Website Themes

Website themes and templates that allow us to create a visually appealing look are what we are looking for when we want to brand ourselves in a professional way on the Internet.

With our own product – the Google efficient Semiomantics XO Scripts – we already get a spiffy SEO optimized technical setup that we then configure according to our needs and preferences ourselves… if we have the complex knowledge and skill. The alternative is to outsource to a professional Graphic Designer.

It’s an important choice and a clear Business decision.

Website Useability

Website useability in general is a crucial consideration in Website Design.

What it means is that Website Themes need to be customer-friendly and reader-oriented in various ways and on different levels for diverse needs.

Screen Resolutions

It starts with the simple fact that not everybody online sees the same; we all have different screens, different resolutions, different settings and different programs alltogether. Not to mention different browsers…

While I find this very disturbing as a graphic designer, I have to accept it and find the best way to offer my content, pictures, media… brief everything I show on my website in an optimal way to a maximum of readers, visitors and existing as well as potential customers.

As I now have a 23 inch screen, I know what I missed before… but also the constraints for everything I am doing in terms of Web Design.

While I personally love a highly aesthetic website design that leaves room for discovery – as I did on yesterday’s ‘beaming’ website theme – I am aware that while the web design is perfect for a photo blog, it’s not ideal when offering good web content – meaning that the ease of reading in that case was only possible through scrolling. It’s a little detail, however, it may cost a reader.

Therefore, minus points in terms of mere Web Design.

Just as the website navigation system should allow for easy and intuitive navigation between the different sections of a site, the typography should allow for fast reading in terms of color and fonts… and having almost black fonts on black, even if only partially, is in my view extremely sexy – yeah, it’s artistic and Dali would love it – but not appreciated in the fast & easy my brain got lost in the gym environment.

New Website Theme

Bearing the above in mind, I created a new website theme that solves the above issues while being elegant and totally in sync with my Brand – up to the subtle floral background based on a picture from my garden that I prepared in Photoshop.

Just the Bee missing, but be assured I’ll get to that one too :)

Bianca Gubalke Logo

Even the Bianca Gubalke Logo had to be slightly adapted in its nuances for maximum harmony with the delicate color scheme. Again, it’s always a matter of details and lots of work and testing until the desired result is achieved. And at the end it looks soooo easy. . . so obvious!

Simplicity so often if not always has a hidden history of lots of learning and doing it over and over again… until! Practice and Experience leads to Mastery…

As a next step I will have to think of Social Networks and adapt my Twitter account… no boredom ever – guaranteed!

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Read more…

• Circle Experiments 1
• Creating your own Signature
• Header Graphics
• Colour
• Graphic Design

Windows Live Movie Maker for Facebook

When starting to use the new Windows Live Pack and namely the Movie Maker you will immediately notice that Microsoft aims to make things simple, focusing on essentials and features most users want and concentrate on. This Apple like Mikey Mouse approach to things will be welcomed by the average user.

Windows Live Movie Maker includes an integrated up-loader for publishing on YouTube. To post your Pictures to Facebook, a plug-in is available.

Facebook Plug-in

The Facebook plug-in allows you to easily upload your pictures and videos to Facebook including the peoples tags you may have created.

Windows Live Movie Maker Facebook Plug-in

The plug-in works with Windows Live Movie Maker and with Windows Live Photo Gallery.

Get the plug-in from HERE and install it on your computer.

The Windows Live Pack works with Vista and Windows 7, not with XP.

PS: Join tonight’s Ycademy Live Call for implementation.

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Read also:

• Windows 7 Training
• Windows 7 Security
• Windows 7 Minimum Requirements
• Windows 7 Tips to Calibrate Colors
• Windows 7 Tips

Windows 7 Security

I have been asked about Windows 7 Security and Anti-virus packs. Here is what I am using on my main system which hangs 24/24 on the internet.

Join tonight’s Ycademy call at 8 pm London to learn more and to implement your Windows Security.

Firewall for Windows 7

When 2 years back I uninstalled my Norton Internet Security pack, it was as if my Computer started breathing again. Nothing against the quality of Norton’s filters, but the program was so heavy, that my performance was suffering notably. Also, and this I noticed with most security programs, the interface is not really user-friendly. You need a PhD in firewall configuration in order to use the software efficiently. The basic settings are too timid and tend to scare people more than assuring them because of all the pop-ups indicating that Norton has just saved you again from a Trojan Horse, a Dragon, a witch or other horrors.

My experience is that the Windows Firewall is largely good enough for average and professional users. Maybe that real IT freaks miss all the little buttons and tabs to fine tune the configuration, but that’s a negligible minority anyway. (Yeahhh, I am one of those…).

So, with your Windows 7 just use your Windows Firewall in stead of charging your system with a heavy program (and your budget with 50 bucks per year).

In any case, don’t use two Firewalls; if you use an external program for the purpose, disable the Windows Firewall as running both will result in conflicting behaviors!

Antivirus for Windows 7

Without listing all the popular free and paid programs let me just recommend the

Microsoft Security Essentials

You can use them also on other Windows driven systems. The pack provides an antivirus solution which integrates perfectly with your Windows.

Microsoft Security Essentials are a Beta version (but then, what’s not beta these days anyway – Vista should never have made it even to beta :-)) and it’s free, provided you run Genuine Windows Software.

Microsoft Security Essentials

“Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free* download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It’s easy to tell if your PC is secure — when you’re green, you’re good. It’s that simple.

Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want—without interruptions or long computer wait times.” (As per Microsoft)

The user interface is clear, easy to use and to set up. Read more about Alert Levels.

Why look for complex and costly solutions if an integrated solution is available for free?

PS: The Security Essentials are hooked to Microsoft’s SpyNet – read the terms.

