Designing Web Usability : The Practice of Simplicity
by Jakob Nielsen
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (20 December, 1999)
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Editorial Review

Creating Web sites is easy. Creating sites that truly meet the needs and expectations of the wide range of online users is quite another story. In Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity, renowned Web usability guru Jakob Nielsen shares his insightful thoughts on the subject. Packed with annotated examples of actual Web sites, this book sets out many of the design precepts all Web developers should follow.

This guide segments discussions of Web usability into page, content, site, and intranet design. This breakdown skillfully isolates for the reader many subtly different challenges that are often mixed together in other discussions. For example, Nielsen addresses the requirements of viewing pages on varying monitor sizes separately from writing concise text for "scanability." Along the way, the author pulls no punches with his opinions, using phrases like "frames: just say no" to immediately make his feelings known. Fortunately, his advise is some of the best you'll find.

One of the unique aspects of this title is the use of actual statistics to buttress the author's opinions on various techniques and technologies. He includes survey results on sizes of screens, types of queries submitted to search portals, response times by connection type and more. This book is intended as the first of two volumes--focusing on the "what." The author promises a follow-up title that will show the "hows" and, based on this installation, we can't wait. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: Cross-platform design, response time considerations, writing for the Web, multimedia implementation, navigation strategies, search boxes, corporate intranet design, accessibility for disabled users, international considerations, and future predictions. ... Read more

Reviews (222)

The Right Usability Principles Endure
Nielsen points out in other studies that usability principles that hit the mark endure the test of time. This particular book is evidence of that, although a second edition targeted at updating examples and discussing recent trends in Web technology (e.g. syndication, the rise of portable devices, the proliferation of broadband Internet access) would be particularly helpful.

If you're short on time and resources, and can only read one book on Web design theories and principles (not coding), this is THE book.

Nielsen breaks Web usability into manageable chunks, starting at the page level, building to site-wide issues of navigation and search.

Sections on intranet design and international audiences are a good introduction, but Nielsen's other work (c.f. www.useit.com) do a much better job of illustrating important design considerations in these areas.

This is the bible
You may not follow all of Jacob Neilson's guidelines, but you can't start any website construction or redesign project without reading this book.

Pretty good
This was one of the first usability books I bought.It was great, and I couldn't believe someone wrote all of these ideas down.It _is_ a good book.It is well written, and he does a good job of illustrating his examples.

However, for as much usability testing that Jakob must do, he provides little data to back it up.Perhaps hard data was not a requirement for web usability books written in 1999/2000, but it will have a more difficult time standing up to books written more recently. ... Read more

Isbn: 156205810X
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Internet    2. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Electronic publishing    7. Internet - General    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Networking - General    10. User interfaces (Computer syst    11. User interfaces (Computer systems)    12. Web sites    13. World Wide Web    14. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design   

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
by Steve Krug
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (13 October, 2000)
list price: $35.00 -- our price: $23.10
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Editorial Review

Usability design is one of the most important--yet often least attractive--tasks for a Web developer. In Don't Make Me Think, author Steve Krug lightens up the subject with good humor and excellent, to-the-point examples.

The title of the book is its chief personal design premise. All of the tips, techniques, and examples presented revolve around users being able to surf merrily through a well-designed site with minimal cognitive strain. Readers will quickly come to agree with many of the book's assumptions, such as "We don't read pages--we scan them" and "We don't figure out how things work--we muddle through." Coming to grips with such hard facts sets the stage for Web design that then produces topnotch sites.

Using an attractive mix of full-color screen shots, cute cartoons and diagrams, and informative sidebars, the book keeps your attention and drives home some crucial points. Much of the content is devoted to proper use of conventions and content layout, and the "before and after" examples are superb. Topics such as the wise use of rollovers and usability testing are covered using a consistently practical approach.

This is the type of book you can blow through in a couple of evenings. But despite its conciseness, it will give you an expert's ability to judge Web design. You'll never form a first impression of a site in the same way again. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• User patterns
• Designing for scanning
• Wise use of copy
• Navigation design
• Home page layout
• Usability testing

... Read more

Reviews (235)

Web Design is Dead! - so read this book!
Memo to all "web designers/developers" - WEB DESIGN IS DEAD!

If you did not already know, all the interesting work left to do on Web sites (especially Intranets) is information design. I have been a web designer/tech muppet for over six years now and I have been trying to figure out which direction to head with my career. Do I want to try and program, do I want to learn Flash, do I want to learn SQL... how about none of the above please!It has taken me awhile to figure it out, but usability and information architecture are the next logical steps in my career path (I mean really, how many of you designers want to remain in "production" for the rest of your careers?!).

Well, this book was a great jump start for the new direction I am headed, which is usability and information architecture.Steve puts together a real nice and neat short book to help get you headed in the right direction (only took a couple hours to complete).I really enjoyed the book, and no... it does not matter that he wrote it 5 years ago because many items on the web have not really changed that much since.Do not believe any of the negative comments toward this book, only newbies/rookies would not see the value of this book. I highly recommend it and I am now starting up Information Architecture by Louis Rosenfeld.If you are interested in watching a short presentation by the two of them when they reviewed the Library of Congress web site, check out http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/lectures/sklr.html

Great Job Steve!

Fantastic Book
I have a couple webdesign-related books here at work, and this is the only one I come back to from time to time. It's very well designed and laid out, has plenty of illustrations and humorous cartoons, and just like the title says, you can breeze through this thing and soak it up without really even trying.

This book isn't a nuts-n-bolts kind of thing, with code illustrations or or tooltips or any of that low-level stuff. No CSS, HTML, scripting, architecture tips are in this book.

