Lex Parsimoniae is Latin for "Law of Parsimony", which pulled out into its simplest form is the The Law of what can be spared, should.

This is a theory that I have been studying for the past year and through observation believe that this can be applied to all situations that require a more efficient, functional solution. This paradigm has many names, but is best know as Occam's Razor. His razor suggests that when resources are limited or when speed of function is essential, design / complexity trade-offs should be based on what does the least harm to the probability of success, however that is defined.

Form is Function

There is a school of thought that beauty in design results in good function, but I prefer to subscribe the fact that just concentration on the functionality will by its very nature, create its own aura of design. Sometimes, the focus on functional efficiency inspires a feeling that goes beyond aesthetics and ultimately give us the sense that its form is of a higher echelon.

Barrier To Entry

The brain is an amazing piece of kit. One of its most amazing functions is its ability to optimise when processing data. Each brain has been trained over many years (or maybe it inherently has the ability) to simplify individual objects into groups. Instead of seeing each individual blade of grass, the mind sees a field. Millions of pieces of data grouped into one object because it knows, to comprehend millions of pieces of grass would take and enormous amount of effect. Effect that could be focused elsewhere. So it generalises to make life easier. This sort of information overload can happen in design as well; Too much will distract from your likely objective. Remember that 7 Second Rule? If your web app or website has 7 seconds to impress then wouldn't you prefer showing off your functional muscles? How useful your app is? and not long it takes to load the really cool (bandwidth crunching) design? Remember how it easy it is to make your mind up about someone when you them for the first time. Same rules apply.

Just Do It!

What are your objectives and goals? Hopefully, when developing a web app or website, to make your (or your users) life easier! And let's remember, this 'thing' we call the Internet is broken. So don't break any further with dodgy CSS and bloated javascript. Functional Turn Around is the most impressive aspect for me these days. Spend time developing how the app works, refine it, refine it again, then again. Then when it works, design around the edges. If you like Latin phrase then try this one:

"entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem", or "entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity"

For more information about Occam's Razor and various other development theories, read this Design and Development Blog at www.gammatan.co.uk

Did you know that your css code could be slowing down your website? Did you also know that there is a free solution out there that can help you optimize or reformat your css code for speed and readability? This article is going to explain the benefits of optimizing your css code and the reasons why all web designers should be doing it. First we need to take into account the 2 reasons why you would want to reformat your css: readability and optimization.

Readability

Having nicely formatted css that easily readable is very helpful when you are developing a site. Most of us (me included) can get pretty sloppy when in a hurry to develop code, and a formatter can really help out to make it more readable.

On development teams where both Macs and PCs are used, sometimes line breaks are not read correctly across platforms and your css can end up all on one line. A formatter can help get your code looking pretty again.

Optimization

The opposite of readability is optimization. One problem with CSS is that it can get pretty file-size heavy when designing with it - especially on complex layouts. Optimizing your CSS will strip out all unnecessary characters and leave your CSS lean and mean.

Optimizing css is great to do once you've finished your site and don't plan to work on the design very much anymore.

The css formatter is a great tool because it can do both! You can format for readability while you are designing, optimize when you go live, and reformat it for readability if you ever need to work on it again. It's really a 'win win' thing to do.

How to choose the right IT Company?
How to select the right software partner for my job?
What should I look for when I want to outsource my web development work?
Is it safe to outsource my software / web development work?

If you are concerned about any such issues and are hunting for answers then go on and read the entire stuff.

With rising needs of web development industry, it becomes imperative to choose the right partner for a successful project. The choice of partner will very much impact the overall delivery and implementation for your online presence on World Wide Web. Some people just pick a partner from one of the first few people who contact them while others make their selection based on the prices offered to them from various companies/individuals. What people most often do not consider is the ability and past delivery record of their partner. What's most important is not just to see the project happen on papers, but to visualize it happen in real in the given conditions.

For how long has the partner been into business?

Have they dealt with any customers in your region/area?

Does your partner have the capability to deliver what you are looking for?

Does the partner have technical competence to warn you about any potential flaws or problems that can crop up at a later stage?

Does your partner take care of quality and minor details to bring in professionalism in work?

Has the partner done any similar work in past or something which is comparable and equally complex?

Are the timelines give to you feasible and will be followed?

What happens if deliveries are not made on time for your work?

Are the prices offered to you feasible and to market standards so as to cover the development costs and build a long term relationship?

Is the partner stable and will be in business once your work is done?

Is the partner or their associate traceable in case you need them urgently?

Has the partner had any satisfied customers in the past for any services they have done?

What kind of after sales support will be provided assuming work has been done and delivered?

If you get satisfactory answers for at least 80% of the questions above, then I think you are in good hands. Some people will not be able to provide satisfactory answers to most of these questions. If you land up working with them, the project is bound to fail. We suggest you to continue your search in such cases and think twice before starting any sort of work with non-professional partners.