tool, that’s great. But what if it makes future maintenance a nightmare? Any upfront savings may be short-lived.

Then, there’s the ability for future growth. For example, subscribing to a proprietary website platform can get you access to specific features. But what happens if that service cannot provide the advanced features you need later? Meanwhile, how much money have you spent to continue using it?

You may find that the savings weren’t worth the included hassles and limitations. Trading a few extra dollars in your pocket for a less-than-ideal website is unlikely to make you happy.

Be cautious before spending your money. Weigh the potential costs, benefits, and pitfalls of a given solution. This ensures that you’re thinking with both the short and long-term in mind.

Beware of Easy Website Solutions

Every path to building a website has an associated cost. It doesn’t matter if you use free or commercial tools. They all require time and effort. There’s also the cost of future maintenance.

Sometimes you can find a solution that makes web design easier and more cost-effective. However, it takes scrutiny to determine if that’s the case.

There are a lot of products that make such claims. Don’t take them at their word. Instead, do some research and find the tools that will work best for you.

The post In Web Design, Easier Doesn’t Always Mean Better appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Users may not think about it all that much – but that’s the point. Developers use JavaScript to simplify otherwise complex things. The power lies within its transparency to the end-user.

Where web professionals are concerned, JavaScript is also quite vast. There are so many popular libraries that enable rapid development, along with good old plain JS.

To help you sort through it all, we’ve compiled a collection of cheatsheets and guides for JavaScript and its many flavors.

The post Top 50 Cheatsheets and Reference Guides for JavaScript appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Text-based hyperlinks are a great example. Virtually every website used the same default shade of blue. It was possible to change the link color. But most sites tended to stick with blue.

Yes, it was boring on the surface. But it was also a great way to help users quickly spot links. Designers couldn’t implement fancy styles. And so, the first generation of web users learned to look for blue, underlined text.

Then CSS came along and completely changed what was possible. Hyperlinks could be any color of the rainbow. They could also sport backgrounds, animations, and custom typography.

Plus, we could change link styles based on context. That made it possible to have differently styled links in your header and content areas, for example. It’s great to have options. But there are also some drawbacks.

Sometimes we take custom link styling too far. We trade simplicity for complexity. That can make it harder for users to discern. It impacts both usability and accessibility.

So, what should we keep in mind when styling hyperlinks? Here are some tips for making them beautiful and keeping them usable.

Make Hyperlinks Easy To Recognize

Users are more web-savvy than they were a few decades ago. Web designers recognize this. But it sometimes leads them to give users a bit too much credit.

We see examples in links that are barely perceptible. Perhaps the link color is nearly identical to the rest of the text. Or the underline blends into the page background.

Subtlety has its place in design. But that doesn’t apply to hyperlinks. They need to stand out – regardless of how you style them.

The link’s color should contrast with other text. And it needs to pass accessibility guidelines as well.

Links should also include one or more design features. That could be an underline or a change in font weight. This helps colorblind individuals discern a link from plain text.

Another accessibility note: always use the outline property on the link :focus state. Users navigating via the keyboard can more easily identify your links. We’ve used it within all snippets here.

See the Pen Styling Hyperlinks:Make Them Recognizable by Eric Karkovack

Underlines Should Be the First Choice

CSS opened the floodgates in terms of how we style hyperlinks. And many designers used it to remove underlines.

Jettisoning underlines may result in a “clean” look. However, it also makes links harder to recognize. It’s particularly troublesome in body text.

Long passages of text can frustrate users. It becomes hard to maintain focus. But things get worse when they can’t spot any links within.

That’s why underlining links should be your first choice. It’s a simple feature that makes skimming content easier.

The unfortunate thing is that client preferences can get in the way. Some associate underlines with old school web design.

This is a great time to educate them. Explain how underlines help users get where they need to go. The
added convenience could result in more conversions. Hopefully, that will convince them to put users first.

Besides, we can use CSS to make underlines more attractive. The text-decoration-color and text-decoration-style properties add plenty of styling options. Underlines may be old-school, but they don’t have to be boring.

See the Pen Styling Hyperlinks:Use Underlines by Eric Karkovack

Ensure That Styling Is Consistent

Link styling should also be consistent. Navigating a website will become more predictable. Users won’t have to think twice about how to get around.

Every link doesn’t have to look the same, however. Context also plays a role here. For example, you may use different styles in your site’s header and footer. And content within a sidebar could look different than the body text.

These different styles should be implemented within reason, though. The look should fit a defined pattern.

Using radically different typography, for instance, may throw users off. As with other design elements, there should be a rhyme and reason in how links look and work.

