Muro
DeviantART has long been an excellent place for artists and designers to showcase their work. Now, they’ve released a browser-based drawing app, created in HTML5. Initial reviews seem positive, and it’s free to use.
Google Font Preview
If you use Google’s Font API, it can be helpful to try out fonts before embedding them in your website. Google recently launched their Font Preview that lets you do just that. You can switch fonts from within the Preview app, and modify them in a number of ways on customized text.
Periodic Table of the Elements
This chart, created by Josh Duck, showcases the 104 elements currently in the HTML5 working draft and two proposed elements (marked with an asterisk). It also includes a tool for looking at how the elements are used on existing websites. Click on any element in the table for a brief definition and links to further information.
iMockups for iPad
This iPad app lets you create rough sketches perfect for rapid wireframing and brainstorming. The mockups are low fidelity so that designers can concentrate more on functionality and flow, rather than making things look “pretty”. The downside is that it’s not a free app (it’s $9.99).
Invoice Bubble
Invoice Bubble is a free, professional invoicing app that lets you create one-time or recurring invoices, complete with PayPal payment integration. The free version does include ads and a link back to Invoice Bubble, but for $5/month you can have both those things removed. It also tracks your invoices, lets you create estimates, and shows you how much you’ve been paid and how much is still outstanding.
TinyBounce
TinyBounce lets you save a screenshot of an image, create notes for feedback on it, and then send the link to others. It’s a tiny app, created as part of 10K Apart.
ColorBlendy 2
Here’s another app created as part of 10K Apart, this time for creating and finding the results of blending colors. Just choose two colors, and then the effect you want to simulate to get the resulting hex code.
Selectivizer
Using CSS3 pseudo-classes is great if you don’t care about your pages showing up the way you want them to in Internet Explorer 6-8. Selectivizer is a JavaScript utility that automatically emulates the pseudo-classes you want to use. Just add the script to your pages and it does the rest.
UNicod Sans Font Family
UNicod Sans is a new font family from Mostardesign. It’s a modern, slightly-rounded sans serif typeface with five weights. There are versions for both text and headlines.
Gridulator
Gridulator lets you create pixel guides for grid design, in any configuration you want. Just put in the overall width and the number of columns and it will spit out a variety of grid templates with varying gutter widths.
Keynotopia Wireframing Set
If you’ve considered creating wireframes and prototypes, then this wireframing template set from Smashing Magazine will make your life much easier. It includes a variety of web application elements, as well as a tutorial for using Keynote for prototyping.
Primary
Primary is a CSS Framework that consists of 22 layouts, and is based on the concepts in “22 Panels That Always Work” by comic book artist Wally Wood.
User Interface Design Framework
This GUI design kit includes hundreds of vector elements for interface design in Adobe Illustrator. There’s a library of 200 styles, 260 vector icons, and more.
Fan Script
Here’s a new script font by Umbrella Type, available from Veer. It includes more than 1000 glyphs, and was inspired by the fonts used in classic sports paraphernalia.
Antetype
Antetype is a new prototyping application currently in private beta. It includes a number of tools not commonly found in most wireframing and prototyping apps, including the ability to apply styles to your prototypes with a single click.
Anchor Font Family
Anchor is a new rounded sans-serif typeface from Process Type Foundry. It was designed specifically to work in cramped spaces and includes four different weights.
Patternry
Patternry, formerly known as UI Pattern Factory (it’s been completely revamped) is an excellent source to find specific user interface pattern examples. It’s a good place to go for inspiration or to find examples of existing patterns.
Fillerati
Fillerati is a filler text generator that uses text from books in the public domain (from Project Gutenberg). You can grab heading, paragraphs, list items, and plain text. The interface is particularly nice for such a utilitarian app.
Web Wireframe Kit
Here’s a stylish wireframe kit from Emazekraker, which includes both light and dark versions of each element. It includes base colors, tables, tooltips, buttons, form elements and more.
Forza
Forza is a beautiful, modern, squared sans-serif typeface from Hoefler & Frere-Jones. It was designed for Wired. It comes in a variety of weights and styles.
Paper Browser
Paper Browser is a paper wireframing template you can download and print out. The templates are sized at 1024 x 768 pixels, and come in two versions: Quick Sketch and Browser Sketch. They’re also releasing printed, notebook versions of both that are currently available for pre-order.
Wazala
Wazala is a new ecommerce platform that can be used with any website or blog. It’s great for non-programmers, and can be used with up to five products for free. Paid plans start at $9.95/month.
Defolio
Defolio is a collaboration tool for sharing website designs with colleagues and clients. It handles version control and allows for visual comparison between versions, as well as comments on version updates. It’s still in development, but soon will be adding file synchronization, the ability to make projects public or private, and better archiving.
CSS3.0 Maker
This handy app lets you create a variety of CSS3 elements, including rounded corners, gradients, and shadows. You change properties using drop-downs and sliders, and it shows you a preview of what you’ve created. It also includes which browsers each element works in.
WebMadeMovies
While the WebMadeMovies project has been around for awhile, they’ve finally released an example video, making the entire thing a bit closer to being ready for wide release. It’s a project dedicated to open video with standards like HTML5 that will allow for more interactive and interesting video experiences online. Their first big project is popcorn.js, which allows semantic information to be added to online videos.
