If you’re just getting started learning CSS, it might be daunting to see the number of CSS editing applications available out there. When I started learning CSS, I was still using only Notepad for all my coding, and just went back and forth from my browser (Netscape. Remember Netscape?) to my text file, referring mostly to a CSS for Beginners book that weighed about a ton. Today, because I’m still pretty much a control freak, I use Coda for nearly everything. But I recently helped someone new to CSS get started, and we looked through several CSS editors… the best of which I bring to you here:

TopStyle
This seems to be the most popular choice for Windows users, and it’s no wonder: TopStyle not only gets the job done, it does it pretty powerfully. It validates your CSS syntax, is constantly updated with new CSS definitions (important if you want to keep your design work up to date), and includes iWebKit, which allows you to create web apps for iPhones and iPod Touches. I also really like TopStyle’s “Style Reports”, which show you where CSS styles are used throughout your site (awesome when you’re working on someone else’s code). It isn’t free- a user license is $79.95- but if you want a serious CSS editor and you use Windows, this is one to look at.

Simple CSS
This one’s available for both Windows and Mac, and is, as you’ll see from it’s one-page online documentation, true to its name in that it is simple. It was also the easiest CSS editor we tried out, with a simple, easy to understand user interface. It’s also free! One to consider if you want a lightweight editor.

Stylizer
Skybound’s CSS editor is next, and this one’s certainly packed with features. It’s beautifully designed as well- and because of that, it might be even easier to use for beginners. It’s only for Windows, although they say a Mac version is in the works, and comes in Basic (free) and Ultimate ($79) versions, with the latter being a lot more powerful. If you’re on Windows, download the Basic version and see if you work well with its interface. I like this one so much that I signed up to be alerted when the Mac version comes out- because, as you know, I only use my PC for gaming, LOL.

CSSEdit
Finally, MacRabbit (who also make the lovely Espresso) offers this beauty of a CSS Editor for Mac users only. As you can see from the screenshot above, this one sports a very Apple-esque look- it won an Apple Design Award a few years ago, after all- and was what my CSS beginner friend finally decided upon. It’s easy to use, gets the job done and then some, and will only set you back by 29.95 Euros.

Do you use a CSS editor? Which do you recommend?

This week on Friday Focus: sites that make use of interesting repeating images as backgrounds.

Designs of the Week

Ignoring the fact that the links open in popup JavaScript windows (not a very sleek way to go these days), this is a really interesting site to look at. I love the combination of pink, black, and beige, with the subtle illumination going on. And of course the integration of the pattern into the portfolio thumbnails and the title of the page. Distinct and memorable.

The pattern usage here is more sparse, but it matches the way cakes and other pastries are decorated. It’s interesting how the designer gave it a bit of wear and tear, instead of keeping it pristine. (But don’t you love the patterns on the cupcake?)

I love how clean, elegant, and understated this site looks. A lot of it has to do with the subtle wallpaper effect supporting the uncluttered foreground.

Not one, but two patterns in use here. The wavy edges and frames on the navigation thumbnails are nice touches too. My only qualms here are the image quality of the logo, and the fact that the navigation is well below the upper half of the page.

Again, ignoring the not-so-refined type used on this site, I think the doggy bone pattern is a not-so-usual execution of the repeating background design element. I also like that the world map is abstract!

Very simple, but a very strong grid and beautiful typography brings this design together. Sometimes that’s all there is to it.

Very subtle, but of course another good idea for a background pattern is a map, when the site calls for it.

I love that even the header navigation and buttons have the background pattern. The overall effect is sleek and modern, but the added attention to detail ups the professionalism of this site even more.

Social Media Weekly

Design – Alternatives to Common Fonts
Avoid the overused typeface plague with these smart alternatives.

Programming – Let’s make the web faster
A collection of tutorials on Google Code to help improve the performance of your website, from HTML and CSS to PHP and MySQL.

You’ve contacted your utility company, mobile phone provider or ISP one time or another. And in these cases, your call, email or online chat was likely to have been answered by a customer service employee, whose tasks include acting on complaints, or referring these to the technical support or other departments as necessary. Big companies can afford this. However, if you’re running a small business or if you are a freelance professional, chances are you run the ship on your own, and this includes handling customer inquiries and complaints.

I run a few online services where I’m the sales guy, the marketing guy, tech support and even customer service rep. The great thing about being all these is that the buck stops with me. With most customer service calls, you get passed to and fro. If your inquiry can’t be addressed by the frontliners, you get passed on to tech support. If it’s about your money, you get passed to billing. If you want a new service or an upgrade, you get passed to sales. I’ve experienced a call in which I was passed around and around. I ended up just listening to the what are probably scripted statements uttered by people who don’t really understand their products and services.