See the Pen Styling Hyperlinks:Stay Consistent by Eric Karkovack

Links Can Be Beautiful and Functional

Styling hyperlinks runs the gamut. Some web designers completely ignore them. Others add a kitchen sink worth of custom CSS.

When it comes to usability, the former is probably the safer path. Users will be able to spot links in the middle of your content.

Still, it’s possible to achieve a balance. You can create custom styles to dress up links to match your brand. And you can do so in a way that keeps users in mind.

Therefore, don’t be afraid to experiment with link styles. Just keep your site’s goals along with best practices in mind.

The post The Dos & Don’ts for Styling Hyperlinks appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

But it’s possible to become too comfortable. OK, maybe not when it comes to food or a blanket (one can’t have enough snuggling and pizza, right?). But it does apply to your career.

Getting too comfortable in web design leads to becoming stale. It’s easy to fall behind the times. Continuous evolution is necessary to attain long-term success.

So, how do we fight this menace? By doing the opposite. There is great benefit in putting ourselves into uncomfortable situations once in a while.

Today, we’ll look at why this works. And we’ll suggest some things you can do to shake up your career (in a good way).

A Lack of Comfort Isn’t Always Bad

We may associate a lack of comfort as a bad thing. That is true in certain instances. For example, sitting on a couch with a spring poking you in the backside. But that doesn’t apply to every situation.

As web designers, we might feel uncomfortable with many things:

• Working with a tool we don’t like or know much about;
• Using an unfamiliar programming language;
• A client that requests a feature you haven’t built before;
• Collaborating with a colleague you deem to be better skilled;

There’s a positive aspect to the above situations. They offer an opportunity to expand your horizons. And, with the right attitude, any misery they cause will be temporary.

Unlike that faulty couch, these types of situations can get better with time. They often require getting past the initial fear and uncertainty.

Do that, and things suddenly become more palatable. The skill that once was beyond your grasp is now a valued part of your repertoire. It’s entirely possible!

Activities That Can Help Ease Your Fears

You can become a better web designer by letting yourself feel uncomfortable. Let’s take a look at some activities that can ease your fears. They’re small steps that can make a big difference.

These suggestions aren’t one-size-fits-all. But you may find one that fits your personality.

Identify Your Weakest Link

Are you struggling to learn JavaScript? Or maybe one of those new-fangled CSS layout techniques (like CSS Grid or Flexbox) has you perplexed.

Start by identifying what skills you’re uncomfortable with. Then dedicate time to learning about them.

Don’t feel like you need to become a full-on expert, however. We often put off learning because of how vast a particular subject is. There might be a fear of not measuring up to others, as well.

Every skill has a unique learning curve. And we all have different learning styles. Regardless, even incremental progress can make a positive difference in your career.

Get Out of the Office and Socialize

Web design can be a bit of a lonely profession. This lifestyle impacts freelancers who work from home particularly hard. Thus, getting out can be a big deal. And getting to know others in the industry is beneficial.

It doesn’t matter where you go. You could attend a small meetup or a large design conference. The point is to interact with fellow web professionals. And do so in a different sort of environment.

Meeting people can be stressful for some of us. But it’s an important step. You’ll break out of your echo chamber and learn about others. You can gain new perspectives, discover new tools, and commiserate with those who have faced similar challenges.

Conduct an Experiment

This one can be both fun and scary. Think of a project that you haven’t attempted and build it. It can be related to your niche or not. The sky’s the limit.

There are many directions you can go. Let’s say your specialty is WordPress development. You could try to use the software in a new way.

Perhaps you could build a “headless” install to generate a static website. Want to go in the opposite direction? Create a JavaScript UI with a library such as React.

The process can be intimidating. But it can also be a great motivator. It might help to boost your creativity.

Contribute to the Web Design Community

Want to shake things up? Share something with the web design community. This can take several forms, including:

• Posting your design work on a community site such as Behance or Dribbble;
• Building an open-source tool or contributing to an existing project;
• Blogging about your thoughts and experiences;
• Become a mentor to others in the industry;

To a degree, this makes you a more vulnerable person. And there’s a risk of not liking all of the feedback you receive. But the experience can still be very rewarding.

You’ll have the opportunity to interact with some interesting people. It might even spark a desire to keep on contributing.

Keep Moving Forward

The whole point of making yourself uncomfortable is to inspire progress. You don’t have to spend every day doing something that makes you squeamish, though.

The activities mentioned above can be done at any time. And it’s OK to take it slow. The experience is valuable – even in small doses.

This, in turn, will help to keep your skills, creativity, and enjoyment of web design at their peak.

The post How Being Uncomfortable Can Make You a Better Web Designer appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

If you’re not a full-on expert just yet, you’re not alone. And there’s no reason to worry. There are plenty of great opportunities to learn. Some are completely free – perfect for the budget-conscious developer.

