The art of web design is to actually design a web page that people want to visit. Web design is an art which entails for more than architecture but design. Ascetic design that is appealing to the eye. Design for the web should not be as basic as the grey boxes they are viewed on, they should be dynamic and fresh with balance and movement.
Web design should not be only done by designers alone, it does have to have some one a who can apply the application of the technology as well. Web Design is many faceted. Should you ask for less in your web designs?
Web design should be fresh and crisp. A real eye catcher with content that is updated and changing regularly. Web design should be like the river that never stays to the same course but does not deviate so much to be lost. Web design.
From Wikipedia:
Web design
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Web design is the design or designing of a Web page, Website or Web application.
The term generally refers to the graphical side of Web development using images,
CSS and XHTML.
Contents [showhide]
1 A Brief History of Web Design
2 Controversies
2.1 Liquid Versus Fixed Layouts
2.2 Flash
2.3 CSS Versus Tables
3 See also
4 External links
[edit]
A Brief History of Web Design
When the Internet was first invented, Web design consisted of a basic markup
language that included some formatting options, and the unique ability to
link pages together using hyperlinks. It was this feature that characterized
the Web among other communication methods, and characterized Web design among
other design methods. Because of this unique behaviour of the World Wide Web,
and the unique behaviour it encouraged in users, Web design would prove to
be unlike any other form of design before or since, with the possible exception
of interactive CD-ROM design.
As the Web and Web design progressed, the markup language used to make it,
known as HTML, became more complex and flexible. Things like tables, which
could be used to display tabular information, were soon subverted for use
as invisible layout devices. With the advent of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS),
table based layout is increasingly regarded as outdated. Database integration
technologies such as server-side scripting (see PHP, ASP.NET, ASP, JSP, and
ColdFusion) and design standards like CSS further changed and enhanced the
way the Web was made.
The introduction of Macromedia Flash into an already interactivity-ready scene
has further changed the face of the Web, giving new power to designers and
media creators, and offering new interactivity features to users.
[edit]
Controversies
As in all professions, there are arguments on different ways of doing things.
These are a few of the ongoing ones.
[edit]
Liquid Versus Fixed Layouts
Most Web designers initially come from a graphic artist background in print,
where the artist has absolute control over the size and dimensions of all
aspects of the design. On the web however, the Web designer has no control
over several factors, especially the width of the browser window.
Many designers compensate for this by wrapping their entire webpage in a fixed
width box, essentially limiting it to an exact pixel-perfect value, which
is a fixed layout. Some create the illusion of liquidity by building the graphics
for their webpage at a size larger than any current standard monitor size
(however, at the current rate of monitor supersizing, this method will soon
become obsolete). Other designers say that this is bad because it ignores
the preferences of the user, who might have their browser sized a specific
way that they like best. These people propose a liquid layout, where the size
of the Web page adjusts itself based on the size of the browser window.
It should be noted that there is a usability reason (rather than wanting control)
for why a designer may choose a more fixed layout. Studies have shown that
there is usually an optimal line width in terms of readability. One rule to
appear from such studies is that lines should be between 40-60 characters
long, or approximately 11 words per line.
The liquid design technique (Liquid Web Design (http://www.digital-web.com/articles/liquid_web_design/))
was first defined by web designer Glenn Davis and later popularized by web
designer Nick Finck.
"Webpage building is a lot like bar tending. Build it right and it will
work no matter the container." "Liquid is the epitome of good web
design and the fluid that should be used to hold web pages together. A liquid
page will resize to fit whatever size browser window (within reason) that
the user has available."
– Glenn Davis, 15 Minute Interview (http://www.zeldman.com/15/davisf.html)
Most designers make this decision of which style of layout to use on a case
by case basis, depending on the needs and audience of the website.
Interesting note: Wikipedia is a liquid layout.
[edit]
Flash
Macromedia Flash is a robust graphics animation program used to create and
deliver dynamic content and interactive applications to the web.
Many graphic artists use Flash because it gives them exact control over every
part of the design, and anything can be animated and generally "jazzed
up." Some application designers enjoy flash because it lets them create
applications that don't have to be refreshed or go to a new web page every
time an action occurs. There are many sites which forego HTML entirely for
Flash.
