Using Your Imagination

Technically explained… a web design is a process of conceptualizing, planning, modeling, and executing of electronic media content delivery via Internet in the form of technologies (such as markup languages) suitable for interpretation and display by a web browser or other web-based graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

The intent of web design is to create a web site (a collection of electronic files residing on one or more web servers) that presents content (including interactive features or interfaces) to the end user in the form of web pages once requested. Such elements as text, forms, and bit-mapped images (GIFs, JPEGs, PNGs) can be placed on the page using HTML, XHTML, or XML tags. Displaying more complex media (vector graphics, animations, videos, sounds) usually requires plug-ins such as Flash, QuickTime, Java run-time environment, etc. Plug-ins are also embedded into web pages by using HTML or XHTML tags.

Improvements in the various browsers’ compliance with W3C standards prompted a widespread acceptance of XHTML and XML in conjunction with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to position and manipulate web page elements. The latest standards and proposals aim at leading to the various browsers’ ability to deliver a wide variety of media and accessibility options to the client possibly without employing plug-ins.

Typically web pages are classified as static or dynamic.

• Static pages don’t change content and layout with every request unless a human (web master or programmer) manually updates the page.
• Dynamic pages adapt their content and/or appearance depending on the end-user’s input or interaction or changes in the computing environment (user, time, database modifications, etc.) Content can be changed on the client side (end-user’s computer) by using client-side scripting languages (JavaScript, JScript, Actionscript, media players and PDF reader plug-ins, etc.) to alter DOM elements (DHTML). Dynamic content is often compiled on the server utilizing server-side scripting languages (PHP, ASP, Perl, Coldfusion, JSP, Python, etc.). Both approaches are usually used in complex applications.

With growing specialization within communication design and information technology fields, there is a strong tendency to draw a clear line between web design specifically for web pages and web development for the overall logistics of all web-based services.

Since the mid-1990s, web development has been one of the fastest growing industries in the world.In 1995 there were fewer than 1,000 web development companies in the United States alone, but by 2005 there were over 30,000 such companies.[1][citation needed] The web development industry is expected to grow over 20% by 2010. The growth of this industry is being pushed by large businesses wishing to sell products and services to their customers and to automate business work flow, as well as the growth of many small web design and development companies.

In addition, cost of Web site development and hosting has dropped dramatically during this time. Instead of costing tens of thousands of dollars, as was the case for early websites, one can now develop a simple web site for less than a thousand dollars, depending on the complexity and amount of content.[citation needed] Smaller Web site development companies are now able to make web design accessible to both smaller companies and individuals further fueling the growth of the web development industry. As far as web development tools and platforms are concerned, there are many systems available to the public free of charge to aid in development. A popular example is the LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP), which is usually distributed free of charge. This fact alone has manifested into many people around the globe setting up new Web sites daily and thus contributing to increase in web development popularity. Another contributing factor has been the rise of easy to use WYSIWYG web development software, most prominently Adobe Dreamweaver or Microsoft Expression Studio (formerly Microsoft Frontpage) . Using such software, virtually anyone can develop a Web page in a matter of minutes. Knowledge of HyperText Markup Language (HTML), or other programming languages is not required, but recommended for professional results.

The next generation of web development tools uses the strong growth in LAMP and Microsoft .NET technologies to provide the Web as a way to run applications online. Web developers now help to deliver applications as Web services which were traditionally only available as applications on a desk based computer.

Instead of running executable code on a local computer, users are interacting with online applications to create new content. This has created new methods in communication and allowed for many opportunities to decentralize information and media distribution. Users are now able to interact with applications from many locations, instead of being tied to a specific workstation for their application environment.

Examples of dramatic transformation in communication and commerce led by web development include e-commerce. Online auction sites such as eBay have changed the way consumers consume and purchase goods and services. Online resellers such as Amazon.com and Buy.com (among many, many others) have transformed the shopping and bargain hunting experience for many consumers. Another good example of trans-formative communication led by web development is the blog. Web applications such as WordPress and b2evolution have created easily implemented blog environments for individual Web sites. Open source content systems such as Typo3, Xoops, Joomla!, and Drupal have extended web development into new modes of interaction and communication.

Putting up a website can provide new opportunities for your company. The following are the steps you can follow to establish your own website on the Internet.

Secure an Internet Access from an ISP
The first thing to do is to get you connected on the Internet. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are companies that will connect you on the Internet for a fee. You can get subscription plans or the pre-paid Internet access cards. Some ISP’s to contact are Pacific Internet, Easycall, MosCom, I-Next, and SkyInet.

Get an Email Address
Once you have Internet access, the next step is to get an email account. Email is the most popular tool for online communications, hence get an email account with a good name. Some email providers are Hotmail, Lycos, and Edsamail.

Planning Your Web site
Identify your goals for the Web site. Identify your customers goals for using your Web site. Match the two, and identify the criteria for designing your Web site.

Creating the Web site
If you have the time and patience you can try to learn HTML and design your own Web site. But if you are more concerned about managing your business, then hiring a good Web designer is a wise decision.

Find a Web Hosting Company
Once the Web site is complete, you will have to physically store it on a Web server that is connected to the Internet. This service is provided by Web hosting companies.

Get a Good Domain Name
A domain name is the name that will be associated with your Web site (e.g. www.webphil.com). Try to keep the domain name short so that it will be easy to remember and will fit on your calling card. A good company is www.catalog.com.

Promote Your Web site
Once your Web site is up and running, have it tested by users for any errors. If you are comfortable with the Web site, the final step is to promote it. You can do this through traditional means (e.g. word of mouth, print ads) or online (e.g. search engines, ad banners, exchanging links).

All of this can be done by www.imagination.vg