There are few web designers today not familiar with the popular web browser, FireFox. Mozilla created this adaptable open source program and the first version was released in late 2004. Since that time, third-party developers have created over two-thousand add-ons. As of early 2008, it is the second most popular browser worldwide, quietly nipping at Internet Explorer’s heels. So just what is it that makes this nifty software a web designer’s best friend?

Primarily it is fast, lean, and extremely powerful. In addition, the vast number of useful add-ons (generally referred to as plug-ins or extensions by other programs) is a designer’s dream. Designers can modify Firefox code to allow it to do exactly what the designer needs it to do. Oh, and did I mention it is a totally free program?

Firefox renders web pages as meant to be. Designers don’t need to use tricks and band-aids to make their pages work. This is in large part because Firefox plays nicely on the web by adhering to the standards created for web pages. The Firefox browser is also quite secure so designers can be confident that their designs are not putting personal or sensitive online information at risk, as does the “other” popular web browser.

However, the driving factor behind Firefox’s popularity among the web design community has to be the various add-ons. They are numerous and effective with an add-on for just about every type of design need.

Beware – finding add-ons can become addicting so designers do need to maintain a semblance of control over downloads since too many may cause the system to bog down. Here are a few of the most important add-ons that you will not want to miss. However, there are many, many more available, some easier to find then others, but they are out there. Choose the ones that work for your web design needs and have fun.

• Designers tend to love the Web Developer Tool because of its functionality. Among countless other functions, the tool allows a developer to disable items on a page. One I find particularly useful is the ability to disable JavaScript on a page to see if it still functions without it. If the only way to reach a page is via JavaScript, search engine spiders will not be able to get to it, hence the page will miss ranking. Other functions of the tool include finding “hidden” information for web page elements. This is a tool that no developer should be without and is truly a best friend.

• The Tools tab allows a designer to validate code to web standards. Therefore, the designer can create pages that work well with any browser by validating their CSS, HTML, WAI, links, feeds, etc.

• Colorzilla is the Firefox color picker. No more searches through style sheets for color codes or pasting into Photoshop to get the hex value of the color. This tool allows the designer to grab the exact, detailed color they are looking for. It works great for developing color schemes as well.

• Measure It is very useful when designing a layout to get the exact pixel height and width of any element.

• The CSS tab is another best friend of the developer as it allows you to see how your site will appear on a mobile device or edit the CSS of the page in real time.

• YSlow allows a developer to determine which section of a page is causing it to load slowly.

• PageDiff allows you to compare the code on two separate pages to see where they differ and fix any code associated with it.

• SEOQuake and RankQuest allow you to check various ranking functions of your pages and watch how they compare to your competitor’s sites. Very cool.

• Using the IE tab allows a designer to view their CSS on Internet Explorer. While most designers who use Firefox are technically averse to IE it is important to ensure your pages are compatible with the IE browser since many non-technical surfers still make it the number one browser.

• Fire FTP is a powerful application that allows designers to upload websites by clicking and dragging from their browser rather than having to use a dedicated FTP client.

• Using Screengrab a designer can gather inspiration and tips by looking at other websites and their layouts. For those designers having a tough time with their color themes, they can simply take a snapshot of a whole site or a portion of it to find an appropriate combination.

There are just too many add-ons to cover in a small article, many only privy to a few power-user techies. Do you want to know how fast of a connection you have? Then Bandwidth Tester will give you the facts with a single touch of the mouse. Do you want the latest weather report? Have WeatherFox pop up with the latest forecast. Do you want to listen to music while online? Then FoxyTunes is on hand to control your music player.

It is easy to see why Firefox is a web designer’s best friend. The versatility, functionality, and ability to do just about anything you need it to do make it one of the quickest growing browsers for designers today. Add to that its enormous “cool” factor and you definitely have a winner. Take some time to research this powerful tool and you will quickly see why it enjoys its popularity.

For those interested in the latest and greatest, the latest release, Firefox 3 occurred on June 13 and, while some of the current add-ons will require compatibility tweaks, it is sure to be another winning advance in web design technology. In fact, it has broken all download records by seeing over fourteen million downloads within 72 hours of its release.

Firefox is an easy to use tool that doesn’t require the skills of a technical genius to benefit from its features. There is no doubt that it is the software to watch as it continues its climb in popularity amongst web developers.

Tags: art, design, designers, firefox

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