Finally, real common sense.
This is the web designer's slap on the back of the head. We all design for what we think is logical for our clients, but rarely do we pause long enough to ask what is logical for our client's customers. Steve has trulyy hit the nail on the head with this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0789723107
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Internet    2. Computer Books: Web Publishing    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Desktop Publishing    7. Internet - Web Site Design    8. Web site development    9. Web sites    10. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design   

The Design of Everyday Things
by Donald A. Norman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (17 September, 2002)
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Editorial Review

Anyone who designs anything to be used by humans--from physical objects to computer programs to conceptual tools--must read this book, and it isan equally tremendous read for anyone who has to use anything created by another human. It could forever change how you experience and interact with your physical surroundings, open your eyes to the perversity of bad design andthe desirability of good design, and raise your expectations about how things should be designed. ... Read more

Reviews (87)

A Must Read - even though it is simplistic
While the principles outlined in the book do not involve rocket science, unwise application of these very principles can lead to serious trouble.One of the great examples cited in the book is mapping of functions and controls.On a very well respected Japanese car I noticed they had missed using this very principle, the result has been that invariably the wrong functions get activated (starting a CD vs the Tape); thank god this is not a critical function for the car.
While geeks and techies may find this book trivial, its lessons in keeping things simple are very important.Actually, designing products / services for easy use is not that easy, so I encourage you to look beyond the mediocre quality of printing, the apparently simple lessons, take what you can from the content, and apply it.

Disappointing
Upon opening "The Design of Everday Things", the first thing I noticed was that ironically, the book itself is not very well designed. The margins on both sides of the page are much too small, making it difficult to read the book without wrenching the it open to reveal the text on the inside of the page. The black and white photos of examples are very low quality, and many appeared blurry. There are also several formatting errors. For instance, a paragraph that should have been all italicized *was* italicized at the bottom of the left-hand page, but when it continued at the top of the right-hand page, it no longer was. Finally, there is very little structure to the book. Norman lays out some design principles, but then doesn't provide any system or structure for elaborating on them. In short, I found it difficult to take seriously someone who does not practice what he preaches!

These design flaws aside, I was still mostly unimpressed with the book. Many of the later chapters just repeat what is said earlier, and whole sections of the book fall into the pattern of "Look at this bad example of design. Now look at this one. Now look..." The first few examples in each section can be entertaining and sometimes illuminating, but after them, reading becomes tedious.

I found that 80% of the value of the book was in the first chapter (pp 1-30), in which Norman lays out four important (and good) design principles. The rest of the book consists of no more than repetitive examples, with some misinformation mixed in. (For example, Norman claims that the human mind has a total storage capacity of 125 megabytes, and implies that each "item" stored in memory is represented by the equivalent of ten 0's or 1's. These claims are patently false. See page 67.)

My last complaint about this book is how dated it is. Yes, the design principles still apply to computer user interface design, but whole sections of the book are comically dated. One example: "I am waiting for the day when portable computers become small enough that I can keep one with me at all times. I will definitely put all my reminding burdens upon it... It has to have a full, standard typewriter keyboard and reasonably large display. It needs good graphics... and a lot of memory--a huge amount, actually."

In sum, I was disappointed with Norman's book. It is not well designed and is quite dated, and most significantly, there just isn't very much material beyond the first chapter or two. Look elsewhere.

From the standpoint of an early design student
This book is an incredible examination of the lack of audience research in industrial design. It cites many different examples of things such as digital watches and even seemingly simple faucets, looking into how these new innovations are complicated to its users. How many times have you heard someone blame themselves for being too "stupid" to work their newest digital gadget? Norman looks into these problems from a psychological standpoint and encourages his readers to look at the design of the product and how users should be able to interact with it, rather than blaming themselves for not being able to work with it properly. ... Read more

Isbn: 0465067107
Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Design, Industrial    5. General    6. Human engineering    7. Industrial Design - General    8. Psychological aspects    9. Psychology    10. Design   

Designing from Both Sides of the Screen: How Designers and Engineers Can Collaborate to Build Cooperative Technology
by Ellen Isaacs, Alan Walendowski
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (10 December, 2001)
list price: $44.99 -- our price: $31.49
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Editorial Review

Designing from Both Sides of the Screen: How Designers and Engineers Can Collaborate to Build Cooperative Technology is a must-have book for anyone developing user interfaces (UI). The authors define a seemingly simple goal, the Cooperative Principle for Technology: "[T]hose who are designing, building, or managing the development of technology should teach their products to follow the same basic rules of cooperation that people use with each other."

In the first section, they show lots of good and bad UI examples from different devices (PC, PDA, photocopier, even a dashboard). Bad examples include confusing pop-ups, crowded menus, and hilarious error messages like this one from Yahoo! Messenger: "You are not currently connected. Please click on Login and then Login to login again."

The book gives succinct design principles like, "Treat clicks as sacred." A violation of this would be those dreaded "Do you really mean it?"pop-ups. Using a butler as an analogy, they point out that he'd soon be out of a job if he questioned, "Madam, are you sure you want me to answer the door?" A design guideline says, "If you have an Undo feature, there is no need to break the users' flow to ask them whether they really want the program to do what they just asked it to do." Design guidelines like this appear in the margins throughout the book for easy reference and are gathered in a handy appendix.

The second section goes into detail on the creation of the authors' own project, Hubbub, a multidevice instant-messaging application. Whenever a step in the process reflects the application of a design principle, it's called out in purple in the text. Thus, the book itself is an example of a cooperative UI that helps readers keep ideas organized as they read along.

Even if you're not developing user interfaces, you'll enjoy this book. There are many moments of recognition when you see just how flawed your favorite, or most hated, everyday application/operating system/Web site is, and how easily it could have been improved. And you may even find the principles of Cooperative Technology informing nontechnological areas of your life. The authors make politeness and the anticipation of the needs of others seem logical, feasible, and elegant. --Angelynn Grant ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A must-read for web developers and designers
As an IT project manager supporting web applications, sites and portals, this book summarizes the story of my life. Not just a must-read, but a godsend for application developers and UI designers -- two groups who traditionally don't always see eye-to-eye or face daunting communication challenges. Can't we all just get along? Yes! This book tells you how, using simple, easy-to-understand language and real-life examples. End users and customers will thank you for reading it.

A book that wont simply collect dust on your bookshelf!
I highly recommend this book as an invaluable resource for anyone currently in, or looking to enter, the instructional design field. The authors have successfully been able to present information, which can often be dry and complex, in a clear and easy to read format.

I have a read many books in this area and they have been a fantastic cure for insomnia. This on the other hand is a compelling read from start to finish. Many of the concepts presented will not be foreign to people that work in this field or in the area of product development. However the logical order and detailed examples work brilliantly to drive home the principles.

Publishers in this area should use this book as a bench mark for design and layout for its susinct and logicalpassage. Thank you very much Ellen and Allan for such a useful tool!

