Resources Online and Off
by Heather ChampI freely admit that I had no idea what I was doing when I created my first document for the Web over two years ago. At that time resources on- and offline were scarce. I learned basic tagging through an hour-long, lunch-time crash course introduction at the computer center and returned to my office brandishing a diskette with a copy of Simple HTML for the MAC. I still wince thinking about the clunky hypercard stack-driven tool. It was possible only to have one document open at a time so cutting and pasting between documents was rather laborious. New tags not included within the editor were discovered through viewing document sources while surfing and teasing my documents into submission by trial and error.
I was eventually persuaded to try BBEdit Lite, although not without putting up a fight. If I wince at the memory of Simple HTML, I have to blush 15 shades of red when thinking about the first online images that I created. I would upload images to the server, reload in anticipation of splendid beauty, only to be confronted by an image the size of the Pacific . . . scrolling . . . scrolling . . . scrolling . . . etc., to the right. I learned by trial and error what would work and what wouldn't. Download time and bandwidth conservation were issues far from my mind. A friend once joked that I would never be allowed to join the elite Bandwidth Conservation Society.
But enough of these silly recollections that leave my eyes brimming with unshed tears. Times have changed and there is now a veritable cornucopia of resources on- and offline to aid from initial conceptualization through to final online publication.
A Few Good Online Resources
Online resources tend to be the most up to date as sites can respond quickly to advances. Yahoo: Computers and Internet: Internet: World Wide Web has a great selection of resources. The NCD Design Homepage, a site in Japan, is an all-time favorite for the Introduction of HTML. (How can one resist a link entitled You need a Better Browsing?) Browser by Design has a wonderful series of appendices that you can peruse to determine which browser supports which tag.
Once you've created your pages you can check your code online by running the URL through Weblint or Doctor Mac a "site that retrieves a Web page and performs several tests to see if your document is in tip-top shape."
A Few Good Offline Resources
If you are one of the few who actually read the plethora of manuals that accompany a new piece of software or hardware, or you just appreciate the printed page, you will be astonished by the number of books published that now reside within the "Internet" aisles of your local bookseller (alternately, if the thought of leaving your computer is too scary you can wander the aisles online at Amazon Books).
I highly recommend Clement Mok's Designing Business. It's not a design book in terms of "use this palette, then this filter to achieve this look," but rather it's like taking a giant step back and looking at the bigger picture: "The computer," Mok asserts, "forces us to examine the underlying structure, intent, and context of our enterprises--traits that bind design, business, and technology into a single, common informational discipline. Those who understand this new paradigm will prevail, and ultimately, profit."
If you are looking more specifically for books about Web Site design you might want to consider one of the following: Lynda Weinman's Designing Web Graphics, David Siegel's Creating Killer Web Sites or the recently published Web Concept & Design by Crystal Waters.
The links and books mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg. If you have a specific topic in mind try searching Alta Vista. It will almost always produce quick results--usually too many, but you can hone in with a series of choice keywords and ultimately find your kernel of truth.
