Not the same old web design again..

One of the greatest things about Web development is that you can customize the look and feel of Web sites and applications. But many developers shy away from this, sticking with the default design of whatever tool they're using. The more adventurous types might add a bit of color to their pages, but it's usually nothing more than the client's logo. And who's to blame them? Design can be difficult, not to mention subjective.

Yet developing an application that not only works well but looks great is important. Humans are visual by nature; we can't help but base a lot of our first impressions on looks. With that in mind, consider developing your next application for the i.LON SmartServer so it's both functional and attractive.

There are plenty of design options out there, though most are commercial products that are expensive or difficult to customize. However, this morning I stumbled upon a great resource for design and inspiration: the Open Source Web Design project. This site contains over 2,000 free open source designs, ranging from those that simply use color well to full-blown designs with images and navigation. And like I said, they're all free, so there's no excuse for those default designs anymore.