Design Post Update

An increasing number of people are choosing to work from home. With the advent of technology especially Internet connectivity, working from home is in fact turning out to be sensible option for many. Most people who choose to work out of their home set up an office before they begin. If you have decided to convert a section of your home into an office, here are some things you should remember:


Begin by drawing up a plan on the room you will dedicate for your home office. Remember that a home office should have enough space to accommodate a desk, chair, computer, office supplies and other items you will require. They need to have good flooring, sufficient lighting and power outlets to accommodate all your needs.
 You need to buy a comfortable and functional desk chair for your home office. If you have extra space after accommodating the desk and chair, you can add a sofa or extra chairs for visitors too.
 Bulletin boards or magnet boards are functional and attractive options you can use in your office space at home. They can be a catch-all for your appointments, calendars and keepsakes.
 Depending on the size of your office space you can plan storage options in the form of shelves or even drawers. You can choose to put away the printer, wireless Internet receivers and other computer accessories in a closet so it is not visible outside. Roll-top desks will offer more storage space. Also have a proper filing cabinet for clean and organized office space.

 Ensure that space planning for your home office does not interfere with the general layout and look of your existing home.
You can also choose to personalize your workspace at home with artwork and accessories of your choice. If you are looking for furniture for your home office, visit a consignment store. You can find great pieces at affordable prices for a functional and aesthetically pleasing home office interior design.

Types of Solutions Provided by Interior Designer
Usually the interior designer will provide solutions with three aspects. Solutions they provide would be functional and applicable to the environment. Secondly, such solutions should invariably enhance the quality in the interior environment of the structure with which they are working. Finally, the solution should also be aesthetically attractive and acceptable. At the same time with the customer consciousness about greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency across the globe, encouraging the principles of environmental sustainability would be the other requirement.
Interior Design Process
Normally the interior design process would be very systematic and coordinated. Designer has to undertake a lot of research, analysis, and integration works to run the creative process. Basic objective of the design process would be satisfying the requirements of the client and the interior space taking a shape fulfilling the goals of the project.

Interior Design Job Specification
Multiple aspects of interior design jobs include environmental psychology, designing the products, decorative patterns, and architecture. Designers have to take special care of aesthetics and cosmetics. Floor plans, home renovation as well construction codes will all have impact on the work of the designer. Job of the designer is not confined to residences alone but encompasses all types of commercial, cultural, strategic, and heritage structures as well.

Training and Specialization
In many countries including USA and UK, the interior designers require special accreditation. Prior to that, they must complete the academic courses on interior designing. Many universities, colleges, and schools offer such training and specialization courses and a host of online academies are now offering perfectly valid online degrees as well. In United States trained interior designers can appear in the LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design examination to receive their accreditation in the most potent area of interior designing.

Continuous Evolution
With the frequently changing tastes of people all over the world it is natural that the interior designing also undergoes continuous evolution. Today, however all designs are made with a special emphasis on the environmental aspects for maintaining the ecological balance. Skill in these fields help the designer get enhanced interior design salary.
One should not forget that interior decoration and design are two different things and designing involves a lot of technical, analytical as well as creative skills including the proper appreciation of architectural issues.

To kill a space, there is nothing better than strict rules, however, there are certain "crimes" in decorating that not even the boldest interior designer in Seattle will dare to commit for the sake of originality or fame.

Crime #1: Neglect Editing
The rule that states that less is more is sacred.  An overcrowded room, full of furniture and trinkets, diminishes its main purpose, which is to showcase you and anyone else meant to enjoy it.  Be brave and get rid of half the furniture and everything else inside your rooms; keep what you truly love, donate what you think is beautiful, discard what doesn't work, and allow for pure and positive energy to flow around every corner.  
Crime #2: Shut Your Ears to the Room
Listen to the empty room before you decorate it.  Feel its proportions, its surfaces, textures and colors; check the quality and the direction of light, and let its function guide the design.  The furniture for a room must move places according to the space it was designated for.
Crime #3: Follow Trends Mindlessly
Forget about copying the minimalistic or Asian style presented by the top interior design magazine.  The best room is the one with a unique identity, where you go in and immediately feel its special energy and balance because it shows your personality; the room is you!
Crime #4: Settle For What's Common
A room decorated with certain objects or style just because that's what's normally done, is a loser.  Your imagination is the limit as to what your special room can become.  Let it surprise you with your unexpected side, allow it to show you how confident and unique you truly are.   

Crime #5: Not Make It Fun
Have you heard the advice: don't take yourself too seriously?  Well, it applies to decorating too.  There is always, and there always should be, room to be ironic, clever and interesting in a funny way.  Good taste should be a personal principle, not an established rule.
Crime #6: Dread Color
Color is the cheapest and fastest way to imprint personality into a room.  A well-selected color completely transforms a space and opens it to the senses from the inside out.  Want to laugh, dream, dance, or rest fully in your home?  Paint it with vibrancy and let bold colors speak about you.  Never fear it!
Crime #7: Being Too Formal
Long are gone the days of formal dinning as in the XVIII century castles.  Today we enjoy using and mixing our best china every day.  At home, you want to actually feel at home; feel free, relaxed and be casual.  You want your guests to feel at ease and special.  You want to live your life at home!

