Lexikon Grafikdesign und Webdesign – C

The term "cookies" refers to small text files that are stored on a user's computer by websites. These files contain information about the user's interaction with the website and are used by web browsers to store certain information and retrieve it on future visits to the website.

Cookies have various meanings and functions in the field of web design:

• Session cookies: These cookies are used during a single session on a website and are deleted as soon as the user closes the browser. They help to store information about the current visit, e.g. logged-in users or the contents of a shopping basket.
• Persistent cookies: These cookies remain stored on the user's computer for longer and are retrieved each time the website is visited. They are used to store information such as settings, preferences or login information in order to improve the user experience.
• Tracking cookies: These cookies are used to track user behaviour on a website, such as clicks, pages visited or time spent. They are often used for marketing purposes to display personalised advertising or perform website analyses.

An example of the use of cookies is the shopping basket on an e-commerce website. When a user places products in the shopping basket and then navigates the website, cookies allow the selected products to remain stored in the shopping basket until the user completes the purchase.

It is important to note that cookies can also raise privacy and security issues. Users should be informed and have the option to accept or reject cookies. Many browsers offer settings to control the use of cookies or to delete them.

Overall, cookies in the area of web design serve to improve the user experience, provide personalised content and store important information about the user's interaction with the website.

The term "cloud" refers to a range of online services and technologies that allow data and applications to be stored, managed and accessed over the internet rather than being stored locally on a physical device. The cloud is essentially a network of remote servers that are connected to each other and provide data and resources.

"Cloud computing" refers to the process of providing services and resources via the cloud. This can include storage space for files, the provision of software applications or the processing of data. Instead of storing and processing programmes or files locally on your own computer, this is done via the internet on the cloud provider's servers.

Cloud services are very important in the field of graphic and web design as they offer a convenient way to store, share and access files. Some well-known cloud providers are:

• Dropbox: Dropbox allows users to store files online and access them from different devices. Designers can save their design files in the cloud and share them with team members or clients.
• WeTransfer: WeTransfer is a cloud service that enables users to transfer large files quickly and easily online. For example, designers can upload their graphic files and provide customers with a download link.
• Google Drive: Google Drive is a cloud storage service from Google that allows users to store, share and access files online. Designers can save their work files in Google Drive and edit them together.

The use of cloud services in graphic and web design offers benefits such as the ability to easily share files, facilitate collaboration with other designers or clients and have a redundant backup of files. In addition, cloud computing allows designers to access powerful software and resources without having to install them locally on their own computers.

However, it is important to consider security and data protection when storing sensitive data in the cloud. Choosing a trustworthy and reliable cloud provider is therefore crucial to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the design files.

CMYK is a colour model used in graphic and print design. The letters stand for the colours cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y) and key (K), with key often representing black.

In the CMYK colour model, all other colours are created by combining these four basic colours. Each colour is specified as a percentage, where 0% means that the colour is not present and 100% means that the colour is displayed in its full intensity.

An example of the use of CMYK is the printing process. When a designer prepares an image or design for printing, they must ensure that the colours are specified in CMYK format. This is because printers normally work with the CMYK colours and the design will be printed exactly as it appears in CMYK mode. If the design is specified in RGB mode (red, green, blue), there may be colour deviations as RGB and CMYK use different colour spaces.

Another example is the creation of print media such as brochures, flyers or posters. The designer selects the desired colours for the design by specifying the corresponding CMYK values. By combining the four colours, the designer can create different shades and nuances to achieve the desired visual result.

The CMYK colour model is widely used in the printing industry as it allows precise control over colours and ensures that printed materials accurately reproduce the desired colours.

Caching in web design refers to the process of temporarily storing data to improve the loading time and performance of a website. When a website is cached, certain data such as images, CSS files or scripts are temporarily stored on the user's device. This means that this data can be retrieved more quickly when the website is visited again, as it does not have to be reloaded from the server.

A simple example of caching is the storage of images on the user's device. Suppose a visitor visits a website and downloads an image. If the image is stored in the cache, it will not be reloaded from the server the next time the website is visited, but retrieved directly from the cache. This results in a faster page load time as the image is already available on the user's device.