Flash detractors claim that Flash websites tend to be poorly designed, and
often use confusing and non-standard user-interfaces. Up until recently, search
engines have been unable to index Flash pages, which has prevented stores
from having their products easily found. Also Flash websites cannot take into
account many usability features, such as respecting the browser's font size
and allowing deep-linking, and they outright fail any accessibility tests
for blind users using screen readers. Although Macromedia has addressed these
long-standing problems in the latest incarnation of Flash, it has yet to be
seen whether it will lure over stalwart designers.
The final consensus is that Flash is simply a tool, and like all tools it
takes a skillful craftsperson to know when, and how, to use it properly. Macromedia's
other two products, Fireworks and Dreamweaver, makes Flash integration with
graphics and HTML a lot easier.
[edit]
CSS Versus Tables
Back when Netscape Navigator 4 dominated the browser market, the popular (but
now deprecated) solution available for designers to lay out a Web page was
by using tables. Often even simple designs for a page would require dozens
of tables nested in each other. Many web templates in Dreamweaver still use
this technique today. Navigator 4 didn't support CSS to a useful degree, so
it simply wasn't used.
After the browser wars were over, and Internet Explorer dominated the market,
designers started turning towards CSS as an alternate, better means of laying
out their pages. CSS proponents say that tables should only be used for tabular
data, not for layout. Using CSS instead of tables also returns HTML to a semantic
markup, which helps bots and search engines understand what's going on in
a web page. Today, all modern Web browsers now support CSS with different
degrees of limitations.
However, one of the main points against CSS is that by relying on it exclusively,
control is essentially relinquished as each browser has its own quirks which
result in a slightly different page display. This is especially a problem
as not every browser supports the same subset of CSS codes. For some designers
used to the creating table-based layouts, developing Web sites in CSS often
becomes a matter of replicating what can be done with tables, leading some
to find CSS design rather cumbersome. For example, it has proved rather difficult
to produce certain design elements, such as vertical positioning, and full-length
footers in a design using absolute positions.
These days most modern browsers have solved most of these quirks in CSS rendering
and this has made many different CSS layouts possible. However, people still
continue to use old browsers which do not get updated any more. Most notable
among these are Internet Explorer 5 and 5.5 which, according to some web designers,
are becoming the new Netscape Navigator 4 — a block that holds the internet
back from converting to CSS design.
[edit]
See also
* Computer accessibility
* Content management
* Faceted navigation
* Graphic design
* Information architecture
* Interaction design
* Knowledge visualization
* Neen
* Separation of style and content
* Server-side scripting
* Web colors
* Web development
* Web indexing
* Web Templates
[edit]
External links
* About Web Design (http://webdesign.about.com/)
* A List Apart (http://www.alistapart.com)
* A Case Study in Dynamic Web Design (http://www.omninerd.com/articles/articles.php?aid=8)
* Boxes and Arrows: The Design behind the Design (http://www.boxesandarrows.com/)
* Computerlove: Connecting creative talents (http://www.computerlove.net/)
* CSS Zen Garden (http://www.csszengarden.com/)
* Digital Web Magazine (http://www.digital-web.com)
* Jakob Nielsen on Usability and Web Design (http://www.useit.com)
* Web Design Reference (http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/support/Training/Online/webdesign/)
* Web Style Guide, 2nd edition (http://www.webstyleguide.com/)
* Website Usability Self Test (http://www.membex.com/pages/analysis.php)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_design"
Categories: Computer specialists
more articles
Web Design as a Career
by Joe Gillespie
I get a lot of mail from people who say they would like to make a career in
Web design and want to know the best way to go about it. Unfortunately, the
question is usually along the lines of "How can I get a job as a Web
designer?"
Where the concept of 'Web design' is fairly easy to define, the term 'Web
designer' is a little more nebulous. This month, I'm going to look at some
of the many areas encompassed by the general term 'Web designer' just to show
how diverse it actually is. If the headings are a bit provocative, don't worry
– just read on.
To begin with, let's examine the word 'design'. My dictionary shows that it
is both a noun and a verb but it is the verb that we are interested in for
now.