There are a bunch of tools available online that can really help you in the decorating world. This is a way to become your own interior designer. Design it so that you can save a lot of money. Here are a few tips and a basic overview of the different interior design tools that are available online and how to use them to really maximize your time and budget.

Use online interior design tools to find the perfect color. You'll need to be aware that the perfect paint color depends on the light and size of your space. However, you can get a pretty good idea of what your room will look like in various colors just by using a basic imaging program. Some of these tools are available online but you'll usually have to pay money to add your own picture in. You can combat this for free just by using your favorite photo editing software and masking off the walls of your room. This will give you a basic idea of what the color will look like in your space. Then you might notice that that pink rose paint really clashes with your hardwood floors. It allows you to have a little bit of a design perspective between you and your space.
Another invaluable source of online interior design information are all of the free magazines. If these magazines were delivered to your home you'd probably have to pay a few dollars a month and then figure out a way to store them. However, most of these magazines also have a corresponding website. You might even be able to access a lot of the same articles for free. You can just use basic of bookmarks to save all of the rooms that you love and be able to create a design inspiration portfolio without having to go through the hassle of cutting them out of magazines and gluing them into a binder.

The advantage when you choose to use online interior decorating is that you have people from all over the world who can help you. You can explore different forums and even show pictures of your space so you can get a lot of different input. All of these people will have different views and design styles and really give you a range of ideas and creativity to draw from. They can also keep you aware of pitfalls of different do-it-yourself projects, which is really invaluable information for the beginner. This really opens you up to an entire community of amateur designers. This way you don't feel like you're the only one that is facing that particular decorating dilemma because you can talk to people all over the world, some of which have probably already solved the problem for you.

The internet has a whole world of great free resources for your website

If someone told you that you could quickly and easily improve your website and that it wouldn't cost you a penny, what would you say? Probably something like "what's the catch?". Well no catch here as I highlight 10 great (and free) website add-ons that can immediately improve your website.

1. Google Analytics

2. Share Buttons

3. Email Sign Up

Gathering email addresses can help create a customer database

4. Contact Form

5. Testimonials Widget

6. Social Feed Widgets

Social Media is a great place to promote your business

7. Social Follow Buttons

8. Google Translate

9. A Blog

10. Live Chat Widget

Never miss an opportunity to engage with customers.

11. FAQs Page

If your website matches any of these signs then it needs updating

The internet is a dynamic and rapidly changing place. It is not enough for a business to simply have a website. In fact your website needs to be fast, attractive and effective for it to be worthwhile having. Here are 5 quick things to check to see if your website is performing or whether it is in need of an update.

1. Your website appears dated

If you haven’t updated the design of your site for a while, chances are it has a dated aesthetic. Features such as Flash based videos or animations, bad pop-ups, corny stock photos or a gradient button menu are a sure-fire way to know that you need a new one. When analysing your website step into the shoes of a potential customer. They’re instantly going to associate the design and functionality of your site with the quality of the product or service you offer. You only get one chance to make a good first impression, so make sure you make the best one possible.

When analysing your website step into the shoes of a potential customer.

If your website messaging seems stale or blends in with your competitors, it’s time to make a change and showcase your company for how remarkable it really is. The good news is that website rebuilds or redesigns don’t need to be a headache, Opus Web Design can help you update your site so it will not only captivates your audience but push them towards a conversion. Often, it’s not necessary to go through a complete website rebuild. We find, in many cases, that some simple optimizations and refreshed page elements can improve website appearance and performance.

2. Your competitors outrank you on Google

It's all well having a good looking website but it isn't much use to you if nobody can find it. We all search for businesses on Google, often even if we know the actual web address so your business needs to rank well, especially against your competitors. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and content marketing are vitally important for ensuring a healthy Google ranking. Search technology relies on algorithms to identify websites that are either completely static or don’t change their content regularly.

By continually having engaging and informative content that is keyword targeted on your website, you can take significant steps towards ensuring that your site stays ahead of your competitors. A good way to see whether or not you’re lagging behind is to do a simple Google search for your site and for your key services/products. If you find some of your competitors are higher in the search rankings than you, it may be time to rethink your SEO and content marketing strategy.

3. Your website isn’t mobile responsive

Mobile browsing now accounts for over half of all online activity

So your website looks good and ranks well but is it mobile friendly? People are constantly on their phones and tablets, so if your website doesn’t look great and function properly on all major device platforms, you’re ignoring potential customers. Today’s websites should be completely mobile responsive so that they appear and function well on devices. Mobile responsiveness has become massively important in terms of search rankings over the past couple of years. According to Search Engine Land, nearly 60% of all online searches are now conducted on a mobile device, and that number continues to climb.

