Lately everyone has been talking about abolishing Internet Explorer 6 once and for all. Okay, maybe not everyone is talking about it, but it’s been a pretty popular subject among those of us that build and design websites. Although some of the issues with IE6 may not be relevant to the everyday Internet user, it got me thinking about something that is.

A lot of us get lazy or are hesitant to upgrade our computers, and that includes our webs browsers. The problem with that is that by not keeping updated you are taking a security risk. By using an older web browser you’re making it easier for thieves and hackers to pass along viruses and steal your information. Yes, there is antivirus software that can help but you also need to keep your programs up-to-date.

There are other benefits to upgrading as well. Newer browsers tend to run faster, never a bad thing. They can also help keep your computer running faster by using less memory. On the design side of things, updated browsers will help the sites we design look the way we intend them to look.

There are lots of browsers out there, but whichever one you use I would recommend upgrading to the latest version. I’ve found a site that not only tells you what you’ll gain by upgrading your particular browser, but it also links to the download page for each of those browsers. Take a look at updateyourbrowser.net and make sure you’re up-to-date.

As much as I’d like to say that everyone should hire a graphic designer for any and all visual projects, there are times when it’s not necessary or simply not in the budget. For those times, I’ve compiled a list of basic design rules that can help anyone improve their design projects. As with most rules there are appropriate times to break them, however, most projects will be improved if these rules are followed.

Fonts — People love fonts. They love to cram as many different, unique fonts into their designs as possible. The problem is that this can overwhelm the reader. So what fonts should you choose? Believe it or not, it’s typically not the crazy, unique fonts that many are tempted to use when designing. Simple, tasteful fonts will make your design easier to read and help keep clutter to a minimum. Novelty fonts have their place but it’s typically a safer bet to stick to the classics.It’s far better to pick one or two fonts for the entire design.
*Bonus Tip — Choosing a serif font for large blocks of text will make your copy easier to read. The little “legs” on serif letters actually help guide the readers eye along and ease strain. (learn about serifs here)

Emphasis — Too often people want to emphasize everything. The problem is that if everything is emphasized then nothing is really emphasized. Picture a flyer that has all of the text in bold bright colors. What will stand out? Nothing and the reader will most likely be overwhelmed by all of the “screaming”. It’s far better to choose a headline and a few key points that stand out from the rest.
*Bonus Tip — Don’t use all caps. Words are much harder to read when written in all caps because all of the letters are the same height. Size, color and bold fonts are all ways to draw attention without hurting readability.

White Space — White space is simply an area on the page that has nothing in it. This is a tough one for a lot of people. When we see an empty space we naturally want to fill it. The problem is that our eyes need to “breathe” or else we begin to feel overwhelmed. A good way to avoid overwhelming your reader is to make sure that there are places on the page with no information. That’s right, nothing. Leave large margins inside the edge of the page, leave space between the lines of copy and don’t run your text and photos right up against each other. We’re all overwhelmed with too much information. Give your readers a little break and you’ll increase comprehension and interest.
*Bonus Tip — White space doesn’t have to be white. The term white space simply refers to areas that are devoid of information or strong design elements.

Colors — No matter what else is on the page, your color choices will set the mood. Color is often the first impression that the reader will get, even if they aren’t actually thinking about the colors. Your color palette should emphasize the message and fit the mood of the piece. For example, if you’re creating an ad for a law firm you’ll want to use colors that inspire confidence, not the same bright pastel colors you might see in an ad aimed at kids.
*Bonus Tip — There are lots of websites that can help you develop your own color palettes or use ones that others have created. My favorite is kuler from Adobe.

These tips may not make up for a design degree but hopefully they’ll help you out the next time you’re putting together a new project (or you could just call me).

A poster at a bus stop in Hamburg, Germany actually changes when people look at it. The poster, which is a domestic abuse awareness ad from Amnesty International, uses eye tracking to determine when someone is looking at it. What first appears as a photo of a man striking a woman changes (after a short delay) to a photo of a happy couple when it detects that someone is looking.

People have speculated that this ad was created primarily to win an award, which it did (Silver Award at the Cannes Lions 2009 Outdoor) since it has only been installed at one location. With that said, it’s been getting a lot of publicity and it’s reach has clearly extended beyond the lone bus stop in Hamburg.

I love seeing technology used so effectively to convey this point. What do you think? Do you know of other examples that effectively use new technology?

It seems that Microsoft has found, and is exploiting Apple’s weakness. It’s long been argued that Apple computers are overpriced. I happen to disagree with that opinion, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the perceived imbalance in value and the Laptop Hunter ads exploit that perfectly.

In case you haven’t seen the ads, they show someone looking for a new computer to fit a certain budget. The shopper glances at the Macs but deems them too expensive and settles on a PC. (View Ads) These ads seem to be quite effective. As a recent AdAge article points out, Apple’s value perception has fallen while Microsoft’s has risen.

The funny thing about all of this is that Apple seems to be afraid that the ads are working. Wired recently reported that Microsoft COO Kevin Turner recently said that he got a call from Apple telling them to stop running the ads. For now, Microsoft just seems to be emboldened by the response from Apple and doesn’t plan to stop running the ads anytime soon. And whey should they? The ads seem to be working perfectly.

It seems that Microsoft has found, and is exploiting Apple’s weakness. It’s long been argued that Apple computers are overpriced. I happen to disagree with that opinion, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the perceived imbalance in value and the Laptop Hunter ads exploit that perfectly.

In case you haven’t seen the ads, they show someone looking for a new computer to fit a certain budget. The shopper glances at the Macs but deems them too expensive and settles on a PC. (View Ads) These ads seem to be quite effective. As a recent AdAge article points out, Apple’s value perception has fallen while Microsoft’s has risen.

The funny thing about all of this is that Apple seems to be afraid that the ads are working. Wired recently reported that Microsoft COO Kevin Turner recently said that he got a call from Apple telling them to stop running the ads. For now, Microsoft just seems to be emboldened by the response from Apple and doesn’t plan to stop running the ads anytime soon. And whey should they? The ads seem to be working perfectly.