Desi'gn (v) – 1. Set apart for a destine or purpose. 2. Contrive, plan,
purpose, intend. 3. Make preliminary sketch. 4. Be a designer.
So design is primarily about making something fit for a purpose. The purpose
of a Web page is to communicate words or ideas. Sometimes the purpose of that
communication is to inform, or it could be to amuse and sometimes it is to
sell. The presentation of these various communications can be radically different!
Web designer – someone who doesn't design Web pages!
Let me explain. If you work on your own and create your own Web pages, well
yes, you design, build and publish them but in the world of professional Web
design, it doesn't work quite like that. Remember, we are talking about making
a career out of creating Web sites – doing it professionally.
Let's look at another kind of site – a building site. We don't talk about
'building designers', do we? Buildings are designed by teams of people with
lots of different skills – surveyors, planners, architects, structural
engineers, interior designers, etc. They are built by 'builders' – teams
of bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and other specialist tradesmen
who get their materials from 'suppliers' and 'builder's merchants'. Then,
somewhere in the middle you have teams of managers who liase between the 'clients',
'designers', 'builders' and 'suppliers'.
Professional Web design is very similar to designing and building an office
block. It takes teams of people with many different skills.
Using the general term 'Web designer' risks being likened to a 'handyman'
– a Jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
The process of creating Web sites is getting more complicated by the day as
new technologies emerge and old ones fester in the background, never really
disappearing but causing endless legacy problems. This means that you have
to have more knowledge and be more specialised in the areas of interest to
you. Nobody can know it all! That's why we need teams and team players.
Software Engineer – similar to a quantum mechanic but works with bigger
spanners.
The general term 'software engineer' refers to someone skilled in writing
software for computers. Their nuts and bolts are noughts and ones and these
are screwed into place with something called a 'compiler'.
There are many specialist areas in software engineering from artificial intelligence
to robotics, astrophysics to banking. When working with Internet or Web technologies,
software engineers are called 'Web developers'.
Software engineering is a fast-changing world as new technologies come and
go and you have to run just to stand still!
Web Developer – like a photo-lab assistant, but doesn't get his fingers
wet!
Web developers are software engineers who specialise in writing software for
Web technologies. There are different levels of involvement going from relatively
simple scripting using JavaScript, Perl or PHP to more complex application
development using C++ or Java. Confusingly, the complicated stuff is referred
to 'low-level' programming and the simpler stuff is called 'high-level' programming.
Like any kind of software development, it requires a logical mind, a good
grasp of math, and for a decent job, a good university degree. It's a very
competitive business.
Graphic Designer – tries to make Web pages look the same in every browser!
On the Web, a graphic designer is responsible for the visual presentation
of the content.
Graphic designers manipulate visual imagery in the interests of communication.
If they have learned their skills purely in the more traditional areas of
'print', they usually try to force the same doctrines on the Web – but
it just doesn't work. It's like trying to do an etching with a paintbrush
– it's a different medium and requires a different mind-set.
Web pages are based on HTML, and the 'T' stands for Text. Graphic imagery
is secondary to words in this medium – that was the original intention
anyway but that's all going to change.
Once you have accepted that it is a different medium, there are still huge
possibilities in presenting the 'text' in ways that communicate at subliminal
levels and greatly enhance the meaning of the words and the reader's attitude
to it.
A good graphic design course concentrates on communication, not on the mechanics
of how to use Photoshop or Flash. The principles behind good visual communication
are 'medium agnostic' and Web design, as we understand it now, won't be around
for all that long. Today's relatively low-bandwidth, text-based Web pages
will give way to all-singing, all-dancing multimedia extravaganzas in the
not too distant future so, think to that future, whatever it holds!
Web Typographer – someone who chooses the colour for the page's Verdana!
Print typographers work to very exacting fractional point measurements and
pride themselves on their knowledge of obscure typefaces. Thrown into the
confines of the Web, all that has to go. They can choose a font face and type
size, but there's no guarantee that the readers will see it. The type colour
is about the only attribute that stands a chance.