Another example of caching is the storage of CSS files. If a website has several pages with the same CSS code, the browser can save the CSS code in the cache the first time the page is visited. This means that the CSS code does not have to be downloaded again each time the page is changed, which reduces the overall loading time of the website.

Caching is important to optimise the performance of a website and improve user-friendliness. By reducing the loading time, visitors can access content faster and have a better overall experience on the website. However, it is important to configure and manage caching correctly to ensure that the most up-to-date information is always displayed and that no outdated data is loaded from the cache.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is a web design technology that is used to define the appearance and layout of a website. It is a type of style guide that defines how elements should be displayed on a website.

CSS can be used to define various properties, such as the colour, the font, the spacing between elements, the size of images and much more. By using CSS, web designers can standardise the appearance of a website and improve the visual aspect.

A major advantage of CSS is the separation of content and presentation. This means that the content of a website (e.g. text, images, links) is defined separately from the design (e.g. colours, layout). This makes it easy to make changes to the design without affecting the content. CSS also makes it possible to adapt the design for different devices and screen sizes, which is important for the responsiveness of a website.

Overall, CSS makes the work of web designers easier as it provides an efficient way to control and customise the visual appearance of a website. It is a fundamental technology in web design that contributes to the creation of appealing and professional websites.

Corporate identity (CI) describes the overall image of a company or organisation and, in addition to corporate design (CD), also includes other aspects such as the corporate mission statement, the communication strategy and the behaviour of employees.

Corporate design is an important part of corporate identity and includes the visual representation of the company, such as the logo, colours, fonts and imagery. Web design and graphic design also play an important role here, as they ensure the visual realisation of the corporate design on digital and printed materials.

However, corporate identity goes beyond the visual appearance and also encompasses the values, goals and behaviour of the company. It also includes the communication strategy, which defines the language and tonality rules for corporate communication.

In summary, it can be said that corporate identity describes the overall image of the company, which is made up of various elements such as corporate design, communication strategy and employee behaviour. Web design and graphic design are important building blocks for the realisation of the corporate design and contribute to the company communicating a clear and uniform identity both internally and externally.

Corporate design (CD) is the visual expression of a company or organisation and comprises all design elements that contribute to the company's identity. Corporate design includes the logo, colours, fonts and imagery used in all corporate communication.

Web design and graphic design are two important areas of corporate design. Web design refers to the design of websites, while graphic design includes the design of printed material such as flyers, brochures or posters.

Corporate design ensures that the design of the website and printed material is standardised and consistent in order to create a clear identity for the company. This means that the web design and graphic design must be designed in accordance with the corporate design guidelines to ensure a uniform corporate image.

A content management system (CMS) is a software application that is used to organise, create, edit and publish digital content, such as text, images and videos, on a website. In the field of web design, a CMS is an important tool as it facilitates the maintenance and management of web content. A CMS can enable a company or organisation to make changes to their website quickly and easily without the need for programming skills.

WordPress is an example of a CMS that is widely used for creating and managing websites. It is an open source software that allows users to create and manage a website quickly and easily. With WordPress, users can manage content such as blog posts, pages and products, choose and customise a theme and add features such as contact forms and e-commerce integrations.

Using a CMS such as WordPress can increase efficiency and productivity when creating and maintaining websites, as it offers an easy-to-use interface and makes it easier to update content. In addition, multiple users can access the CMS at the same time and make changes, which facilitates collaboration.

"Call-To-Action" (CTA) is a term used in web design and online marketing that refers to a prompting call to action on a website or landing page. It is an element on a website that serves to encourage the user to perform a specific action.

For example, a CTA can be a button that prompts the user to buy a product, sign up for a newsletter, download a demo or get in touch. The placement, design and text of the CTA element should be designed in such a way that it attracts the user's attention and motivates them to perform the desired action.

A well-designed CTA can help to improve the conversion rate of a website as it directly prompts the user to take an action and shows them the next step towards a goal. It is important that the CTA is clear and concise and that it stands out from other elements on the page to attract the user's attention. In addition, the CTA should be tailored to the target group and the goal of the website in order to achieve the desired action.