I see more and more devices that have a pixel ratio bigger than 1.5, even 2. My Galaxy Nexus for example has a pixel ratio of 2 and so do the latest versions of the iPhone and iPad. Retina display seems to be the next evolution and next challenge for us as designers. Native mobile app designers have already learned how to take advantage of those devices with high pixel ratios to display bigger images with better quality, so as to enhance user experience. They are used to creating the images in both normal and retina @2x sizes for the iPhone, and creating 4 sets of...

   A few weeks ago, I was quite surprised when I saw the pavement quickly approaching while I was out for a walk. Laying there stunned, I soon realized what had happened: I fell. Ouch. B-minus. I normally try to be as attentive as possible, but this time a big crack in the pavement caught my shoe and threw me completely off balance. After reporting my clumsy accident to friends and family, I instantly received comments like: “be more careful” or “better watch out next time”. In the end, I started to defend myself—if that crack would not have been there,...

   With an increase in the number, diversity and complexity of smartphones, more and more companies want to have their own mobile app, but creating a native app can be pretty expensive. It requires special skills, as well as special coding tools, and then there is also the need to build an app per platform (Android, iOs, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, etc). All of this figures in to a higher price tag for the app development. Another solution for developers is then to create something called web-apps: HTML CSS apps, which users can access from their browsers. They are...

   Today, we have a useful compilation for our readers of fresh web UI kits, mobile UI kits and wireframe kits complete with PSD files that will certainly come in handy when you are designing projects. Some basic user interface elements are always welcome toolbox additions by designers. We need them for a wide range of projects in order to able to easily create an accurate UI model of either a website or app. We hope that this round up of web and mobile user interface kits will prove helpful for the next mock-ups your projects demand. There were quite a bit of tools...

   As the technology for mobile devices grows, so does the opportunity for development. Many companies are not creating their own apps, but instead utilizing HTML5, Javascript and CSS3 to aid in the creation of web apps and mobile websites. Reducing the initial investment, companies can get the most out of the money they are spending and release it to the public themselves on their own terms. Who wouldn’t want to save money and produce a more expandable product? When building mobile apps with these technologies you no longer have to duplicate efforts for mobile...

   HTML email has a reputation for being a particularly tough design medium. So tough, in fact, that many designers regard coding and testing even the simplest email design to be almost as bad as fixing display quirks in Internet Explorer 6, and only slightly better than a tooth extraction. So, it’s with much courage that I tell you today about using CSS in email newsletters: what works, where it’s going and what you should do next. After reading this article, you will hopefully come away with a few ideas on how to start coding email designs with improved...

   The world of mobile app development is quickly becoming a crowded and complicated space, especially for those outside of the development niche. “Which development platform should I use?” “Do I go native or Web-based?” “Which devices should I plan for?” “Can I build my mobile website by hand or should I use a pre-built package?” The questions are endless. As a designer, my job is to help my clients answer these questions. I try to stay in the category of “knowing enough to be dangerous,” and I keep tabs on the latest mobile development trends,...

   According to Brandweek, “brands are the express checkout for people living their lives at ever increasing speed. This article shows you how, and why, to add “app”-like icons to your sites for several mobile and desktop browser displays, to clearly and elegantly identify your site with an icon that stands out from the crowd. Logo Presentation And The Nine Basic Ballet Movements When I was a lad growing up in rural America, we only got four channels on television, all local affiliates of the four national networks (yes, four; you’re forgetting PBS, which I only watched...