We took a trip around the internet to find some top resources for learning React. There’s something here for everyone, from beginners to those looking to dive even deeper into the library.

Intro to React

This official tutorial is aimed at absolute beginners (though they do recommend that you have at least some HTML and JS background). In it, you’ll go through the process of creating an interactive tic-tac-toe game. The guide is fairly quick to complete and provides plenty of help along the way. It’s a perfect introduction to the concepts of building a React app.

Learn React.js in 5 minutes

Need to learn the basics in a hurry? Per Harald Borgen’s guide will take you through the very basics in short order. These are the building blocks you’ll need to take things further. And, once you’re ready to move on, check out Per’s free “Building a chat app with React” course.

Learn ReactJS: Part I

Codeacademy’s React course offers a look at JSX, components and how to interact with them. You’ll find that both some basic and advanced concepts are covered. Note that the actual lessons here are free (you just need to sign up for an account). However, there are some “Pro” portions that take you through real-world projects and quizzes.

React for Beginners

Instructor Wes Bos offers two levels of premium React video courses. There is a total of 29 videos available, depending on which package you purchase. Either way, students receive free lifetime updates that will cover new techniques as they become available.

React 101

This free course is meant for intermediate learners who have at least some knowledge of how React works. During the course, you’ll build three unique components from scratch. Plus, there are lessons regarding data retrieval and localStorage.

Learn React By Itself

One of the more confusing aspects of React is that there are so many companion libraries. When starting out, trying to absorb it all can really lead to frustration. So, this free course includes nothing but React. And it’s entirely browser-based, meaning there are no further tools to install.

Learn React

KIRUPA offers a versatile free course that includes both video and text-based tutorials. So, no matter how you prefer to learn, you have a method for doing so. It covers all the basics, along with some more advanced use cases.

Learn React Track

This compilation of 8 React courses from Treehouse will take you through pretty much every aspect of the library. Start off with the React Basics course and work your way through to Building Applications with React and Redux. In all, it’s 10 hours of course material. These courses do require a paid Treehouse membership, however.

A Variety of Learning Avenues

React is a vast library, but the resources above provide you with plenty of choices. You can learn as much as you want and do so in a manner that is the most comfortable.

If you just need to know enough to get by, choose one of the super-fast tutorials. However, if you want to become an expert developer, there are more in-depth offerings as well. Choose the path that makes the most sense for you and your goals.

Either way, congratulations on furthering your education and best of luck!

The post 8 Fantastic Resources for Learning React.js appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Mentoring is part of the tradition. But we don’t necessarily seek out these opportunities. They tend to happen organically.

As such, it can be a challenge to advise another designer. You want to make a positive impact. Yet it’s also important to respect boundaries. Nobody wants to become a nuisance or overbearing.

The goal is to help others find their way. Provide sound advice and give them the benefit of your experience. It’s a foundation they can build upon.

That’s what being a good design mentor is all about. Here are some tips for helping others live their dream.

Show Kindness and Empathy

If another web designer approaches you for advice, be gracious. It means that they consider you to be successful and a role model. This is quite an honor. One not to be taken for granted or dismissed.

You may not be able to answer every question. And having an in-depth conversation may clash with your schedule. But a polite response is in order.

It’s also important to demonstrate empathy. We are all in different places when it comes to experience and skills. Sometimes, we let our ego get the best of us. That can lead to unfairly judging someone else. We perceive their skills as less worthy.

However, we all start from the lowest rungs of the ladder. Therefore, approach others with a sense of humility. Remember that you were once in that same position.

Combine Honest Critiques with Encouragement

Has someone asked your opinion about a website they’ve built? Perhaps it was their portfolio or a client project. Giving feedback can be a bit like walking a tightrope.

The same can be said when looking at a snippet of code. Programming affords a lot of flexibility in terms of style. Each of us has a preferred technique. There may be times when things don’t match your standard.

Aim for both honesty and encouragement in these situations. It’s OK to point out a mistake or omission. But do so with sensitivity. Everyone reacts differently to this sort of feedback. The wrong choice of words can be harmful.

One way to accomplish this is to add personal experience to the critique. For instance, avoid bluntly telling someone their design doesn’t work in Safari. Explain the issue with an anecdote instead. You might point out that you had a similar issue. Then, encourage them to dive back into their code and make adjustments.

This humanizes the process of building a website. Your mentee will know that you’ve also made mistakes. It’s a little thing. But it can mean a lot to an inexperienced web designer.

Be an Attentive Listener

Mentoring involves dispensing advice. But don’t forget to listen as well. This is crucial when discussing career-oriented goals.