Excellent UI design book. Programmers should also read it.
First let me tell you this is an interaction design (or user interface design) book, since the title of the book doesn't do this job well.

This is one of the books that have great impact on me. I agree with the review written by Kevin Mullet (printed on the book's back cover) that the ideas presented in this book are a bit "dangerous". It is dangerous because they are not the common practice yet. If people want to follow these ideas, they need to have changes. Changes are always dangerous to many people.

Those "dangerous" ideas include:

- Build fewer features but build them well. (The current practice is to build as many features as possible so that marketers can list those features for promotion. Is a product easy to use? Everyone can claim that since there are no criteria for such a claim.)

- User interface design should drive the system architecture, not the other way around. (Modifying system architecture is always hard. If we want to support a certain interaction afterwards, the architecture will probably can't support cleanly, if at all.)

- Technology should be used for user needs, but not for technology's own sake. (Visual design should also be treated the same.)

Last but not least, this book shows that user interface design is actually science but not art. We don't need a graphic design degree to be an interaction designer. ... Read more

Isbn: 0672321513
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Human-computer interaction    5. Programming - Software Development    6. Programming - Systems Analysis & Design    7. Systems engineering    8. User interfaces (Computer syst    9. User interfaces (Computer systems)    10. Computers / Programming / Systems Analysis & Design   

The Art and Science of Web Design
by Jeffrey Veen
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (28 December, 2000)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $31.50
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Editorial Review

When it comes to Web design, style guides are often too boring and predictable to capture the attention of caffeine-riddled Web developers. But not The Art & Science of Web Design; this book strategically equips readers to design sites effectively.

Jeffrey Veen, an established design guru and one of the creators of HotWired.com, has authored a carefully structured look into the undercurrents of Web design. Organized around the key development topics, the book is laden with a historical background of standards, features, and trends. Yet the topics are timeless and core to good Web engineering, so it's space well spent. The mix of expert opinion and historical explanation creates a well-rounded reader experience.

Issues such as interface consistency are explored within the unique paradigm of the Web, with the assistance of a sidebar to explain what "above the fold" means. Performance is discussed with an unusual twist: the current constraint on Web-browsing performance is actually good since it fosters creativity and more elegant design and development. This, beyond the usual design tips, is what makes this book special. Art & Science stays at a reasonably high altitude, dwelling not on the fine details of browser compatibility but rather on the key areas designers need to be concerned about. With his years of experience and knowledge of the legacy of traditional publishing, Veen has provided a great perspective on the dicey work of Web designers. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• Technology history (publishing, presentation model)
• Interface consistency
• Site structure
• Interactivity and self-aware content
• Browsers
• Performance
• Web advertising
• Database-driven content

... Read more

Reviews (33)

What's It Worth?
Is a four-year old book about one of the most rapidly changing phenomena in the modern world worth reading?Well, it all depends what you already know.

"Guru" is a word often attached to Veen who is known in the Internet community as a consultant and lecturer.In this book he offers his views on what was, at the time of publication, cutting edge issues in web design.After providing a review of the growth of the Web, he urges consistency in construction and a clear articulation of structure in the design of web sites.He feels that the building of top quality websites requires a deep understanding of technique, well beyond simple coding.He explains the real problems of the "browser wars" for designers and users, and the importance of speed in downloading websites.Veen suggests that advertising can be more effectively integrated into Websites and finally suggests a process to allow the creation of websites on-the-fly that will allow the designer to keep up with an ever-increasing pace of use.

Most of the time Veen tries to take a long view of web design, dealing more with what the web should be doing rather then telling the reader "how-to".But when necessary to make his point, Veen can get into code, as he does when describing how to make liquid page layouts or construct a dynamic Web site.

Veen's writing is direct and simple and I always was surprised when I reached the end of a chapter at how quickly it had come.The technical aspects are not overwhelming, even to non-coders, although some knowledge of HTML and script writing, while not essential, will make it easier to comprehend.

A lot of what Veen talks about has already become standard practice.He urges the use of Cascading Style Sheets, which at the time of writing, were the cutting edge.Dreamweaver MX 2004, the most popular full featured program for building web sites not only uses Cascading Style Sheets but also sometimes has to be told when not to use them.And Dreamweaver also has the interfaces for the quick construction of dynamic web sites.

On the other hand, given some of the big commercial web sites that I've seen, a lot of web designers still need to understand the importance of consistency, speed and concern for the user that Veen urges.

If you are a heavy-duty programmer, most of the techniques that Veen promotes will be old hat (or should be) but his philosophical approach to the web might still be useful to you.On the other hand, if you are out there building your own web site, to support some other activity that is your main concern, the goals that Veen suggests for your website are unlikely to have been emphasized in your effort to learn technique.Moreover, learning about some of the more advanced approaches might help you to build a site that's special.

The Veen Factor
I started making web pages back in the dark ages of 1996. In 1999 I was making streamlined web apps for Franklin that my coworkers and I used to make on the fly calculaitons and data lookups. Eventually, I was a staff web developer at schwab in san francisco and in tokyo, japan. I had heard of Jacob Nielson at useit.com, but only after using thousands of web pages and making hundreds of web pages myself and making dozens of web apps did I come across Jeffrey Veen's book "The Art and Science of Web Design." I cringed when I read that he wrote to avoid using images when you can use text. Everything seemed to be agains the grain and I felt like I was swimming up river as I read what Veen was writing, but only after years of experience have I learned to respect Mr. Veen and his infinite wisdom. A web site is only good if it achieves its purpose, which is access to information. And this occurs only through a site that possesses speed, simplicty, and clarity. Download speed is the most important, and meeting the user's expectations. A simple design that works is worth a bucket of gold. Only after making countless web pages have I finally taken Veen's philosophy to heart - make the web site simple and fast and don't dwell on the unnecessary frivolous pretty gifs and clutter that predominates on so many web pages. Simplicity. Speed. Clarity.
I hope that Jeffrey Veen writes another book. I highly recommend this book.
It's like Jeffrey Veen is a Web Philospher, and everything he wrote in the book is true, though for those raised on photoshop and obsessed with glossy web pages, it's hard to swallow the truth sometimes - less really is more. Make the site fast and make it simple.