Making the page readable for the target audience is probably the best they
can hope for but again, the principles behind good typography are just as
relevant on a screen as on paper. It is an art as well as a science but ultimately,
depends on an appreciation of the medium.
Web Writer – someone with the ability to send texts using complete words.
Writing for the Web is not all that different from any other kind but some
writing styles are more appropriate than others.
I wouldn't want to read a whole novel on my computer screen, I still prefer
an ordinary paper book. On the other hand, I prefer reading the daily news
in my browser than from a traditional newspaper.
The problem here is the volume of information that is thrown at us. News on
the Web is delivered in bite-size pieces and can lead you to greater depth
if required. In a newspaper, you need to do more sifting to find the bits
of interest – not to mention finding vast amounts of desk-space.
So, writing for the Web requires a more 'compact' style, devoid of waffle
or self-indulgences. The ability to communicate concisely and precisely is
the prime requisite. You also have to be aware that the Web is Worldwide,
you have to tailor your vocabulary, grammar and spelling for an international
audience.
Web Master – like a dungeon master, but without the prisoners!
Often, we will see the term 'Web Master' at the bottom of a Web page. The
function of a Web Master is that of a manager who liases between the readership
and the Web design team – a single point of contact that knows where
to pass-on reports about page-functionality and rendering problems.
The job is usually just an adjunct of something else, I don't know of anyone
that only does Web mastering!
Web Mistress – someone who whips Web designers into shape!
Web Mistress is an unfortunate term that most people try to avoid but it crops
up now and again. Although I've used the word 'he' in many of these definitions
for convenience, there is absolutely no reason not to use the word 'she' –
unless you want to conserve a byte of bandwidth!
Site Architect – someone who knows precisely were to put the empty pages.
Unlike a building architect, who is responsible for the aesthetic 'look' of
a building, a site architect is more involved with the planning – how
the pages fit together and relate to one another. I'm not saying that building
architects don't plan their buildings, they usually do, but often the tail
wags the dog and good functionality is compromised by over indulgent 'styling'.
Styling without solid foundations in 'design' is like cotton candy –
sweet, but insubstantial.
In computer terms, the closest thing to a site architect would probably be
a 'systems analyst'. He or she is responsible for the structure and navigation
of complex sites and tries to make it a good experience for the surfers.
Flash Designer – someone more concerned with their hairstyle than their
HTML!
A cynical definition, but like any satire, has a modicum of truth about it.
Flash is great, don't get me wrong, but it is probably the most abused technology
on the Web.
For some reason, many Flash designers disassociate themselves completely from
the Web, as if Flash had nothing to do with it. Well, yes, you can produce
Flash titles and run them from a hard drive or put them on a CD-ROM ignoring
all bandwidth restrictions but when you get a real job, you will be expected
to know how to manage data flow and bandwidth and ignoring the problem isn't
an answer.
Remember, a 'handyman' will use whatever tool is convenient – the craftsman
will use the correct tool for the job. Flash can be the right tool for some
jobs but often there are better solutions.
Usability Expert – someone who doesn't design Web pages!
Well, we've come full circle. The usability expert is the Web design policeman.
He will come up behind you with lights flashing and pull you over for having
racy Web pages or a broken navigational indicator. They are easily identified
by their uniforms and general lack of style.
Joking aside, if you stand back a little, you might see they have some good
points. Don't let their fundamentalism put you off completely.
A couple of thousand years ago when very few people could write, if you wanted
to write a letter to someone, you hired a 'scribe'. The party at the other
end probably had to hire someone to read the letter to them too.
Today, nearly everybody can read and write and producing a Web page is no
big deal either. There's software available that will let eight-year-old kids
make their own home pages.
The basic ability to write will not guarantee you a job. It's what you write
and how well you do it that counts. The physical process of writing has very
little to do with it and neat handwriting is just not enough.
The same goes for the Web. If you want to make a career out of it, you have
to be able to add something extra to the mix. It might be technical, it might
be artistic, it could be code or content. Whatever you are best at, work at
it and develop those skills but never take your eye off the ball for a minute
because it's rolling faster and faster!
Next month: Back to CSS tutorials with 'Turning the tables' - how to convert
table-based layouts into CSS-P – and reviews of new Web design books.
