Don’t let the title mislead you, I still use divs WAY more that tables, but c’mon, you can’t always hate on tables. Here’s why:

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah

This table only looks funny because I wrapped it in a div.

Sometimes you just need to quickly split up some content, and you don’t feel like going through the process of editing CSS and using DIVs to get your point across.

Here’s when I use <DIV>

Client Work. If I am designing a site for someone else (friend, client, whatever), I want to make sure that it is up to par with the latest web standards. I will use divs if want to ensure that the layout doesn’t break or look strange in different browsers. This is a no-brainer people, let’s move on.

Here’s when I use <tables>

Affiliate landing pages, in blog posts, etc… Anything that requires a quick turnaround, little SEO, and sharp alignment. Almost any page that I’m going to drive PPC traffic to will likely have some tables (ie. review sites). Usually, if I have to cut up an image in Fireworks, I’ll export it with tables, because the export to css function in fireworks is crap at best. Again, moving on…

Here’s Why I Don’t Care

Designers and wanna-be designers get caught up in industry hype, so if a single authoritative source talks bad about something (search Google for no!spec if you want to see what I’m talking about), then every lemming on the interwebbernet wants to follow suit. People have been dropping design elements like tables for years since there is a newer, better, way to do it. Just because there’s a new way to do something doesn’t mean that the old way sucks, and that it should be completely abandoned. I’ll probably always use tables until they are no longer supported by browsers.

Here’s a great workaround if you are a design nazi

Well, if you’re a design nazi, and you refuse to use a table NO MATTER WHAT, then you probably won’t like this idea either, but whatever.. You can use some CSS framework like blueprintcss or the 960 grid system. With these frameworks, you can base entire designs around predetermined widths and columns. Super easy, I won’t go into detail. Just go to their websites for more info:

• http://960.gs/
• http://www.blueprintcss.org/
• http://elasticss.com/

I know I didn’t really hit you with a strong argument here, it’s more about why I use what I use, and when I use it. If you are intelligent with your designs, and you know how the site will be used, and you are realistic about the end result, you can find a use for anything, including a table.

I know what you’re thinking.. Another post about Artisteer.. Well, ok, so, yes… I am writing another post about Artisteer. A lot has changed since my last post about Artisteer, “Artisteer for Mac is now available“, the free trial is still going on, and more people are using Artisteer thanks to your’s truly (seriously, I have made hundreds of people like you Artisteer users thanks to my posts and reviews).

So, if you are on the fence about this product, read one of my reviews listed below. They may change your mind.

• Artisteer – Buy it, Don’t Steal it!
• Artisteer for Mac is Now Available
• Artisteer Home vs Artisteer Professional – An Artisteer Review
• Artisteer Review – Theme Generator
• Buy Artisteer

As always, please feel free to ask any questions. DO NOT ASK ME ABOUT OBTAINING PIRATED COPIES OR EXPORTING YOUR DEMO FILES!!!

Ok, so I’m not usually one to just pimp myself out like this, but you know, times are a little tougher these days, and getting good design jobs is not coming very easy. Plus, my wife and I are getting remarried in June, and I figure that if I can pick up a few design jobs before then, maybe I can surprise her with a beautiful new ring.

Here is what I have to offer:

100% CUSTOM web design (no templates)
SEO Friendly webpages
 Logo Design
CMS Integration
Blog (WordPress with 100% custom theme)
etc..

If you would like to have a good idea of what I can do for your company, email me. Or you can check out my latest project Air Command Electronics. ACE is a custom HTML site that I designed from scratch. A site like that can usually be developed in a week or two, and can have special visual modifications (ie. Javascript, MooTools, Dynamically processed content, etc..). I still haven’t finished adding the content, but it will be there soon. All of the content on the site is to fill up the whitespace.

I base all of my designs on a grid, which makes for smoother layout and cross-browser compatibility. I also make sure that every design is XHTML compliant.

If you are looking for a free quote, please email nick@notaindustries.com.

I will give you a FREE SEO QUOTE and a FREE WEB DESIGN QUOTE, or you can choose between the two.

What is the importance in this? Well, some companies will charge you for consultation, I will not. I will work as your personal SEO Consultant and Web Design Consultant. I will give you a detailed marketing and/or design plan/proposal and work with your budget to make sure that YOU can get a solid return for your investment.

Please Contact Me Directly:

Nick Norris
nick@notaindustries.com
(480)747-1469

So, for the past couple of years I have been bouncing between designs for my Arizona Web Design website. I have used Joomla, WordPress, and a couple other CMS platforms, but I have never really been satisfied. Anyway, I decided to take matters into my own hands and just design a static HTML site, and I personally like it. I designed it using the Grid 960 framework, and it only took about an hour to get the design from a mock-up to a fully functional website.

I have had mixed reviews on the site, and I appreciate all of the feedback. I have used ideas from several different people, and have ignored a few haters.

The design is not complete yet. I still have some mootools to integrate, as well as some chunks of javascript to make the site a little more appealing. I will also be changing the overall background of the site to separate the content from the background.

If you have any feedback, please let me know so I can make the right changes.