One made for Dog-ears
Here's a book that's sitting on my desk and it's going to be there for good long time.I mark it up.A few weeks later I come back and look again.Good writers give you that.Yes, even about technical subjects, good writers deliver.This will be one of my dog-eared ones.

The graphics are done so well that I almost feel bad about marking it up.Colored tabs on each chapter make it easy to get back to particular sections.Screen shots of leading web sites are used generously when he's trying to make a general point of design.Full scripting to cover the examples under discussion are provided, in part, and then brought together as a whole.Well-developed and simple figures are used to make specific points.Each chapter contains several side-bars and other sections covering related information to the main.

The level of writing is aimed for someone with beginning level skills, but goes quickly to the more technical issues without leaving the reader behind.When Mr. Veen is leaving out information, as when he sidesteps error trapping for active pages, he points it out.The writing flows smoothly around what could easily be an unorganized collection ofconfusing hyper text jargon.I found myself reading through a section to find a quick answer to something I was working on, only to end up engrossed for an hour or more.

One of the most valuable parts of this book is the experience Mr. Veen brings to his discussions."When I started out in this business years ago my first job was, in essence, to be a human Perl script," he states at one point before going on to describe how he, and others, went on to solve the problems of high maintenance sites.In another area he describes the business of information architecture and how it could mean success or failure for sites seeking to make a profit.For those of us who are seeking to make our way in the world of web design, few lessons could provide the knowledge that is presented here in clear and concise language. ... Read more

Isbn: 0789723700
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Internet    2. Computer Books: Web Publishing    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Data Processing - General    6. Design    7. Desktop Publishing    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Web sites    10. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design   

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites
by Louis Rosenfeld, Peter Morville
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 August, 2002)
list price: $39.95 -- our price: $26.37
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Reviews (16)

A Valuable Asset For All Web Developers
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large Scale Web Sites, 2nd Edition, (the Polar Bear book) was written by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville and this second edition came out in August of 2002. It is a book about web site development from two pioneers in the field of information architecture whose backgrounds are in the fields of library studies and information systems. Both are published authors and experienced in web site development.

Mr. Rosenfeld and Mr. Morville use architecture as a base of understanding for readers to comprehend the essential elements of developing a web site project focusing on the design of the organization and managing the information effectively within a web site in order for users (consumers) to find and manage the information more effectively and efficiently.

The authors talk about broad concepts and principles of web site design which allow readers to think about applying these concepts creatively to their own site development. The authors target some specific areas of web site development. For example, the authors want readers to think about the goals and intended audience of the potential web site, the content that will be placed in the site, and also the structure of the site. All of these elements could be considered universal to web development. Yet, the authors explain in such a way that allows readers (or designers) to apply these concepts individually to their own area of development. Other topics covered include user interaction, and navigation and search systems that allow users to access, retrieve, and manage information from the web site more appropriately.

This book, although extremely technical in some chapters, explains the importance of web site development comparing it to architecture, specifically information architecture, emphasizing the importance of successful information retrieval from a collaborative view point.

Overall, I consider this book to be a highly valuable reference material on any web designers desk. However, frankly, some chapters were just way over my head. The material was very technical in some chapters and spoke to business professionals in other chapters, doing exactly what it was intended to do. I welcome the opportunity to review it more throughly from a course development stand point and I consider it to be a very well written and researched and very valuable book on web development

Definitive Resource for Information Architecture on the Web
A must read for anyone involved with Web design and management. Rosenfeld provides an excellent foundation that includes a definition of information architecture, and an equally compelling explanation of the grey area that exists between it and other practices (design, usability, development, etc.)

Sections that describe the artifacts of information architecture include wireframing, sitemaps (chapter 12) as well as those principles that impact site and third-party search, like controlled vocabularies, metadata and labeling systems (chapters 6-9).

For those involved in enterprise-wide projects, Rosenfeld includes excellent discussions of how IA fits into business strategy and concludes with 2 helpful case studies.

Every web developer should READ THIS BOOK!
Information architecture sounds impressive, but it's a new title for a subject I've been pushing with software developers since before there WAS a world wide web, or at least since before most people knew it existed.It's a matter of usability, and appearance.A website must be both good-looking, and easy-to-use.And this book tells you exactly what that does (and doesn't) mean.

If you design or write websites, please, for the sake of all your visitors, READ THIS BOOK! ... Read more

Isbn: 0596000359
Sales Rank: 7894
Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Computer Bks - Internet    3. Computer Books: Internet General    4. Computers    5. Data Processing - General    6. Design    7. Information storage and retrie    8. Information storage and retrieval systems    9. Information systems    10. Internet - Web Site Design    11. Programming - General    12. Web sites    13. COM060060    14. COM060080    15. Computer architecture & logic design    16. Computers / Internet / General    17. World Wide Web (WWW)   

Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web
by Christina Wodtke
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (16 October, 2002)
list price: $29.99 -- our price: $19.79
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Reviews (25)

Good overview/introduction to IA
This book is a pretty quick read and a very good overview/introduction to the field of information architecture and HCI methods in general.Wodtke covers wireframes, content inventories, usability testing, interviewing users, heuristics, metadata, personas/scenarios, human memory, the concept of recall vs. recognition, and many other topics.After having a year of graduate coursework in HCI, I'm not sure I really learned anything new from this book but it was a really good refresher.Moreover, there's a diagramming chapter that is excellent.It included examples of some diagrams that I had never tried before and wasn't familiar with.Overall, I would highly recommend this book.It was fun and easy to read and very useful.For me, it will serve as a nice handy "all-in-one" reference guide.

insight into a true leader
this volume is an extremely valuable lesson from a true leader in the field. Wodtke provides insight into the thinking behind some of the most-used services on the Internet today.