Read also:

• Windows 7 Training
• Windows 7 Minimum Requirements
• Windows 7 Tips to Calibrate Colors
• Windows 7 Tips
• Windows 7 Multilingual Deployments

Branding your Website

Branding your Website sounds like the grand finale of something elaborated over time… and yes it is! However. . .

Branding your Website

Branding your Website is a prerequisite for building your online business, any business in fact.

As such, it is also a beginning, meaning the start of  ‘YOU’ as you wish to present yourself to the online community, to people you know and people you don’t know, reflecting who you are and what you wish to express – brief: your presence on the Internet.

Once there, forever there – it cannot be erased !

Branding on Social Networks

Branding on Social Networks means that you give yourself the same image wherever you go so people start recognizing you or your brand. On most Social Networks you are given ample opportunity and space to express and present yourself… so you wish to align everything you do in order to be easily recognized – and you can go retro, fun, classy, grunge, jazzy or wild… whatever you want, as long as it reflects a professional image. Your online fingerprint

While I still have work to do in terms of Media, my Author Blog is branded… and if you follow through the various posts and web graphics you see how my preferred colors were always interwoven with what I did and you’ll recognize a personal style that’s independent of colors and fonts.

It is simply terrific to see the laborious route we’ve taken on the “Path to Profitability” in our sophisticated daily Trainings and exclusive Ycademy Seminars month after month, year after year…. up to a point now where – like any major Corporate Company – we are building our own image online. The Internet levels out the playground between the Davids and the Goliaths and for all those who have been following, learning, applying and implementing with courage and consistency what was taught over the years the image and presence of the business concerned will be built solid and aligned with a longterm vision for success and fulfillment… and this within a fascinating environment: cyber space!

Here’s my Brand look on Twitter. . . although I am not happy with the quality of the screenshots; the red just bleeds…

Branding your Online Newspaper

Branding your Online Newspaper… where in fact this mysterious journey into the ‘Secret World of Code’ started – in my case Touch Vision Talk on a Semiomantics NewsCast Script – will be part of the Ycademy October Seminar to be held this coming weekend.  Not everybody was ready for even thinking of Branding… thus we now have a second chance to bring everything we do online in line. Including our Online Newspaper.

In the planned Workshop, we will get hands-on expert guidance on following through with the complex Coding and applying our Branding touch in terms of Web Design and Web Graphics to our Online Newspaper.

Another exciting weekend not to be missed – absolutely not!

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Read more…

• Creating Web Graphics for Nutrinsider
• Wegowell Publishing
• Circle Experiments 1
• Creating your own Signature
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Wegobiz Media Marketing

“Wegobiz Media Marketing” is the next website I neglected over the past years; time to get it up and running. . . of course on  on Semiomantics XO, what else!

Wegobiz Media Marketing

Wegobiz Media Marketing will be focusing on topics like Media, Publishing and Marketing – everything that makes us tick on the Internet plus many exciting excursions into Web Design and Graphic Images and everything the future holds for us in terms of Media. Having just installed Windows 7 with its many media-related features will allow us to explore lots of interesting new aspects that will find their reflection on this new old website!

Wegobiz Media Marketing Colors

In Wegobiz Media Marketing I will stick to my favorite color scheme since decades: white, black, silver and a hot passionate shot of REAL red!

As most customers prefer a more colorful palette when it comes to Web Design, I will also continue experimenting with other color combinations and fonts depending on the topic or expectations of my clients. However, as was the case with my book and catalogue designs in the offline world in the past, I will always endeavour to ensure that the style is recognizable in the virtual world.

Wegobiz Media Marketing Fonts

I like this stunningly beautiful Grunge Font within the rather sober context; it just adds that bit of feminine flair that I need…  like the fluff of a red exquisite accessoire on a simple yet elegantly cut black and white outfit or dress… remember Coco Chanel, she set an example I always admired.

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• Media Marketing Publishing
• Your biggest Capital Online
• Which Fonts should I use with CSS
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Wegowell Publishing

Wegowell Publishing was lost and no longer seen… but it will hopefully be completely regained as Neil Dimanond sings… in other words: it was rediscovered, totally cleaned out, upgraded to 2.8.4 on Semiomantics and brought onto a new path to Google Top 10 today!

Wegowell Publishing

While wegowell.com was initially planned for quite another purpose, our plans have changed and the new “Wegowell Publishing” will be focusing on Media, Communication and Design – all topics I have been writing about, with an emphasis on Web Design and Web Graphics as part of Design.

Wegowell Publishing Logo

To relax a bit from the boring clean-out, I started experimenting and designed a picture that could well be the start of a sexy Wegowell Publishing Logo.

What interested me here was firstly the background design with its original color array; I hope it’s not only my new screen that gives me such sparkling colors :) You may have guessed right: I created it from an original picture I took in my garden.
Secondly, I wanted to achieve an interesting tension between two sets of fonts, of which one should be in the initials in big – WP for Wegotop Publishing – and in transparent fonts.

Transparent Fonts

Transparent Fonts are achieved when playing with the many effects in the Layer Style Options of Photoshop.

I am not aware whether transparent fonts are available otherwise, but here practice makes perfect and the more we know our tools and exercise with the diverse options, the better the results achieved.

I never really focused on transparent fonts this consciously before, so I had to find my way through the jungle of fine effects and nuances of light and shadow. . .  and there’s room for improvement.

What is fascinating is always what we find along the way when actually looking for something else… and so Photoshop never stops to surprise and amaze me; it has its price, but it’s simply a magnificent program!

I will come up with some other variations for Wegowell Publishing soon!

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Read more…

• Transparent Fonts
• Transparent Fonts
• Transparent Fonts
• Circle Experiments 1
• Creating your own Signature