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Title: Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, Second Edition by Patrick J. Lynch, Sarah Horton ISBN: 0-300-08898-1 Publisher: Yale Univ Pr Pub. Date: March, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.58 (74 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: What a Style Guide is. What a Style Guide is not.
Comment: It's disappointing to read all the negative reviews of what I think is a very good book. I think many reviewers lack the understanding of just what constitutes a style guide, so I am going to give my best definition of what a style guide is. Style guides, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, are more concerned with good journalistic practices than graphic design, covering such topics as how to treat page titles, the proper attributing of an author, how to construct footnotes, the importance of dating articles, consistent nomenclature, the consistent use of language, and other important but admittedly dry topics. In almost all cases these things will influence graphic design, and some *very* basic, but in my opinion very good, graphic design information is covered. Also covered, to a fairly high level of detail, is information on graphic format and web color, navigation, and basic usability issues. What this book does not cover, and what one should not expect from a style guide, are examples of cutting-edge design, or information on current design trends (or what many of us think of when we thing of "style"). I think all graphic designers would do well to head the advice in this book, and think that most good graphic designers already do, and are probably already familiar with the information presented here. Obviously designers that know the rules usually break them with better results than those that don't. I think most designers will appreciate this book. If you are looking for an example of really cool, award-winning Websites, try the magazine Communication Arts, especially their Interactive Annual. If you are looking for a great book to introduce you to the basics, I haven't found a better book than this.
To sum up:
"Style" means "cool" to most of us. Try Communication Arts Interactive Annual for exaples of current, award-winning "style".
A "Style Guide" is an explaination of common conventions for a given medium. For an example of a good "Style Guide", get this book.
Rating: 4
Summary: Thought provoking
Comment: This book provides a concise introduction to principles of Website design. I found the first few chapters, about process, interface design, and site design extremely good. But towards the end of the chapter on page design, some of the advice started to get a little questionable. For example, they explain three ways of using tables to create gutters between parallel columns, but never note what a no-no parallel columns are for Web page design, since they require the reader to scroll down, then up, then down again.
The graphics and multimedia chapters strayed a little from the concept of a Website design manual. Instead of presenting guidelines for effective use of graphics and other media, they presented detailed, somewhat technical information, about media formats and optimizing media for the Web (particularly in Photoshop). This was interesting information in its own right, but I would have liked to read more about using media effectively. One guideline they suggest is to use background images no bigger than 100 x 100 pixels, omitting advice about how to avoid the dreaded repeating border (use width = 1280).
One aspect that makes this book very different from others on the market is that it draws on primarily academic or university-related Websites for examples rather than from commercial sites. The book includes a good list of references and an index.
Rating: 4
Summary: A Great Resource
Comment: Whether you're new to web design, an old hand, putting together a personal or hobbyist site, or charged with developing a website out of thin are for an employer or organization, this book is an essential resource. (Of course, you can read all the chapters on the affiliated website, but if you want to have a book to hold in your hand, this one's a good choice.) The authors go through the basic elements of site design, weaving in design theory along the way (in a way anyone can understand) and providing examples for the web design conventions they refer to. As a writer and editor, I've relied heavily on Strunk & White. Moving from print design into web design, I've looked for a resource that would serve to help me make the transition. This book fits the bill.
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Title: Web Teaching Guide: A Practical Approach to Creating Course Web Sites by Sarah Horton ISBN: 0300087276 Publisher: Yale Univ Pr Pub. Date: November, 2000 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
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Title: Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug ISBN: 0789723107 Publisher: New Riders Pub. Date: 13 October, 2000 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: Designing Web Usability : The Practice of Simplicity by Jakob Nielsen ISBN: 156205810X Publisher: New Riders Pub. Date: December, 1999 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
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Title: The Non-Designer's Web Book (2nd Edition) by Robin Williams, John Tollett ISBN: 0201710382 Publisher: Peachpit Press Pub. Date: 08 September, 2000 List Price(USD): $34.99 |
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Title: Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed by Jakob Nielsen, Marie Tahir ISBN: 073571102X Publisher: New Riders Pub. Date: 05 November, 2001 List Price(USD): $39.99 |
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