Google is our modern day collection of the highest technological advancements humanity has ever achieved. We are able to connect into the same information from any point on the Earth, almost instantaneously! We live in a truly magical time. The pioneers shifting us into this new age are modern web designers and application developers.
There are many resources online to reference when beginning website design. Novice and expert alike can find plenty of new information using Google’s powerful resources. Trends have been developing over time and we are finally starting to see the huge explosion of design talent in our current-day Internet.
Why Google?
The reason behind Google’s major success lies in their business strategy. Initially launched as a search engine the company was able to attract some of the brightest engineers who were very passionate about their job. Google has since broken into application development, analytics, maps data, business and social networking tools.
Though privacy has been a concern to many in the past, the company still stands today as the #1 trafficked website. Since their purchase of YouTube the company has been able to expand into Google Video, Picasa Photos, and more recently Google Docs.
Innovation is the key to success for larger Internet-based software companies. Google has seriously stepped things up and shown us just how futuristic our current society is.
Checking for Blog Articles
One of the best resources Google can offer is refined search results. There are hundreds of web design blogs on the Internet and it would take weeks to sort through them all. Google offers results based on page rank, which basically means most of the articles you’ll get are from high-quality domains.
One of the newer features Google offers is a blog directory search. Instead of going through Google’s main search function you are able to pull results from a large database of blogs. Most of these are running through WordPress or Blogger and ping Google with updates on their latest posts.
In order to save time you may consider keeping a blog feed which can be checked daily. Google Reader offers this functionality for free – all you need is a Google Account (also free).
The most popular web design blogs will offer RSS feeds. These can be collected and fed into Google Reader which will update your dashboard with the latest posts. You can save hours of time every week by removing the constant distraction of checking 10-20 different blogs. With feed readers you have all of the latest content organized and listed neatly, updated automatically!
Google for Web Developers
One of the greatest additions to Google’s apps is their code database. Located at Code’s Homepage you can see dozens of open-source projects available to work on. Among the most common is Android development and Google’s App Engine.
However you do not only need to work on open source projects. With your Google Account you are able to set up code repositories to house bits of your code. Each account is allocated a small amount of server space which Google is constantly increasing.
There are also chat forums, tools and plenty of APIs to mess around in. One of the best examples is the code playground where you can find demos for each Google product API. These include YouTube, Blogger, Google Friend Connect, and so many more.
Google Webmaster’s Tools
Located at Webmaster’s Central are all the tools any web designer/developer would need. You can gather analytics data and compare graphs with many of your own websites. This also applies to services tied into Google’s roster such as AdSense and Feedburner.
More interesting is the help section and discussion boards for members. Webmasters from all over the world gather to use Google’s powerful tools. There is a lot of information to learn from professionals, and there’s no easier way to connect!
You may also consider researching into some Blogger accounts. Many web developers will share code snippits and tutorials on their blogs. Google has a detailed search for Blogger profiles and posts related to keywords. Check out this webmaster essentials FAQ for more details.
Communication and Beyond
GMail is the most well-known e-mail application, and for good reason. In comparison to Yahoo! Mail and AOL it seems like webmail has reached an entirely new plateau. Google has added a lot of ideas into Google Mail which have pushed the boundaries in digital communication.
Now Google offers so much more that it could be considered a communication medium. Along with your GMail account you are also granted a GTalk username. This allows you to invite others using GTalk to hold IM chats, audio VoIP and even video conferences!
Most recently Google has updated the GMail interface to include all of these features naturally. This provides huge benefits to Mac OSX and Linux users who are unable to run Google Talk’s client software (though there are alternatives).
Combine this with Google Voice and you’ve got an entire medium to connect with your contacts, all tied into a single account. With any current mobile or land-line telephone you can tether a second phone number through Google Voice. This means you can give others your GV number and whenever they call it will ring whatever phone is tied in – truly an unbelievably useful service.
Google has only just begun to show it’s true agenda. With the development of Google Docs we are now seeing mockups and wireframes uploaded and shared around the world, hosted courteously via Google. As these tools become more detailed the advances in web design culture will follow.
The one true supporting fact for web designers is to stay passionate. There is plenty of time to practice the trade and learn new tricks. And with so many resources available, there’s never been a better time in history to learn. Attempt reaching out to other graphics designers as well. Many will be happy to serve as a resource and can provide constructive criticism during the learning process.
