Photo: Jeff Wilcox

Welcome to Part 3 of Learning PHP. If you’ve come here directly, be sure to check out Learn PHP - Introduction for an overview of the entire series!

Expanding Your PHP Resources

If you’ve been following the series, you’ve likely just completed the Zend 101 Tutorial series before coming here. Let me be the second one to say congratulations - after all, you should be the first to pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

The power and flexibility of PHP should be a lot clearer now, and you’re likely excited about going out and building your first big project. This article, Learn PHP - Part 3 is going to highlight some incredible resources to help you on your way.

If on the other hand you’re already familiar with PHP, then welcome to the series. You’ve likely skipped ahead, or skimmed through the first two parts. Learn PHP - Part 3: Expanding Your Resources is the first article aimed at both newcomers to PHP and old programmers alike.

Honing your PHP skills takes a combination of knowledge and experience. Accordingly we’ll start with expanding your knowledge, beginning by reviewing one of the best resources out there: php.net. We’ll focus on how to effectively use php.net, maximizing knowledge while minimizing time spent searching.

Not to neglect experience, this article will conclude with an outline of great PHP communities and solid PHP libraries. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll learn PHP with a community behind you and solid, correctly coded, examples in front of you. So what are we waiting for? Let’s get started.

Read the rest of Learn PHP - Part 3: Expanding Your Resources

Photo: ben hanbury

As a web designer it’s easy to get caught up in using tech related jargon. Now it’s not a bad thing to know your ASP’s from your PHP’s, but throwing around jargon with too much or too little explanation can create a wall between the designer and the client. Assume too much and the client gets lost. Assume too little and the client may feel you’re being condescending and react accordingly.

To combat this, I’ve created a simple Web Design 101 – A Quick Reference Manual for all my clients at Chris Laskey Design. I attach it to emails around the time I’m putting together a quote, and runs on the simple theory that no one likes to be put on the spot, but everyone likes having an simple reference to read on their own. This helps clients better understand the itemized quote, as well as the design process.

In the following article I’ll give you some examples of what it covers, and explain how handy it can be for keeping the client happy and streamlining the design process. And designers know, happy customers lead to less headaches, more references, and most importantly more work referrals. So read on, and we’ll see if I can’t sway a few designers write a Website 101 reference of their own.

Read the rest of Freelance Web Design - Writing A Client Reference Manual

Photo: DeclanTM

When it comes to web design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a frequently undervalued skilled. Good SEO practices aren’t just for large corporations competing for the number one spot on Google; SEO is just as important to small Mom and Pop shops investing hard earned money into a website.

Without visibility on a search engine, the growth potential of any website is limited to word of mouth. If you’re a professional blogger, that’s not such a bad thing. But for Mom and Pop’s local bakery, it’s a disastrous plan. A couple hours spent on SEO can make the difference between a smart investment and wasteful spending.

And let’s be honest, spending time optimizing a client’s website isn’t all altruistic. After all, the more people that see your work, the more work you’ll have in the future. Using SEO to increase your own visibility is a no-brainer.

In Search Engine Optimization - Part 1, we’ll cover all the basic SEO knowledge. We’ll begin with what web crawlers can and cannot read, discuss how to expedite the indexing process, and finish with a list of easy to remember rules for moving a site up the search engine ranks. These will cover meta descriptions, meta keywords, headers, titles and all the basic rules that take only a few minutes to learn. Easy to implement, they’ll quickly become a must have on every site.

Read the rest of Search Engine Optimization - Part 1: The Basics

Photo: Chris Laskey

A new site has been added to my portfolio, Rhino. Rhino is a portfolio piece showcasing some recent graphic design and javascript work. The content is more filler than anything else; rhino currently houses my winter 2008 resume.

The Design

The background image was created in Photoshop CS2. (for a full list of image credits, see below). Its astonishing how much my skill has increased since spending time with paths and the pen tool.

Credits: the background was created by me in Photoshop Creative Suite 2, utilizing a sunburst brush by blazter[JavierZhX], a stain brush by PhotoshopRanger, rhino photography by Mister-E, and background picture by Niconectado.

The Code

I’ve been a long time user of MooTools (almost all effects on this site are written with MooTools). But since I’m also a big believer in stretching your knowledge and learning something new, I decided to spend some time playing around with jQuery.

Read the rest of Site News - New Site: Rhino