In the event that you get an angry email or telephone call complaining about your service, what do you do?

Understand user expectations. Many of my complaints about my mobile service are better addressed by getting online and searching through forums. Most of the time, when I call my cellphone provider’s customer service number, the staff can only regurgitate scripted information that is most of the time irrelevant and even useless, because they really cannot understand the context of my call. But, if you really use your own product and service, you get to understand it from deep within. You know how to work it, and you know how to hack it, if need be. Put yourself in the shoes of your customer, so you know where he’s coming from. Be your own customer yourself, and see if you appreciate your own product offering.

Get additional information. Sometimes, customers in their anger would just blurt out generic statements like “My email is not working. Please fix it,” or “Your service sucks. I want my money back.” The best thing to do in these cases is to ask for specifics. If you suspect it’s a system-related issue, ask for the operating system, browser, and even the version they use, which could have an incompatibility or known issue. Or you can ask for the exact date and time that their issue had occurred. Or if you run several services from under one brand, you might want to ask for specifics like which product it is they’re complaining about.

You might get additional information from your own records, and this might also be helpful in diagnosing the problem and in your eventual resolution. Whatever the case may be, don’t just take the complaint at face value. Dig deeper. Try to see it from different perspectives. The solution might just be there somewhere.

Act quickly. Most big companies make you go through red tape before you get your complaint acted upon. In some cases, it’s really logistical issues that cause the delay, such as when there are physical repairs needed. But when you’re a small business, you have the flexibility to act quickly. If all it takes to make your complaining customer happy are a few clicks of the mouse, then it would be worth it.

Offer a refund or discount. If you suspect that your customer isn’t really the right match with your service, then be gracious enough to offer a refund. Of course, if it’s a physical product that’s being contested, you would want it returned. But if it’s an online service, a membership, a subscription, or any online material, then it’s probably best to offer a refund without much fuss. Goodwill goes a long way, and you develop good business relationships based on goodwill. Your irate customer might end up purchasing from you again if you treat him well.

If a refund is too drastic, you can offer a discount. The same goodwill concept applies. If a customer sees you’re gracious enough to offer some of his money back for the trouble, then chances are he will stick it with you.

Follow up. After acting on a complaint, check with your customer if the resolution is to his satisfaction. You might want to follow up a few weeks after, just to check on things. Your customer might be able to give you a few insights on how to make your service better.

In the end, when you don’t get to see your customers face to face, there is always the temptation to slack off. But rather than brush aside these calls for help, why not seize the opportunity to prove your worth as a business person. Fix things. Talk to people. Connect. Improve. This is what complaint resolution is all about.

As a web designer, I’d say that more than 80% of all my recent work has been WordPress-related… from creating original WordPress themes, to heavily customizing existing ones. Which is why I’m so pleased every time I come across a bare-bones WordPress theme, something plain I can “build on”. I’m very grateful to the designers who’ve created these- here are my current five (free!) favorites:

Whiteboard
If you’re the type of designer who likes to code up a regular HTML site before chopping everything up into WordPress templates, Whiteboard will make your life much, much easier. It’s a WordPress framework at its most basic, with necessary templates all set up and ready for you to paste your design bits into. It also includes some goodies like “Socialization Links”, with links to Technorati, Digg, StumbleUpon, etc. Very simple, and a joy to have.

WP Framework
Looking for something a bit more powerful? I daresay that WP Framework belongs in every WordPress theme designer’s toolbox- especially those who want to release their own themes to the public. The Theme Options API, for example, is a set of functions that makes it easy for you to create your very own “theme options” page (and don’t we all love options?) Great accompanying documentation, too.

Hybrid Skeleton
There are quite a few WordPress theme frameworks with accompanying child themes out there, and Hybrid is a particularly good one. The authors aren’t joking when they describe Hybrid as “user-friendly”, and their child themes are beautifully designed and easy to tweak. What I’ve linked to here, though, is their Skeleton child theme, which allows you to build your own child theme on Hybrid.

Thematic
Just like Hybrid, Thematic is a framework that has some gorgeous child themes… but the truth is, Thematic is glorious on its own as a clean, minimalistic theme. Of course, it really shines when in the hands of talented designers. The lovely Gallery theme, for example, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful themes for a WP-powered photo gallery or portfolio, is a Thematic child theme.

Sandbox
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Sandbox, which was perhaps the first “bare-bones” WordPress theme I ever used, and was crucial to me in the early days of learning how to create WordPress themes, when just looking through the code of Kubrick made my head spin.

Do you use theme frameworks? Are there any bare-bones WordPress themes you recommend?