The Essential Guide to CSS and HTML Web Design provides a modern, integrated approach to web design. Each of the chapters looks at a specific aspect of creating a web page, such as type, working with images, creating navigation, and creating layout blocks. In each case, relevant technologies are explored in context and at the appropriate times, just as in real-world projects—for example, markup is explored along with associated CSS and JavaScript, rather than each technology being placed in separate chapters, and visual design ideas are discussed so you can get a feel for how code affects page layouts. Dozens of practical examples are provided, which you can use to further your understanding of each subject. This highly modular and integrated approach means that you can dip in and out of the book as you need to, crafting along the way a number of web page elements that you can use on countless sites in the future.
Because the entire skills gamut is covered—from foundation to advanced—this book is ideal for beginners and long-time professionals alike. If you’re making your first move into standards-based web design, the “ground floor” is covered, rather than an assumption being made regarding your knowledge. However, contemporary ideas, techniques, and thinking are explored throughout, ensuring that the book is just as essential for the experienced designer wanting to work on CSS layouts, or the graphic designer who wants to discover how to create cutting-edge websites.
This book’s advocacy of web standards, usability, and accessibility with a strong eye toward visual design makes it of use to technologists and designers alike, enabling everyone to build better websites. An entire chapter is devoted to browser issues, which should help ensure your sites look great, regardless of the end user’s setup. And for those moments when a particular tag or property value slips your mind, this book provides a comprehensive reference guide that includes important and relevant XHTML elements and attributes, XHTML entities, web colors, and CSS 2.1 properties and values.
Remember that you can visit the friends of ED support forums at www.friendsofed.com/forums to discuss aspects of this book, or just to chat with like-minded designers and developers.
You can also download files associated with this book from www.friendsofed.com just find the book in the friends of ED catalog located on the homepage, and then follow its link to access downloads and other associated resources.