It's worth taking the time to read a book like this
This book won't present shocking facts about IA but it puts in writing many things that come in handy when you have to work in this field. The author includes good examples and the book can be read from cover to cover without feeling overwhelmed. Overall, it's worth taking the time out to read a book like this. ... Read more

Isbn: 0735712506
Sales Rank: 31608
Subjects:  1. Blueprints And Blueprint Reading    2. Computer Bks - Internet    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Drafting & Mechanical Drawing    7. Information organization    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Internet - World Wide Web    10. World Wide Web    11. Computers / Internet / General   

The Design of Sites: Patterns, Principles, and Processes for Crafting a Customer-Centered Web Experience
by Douglas K. van Duyne, James A. Landay, Jason I. Hong
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (22 July, 2002)
list price: $54.99 -- our price: $37.39
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Reviews (26)

A reference book about web design to keep close to you
Full of practical design guidelines, this book will help me and my customers to focus on the right site features and to build them right. As stated by the authors, this book is "opened". So I decided to contribute by suggesting a new online text editor pattern and an improvement to the grid pattern by displaying contextual content over the HTML page using an invisible-visible DIV tag. I hope a second version of this book will be published soon with all the comments and new patterns sent to the authors.

Good idea but hopelessly out of date
I think this book was probably very helpful a couple years ago. And there's still some good information here. But the web is changing so fast that a lot of their guidelines and "patterns" just don't apply (i.e. they encourage you to use popup windows).

Wait until they revise the book before you spend the dough. Oh, and the website they refer you to for updates is an embarrasment!

Two words: Exceptionally useful
If I could keep only one of the dozen or so User Interface-related books I purchased in 2003, this would be the one.

I haul it along to most of my clients (I'm a user interface designer). The design patterns in the book actually do help us to design more effectively. The patterns describe recurring issues and trade-offs in relation to specific design problems.Each pattern also describes a solution to its specific problem. Instead of starting from square one, we can start with something known to work and modify or refine it as needed for our specific site.

Yes, I knew a lot of this already, but it's still a big help to have it all written down, illustrated and organised at my fingertips. And it really helps my clients who are working on a first, second or third system and who don't have a personal database of tens or hundreds of projects. Or the ones who are caught in an endless discussion loop.

The book itself is easier to use than any other reference book in my collection. The patterns are organised and cross-referenced so that I can easily pick out just what I need for a given project. The book has a clear and pleasant visual organisation with color-coded sections. It is heavily illustrated with examples and sketches. And the resources section at the back is truly thorough, not just an afterthought.

This is one of the books I especially recommend to software developers, since many of them are already familiar with the use of patterns in designing code. And I've found that developers on the whole are a pragmatic bunch, always looking for a way to get better results with less effort. That's exactly what the Design of Sites is good for. ... Read more

Isbn: 020172149X
Sales Rank: 15047
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Internet    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Design    6. Desktop Publishing    7. Electronic Commerce    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Web sites    10. Computers / Internet / Intranets   

Web ReDesign : Workflow that Works
by Kelly Goto, Emily Cotler
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (14 August, 2001)
list price: $45.00
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Editorial Review

Anyone who has managed the process of developing or redesigninga Web site of significant size has likely learned the hard way thecomplexities, pitfalls, and cost risk of such an undertaking. Whilemany Web development firms have fantastic technical expertise, whatsets the topnotch organizations apart is the ability to accuratelymanage the planning and development process. Web Redesign: WorkflowThat Works directly addresses this crucial area with a specific,proven process.

This brief but important book lays out a specificfive-step strategy--called the Core Process--that can always be appliedto the development of Web sites and fine-tuned to almost any type ofproject. Each step--defining the project, developing site structure,visual design and testing, production and QA, and launch andbeyond--contains three related but distinct tracks. The text beginswith a brief overview of each of the steps, then delves deeper intoeach with detailed explanations as well as specific forms andproject-management strategies. This book does not cover back-end,server-side programming. Instead, it focuses primarily on the visual,conventional components of a Web site.

Authors Kelly Goto and EmilyCotler compiled this book in an attractive, easy-to-read format. Thisprocess guide uses numerous full-color screen shots to illustrate siteexamples, as well as plenty of site diagrams and sample forms. The bookeven has a companion Web site with downloadable forms in PDF format toput the Core Process into immediate action. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• Step 1--Defining the Core Process: discovery, planning, andclarification;
• Step 2--Developing site structure: content-view, site-view, andpage-view;
• Step 3--Visual design and testing: creating, confirming, andhanding off;
• Step 4--Production and QA: prepping, building, and testing;
• Step 5--Launch and beyond: delivery, launch, and maintenance.

... Read more

Reviews (55)

A "must have" for anyone serious about interactive media
This is the foundational book to use when developing out your own process.Either as a small start-up company or a large interactive department, this book provides you with an amazing toolkit to develop a process that works for you.

I've used the information from both Workflow that Works to develop a creative design process for nearly every company I have worked for or with.

I've purchased copies of this book for some traditional designers to help them understand the differences between our worlds.It's written in such a way that they get it right away.

This is the bible of web development process.....
If you are a web site developer and you don't buy this book - you're nuts.
If you are a client redesigning your web site and you don't buy this book - you're nuts too.

If you like to build houses without blueprints or drive across the country without a map, this is probably not the book for you.
If you like to build web sites that work with a high liklihood of being on-time and on-budget...read this book.

A great book, and a decent revision
The first edition of this book has been something of a bible for my small design shop, though much of the numbers and timelines were a bit science-fiction. The second edition does remedy some of this, and adds a nice chapter, but isn't all that much different from the first, so I wouldn't bother purchasing it if you have the first one.

Also please note that much of the content mentioned in the book as being available for download on their website isn't there. Seems like they haven't really gotten around to finishing the job! But nevertheless, a good book, and two very talented and capable writers. ... Read more

Isbn: 0735710627
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Communications / Networking    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Design    5. Electronic Publishing    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Internet - Web Site Design    8. Management Information Systems    9. Web sites    10. Computers / Electronic Publishing   

Eric Meyer on CSS: Mastering the Language of Web Design
by Eric A. Meyer
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (28 June, 2002)
list price: $45.00 -- our price: $31.32
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Reviews (62)

Helpful book for the beginner
The first thing I read to learn CSS was Meyer's CSS: The Definitive Guide (vol. 1) and it was helpful, but I needed the project work in Mastering to really get going with CSS.Like so many web languages it's easier to learn CSS if you can play with someone else's code first.The projects presented in Mastering addressed nearly all of the topics I was interested in. By the end I felt ready to dive into the redesign my department's web site using CSS as the primary formatting language.

