Insights & Ideas

Breadcrumbs in Web Design

A type of secondary navigation, "breadcrumbs" (or "breadcrumb trails") are a user friendly way of showing where the user is within a site. Breadcrumbs are normally found within sites that have more than 2 levels of navigational links. You'll also see them in applications that have more than one step ("signposting"), for example on a checkout or booking system where a progress bar is needed.

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Using Twitter Hashtags

If you use Twitter you'll have started to notice the emergence of the use of #hastags along the way. Many of us might have thought that someone accidentally typed something in on their tweet by hitting the # symbol, but really they are simply making it easier to use Twitter. The hashtag is basically a tool used to sort through and link conversations on Twitter.

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4 Tips For Making Headers Stand Out

Here's some tips to help users find the content they are looking for. These tips show how to make headers more effective and easier to identify and apply to both page headers and content sub-headers. Although they aren't the gospel they will definitely help and are things to consider when designing a site.

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Friday Freebies Summer Wallpapers

Friday Freebies this week come with a summer inspired theme. Having used these wallpapers for both our desktop and iPhone wallpapers this week we had to shamelessly promote ourselves again by offering these for our readers. As always we like to listen so if you have any further suggestions for some Friday Freebies please don’t hesitate to share them with us by emailing the team. Enjoy and let's hope this summer is a hot one.

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Google Analytics Goals The Basics

Until recently we have probably classed ourselves as casual Google Analytics users who use the tool to get a bit of an ego boost on the number of visits to the site each day. Like most casual users we never really took any notice of the Goals feature the tool offers, when really we and others should, it gives you a lot of great insight to your site.

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Tweetie For Mac

Monday saw the public release of Atebits.com Tweetie for Mac, the big brother to the already successful  Tweetie iPhone App which for many is considered the best Twitter client on the market.

As a desktop client it has some stiff competition to the already very successful TweetDeck but we've been playing around with Tweetie the past few days and let's just say we are very impressed with the new app and it looks like it’ll be our new favorite here. The interface is sleek and oozes transitions and design ques all over the shop. It's perfect for the Mac and Atebits seem to have hit the nail on the head as it really does look as if Apple would have created it themselves. But, and yes there is a but, it's not perfect, yet.

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Tabbed Navigation Is Useful

As in the real world browsing using a clearly labeled system on the web just works. Think about it, any shop such as a music store clearly labels rack space either by product or genre and it's quick to find what you are after. Supermarkets do this great as well by hanging large signs above the aisles so you know where to go and if it's not quite right just look up again and you know where to go next.

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Geek'nRolla Tech Startups Rock

FHOKE will be appearing at Geek’nRolla today who are helping supplying personlised champagne to the event. Geek'nRolla is sponsored this year by Viadeo one of the largest professional social networks in the world, and supported by UK Trade and Investment, as well as NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology & the Arts. They are also being supported by their strategic partner, School for Startups. And not only will they be enjoying a great lineup of tech startups, they are planning on the mother of all evening networking parties at one of London’s premier venues, Cafe de Paris.

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5 Great iPhone Optimised Sites and Then Some

After several months with the iPhone (I know we were late in the game to getting some, damn blackberry) we thought it be a good idea to share with you some of the best sites around "optimised" for the iPhone.

One clear factor in designing a site for the iPhone has become apparent... well thought out structure. You can pimp it up all you like but if it's not clear to navigate (after all your dealing with a smaller resolution) and easy to use then don't bother. If your good at web site design then the tranisition to iPhone will be a breeze and you'll probably find it fun. Designing to 1024 these days can become pretty samey.

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5 Great iPhone Apps

When the iPhone was introduced it was a revolutionary mobile device that took the market by storm. Now in its second incarnation (a third rumored for the summer) it is now being replicated in some of its functions by all the major mobile manufacturers in a bid to either claw back some of Apple's market share or improve on it. The real potential for this device became apparent though when the app store was opened. These apps take the iPhone from being a really great mobile into a device that can become virtually anything you need it to be.

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Friday Freebies with 3 FREE Wallpapers

Free stuff always comes in handy. We've given away fonts, icons and some shamelessly self promoting iPhone wallpapers, and to promote ourselves that bit more we are giving away another freebie with 3 Free Desktop Wallpapers. If you have any further suggestions for some Friday Freebies please don’t hesitate to share them with us by emailing the team.

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New Site Updates

Today FHOKE got a few site updates to help make it easier for potential, new and existing clients to get in touch and to view progress on their sites.

With large files being sent by email everyday it was time to get a client area for the site that will enable clients to see the most up to date versions of their designs as well as previous variations. Another feature for existing clients is they will have their own personal library of all the projects we have worked on and will have access to this anytime of the day anywhere in the world as long as they have access to our site.

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