aliirfaan, freelance web designer/developer, Mauritius » blog

New CV

admin — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:29:22 +0000

Revamped cv clearly showing my interest for information aesthetics/visualisation. Sometimes I really don’t know why people ask for this, there is linkedin now guys. Link to old cv.

Raw output in Joomla! 1.5

admin — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 06:43:08 +0000

To generate raw output, without template code and html in Joomla! 1.5 : You have to specify output format as ‘raw’ in the url

index.php?option=com_mycomponent&format=raw

This is handy when you want only component output or you want clean output for your csv export for example.

Choosing jQuery plugins

admin — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 16:47:30 +0000

Choosing from the astronomic amount of jQuery plugins to accomplish a particular task can be a daunting task. Many plugins out there do the same task but some are more useful and will spare you some head aches.

Do you really need a plugin : A plugin means extra javascript and very often extra styling. See if you can code the desired task with simple jQuery or native javascript.
Check version support : Check if the plugin works with the version of jQuery you are using on your site.
Check browser support : Test plugin demos on browsers that are of interest to your audience.
Visit plugin site : All decent plugins have a home page where you can see if the author is maintaining his work or not. Also check for user feedback and comments, a fast way to evaluate the plugin. Read documentation to see if conflicts exist with other plugins.
Check for callbacks : A powerful and well designed plugin will offer callback function parameters where you will be able to put your code after events. This is extremely useful if you want further customization.
Graceful degradation/unobtrusive : See how the plugin works and what your users will see if javascript is disabled. A well thought plugin respects content and behavior seperation.
Plugin size/performance : If document size is important, check the size of the plugin and also check performance on different browsers.
Valid markup : Many plugins inject code in the document. Check to see of the plugin outputs W3C valid markup.

I’m sure there are many other things to check before using a plugin, for example the license. Hope this post will be helpful the next time you want to use a jQuery plugin.

HTML5 and some semantics in current web projects

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:43:07 +0000

With all the buzz around HTML5, everyone is eager to make the leap towards web 3.0. HTML5 enforces semantic structure of web pages with new tags like

and

Get your UI design right

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 06:25:35 +0000

With the emergence of mashups and web 2.0, the amount of data to be presented on a web page has considerably increased, overloading the user with information and making user interface design a challenging task. User interactions are not restricted to primitive controls like text boxes but nearly every piece of data like pictures now form part of the UI and can be manipulated through drag and drop. User interaction becomes contextual and presenting opportunities for intentional manipulation is not always easy. Yahoo! developer network has a bunch of design patterns that may help web designers build intuitive interfaces and I like the way they arranged the patterns. http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/

Open source billing solution for freelancers

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:53:43 +0000

phpBMS is a true open source business management software. If you are a freelancer, you can keep information about clients, keep track of orders and mail PDF bills. For example a freelance web designer/developer can create product categories such as design, setup and coding. Under these categories, products could be analytics, domain and hosting setup, etc… with associated prices. After you have entered your clients details and product listings, creating a bill becomes easy. phpBMS is a web based solution which you can easily integrate with your existing system. Hope it helps you bill clients more efficiently.

Unobtrusively IE6 update warning

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:27:35 +0000

Browser-update.org is an initiative by web designers to give IE6 users a notification to upgrade to newer and more standard compliant browsers. It comes in the form of a small javascript file and pops up as a notification bar in the browser. A really subtle way to get rid of IE6 without disturbing visitors.

Designing for print

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:13:23 +0000

Designing for the print media was quite a new experience for me. It involved tuning Photoshop, working with CMYK color mode and using centimeters as ruler unit. The color palette you will use is very important as it will have an impact on the price of the print. And also the use of bleeds is the norm because you have to account for design inconsistencies and printer errors. You can view some of my print designs here. Hope you like them.