Great Book

This book helped me learn CSS the professional way. This is the only book I've been able to use for a considerable period of time in comparison to other CSS books in market, for developing web pages. The only cons was that it took time for me to know the author's style of explanation!. Once that was cleared, it helped me to a great extent.

Meyer on CSS: my way or the highway? but what is my way?
I have a few issues with this book, and I have to admit from the start that I only worked through part of the first chapter, then gave up.

1. You are forced through the learning path of working through the examples whether you want to or not.

A reference book this is not, and good luck trying to find an answer to a particular question by searching the index or the TOC. You run across some good stuff just browsing, but that's not how I work best.

2.If you want to learn this way, then fine, but I found his instructions for working through the examples inadquate and often confusing. For example: I read the paragraph at the bottom of the page on page 5 about 10 times and still didn't understand his recomendation for dropping cellpadding and retaining cellspacing when restyling a table layout [excepts]: "...CSS2 states...that margins are not applied to table cells...support for padding on table cells...is pretty good, so we can drop cellpadding. If this approach strikes you as a bad idea, yo could leave in cellpadding to go with cellspacing." OK, so what should I do????

3. He indicates that the book is aimed at intermediate web designers, but presents some really basic info in sidebars, such as defining "declaration" on page 6 and "rule" on page 7. [In fact, why weren't these defined in the same visual area, in relation to each other? That's when you really get it.]

4. He doesn't give the adequate overviews or context for the restyles, and doesn't explain his syntax.I mean, if you don't know what a "rule" is, why would you understand why he uses an id that looks like this: td#advert and then one that looks like this: #content-top td. I knashed my teeth over this one for a while. Still don't get it. Or why use ems or percentages for fonts? He uses both, with no explanation of why, or the pitfalls.

I may get more out of this book when I know more...but then I will know more, and may not need it.

I do recommend the Visual Quickstart Guide by Teague: DHTML and CSS for the World Wide Web, 3rd edition. Easy to read, information is grouped and presented logically. Easy to find answers. This book is not comprehensive, but a good basic reference.

... Read more

Isbn: 073571245X
Sales Rank: 5114
Subjects:  1. Cascading style sheets    2. Computer Bks - Internet    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Programming Languages    5. Computers    6. Design    7. Desktop Publishing    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Internet - World Wide Web    10. Programming - General    11. Programming Languages - General    12. Programming Languages - HTML    13. Web sites    14. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design   

Cascading Style Sheets: Designing for the Web (2nd Edition)
by Hakon Wium Lie, Bert Bos
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (13 July, 1999)
list price: $39.99 -- our price: $26.39
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

For readers looking for a one-stop read for all they need to know about cascading style sheets (CSS), Cascading Style Sheets, Second Edition: Designing for the Web really hits the nail on the head. One of the authors--Hakon Wium Lie--was the originator of CSS and is in charge of the technology among the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). His writing partner is Bert Bos--another key member of the W3C currently focusing on style sheets and the Extensible Markup Language (XML). Together, they deliver a truly educational guide to the subject.

This book wisely includes numerous color screen shots and diagrams, as well as many typographic examples, to augment the discussion of the inherently visual topic of CSS. The authors' graphical expertise comes through clearly with visuals that clarify topics without cluttering the presentation.

The coverage goes beyond--or shall we say behind--that found in many other CSS books that focus primarily on the technical features of browsers. For example, the authors take the time to discuss typesetting terminology and font families in order to build a well-rounded knowledge. Despite the presentation of the precise details of the CSS1 and CSS2 specifications, the text is quite easy to read and intriguing to follow. Even if you are familiar with CSS--this is an excellent title to own. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered: CSS (levels 1 and 2), HTML, and XML tutorials; plus coverage of which browsers support which CSS elements. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Poorly oragnized, but not totally useless
There are some issues with this book that are purely the publisher's fault. (I am sure the authors are just as annoyed as I am.) Let's get them out of the way first.

Inside the back and front covers are what appears to be a handy quick reference. Great idea - except almost all the page numbers are wrong! That makes it completely useless. I have scratched in corrections in my copy, but I am not about to do a complete revision. The first edition had this same flaw, and I had hoped that the second would fix the problem.

The index is iffy. That's probably a clue right there to the wishy-washy structure of the book. It seems to be all over the place, with crucial bits of information about a topic filed away under some other topic, often in an example. As a reference work, it's very, very poor. It's written as if the reader is going to read it from start to finish and remember its entire contents. Yeah right.

Finally, the complete lack of real-world information about just how badly the various browsers support CSS is rather annoying. Sure, I understand that that stuff gets out of date quickly, but for designers who are targeting NS 4.7, it's useful to know what works and what doesn't.

Its sole saving grace (those two stars) is that is does in fact cover most of CSS - by hook or by crook. The examples, though contrived (and again, unrelated to the real world) do illustrate the concepts to a greater or lesser degree.

So so... Probably not for an absolute beginner
This book is so so. It's got me through some tight spots while designing. The down side is that it has no real structure to it. It is all over the place when looking for specific topics and doesn't seem to have any coherent order to it. The index could be better. There are also not a lot of good examples. If you are an absolute beginner, you should pass this one by and get O'reily's CSS Definitive Guide instead.

Buy this book if you are new to CSS.
That's what I did and I'm glad I did. This is not the only book you'll need but it is the one you must have. If you are new to CSS, you'll also be new to it's structure and syntax and this book explains this better than any others I've read. The classification of HTML elements into CSS element types (ie. block vs. inline) is hardly seen elsewhere.

I think the extensive discussion on fonts was interesting and required for understanding how to code CSS so the browsers will display what you want or as close as you can get. I also enjoyed the style and look of the book itself. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201596253
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Internet    2. Computer Books: Web Programming    3. Computer Networks    4. Computers    5. Desktop Publishing    6. Internet - Web Site Design    7. Networking - General    8. Programming Languages - CGI, Javascript, Perl, VBScript    9. Computers / Internet / World Wide Web   

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
by David Flanagan
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 December, 2001)
list price: $44.95 -- our price: $29.67
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Since the earliest days of Internet scripting, Web developers have considered JavaScript: The Definitive Guide an essential resource. David Flanagan's approach, which combines tutorials and examples with easy-to-use syntax guides and object references, suits the typical programmer's requirements nicely. The brand-new fourth edition of Flanagan's "Rhino Book" includes coverage of JavaScript 1.5, JScript 5.5, ECMAScript 3, and the Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 standard from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Interestingly, the author has shifted away from specifying--as he did in earlier editions--what browsers support each bit of the language. Rather than say Netscape 3.0 supports the Image object while Internet Explorer 3.0 does not, he specifies that JavaScript 1.1 and JScript 3.0 support Image. More usefully, he specifies the contents of independent standards like ECMAScript, which encourages scripters to write applications for these standards and browser vendors to support them. As Flanagan says, JavaScript and its related subjects are very complex in their pure forms. It's impossible to keep track of the differences among half a dozen vendors' generally similar implementations. Nonetheless, a lot of examples make reference to specific browsers' capabilities.

