Bootstrap vs. Foundation: Which Framework is Better?

September 15, 2014September 15, 2014 Marc Schenker Leave a comment

If you’re a web designer who’s looking for a sleek, simple and responsive front-end framework, you’ve probably heard of both Bootstrap and Foundation. That’s because these are the two most popular frameworks around right now.

In your mind, you’re probably also thinking…Bootstrap vs. Foundation…Bootstrap vs. Foundation! Which should I use? Which can get me to where I have a fully functioning, new website more efficiently? Relax—we’ve got you covered.

Before we dive into the details of each framework, know that each one has its pros and cons. At the end of this blog post, you’ll make a decision on which is better based on your unique situation, your needs and your familiarity with code in the first place. (more…)

The All-Inclusive Guide to Web Typography Best Practices

August 27, 2014August 28, 2014 Marc Schenker Leave a comment

Look around the Internet, and note how typography absolutely dominates web design in every aspect. After all, there’s a reason that web design is 95% typography. This makes a world of sense when you think about it. The Internet is all about content, and content means text and words. And that means typography.

The smart web designer knows this and will therefore devote a lot of careful thought and deliberation to getting typography right on any site that he’s working on. In his quest to make type both functional and attractive to the reader, he has to consider a bunch of different factors when planning the information architecture of the site. What sort of fonts are the most readable? Which fonts are easy for readers to skim through? What about fonts that are legible? (more…)

4 Simple CSS Transitions to Enhance Your Buttons

August 7, 2014November 21, 2018 Christopher Gimmer 2 Comments

Call to actions are one of the most important elements of a website, theme or template. When you think about it, almost every web page is designed with the goal of making the user take action.

So why not dress them up a little bit and add some simple CSS transition effects.

In this tutorial, I’ll go over 4 simple CSS transitions you can use to enhance your buttons and add a little flare to your web page.

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Bootstrap Icon Fonts: 7 Essential Resources

July 14, 2014November 21, 2018 Christopher Gimmer Leave a comment

If you’re using Bootstrap, then you’re most certainly designing responsive layouts. And while responsive design has done wonders for creating mobile friendly web pages, it has also created new issues for designers.

One of these issues is the use of icons. The problem with image icons is that they don’t scale well and they’re difficult to manipulate without the help of an image editor. They can also add to the weight of a website and lead to slower load times.

The solution? Icon Fonts. (more…)

Bootstrap 3 Carousel Tutorial

July 8, 2014August 24, 2017 Christopher Gimmer Leave a comment

Bootstrap includes a handy plugin and component for cycling through slider images like a carousel. Sliders can be a great way to feature important content on your website.

In the following tutorial, we’ll show you exactly how you can add a carousel to your Bootstrap 3 website. It simply requires some HTML markup and a couple lines of JavaScript if you want to adjust the settings using that method. (more…)

Take the Pain out of Bootstrap Theming with LESS

June 24, 2014May 26, 2015 Matt Lambert Leave a comment

To many, theming Bootstrap is a dirty word. Some complaints include: the framework is so large that I can’t be bothered, my website will look just like every other Bootstrap website, and it’s easier for me to just do it without a framework.

These are all valid arguments if you aren’t organized and using the power of LESS in Bootstrap theming.

I’ve put together a system for using LESS to speed up the process and give you a starting place for when you’re designing a new theme. With a little bit of planning, you can really start to leverage the power of Bootstrap. (more…)

How to Customize the Default Bootstrap Style, the Right Way

June 17, 2014November 21, 2018 Christopher Gimmer 9 Comments

If you are just starting to learn Bootstrap, we have created a series of tutorials called 14 Days of Bootstrap 4 that can help you.

If you take a look at the source code of some of your favourite websites, we wouldn’t be surprised if you found common elements of the Bootstrap framework being put to use. As Bootstrap is arguably the most popular front-end framework for web development, many designers and developers employ the framework for rapid responsive development.

But why do some of these sites look nothing like the default Bootstrap theme? Quite simply, additional CSS stylesheets were added or the default Bootstrap stylesheets were modified (let’s disregard LESS or SASS for the sake of this tutorial).

In this short tutorial, we’ll show you how to do this in a manner that is clean, easy to maintain, and allows you to update to future versions of Bootstrap without breaking your custom styles (providing that the update is minor). (more…)

7 Color Scheme Generators to Help Pick the Perfect Palette

June 10, 2014August 20, 2014 Christopher Gimmer 2 Comments

Balancing color is important in all walks of life. Whether you’re decorating your house, choosing an outfit or even planning your wedding, you’re always trying to balance the right colors.

Web design is no different.

Choosing an appropriate color scheme is always a key consideration when building a website. There’s a reason why environmental websites almost always use a color palette with greens and other earth tones. The colors must match the brand.

Unfortunately, it can sometimes be challenging to find that perfect color palette. For this reason, we’ve compile a list of the best color scheme generators on the web. These tools will make it much easier to establish the perfect color scheme for all your web designs. (more…)

Top 10 Lorem Ipsum Alternatives

June 3, 2014February 12, 2018 Christopher Gimmer Leave a comment

So you’re a theme developer and you’re tired of using the same old boring Lorem Ipsum as a dummy text generator. We hear you loud and clear.

But what other choice do you have? You need to display some text right?

You’re not the first designer who’s faced this problem and that’s why we searched the web for the best Lorem Ipsum alternatives to incorporate into your next project. Some are very useful while others are just plain hilarious. When developing your next Bootstrap theme, make sure to give one of these a try. (more…)

13 Bootstrap UI Kits That Will Improve Your Workflow

May 20, 2014January 15, 2020 Christopher Gimmer Leave a comment

If you are just starting to learn Bootstrap, we have created a series of tutorials called 14 Days of Bootstrap 4 that can help you with your development.

If you’re not using a UI kit for your web designs and themes, it may be time to consider it.

Put simply, UI kits can save you time and money while drastically improving the look and feel of your design. Not only will you be able to differentiate yourself from the default Bootstrap styling, you can change the overall styling of your theme much more efficiently.

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