INTRODUCTION
The methods and processes in which professional websites are created have not changed much since the first edition of this book. Designers still need to understand requirements, realize the technical pros and cons of layouts, create comps, save images using the correct file types, and test sites similarly to how they have been tested for more than a decade. Some of the technical ways in which these processes are accomplished, however, have changed.
Probably the most significant change that has occurred since the original writing of this book is how the framework of sites is built. Table-based HTML (HyperText Markup Language), now XHTML (Extensible HyperText Markup Language), designs had been the staple for laying out websites for many years; however, this method started making a significant change after the second edition of this book, in favor of Cascading Stylesheet (CSS) based designs. Such design involves using stylesheets to style pages, instead of XHTML table structure, which requires more code. This book fully explains the essentials of using stylesheets to lay out sites.
In the fourth edition, search engine optimization (SEO) was explored, giving the reader a strong basic understanding of how to get sites to rank better in search engines. Conversion rate optimization (CRO) also was explained, hopefully, helping the designer create a more efficient site for the users who were already visiting them.
The goal of this book is still to educate beginning to intermediate Web designers on the various issues involved with Web design. The way in which this is accomplished is through general discussion, case studies, and specific tips and techniques. There are many ways in which designers today create sites. What is included in this design is how the A5design, the company owned by the author, has satisfied its clients since the late 1990s.
The book is written using as few technical terms as possible. While some technical terminology is always going to be necessary, a lot of it has been simplified or even excluded to help the reader understand the general concepts more easily and then apply them in an effective, quick manner. My premise is that learning is much easier once the reader gets some momentum going, which is not accomplished by tripping over technical terminology.
This is not to say that this book doesn’t deal with specific issues that designers will likely run into, because it does. Many of the tips and techniques included in the book will be eventually experienced by the reader if he/she does enough Web design.
The tips and techniques included here come from many years of troubleshooting, pitfalls, and flat-out stupid mistakes. They have been fine-tuned, however, through creative solutions and technical common sense. After reading through this book, the reader will have a stronger understanding of what it takes to create a highly professional website.
COMPANION WEBSITE DOWNLOADS
You may download the companion website files from www.cengageptr.com/downloads.
Folder Contents
Code Examples: This folder contains code examples included in Chapters 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.
Designs—First Edition: This folder contains the files for each design, which includes at least one Photoshop file, XHTML file, and a CSS file.
Designs 1–50
Designs—Third Edition: This folder contains the files for each design, which includes at least one Photoshop file, XHTML file, and, in most cases, a CSS file.
1–80-xhtml-web
81–90-enewsletters
91–100-signatures
101–120-photoshop-web
121–160-css-web
Designs—Fourth Edition: This folder contains the files for each design, which includes at least one Photoshop file, XHTML file, and a CSS file.
161–180-xhtml-web
Designs—Fifth Edition: This folder contains the files for each design, which includes at least one Photoshop file, XHTML file, and a CSS file.