Though he does not cover server-side APIs, Flanagan has chosen to separate coverage of core JavaScript (all the keywords, general syntax, and utility objects like Array) from coverage of client-side JavaScript (which includes objects, like History and Event, that have to do with Web browsers and users' interactions with them. This approach makes this book useful to people using JavaScript for applications other than Web pages. By the way, the other classic JavaScript text--Danny Goodman's JavaScript Bible--isn't as current as this book, but it's still a fantastic (and perhaps somewhat more novice-friendly) guide to the JavaScript language and its capabilities. --David Wall

Topics covered: The JavaScript language (version 1.0 through version 1.5) and its relatives, JScript and ECMAScript, as well as the W3C DOM standards they're often used to manipulate. Tutorial sections show how to program in JavaScript, while reference sections summarize syntax and options while providing copious code examples. ... Read more

Reviews (202)

For reference only
Having bought O'Reilly books before, I should have known better than to pick up this one. It follows the same pattern of giving far too much theoretical information without following up with good examples of the concepts in use.

The Core Javascript language section is great, and I can definitely see that the Core and Client-Side Javascript Reference sections will eventually be of great use to me. However, the Client-Side Javascript section is next to useless for learning how to pull all of the concepts together, and implement javascript on your web pages.

If you're already very familiar with javascript and need a reference book, by all means, buy this book. If you want to learn javascript programming, look for something else.

Not as terse as ECMA-262, not as crufty as any other options
Whether you are expert in the field or just familiar with programming in general and want to become expert in the field, this book is for you. It's not a cookbook, and you will not use it for cut-and-paste programming, as is your common plague in javascript litterature. It will give you access to the innards of the language though, teach you relevant history, and the reference parts include lots of oh so useful and hard to track down facts about which browsers lack (or have flawed implementations of) which objects, methods, constructs and the like.

It's not full coverage, especially not regarding fairly recent APIs such as XMLHttpRequest and, until recently rather small and obscure browser platforms such as Opera and the Macintosh browser families, but it's a good step on the way and most likely heading that direction. I've seen past editions tag along with happenings in the ecmascript world fairly well so far, and expect future editions to do the same.

This book gets you on top of the tech relatively effortlessly and quickly, and its reference sections have saved me heaps of time. That last star is saved for the next edition that brings it back in touch with the web development frontlines again.

The book for the novice and experienced JS programmer
This book is excellent. Helped me within hours start programming in JS. Excellent reference that includes also the relevant html fundamnentals a programmer needs to know. JS without html is hanging in the air. The author realized that and delivered something very useful to the community. ... Read more

Isbn: 0596000480
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Languages    3. Computer Networks    4. Computer Programming Languages    5. Computers    6. JavaScript (Computer program language)    7. Object-oriented programming (Computer science)    8. Programming - General    9. Programming Languages - CGI, Javascript, Perl, VBScript    10. Web servers    11. COM051010    12. Computers / Programming Languages / CGI, JavaScript, Perl, VBScript    13. Java & variants   

JavaScript Bible, 4th Edition
by DannyGoodman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (April, 2001)
list price: $49.99 -- our price: $32.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Aimed at the HTML designer with or without previous programming experience, the JavaScript Bible, Fourth Edition, brings a popular text up to date with a full tour of using JavaScript with all of today's Web browsers. Smart, very approachable, and filled with many useful tips, this book can put JavaScript development into the reach of just about anyone.

After presenting a solid tour of basic programming in JavaScript, the book centers in on the issues of developing JavaScript applications for real browsers. This means truly comprehensive coverage of the document object model (DOM), HTML, window and frame objects, forms, and style sheets that are available today. In about 1,000 pages (and almost 30 chapters), you learn what's available in today's JavaScript standard with a reference listing every object, API, and property, plus tips on how to use each feature. All this material makes this text an extremely worthwhile desktop reference for everyday JavaScript development. In particular, we liked that support (or lack thereof) for every feature is clearly documented across the full range of today's browsers from Netscape Navigator 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 to Internet Explorer 3 through 5.5.

Later chapters move toward the JavaScript language itself, with material on strings, math functions, and dates. The author discusses techniques for adapting JavaScript to particular browsers as well as providing cross-browser support where appropriate. Short exercises end each chapter, and the book presents sample solutions in an appendix. Additional CD-ROM chapters move beyond the whopping 1,200 pages of printed material.

In all, the author's patient, clear writing style and real-world advice for creating great-looking Web pages with JavaScript make this title a winner. Readers of previous editions of the JavaScript Bible will appreciate the updated focus on current browsers. For anyone who wants to learn JavaScript for the first time, this edition is arguably an unbeatable choice. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Introduction to JavaScript and HTML
• Targeting different browsers (with DHTML, style sheets, and other features)
• Basic JavaScript language tutorial (including variables, operators, expressions, flow control, forms, and built-in APIs)
• Script tags
• Error handling
• Arrays
• Window and document objects
• Form processing with JavaScript
• Tutorial and reference for the String, Math, and Date classes
• Frames
• Images (including rollover support)
• Comprehensive JavaScript reference
• ECMAScript
• Detecting different browsers
• Document object model (DOM) for Netscape 2 through 6 and IE 3 through 5
• Generic HTML objects
• Window and frame objects
• Location and history objects
• Document and body objects
• Body text objects
• HTML directives
• Link and anchor objects
• Image and map objects
• Form and form control objects
• Working with buttons and text in HTML forms
• Select and option elements
• Table and list objects
• Netscape Navigator and environment objects
• Event objects
• Style sheet reference
• Positioned objects
• JavaScript operators
• Functions and custom objects
• Sample programming exercises and answers

... Read more

Reviews (31)

good
This book is great,coves probably everything there is to cover in javascript but...........if you have never doen anything like this before you should start out with something more siple first,although the book claims new people to web programming, the new people will have a hard time with it.

confused organization
I would give this book a five star ratingfor its content if it were easier to locate what I want. Particularly vexing is that the author has placed some of the content only on the CD with listings page such as 'CD-281.' After months of looking I can not find the files designated as 'CD' on the CD.

