Web Design Software
Web Development Just Got A Lot Easier
2016 is just half way and already we can see powerful web development tools, upcoming frameworks and evolving tech that might prove very helpful to web developers. There is an increasing surge in the popularity of responsive web designs, as many sites strive to become mobile compatible. Let’s examine the most popular trends in this field this year.
Trends And Surprises In 2015/16
Motion UI or Motion User Interface is one of the emerging Sass Library tools that has a three-part foundation. This is mainly used to create animations and CSS transitions look smoother, predefined and rich. This trend came to light last year, and for sure motion UI is here to stay. As more devices are being connected and have access to the online network, web developers are taking this opportunity to come up with solutions to improve communication and control over everyday equipment and gadgets. Flat design has been around for a while and isn't going to disappear anytime soon. Trends such as minimalism, ghost buttons, vibrant color schemes and simple typography are growing in popularity and will soon be seen in the forefront. The rise in mobile internet usage has spurred up the practice of responsive design in web development. This platform provides businesses with a simple and easy way to build cheap and fully-functional mobile sites. Although, when it comes to this, avoid using JavaScript and CSS imaging as it adds unnecessary weight to the website. This trend is likely to grow due to its versatility and speeds that deliver a great UX. More and more people are switching to a browser-based IDEs, mostly because of its cloud-based versions. These are fast and super flexible and although you might not use these tools full time, it's better to have them for a quick bootstrap code of Jade without the need to download one file. Containers have been around for quite some time, but after the introduction of the Docker service, one can develop software faster and in an isolated environment. In short, a developer can build, test, run and deploy an application anywhere, faster.
Which Tools Are Used And The Builders
Over a decade ago, websites were built using flash, CSS, and HTML. They were time-consuming, a hard concept to grasp thus giving the perception that web development is a hell of a task. However, times have changed. CMS (content management systems) platforms for creating and managing websites are now in place. The current drift is towards making website designs easier for the average person. Some of these are pretty straight forward:
• WordPress: starting out as a blogging tool, this is one of the most famous content management software with tons of support and is very versatile. This platform provides many layouts to choose from with numerous plugins. The size of the website doesn’t matter when it comes to WordPress, it can do all.
• Weebly: this provides a package deal by hosting people and giving them access to an easy to use set of tools for website builders.
• Drupal: this is a platform preferred by experienced developers as it is a bit difficult to use and requires a bit of coding skill.
• Wix: this is as simple as it gets. Since it is cloud-based, you don't need to download any software. It further allows you to create mobile and traditional web pages using the drag and drop system.
• Mobirise: this is a mobile bootstrap builder for Windows and mac and is mostly preferred for landing sites, portfolios and products.
Since the web is an ever-growing industry, CMS uses online content to create eye-catching websites. Some of the tools they incorporate include:
• Avocade: this is a tool that gaps designers and builders, making it easier for someone in front-end development to transfer work to back end coders.
• Apache Couch DB: this provides a database for sites, assisting in cloud information and document storage.
• Macaw: this is a design tool that constructs wireframes, mock-ups, and prototypes, similar to Photoshop.
• Atomic: this helps in creating designs on browsers, MAC, and PCs. This is perfect for sending developer's overview of the site and mock-ups.
• Play framework: this is perfect for developers with all you need a text editor and numerous inbuilt testing tools.
The Rise Of Mobirise
We all knew that to build a website, one ought to have done some sort of geek tech course, or as far as the definition goes be a geek. This ability required heavy code skills and comprehension of technologies yet to come. However, with the emergence of better technology, user friendliness has improved over the years. What this means is that you don’t have to be an expert to build a decent website. Currently, we have numerous website building tools, providing the What You See Is What You Get feel with simple interfaces such as the drag and drop. So what is mobirise? This is a software that creates mobile sites for all platforms, and can work offline once downloaded. The one thing that has blown our minds about this software is its simplicity and speed of use. Once an element has been added, there is no need to code it separately. If it’s something you’re looking to buy, well guess what, too bad! It’s free!
Building with Mobirise
Well, this could not have been made any simpler. First, you need to download the software and install it. From there all you need to do is master the drag-and-drop skill. Once you have mastered the use of the mouse, which can't be termed as a skill really, start scrolling through the elements and drag them to the page you are working on (on the left). These blocks are automatically incorporated into the web page regardless of their functionality. That's not all, if you don't like the block, you can custom make yours by changing the color and background images and so on. It's a typical WYSIWYG editor. Check what your website will look like on different platforms by toggling the view in the web design app itself, get the UX on different devices. At this point, you are taken to the default content page, where you add your preferred content.
Creating a website on a platform such as WordPress requires some technical skill. However, theMobirise web design software has brought about flexibility to the general public where anyone can design a website. So you see, you can build your own website, impress your friends with your newly acquired ‘skill'. It's easy and free, just the way we like them.