More and more in our web design projects we are applying large single images to page backgrounds to create a three dimensional appearance or a less “boxy” feel.

Viewers tend to comment on my own Twitter profile page where I’ve tried a few background images, and the overwhelming majority is in favor of organic imagery. My current profile showcases a macro shot of some budding bulbs in our office’s front yard from late spring: twitter.com/jsemerson. The page content simply floats on top of this vibrant image, giving you the feeling that the page is richer and deeper than it could be with a pattern or color.

Another one of our recent site launches exemplifies the effect that a spanning background image can have on a layout: pigeonforgetrack.com. Here the image is a computer-generated gradient with illustrated tire tracks. The background makes the homepage feel like it is part of the viewing window, and more than a box displaying information.

Utilizing great photography and CSS, we’re able to help our clients achieve a dynamic effect with their websites. As web trends move toward rich media, we’re finding new ways to make a bigger splash with bigger photography.

Not long ago, every website we did for a company with a brick and mortar location had one thing in common: a hand-drawn location map. Usually on the contact page of a company’s website, this map would take hours for our creative team to research, and accurately produce, especially since many of our clients are located in parts of the country we aren’t familiar with. These maps were a product of each company wanting a branded, custom portrayal of how to find them.

Enter Google, 2008.

In its steady march toward global domination, Google Maps has recently passed “News” and “Shopping” in the link order at the top of Google’s page. Maps really is that cool. I personally could spend 40 hours a week just playing with the tool, and enjoying every minute of it. And now our clients do too. Instead of paying for rich hand-drawn representations, our clients now get precise maps loaded with functionality embedded directly in their websites. We don’t even have to worry about writing the infamous “driving directions.” Site visitors can interact directly with the embedded Google map to find out anything they need to about the location.

And if that weren’t enough, the maps are customizable. A logo can serve as the icon showing the physical location, and an exterior photo of the building can be uploaded to show on mouseover. It’s a simple, free service and it has rendered our artist’s hand outdated when it comes to finding your place on the web.

Here’s an example of this simple service in action for one of our clients:

And a special treat for my dedicated readers:

Click here.

Your task is to slowly zoom in on the town of Tempiute, Nevada, a little stop along The Extraterrestrial Highway that passes by Area 51. You may just notice that a graphic designer got their hands on a couple football fields worth of land and has had the last laugh on Google Maps after all.

Give me a day or two, and I am 100% confident I can give you a design or layout for your web project that you will love. The job is easy when I get to start with a blank page that has no limits. It’s even easy when I get to start with a page you already have, and I am just providing a nip/tuck or facelift. But in the past five years of web design, a new question has become part of my design process: “How is this design going to look once I turn it over to the client, and they are controlling the content?”

Many of our clients want to sell products on their websites. Making those products appear in an appealing way in a custom layout is easy when I have ultimate control over the size and shape of each product photo. But what happens when the client is uploading product photos that may or may not follow our guidelines?  This is why now, more than ever, we are designing just as much for what’s not there yet.

This trend has resulted in a page layout that is more open, white and ready to accommodate an array of image styles, shapes, etc. We’ve used these design elements on sites like GiveSimple.com and AllSeasonPlants.com. More white space, a logo on the top of the page and a grid of products to shop – it’s one way to keep an otherwise busy page less hectic. 

In my dream world (you know, the same one where I get to play golf every day with Tiger and am a world-renowned guitarist) every project would start by receiving a library of professional, dynamic and colorful photography supporting the project goal.

Well, in the real world (where I settle for the occasional round of hack golf with my friends and can barely beat a song on the “Hard” level in Guitar Hero), our creative department rarely begins a project with a stockpile of great photography from the client. Enter the Internet, and its endless resource!

iStock Photo is a great site that exemplifies everything the web is and should be. It’s a collection of stock photography submitted by photographers belonging to the iStock community: a never-ending library with photo styles to fit any need. The best part is the price: the photos are insanely affordable at an average of only $1 - $2 for web-friendly sizes.

We can’t overstate the importance and impact of a great photo for your homepage, ad, brochure, email blast, etc. If you’re in need of a few affordable bright, dynamic, professional-quality images, you’ll find amazing options at www.istockphoto.com.