Product Description
Anyone can throw up a Web page, but Web Design for Dummies shows how to organise, illustrate and lay out Web sites that really work. The main themes are planning, colours and graphics, navigation and usability and optimising HTML code. The focus is on professional rather than personal Web sites, and the book is best suited to those who have already mastered basic Web concepts.
Divided into five parts, the book begins by explaining the Web design process, from assembling a team to planning and sketching out a Web site map. Part two is the core of the book, and covers the nitty-gritty of graphic design. Subjects include how to choose fonts, creating balanced layouts that draw the user to the most important elements, and smart use of colours. There is an explanation of bit map versus vector images, image transparency, slicing graphics, and how to use techniques like anti-aliasing and drop shadows. The third part puts the focus on navigation and usability, including a valuable chapter on testing. Part four peeks into the underlying HTML code, explaining how to control positioning and page margins and sets out the pros and cons of frames versus tables. Finally, there are four chapters of tips, on diverse topics ranging from how to add background music, to what to charge for your work. The bundled CD is disappointing, consisting mostly of product demos.
The strength of Web Design for Dummies is its designer's perspective, right down to the author's affection for the Apple Macintosh. This makes it ideal for techies who need to pick up some design expertise, or for print designers looking to move into Web design. The illustrations are clear and well chosen and the book benefits from the friendly, informal style typical of the Dummies series. --Tim Anderson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
Build your own eye–popping site design Create a user–friendly site, design great graphics, and make updating easy It can take a flock of folks to build, design, and maintain an out–of–sight Web site. Whether you′re designing a site on your own or are a member of a design team, this updated guide will be your best assistant. Here′s the scoop on planning, producing, choosing colors and fonts, managing content — even understanding a dollop of HTML. Discover how to Assess the audience for your site Create an effective workflow Add sound, video, and animation Test your site for ease of navigation Build graphics that work Use frames, tables, and CSS
About the Author
In 1988, Lisa Lopuck got her first glimpse of multimedia while still at UCLA pursuing her degree in design. She saw a tiny, black–and–white, interactive HyperCard stack designed by The Voyager Company and immediately knew her career path. Her first job out of school was working at the Apple Multimedia Lab in San Francisco. She then moved on to Skywalker Ranch, working with George Lucas to design educational CD–ROMs. The rest has been interactive history — working with everyone from Kaleida to eBay, writing bestselling books, teaching, and speaking at conferences along the way. In 1996, she co–founded Electravision, an award–winning Web design agency in San Francisco with clients such as Twentieth Century Fox, National Geographic, Microsoft, and Mall of America. Electravision’s work won awards, including Yahoo!’s Best of the Year, Site of the Day, and Best of the Web. Electravision also created the highly acclaimed online murder mystery series, Suspect, one of the Web’s first online entertainment series. Recently, Lisa was an Associate Creative Director and Senior Producer at Disney where she managed the production of large–scale, large–budget, multilanguage Web sites for Disney’s theme parks and hotels around the world such as www.DisneyCruiseLine.com and www.HongKongDisneyland.com. Lisa is now a design consultant helping companies shape their Web creative strategy.