Click to do a quick mobile friendliness test for your website.

4. Traffic isn’t converting into sales

A lot of sites have good web traffic, meaning that they are doing the hard work in terms of SEO and effective content marketing, but for certain reasons very little of that traffic is converting into actual sales. It could be that the user experience isn’t great in certain areas of your site and it’s costing you potential sales. Your website is the first impression that most prospects get of your company, and its main purpose is to convert visitors into leads. If this is not happening, it’s time to redesign.

We can use Google Analytics stats can find the holes in your site and tell you where most of your visitors are slipping through the net. Many dated websites lack effective calls to actions that convert users to customers. A call-to-action (CTA) is a button or link that you place on your website to drive prospective customers to become leads by completing an action on your landing page.

5. Website Speed

Website loading speed is a key factor in Google's ranking algorithm

Your website’s loading time is a major factor in people either staying or leaving the site and never returning. Google Page Speed Insights find out how long your site takes to load. If your score is not in the green then you need to rethink the elements of your website that are slowing it down. The main result of slow loading times is a high bounce rate.

The definition of bounce rate is the percentage of people who arrive on your site and leave without visiting a second page. A high bounce rate is an obvious sign of an outdated or poorly performing site. Website users usually leave a site hurriedly without visiting other pages because it didn't load fast enough, they don’t find what they are looking for instantly or simply do not like the look of it.

A Strong, Distinctive Logo will represent your brand as strong and distinctive

Strong Logo, Strong Brand

Many companies out there require a strong logo to discern them from all the others out there. One of the best ways to do this is to create a powerful logo that engages people and serves as a recognizable symbol of your brand. If you have this, your customers can easily identify your products or services from those of others.

The right logo is an essential part of branding. Think about all the biggest brands: Nike, Apple, Starbucks - they all have great logos that prove their success and make them stand out even when there is no context around them. A great logo will allow you to instantly capture a user’s attention, and let them understand what your brand represents.

Look at the Nike tick. What does this tell you and what can one learn from this logo? It’s certainly recognizable and only created using two skewed lines, so its simplicity is the key to its design. The design indicates a strong sense of positivity and motion that is synonymous with this brand, and its ethos of providing the best sporting equipment. This logo has survived the test of time and has become affiliated with all aspects of transcendence through sports – from basketball to running. Nike and its tick have penetrated all sports markets and much more.

So what is the right logo? You’ll need something that can represent your brand in a visual way, whilst also embodies your company ethos without sacrificing its visual appeal in any way. How can one work to create this perfect logo? We’ve come up with five key tips to help you out.

This article and connected infographic will highlight how to solve the problem of losing customers

In the earliest days of online shopping, selling to customers via the Internet was a novelty. Simply offering customers the ability to buy anything online was enough to drive new business to many retailers.

Today, things have changed. What was once revolutionary is now commonplace, and e-commerce is something most shoppers expect retailers to offer.

One of the biggest reasons why e-commerce sites fail is related to simple design flaws...other times, e-commerce businesses stumble because their sites ask for too much information

In this new landscape where e-commerce is the norm, it takes more than a website to get people interested in buying from a retailer. Understanding visitors’ behaviors and what makes them choose one website over another is critical for any e-commerce business, especially when it comes to reasons that drive away customers.

For instance, one of the biggest reasons why e-commerce sites fail is related to simple design flaws. Whether the website is too confusing to navigate, too buggy to function properly or simply visually unpleasant, bad design can ruin an e-commerce business faster than almost anything. E-commerce businesses need to invest in high-quality web design to ensure that customers don’t have an excuse to go with a competitor.

Other times, e-commerce businesses stumble because their sites ask for too much information. People often are sensitive about the amount of personal information they put out online, and an e-commerce site that asks for too much information can be a turn-off. If e-commerce businesses simply removed one field from their online forms, for example, it could make a tremendous difference in the number of customers they retain.




E-commerce isn’t the future anymore — it’s here and now. The novelty of online sales is no longer a selling point, and e-commerce businesses have to be willing to put in the hard work necessary to make their sites the best they can be. This infographic contains the most common problems e-commerce businesses have — and what they can do to solve them.

These series of updated articles aim to provide you with everything you need to know about on 3D modelling and graphics. In 3D graphics, elements are visualized by creating three-dimensional models out of them. The final image is rendered from a virtual scene that utilizes several elements which are familiar from real life such as lights, materials and cameras. 3D graphics can be seen in multiple different forms such as an image, an animation or real time visualization inside of a computer game. If you are interested in a career in animation or gaming then this series is especially relevant for you!

We recommend reading this articles in the order presented if you are a beginner, however they are designed in such as way as that they are relatively independent of each other.

Select an area of 3D modelling to get started...

The creation of 3D graphics is a complicated process and therefore is, in my opinion, easier to understand when discussed in small pieces, hence this 8 article series. we hope that you find it useful and as always we welcome your feedback.