Robbins, J. (2012). Learning
web design: A beginner's guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and
web graphics. (4th
ed.). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Summary:
The first few chapters of the text discuss the basics of web design
beginning with the titles and roles of those involved in the grand production
of a site. Depending on the complexity of the site and the budget, there could
be a single designer or a whole team of designers in charge. However, the main goal is the same no matter
how many designers there are: to create
a site that gets the content and message to the user in the most functional and
efficient way.
The second main topic of
discussion explains how the web functions.
The internet is a network of connected computers that “serve up”
documents upon request. Each connected
computer, or server, has its own individual IP address which is associated with
one or more domain names. All of the
information needed to parse a web page is stored on a server and it can be retrieved
by typing a URL, or web page address, into a browser. Each URL is composed of three components: the
protocol, the name of the site, and the absolute path to the document. The name of the site includes the domain name
which identifies the exact server on which the information is located. The absolute path of a URL identifies the
exact folder, or directory, sequence to travel through on the server to get to
the requested document.
The final topic of discussion
is the complexity of web design due to the unknown about the user of a
site. There are many different browsers and
devices in which a site may be viewed and the site may appear differently on
each. If sites are designed with
progressive enhancement in mind, the chances increase that a browser will
display the site correctly and that it will be accessible to more user devices. Progressive enhancement begins with a site
design that is very basic so that even the most rudimentary browsers are able
to display the site content. Then, the
designer continues to layer more and more advanced features for those browsers
that are capable of handling them. The
intent is to design a single functional site for a variety of browser
capabilities. Another area of concern is
that browser screen sizes vary with different devices. A solution is responsive web design which
involves custom layouts for the various screen sizes. This means the way a site displays on a
desktop browser may vary in layout from how it will display on a smartphone
with a much smaller screen. And to
complicate web design even more, let’s not forget the fact that the user may
have special needs such as a vision, mobility, auditory, or cognitive
impairment. Unfortunately, it is nearly
impossible for a designer to accommodate all possible users, and as
technology continues to advance, and new devices keep hitting the market, it will
continue to be a challenge.
Questions
Q1: In the future, as more and more screen sizes hit
the market on new devices, will sites need to continually be recreated so that
they display properly?
A1: I assume cascading style sheets are used to
modify the layout of the site for different browser sizes which means it would
be possible to just modify an existing CSS instead of recreating the entire
site.
Q2: Is it better to design a separate mobile
site instead of relying on responsive web design for all browser types?
A1: I understand that mobile sites try to
offer the most requested information so that the site is simplified for ease of
use. However, there are many times that I have had to go to a desktop to do
tasks that weren’t available on the mobile site, which was an
inconvenience. An issue that will
continue to arise in the future is that many people may do away with devices
with full size browsers and will rely on their smartphones as their main way of
browsing the internet. If responsive web design continues to advance alongside
progressive enhancement and accommodate more and more browser sizes and types, there
may not be a need for separate mobile sites.
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