Navigation is one of the most important elements of web page design, and it is often overlooked or not given much thought. A good designer will try to create more unique navigation styles, rather than just focusing on basic browser-safe type.

As we grow and learn as web designers, we all tend to lean to one style in particular, and it helps define us, and our work, as individuals. However, to grow, we need to learn new things.

Sometimes a client wants something else, so we need to abide — though we can (and should) learn to design in new styles for our own personal benefit as well. With that, we can discover and perfect our understanding of alternative design principles, learn how to work with new design elements, and overall broaden our skill set.

Especially for websites that center around user downloads, an attractive, easy-to-find ‘Download’ button is an essential design element. Here we’ll look at what others are doing, what makes a good button, and what you can do to spice up any download buttons on your site.

Whether you’re offering software, Photoshop brushes, free icons, or something else, a download button is an important part of your UI design. Here are 20 buttons to learn from- they come from a variety of sites in a variety of styles, but they all have something to teach us.

With blue being such a basic color, many designers shy away from it in hopes that an alternative color will make their designs more creative. However, just like all colors, blue can come in a variety of shades, hues, and moods. Applied in the right context, blue can truly be amazing.

Typography has gained a lot of attention in the recent years of web design — as it should have. It’s a large part of any website, some saying that it takes up more than 90% of the website itself. With more options for design arising, we as designers must recognize good from bad typography for ultimate legibility.

Make sure you never leave your participants hanging after an important meeting. Part 4 of this series will help you maintain a long term relationship with your participants.

User-centric web design is a method of web design where the content, design, and usability factors are all placed in accordance to the target audience’s needs and goals — a design that is centered around the user. This article will cover the basics of what user-centric web design is, and how to achieve it.

Clients and users need guidance when contributing their design ideas. Part 3 of this series will prepare you for the challenges inherent in facilitating collaborative meetings.