We're going to list some resources that web developers can utilize in the development and design process. If you know how to use these resources properly, you're going to make life a lot more simple on yourself. We're going to investigate CSS3 generators, copyright-free stock images, and resources for creating responsive websites.

Stock Images

Web development relies heavily on the use of stock images and illustrations. This can get costly for high-quality photographs, even more so if you're just providing wireframes. The best, and easiest way to produce examples for clients is to find free images to use. You could spend a few weeks or even months setting up a studio and taking the pictures yourself, or you could tap the great resource of copyright-free images.

NASA - http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/
Is there anything awesome that NASA doesn't have their hands in? The images in the galleries you can access by following the above link are free to use! These images are provided under the circumstance that you don't make the astronauts, scientists, or researchers look like idiots (but why would you anyway?), and that you don't suggest that NASA endorses your product in any way.

MorgueFile - http://www.morguefile.com/
MorgueFile is a repository for copyright-free files that you can use with anything. Illustration, teaching, or even learning can be supplemented with this amazing source for stock images.

Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/
Some Flickr users are nice enough to release their photos under the Creative Commons License, providing you with a source for images. To search for these images, go to the Advanced Search function, and click "Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content". If you're working on a commercial project, you must also check "Find content to use commercially". Type in your search term and make sure that you don't see a message stating, "Some Rights Reserved" on the image's page.

Side note: The US Library of Congress (http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/) and the US National Archives (http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/collections/) are also on Flickr. These vintage images are striking and provide a look into our nation's past with beautiful imagery.

CSS3 Generators

Everyone needs a little help when they're starting out with a new technology. CSS3 is still new to many of us, and we could use a bit of help making sure we're including all of the needed webkits and backwards-compatible helpers. CSS3 generators help you do this and provide you with the needed code.

CSS3 Generator - http://css3generator.com/
Including providing a stunning interface, CSS3 Generator helps you create all types of different effects that have recently become available with the advancement of CSS3.

CSS3 Me - http://css3.me/
CSS3 Me not only provides you with a lovely interface, including sliders, it also helps you preview what you're attempting to create.

Responsive Websites

Let's face it, you just can not create a website anymore without ensuring that it's viewable on mobile devices. This can either take a lot of work with media queries, or you can help yourself without reinventing the wheel.

Twitter Bootstrap - http://getbootstrap.com/
You've heard of it before. In fact, your ears practically *buzz* when it's mentioned. Twitter's Bootstrap model has become the most popular resource for helping developers create responsive themes.

Foundation - http://foundation.zurb.com/
Zurb has created a simple and elegant solution to responsive design. Foundation is a fun little tool that provides you with a series of CSS and JavaScript files and helps you create something beautiful.

BONUS! Chrome - https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/
Chrome itself doesn't provide you with any responsive design tools, but it does provide you with ways to emulate different devices. Naturally, these emulations do not use their respective browsers' rendering processes, so there may still be problems. However, just being able to test in the variety of sizes will really help you out!

To use these tools, right click on the screen and choose 'Inspect element'. The box that pops up will have a series of icons, one that looks like a gear. This is slowly becoming the universal symbol for 'Settings'. Click on that and under Shortcuts - > Appearance click 'Show Emulation View'. You can choose the broser you want to emulate from there.

It's very difficult to clear Chrome's cache, so the nice people over at Google have provided you with yet another amazing tool. With the Settings screen open, long press on the refresh button until several options appear. Choose 'Empty cache and hard reload' and you should be more than okay.

Code Inspection and cross-browser compatibility

In addition to providing screen emulation, Chrome also offers code inspection and modification on the fly. There are a series of other tools that really help with this.

Firebug - https://www.getfirebug.com/
Firebug is a great tool and helps you in much the same way that Chrome's inspection console does. You can use it on different browsers, which helps when you're cross-browser debugging.

Browsershots - http://browsershots.org/
Browsershots visits the webpage and provides views from hundreds of different browsers. Simply enter your URL and check off which browsers you want to inspect. Browsershots provides you with a downloadable series of images from each of these browsers. As with any website combining something you want to download and ads be careful where you click!

Favicons

Favicons are the fun, little icons that identify your website on the browsers that people use to visit it. Favicons are always good to use, helping your branding and ensuring that you are recognizable even in a smaller size. But these important items are fairly difficult to create without the proper tools and software.

Favicon.cc - http://www.favicon.cc/
There are a multitude of different websites available that help you create favicons online for free. Unfortunately, not all of these sites are useful or helpful. Favicon.cc is one of my favorite sites, allowing you to not only upload an image on your computer to the website, but to edit the fine-grain details of the favicon.

More fun

Websites just wouldn't be amazing without the innovations in design and functionality that constantly move the web world. There are always emerging techniques and tools to help you play with these cool effects, some of them come from the world's best companies.

Google Web Designers - https://www.google.com/webdesigner/
Google provides you with awesome tools to create, design, and imagine? And they do it for free? You're kidding me! Check out this tool, just like the others that Google provides, it can really help you out!

Have fun

These tools and resources should help you create your websites quicker and easier. They should also allow you to have more fun when you're creating. Just like any form of art or entertainment, your audience will enjoy your work more if you're having a good time creating it. Usually, this refers more to how much you enjoy your own product. However, your product will be much more enjoyed by you if the weight of development is taken off your shoulders.