Just a few resources that I’ve found to be quite helpful for web design.
- Bootstrap – The best framework for simple websites (<8 pages) because of its good documentation, responsive grid, navigation options, and ease of customization when adding your own CSS. Set up containers, use the carousel, and customize the featurettes with your own marketing lingo.
- WAMP – A lightweight, friendly, and easy to setup local testing server for when you want to play with PHP or map out a website folder structure easier. This will allow you to access your hosted site when you drop the files in C:\wamp\www and point your web browser to localhost.
- Google Web Fonts – Free CDN (what is a CDN?) hosted web fonts that are easily added to your website with a line each of CSS and HTML. Good typography can transform a website feel.
- The Magic of CSS – Learn the basics of CSS layouts quickly for those of us with visual learning styles.
- NetBeans IDE – This well known development environment still works great for creating a modern website. Create a project and drop Bootstrap CDN into your HTML file. Download the PHP oriented version, it’s lighter on its feet.
- How to Setup PHP Includes for HTML Pages – Save time when producing a website that has multiple web pages and one universal header/footer by using includes. Be sure to remove “active” tags from your bootstrap nav, too!
- Bootstrap 3 Tips & Tricks – Part One and Two on Scotch.io. Also check out their latest article on Foundation, a framework similar to Bootstrap.
- HTML5Please – Research the nitty gritty compatibility..y of all the HTML5 and CSS classes available.
- Best Tools for Designers – A great list that includes links to stock photos, templates, infographics, and much more.
- CSS Color Words – A fun way to find hex codes.