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Table of Contents

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

Introduction

Emphasis

Contrast

Balance

Alignment

Repetition

Flow

COLOR USAGE

Black: 1, 2, 3

Black & White: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Blue: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Blue & Green: 1, 2, 3, 4

Brown: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Green: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Grey: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Muted: 1, 2, 3

Orange: 1, 2, 3, 4

Pink: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Pink & Blue: 1, 2, 3

Purple: 1, 2

Rainbow: 1, 2

Red: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ultra Pop: 1, 2, 3

White: 1, 2, 3

Yellow: 1, 2, 3

Color Review

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Badges: 1, 2, 3

Crests: 1, 2

Clouds: 1, 2

Dates

Decorative Animation

Dog Ears: 1, 2

Drop Down Menu

Fabric

Flower Power

Food

Gradient Madness: 1, 2

Icons: 1, 2, 3

iPhones

Mascots

Ornate Elements: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ornate Backgrounds: 1, 2, 3

Price Tags

Radial Elements: 1, 2, 3

Rounded Corners: 1, 2

Single Stripe

Stripes: 1, 2, 3

Transparency

Web Typography: 1, 2

DESIGN STYLES

3d Worlds: 1, 2

Chic Designer

Collage: 1, 2, 3

Distressed Design: 1, 2, 3, 4

Elegant

Giant Type: 1, 2

Illustrated: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Let The Art Speak: 1, 2

Minimalism: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Photo Backgrounds: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Retro Style: 1, 2, 3

Shiny Stuff: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Sketchy: 1, 2, 3, 4

Super Clean: 1, 2, 3, 4

DESIGN THEMES

Drips Sprays & Splatters: 1, 2, 3, 4

Extreme Theme

Got Wood: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Grassy Design

Holiday Branding: 1, 2

Imitate Print: 1, 2

Nature: 1, 2

Office Supplies

Old Paper: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Where Are We: 1, 2

SITE STRUCTURES

3 Little Buckets: 1, 2

Accordion

Atypical Layout: 1, 2, 3

Atypical Navigation: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Horizontal Scrolling: 1, 2

Hybrid: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Lightbox

Module Madness: 1, 2

One Page Sites: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Tabs: 1, 2

Tiny Web Sites: 1, 2

Ultra Zoom: 1, 2

SITE TYPES

Blogs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Business Card

Coming Soon: 1, 2

Commercial: 1, 2

Community Server: 1, 2

Design Firms: 1, 2, 3, 4

Events: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

eCommerce: 1, 2, 3

Fashion

Finance: 1, 2

Forum Design: 1, 2

Free Scripts

Government

Hotels & Resorts

Kid Sites

Music & Bands: 1, 2, 3

Personal: 1, 2

Photo Blogs & Portfolios: 1, 2

Political

Portfolios: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Real Estate: 1, 2, 3, 4

Religious: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Restaurants: 1, 2, 3

Software: 1, 2

Travel & Tourism: 1, 2

tShirt Sites

Universities: 1, 2, 3

Web Hosting: 1, 2

Web Services: 1, 2, 3

Web Software: 1, 2

PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS

Columns: 1, 2

Forms Part 1—Fieldsets & Labels

Forms Part 2—Fieldset & Label Samples

Forms Part 3—Required Fields

Forms Part 4—The Select Control

The Grid

Link Fest: 1, 2

Logo Color Variations

TUTORIALS

Drips 1 - Blend If

Drips 2 - Colorize Sprays

Drips 3 - 3d Drips & Sprays

Stripes 1 - Basic Vertical

Stripes 2 - Random Stripe Patterns

Stripes 3 - Diagonal Stripes

OFF TOPIC POSTS

Web Designer's Idea Book Vol 2

Pre-Order The Book

FOWD, London, and the Book

Future of Web Design Conference

Holiday Branding Refresher

Big News for Design Meltdown

Design Meltdown on Boagworld Podcast

Resolio is Live

Color Search on the Daily Slurp

Photographic Backgrounds Part 4

4th edition — by Patrick McNeil — Aug. 13, 2007

Editions:

1 2 3 4 5 6

The Design Element

The use of photographic backgrounds is kind of ironic in a way. 10 years ago it was a hideous solution. How is it that now we have managed to make it such a beautiful and effective solution? Have our tastes changed? or are designers really implementing it that much better? The one problem with this style for me is that I keep looking for a way to use it in a site. And of course forcing a design solution because you like it isn't exactly the best way to go. Enjoy the links!

Sample Usage

Comments

Jeff Finley

8/14/2007 8:14:07 AM

Wow those are sweet. Thanks for posting those Pat. I have noticed this trend lately, but never really put it all together before. Some good picks you have there.

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