resources
Other resources for Office Live and web design that I have found helpful.
for inspiration
Seeing what others have done using Office Live can give you great ideas and show you things you may not have known were possible. The Proficients Project has put together a registry of OLSB web sites that as of 9/3 lists over 900 sites, enough to keep you busy for some time. Look at your competition, sites that sell similar products. You shouldn't copy someone else's design but it will give you ideas for layout and color choices.
color
To use color on your site to its best advantage and create a pleasing and eye catching design an understanding of basic color theory is helpful. Color is very important to give your site visitors the right impression of you and your site, Color Design for the Web discusses mood and color choices.
For color scheme inspiration there are some free sources available to everyone.
● Clothing and home decor. You can get great ideas from the color combinations used
in anything from a tie, dress or even curtains.
● Advertising, it's everywhere. Look past what it is selling you and notice the color
combinations used.
● My favorite source is the natural world around us. The beautiful browns, golds and
grays of stones in a brook, intense yellow and orange leaves against a brilliant blue
autumn sky or the bright red stripe in a red winged blackbird. Nature is always right
and a great color combination based on her work can really help your site stand out,
Natural Selections: Colors Found in Nature and Interface Design will give you ideas for
using the colors of nature in your design.
microsoft resources
If you have a question or difficulty, the Office Live Small Business Community could very well have the answer. Look through the various forums or search the archives there, lots of information on just about everything. There are plenty of how to's in the Wikis and blogs that will help.
office live tip sites
These sites are all terrific resources for tips and solutions. They aren't listed in any particular order.
If you have tips for Office Live on your website and I have overlooked you, please contact me and I'll be glad to add yours to the list.