Helpful for beginner
As a non-programmer (graphic designer), I am finding this book helpful. The author does a good job not assuming too much except familiarity with html. He uses real-life comparisons to make concepts understandable. The writing style is friendly and very thorough. I was struggling to learn Javascript from Paul Wilton's Beginning Javascript. This book is making things clear that I was stumped on by approaching it very methodically, building on the simplest examples. I have also ordered 'Official Netscape Javascript 1.2 Book' by Kent which I heard was beginner-friendly. I find programmers have a hard time relating to us non-programmers! Goodman seems to have a grasp of how to present these basics to the 'rest of us'. ... Read more

Isbn: 0764533428
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Networks    4. Computer Programming Languages    5. Computers    6. Internet - Web Site Design    7. JavaScript (Computer program l    8. JavaScript (Computer program language)    9. Programming - General    10. Programming Languages - CGI, Javascript, Perl, VBScript    11. Computers / Internet / Web Site Design    12. Java & variants   

Fresh Styles for Web Designers: Eye Candy from the Underground
by Curt Cloninger
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (22 August, 2001)
list price: $35.00 -- our price: $23.10
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Wow, this is a fun book. If you spend a lot of time on Web design and suffer occasional burnout, Fresh Styles is the inspiration booster shot you need to get you back to the keyboard to whip up something new. Perhaps you'd like to try "gothic organic" or "pixelated punk"? Author Curt Cloninger, who's written for the Web developer forum Alistapart.com, defines 10 "underground" Web styles using case studies of several Web sites, and discovers what makes them not just cutting edge but marketable, too. These site designs not only mimic print design, but embrace the medium of the Web with all its flaws (browser incompatibilities, sluggish download times, varying viewer operating systems, and screen resolutions).

All 10 of the design styles discussed in this book sprang from a dissatisfaction with the status quo, a love of the Web as a medium, and a passion for evocative, communicative design.

With such fun chapters as "1950s Hello Kitty Style" and "Paper Bag Style," hundreds of screenshots, and techniques for achieving these looks, Fresh Styles isn't just an inspiring kick in the pants but a cookbook/resource as well. Not everything here conforms to usability wisdom; for example, pages may not bookmark because they're in designer-defined pop-up windows or the entire site is one big Flash file. But the author encourages readers to go beyond the universally practical: "Go ahead and fiddle while Rome burns."

There are ideas here you may never have thought of using. The 8-bit gifs in the "SuperTiny SimCity Style" are the opposite of most designers' layered Photoshop creations. A link points to the perfect Web tutorial on how to get them right. For the "Lo-Fi Grunge Style," think Raygun, complete with TV scan-line effects and "that smudged, misprinted look." A sidebar shows how to mimic a noisy TV signal by placing scan-line patterns on their own Photoshop layer.

Grooviness is what this book is all about: groovy narrative, groovy illustrations, and a groovy layout by Carlos Segura. It's got a good vibe that makes you think that the future of the Web may not be so bleak after all. --Angelynn Grant ... Read more

Reviews (36)

The Box and You
I'm a developer. I program. I make the html that makes the pretty pages. I figured that this book would help me come up with some designs (for those oftentimes rare moments that I'm given a design project).I'd impress the boss and get more design projects. It didn't quite work out that way.

This book made me feel like I was in design class. A basic page and its "template" was defined, and then there were more examples that if you squint and shook your head, then you could see it fits that template.I don't think it's so black and white.If so, then they aren't that fresh, are they?

If someone is stuck for design ideas, I'm not sure this book would necessarily help since it's giving more templates.We're trying to move away from looking like everyone else, right?But some ideas for colors did come from this book, so that's good.

I enjoyed the idea of boiling down a lot of web designs into a few basic themes, templates, etc. but think that doing so might make it that much harder to break out of the box and be fresh.Or, if you're like me, once you know the rules, you can break them more easily.

I also liked the little bit of a history lesson that came with this design class.It's quite amazing what some people did with their websites back in the day, and quite amazing how not so far they have come.

Perhaps this book would be better for the true designer and not so much for the developer wanting to be a designer.

has its faults, but still rocks
I love this book. I am a student in webdesign and I had no idea what to expect when our teacher asked us to buy this book. when I started flipping through it and read a bit about the gothic organic style, I fell in love instantly.

one problem designers often run into (including myelf), is that once we come up with a good style, we tend to use and re-use it a lot. we get too comfortable with it. this book allows you to explore other techniques and break out of your shell.

sure, I wouldn't follow it word for word. some things have always annoyed me, such as cross browser/platform capabilities, window sizes, loading time, functionality and so on. this book doesn't think much of it. but this doesn't mean we can't use elements of the styles described and reflect the general essence of it in our own works.

I challenge you to at least try each style. just make a layout and navigation scheme, with no content. just to get a feel of the style. don't think about browsers, window sizes and whatnot. then place these layouts in your portfolio and see what your potential employers think of it.

it is quite challenging, but the result is amazingly refreshing. this book is a must-have for every webdesigner to break out of their rut.

Panned it
You CAN judge a book by its cover artwork. Yes, the cover art is supposed to make one think of Seattle grunge, but undoubtedly it also will remind you of what that refrigerator must smell like. Nice pictures, nice layout, nice presentation, but pretty much useless if you want realistic ideas that you can use, let alone implement, in the corporate world (and BTW, the corporate world does extend to rockers like the Stones). If you really want to take a look at the book, go down to your nearest Big Box bricks-n-mortar storefront and thumb through it there. ... Read more

Isbn: 0735710740
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Internet    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics - Design    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers    6. Design    7. Information Storage & Retrieval    8. Internet - Web Site Design    9. Web sites    10. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design