If you’re a successful freelancer or agency owner, others will likely want to pick your brain. They’ll want to know how you accomplished your goals. They will ask about the challenges you’ve faced and your thoughts on the future.

But goals are very personal. Not everyone is aiming for the same thing. Therefore, don’t assume their path will be the same as yours.

How can you know for sure? By listening and asking questions. Find out what the other person wants to accomplish in their journey. It’s about having a productive dialogue.

Your experiences can serve as a guide. But they should be put in the context of what your counterpart’s goals are. They’ll have the opportunity to learn from your triumphs and mistakes. And they can apply those lessons to their career.

Give What You Can

For all its benefits, being a web designer is a highly stressful career. The day-to-day pressures are enough to wear any of us thin.

You’re a busy professional. You may struggle to find time to help others. But mentoring does not demand total attention.

These relationships don’t require mountains of free time. And you don’t have to know the answer to every question.

Most of us can’t make that sort of commitment. And your mentee isn’t likely to ask for one, either.

Instead, focus on what you can give. It could be an extra five minutes between tasks or an hour on the weekend. It all counts and will be appreciated.

The Rewards of Being a Design Mentor

Making a positive difference in someone’s life is rewarding. That is all the more reason to be a mentor. You can offer another designer the benefit of your experience.

Plus, being a design mentor can also inspire you. It can refresh your creativity, improve your communication skills, and even unlock your potential.

So, don’t hesitate to connect with other web designers. After all, it’s a big part of what makes this community great.

The post How to be a Good Design Mentor appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Perhaps you should do these things… and perhaps not.

Today, we explore specific ways to further educate yourself as a designer, and apply what you learn immediately to becoming better at what you do, as well as being more desirable to clients.

Marketing and The Unhappy Freelancer

Let me start off with a story about a person I know. This person is a freelance designer who really wanted to get more quality business. His work was quite good, and he worked hard for his clients, but he was struggling with attracting the kinds of people he really wanted to work with. His clients were the lower-end type, always giving him problems when it came to payment and deciding exactly what they wanted him to design for them.

This designer could have benefited greatly from learning how to properly market his services. There is definitely a right way to reach out to top clients, and there is a wrong way, and making an effort to learn the difference can make an enormous difference in your success as a freelancer.

Market yourself and your work the wrong way enough times and you can do real damage to your potential to earn more and attract better clients.

Learning your niche – knowing the ins and outs of your client base as well as the customers they serve – is the best way to tailor your marketing efforts for maximum effectiveness.

Get A Design Mentor

Mentors can teach you a lot about design, and can help you greatly improve your craft. But they can also provide a critical look into the industry from a veteran’s perspective, something you’re not likely to have if you’ve been working for less than a certain number of years.

Personally, I believe every designer should seek out a mentor – there are tons of experienced designers out there who would love the chance to help guide and foster a future industry rock star. Making time to reach out to people who can help you often costs nothing, yet it’s one of the most important things you can do to grow your career.

The problem is that younger designers often don’t ask to be mentored, believing that more experienced designers are too busy to help them. Nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, you need to know one thing about designers who have reached a certain level of renown: they love it when people give them compliments and ask them stimulating questions about their craft. Especially younger designers.

Try it – email 10 of your favorite design “celebrities” and think of a few short but intriguing questions to ask them. The worst that can happen is that they say no, but if your questions are good enough, they almost certainly won’t.

Test, Then Invest

Sometimes you might have to invest a lot more money, time, or resources into learning something than you initially thought.

If you hate networking, for example, and know you will have to expend a lot of time, money, and energy going to networking events and building relationships with people in the design industry, you may question whether or not you genuinely need to make that investment and expand your network.

Sometimes, you don’t need to make a significant investment to achieve a goal. If you honestly feel that you can get by without making a particular investment, then test this assumption before going any further. This is an excellent way to learn what works and what doesn’t, both in your design work and in the promoting of your freelance business.

In fact, this is my absolute favorite way to learn anything related to my own design career. Research and mentors are great, but in the end, you must test each and every piece of advice you get from your sources. If it doesn’t work on a practical level, there’s no reason to keep playing the guessing game.

In Conclusion

Your design education doesn’t end with college or university. It starts there.

The acquisition of knowledge to further your career is a lifelong pursuit, if you’re doing it correctly. Remember that education, in whatever form it comes, is never a waste of time, money, or effort. When you don’t invest in your own education, you are losing a game you may not even realize you’re playing.

Your competition is certainly busy investing in themselves, and will come out ahead if you aren’t right there with them, putting in the time, money, and energy to improve your edge and win over clients.

The post Why You Should Further Educate Yourself as a Designer appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.