FIVE FREE website apps Designers must check out...

1. Adobe Kuler is THE application for choosing color schemes. It helps you coordinate colors and play with various saturations, hues, and opacities of color. There are exisitng color schemes you can use or create your own. Another cool feature allows you to sync your Kuler account with your Adobe InDesign Suite (Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop). This comes in handy when you need color specifications on colors you created in Kuler or Adobe; and you can easily convert your Kuler schemes into Adobe swatches with one click. Imagine being able to insert your logo or any type of image into the Kuler app and have it define an entire color scheme around that object for you. If you like to play with color, you will love this app.

2. Smashing Magazine is one of THE top design resources on the web. If your not there yet, you are truly missing out. This website features design inspiration, templates, coding for AJAX, CSS, Javascript & more. It also boasts of FREE graphics, stock photos, and icons; and they really are absolutely FREE! For the Designer that seeks to sell their artwork, digital photography, and web templates, this is a great website to partner with. This site will also help you stay abreast of the latest global trends in Design.

3. W3Schools.com is a excellent source for the "Hello World" front end developer. This site is literally a school, you can actually learn a ton of code ranging from HTML & CSS, Browser Scripting, XML Languages, Server Scripting, Web Services and Multimedia. All for FREE! In addition to providing tutorials, you can get HTML character sets, examples of codes, and even obtain current monthly statistics related to browser and platform usage by internet users around the world.

4. DropBox.com saves the day! this site was actually nominated for being "The Best Internet Application of 2009". If you are a freelancer or contractor that means you probably work with more than one client at a time. The DropBox application is a real-time storage feature that connects to your main computer when prompted. The technology enables you to network and share files with colleagues and friends in remote locations, without you having to build data centers and/or establish shared networks. This proves efficient if your client prefers to have greater control of files and projects; you could easily provide them access to specific file folders on your computer in real-time. Also if you are ever away without your computer on hand and need to retrieve a file, here you go. DropBox is FREE to sign up and you also get 2GB of storage FREE as well.

5. Gliffy.com is an application that equates to VISIO. The website allows you to generate simple and complex diagrams. You can create flow charts and mock-ups of collateral, websites, posters, online banners, etc. It is very user-friendly and they have a wide assortment of iconic symbols you can use to create your project plan. Using simple mock-ups to communicate your thoughts serves as an effective way in managing any project whether it is designing processes, systems, or websites. This will empower your client to weigh in and give valuable feedback before time and money is spent in implementation. And did I mention it is FREE...

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