WebINK
WebINK is a new web fonts service from Extensis. They include fonts from a number of type foundries, including exljbris, P22, Rimmer Type Foundy, and ShinnType. Pricing plans are scalable, and start at just $.99/month.
WebHooks
Formstack has released a new feature for developers called WebHooks that make it easier for their forms to interact with web apps in near-real-time. Previously, there was a delay of 5-10 minutes before Formstack forms would complete certain operations because it required the app to check Fromstack’s servers. Now, new submissions are pushed to the app, resulting in virtually no delay.
Ember
Ember is a new site that lets designers share their design inspiration. You can share images, follow other users, browse what others have uploaded, and organize your screen shots into collections. You can save parts of a page or the entire thing, depending on what you need.
Dribbble
Dribbble lets designers upload small thumbnail images (up to 120,000 pixels, or about 400 x 300) of projects they’re working on. It’s a neat way to get a sneak-peek at what other creatives are doing and what their next release might be. Dribbble also allows you to follow other designers and what they upload.
Web Font Specimen
Web Font Specimen lets you test out how fonts will actually look on the web. Combined with browser cross-testing, you can see how the fonts you use with @font-face will actually appear to your visitors.
Launchlist
Launchlist is a complete checklist of things to verify before launching a website. It includes everything from making sure there’s a print stylesheet (and that it works) to making sure forms work correctly to verifying cross-browser compatibility, and you can add your own fields. Complete the report and then have it emailed to your client or colleagues.
Sensational Jobs
Sensational Jobs is a job board for web designers and developers. You can browse through full-time and freelance listings, and set up custom alerts via email and RSS for any desired keywords.
Endorse
Endorse lets users recommend one another for different skills. You set up an account through Twitter, set your own availability, and then start endorsing others. You can then look through the recommendations of others if you need to find someone skilled in a certain area.
Glass
Glass lets you add notes over the content of any website, which you can then share with others. It’s currently in private beta, but invite codes are available on a regular basis (and existing members can invite new members).
Cu3er
Cu3er is a Flash 3D image slider. There are a few different options available and you can create your own quickly and easily.
The Wallee
The Wallee is a hard case for the iPad that also allows for wall mounting. It comes in a variety of colors and you can purchase multiple wall plates to allow mounting in more than one location.
FontFonter
FontFonter lets you see what different Web FontFonts look like on almost any website. Just type in a URL and then select which fonts you want to replace the serif and sans-serif fonts on the site.
Microsoft WebMatrix
WebMatrix is a new app from Microsoft for web design and development. It’s a complete testing environment that doesn’t require you to set up a server, and includes both a code and database editor. It will even work with popular CMSs like WordPress and Drupal.
CloudApp
CloudApp lets you share links, music, images, files, and videos right from a menubar. Just drag what you want to share to the menubar and CloudApp gives you a short link, automatically copied to your clipboard that you can then share.
OpenStack
OpenStack is open source cloud computing software that lets any organization create and offer cloud computing capabilities. It’s licensed under the Apache 2.0 license, meaning anyone can run it, build on it, or submit changes to it.
Anologue
Anologue is a new way to chat with people online. You set up a “chat room” and share the link with whoever you want, and you can chat with an unlimited number of people (within reason). It’s like combining the best parts of IRC, instant messaging, and comments.
PadPressed
PadPressed is a plugin that makes your WordPress-powered blog look like a native iPad app. It adds functionality for iPad users that makes your blog function more like a native app, while still working with your current theme.
Catch404
Catch404 is a jQuery plugin that catches 404 errors before loading a new page and returns the result in a modal window. It improves usability for your visitors, as they don’t have to use the back button to get away from a broken link.
AJ Help Desk
AJ Help Desk is a new customer support app with tons of useful features, including a knowledge base, support for PDF guides, and user forums.
The Inspiration Blog
The Inspiration Blog is a great resource if you’re feeling uninspired for your latest project. They post regular roundups of inspiring images, both related to design and not.
CSS3 PIE
CSS3 PIE (Progressive Internet Explorer) adds support for a number of CSS3 decorative features for Internet Explorer 6-8. It includes support for things like rounded corners, gradients, and shadows.
Fake
Fake is a new browser for OS X that lets you automate repetitive web tasks. It’s built on the same browser technology behind Fluid, and uses AppleScript for all of its automation tools.
resizeMyBrowser
This is a
simple site that lets you resize your browser window to popular sizes
for web devices with a single click. Included are resolutions for things
like the Nexus One, the iPad, and the iPhone 4G, as well as common
laptop and computer screen resolutions.
App Inventor for Android
Google came out with their new App Inventor software to help non-developers create Android apps. That means you can roll your own apps painlessly, custom-tailoring them to do exactly what you need. You can also use App Inventor to create apps for public release.
PandaForm
PandaForm is a new web form creator that lets you create and share forms in minutes. It lets users submit updated forms, too, which is something many form creation services don’t provide for.
Urlist
Urlist lets you create lists of links that you can then share with others. It saves time when you want to share more than one link at a time. They also offer a bookmarklet for adding items to your lists.
iFontMaker
iFontMaker is a font editor specifically for the iPad. It lets you create handwriting fonts in minutes, and then convert it to TTF for use in other programs.
Great blog. All posts have something to learn. Your work is very good and i appreciate you and hoping for some more informative posts.keep writing.
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