Customer Reviews

Adobe CS3 Web Workflows: Building Websites with Adobe Creative Suite 3

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was searching for a book that would give me some insight on exactly how the Adobe Creative Suite 3 programs could be used in tandem to create a web site. There were a lot of specific questions I needed answered, and this book showed some promise.

Overall, the book is literally dripping with step-by-step tutorials. Adobe CS3 Web Workflows grinds through almost every single click of the mouse and move of the cursor in methodical fashion, with profuse full-color screenshots that leave no question of "what's the next step?" answered. Indeed, even a total beginner could probably create the samples provided in the book with such meticulous detail. Directions like "In Photoshop, choose File - Open" or "Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) to restore your changes" give testimony to the fact that author Joseph Lowery wanted to make this book accessible to people who have almost zero knowledge of computing, let alone the applications of Adobe CS3. In this respect, the book probably achieves its goal in helping new users of Adobe's Creative Suite to begin making the most out of their software investment for the web.

On the other hand, considering the lofty title of the book and the various ways that the Adobe CS3 applications can be used together, I was rather disappointed in the almost total lack of information on using Illustrator, Acrobat, Contribute or Device Central to contribute to the total web design workflow. Roughly 178 pages are devoted to the nitty-gritty of designing a comp in Fireworks and/or Photoshop (with 60 more pages dedicated to the addition of Adobe Bridge), and a Flash to Dreamweaver workflow spans about 40 pages. But only two short pages are dedicated to Illustrator's role in the web design process, and no information is given at all on how it can be used along with Photoshop and Fireworks.

To be honest, I feel that while this book is comprehensive enough for the very specific workflows and products that it does cover, and will be useful for beginners who just want to create something and see how the software works, it seriously lacks in the breadth and range required by creative professionals who need more tools and creative options than a teacher telling them to "press this button" and "click here". In fact, I felt that this work really couldn't "see the forest from the trees". This book unfortunately lends itself to just blindly follow along with each exercise, not knowing what the final result will be, or why the workflow in question is really the optimum one.

The other shortcoming I see in this work is the lack of understanding of what web contents and design using a creative application suite really entails. No mention is made of blogs, active content or server-side content, or of a design workflow for teams. The focus is on individual, small-scale projects, and on what button to push or tool to use to create a very specific result.

In short, if you're looking for a tutorial and a guide who will hold your hand step by step to achieve some kind of preset project over the weekend, this might not be a bad diversion. However, I felt that the book does fall quite a bit short of its title, and may disappoint the working professional who prefers a "broader stroke" and a larger set of knowledge. (For Illustrator users, I would recommend the Illustrator CS3 for the Web training CD or online contents from Lynda.com - Mordy Golding provides a wealth of useful information there on how Illustrator works by itself and with other CS3 components to create Web content.)

Wow. I just finished chapter 2 and am completely impressed with this book. Rarely do I care enough to write a review. Actually, this is my first review ever, for a book. I knew nothing about Photoshop, except for the common train of thought that Photoshop is an industry standard, is powerful, and is not "easy" to use.

This book is a big step-by-step tutorial on how to create a web-page mock-up (something that should be done before creating the actual web page). Mock-ups are analogous to designing a computer program before implementation begins.

For under $30, it's cheaper than taking a class and is a breeze to follow through.

This book covers Adobe CS3 in Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash..etc. Before I selected this book, I ever went to B&N and Borders so many times but just can't find ANY book with Firework CS3 (They may have Firework 8 from Macromedia). Anyway, the contents are well organized and printing quality is super. I have read more than 50% and followed the instructions step by step. Readers can download examples from their website.

This book was great. Awesome review huh? Just kidding? I ahve watched quite a few tutorials, and read a great many books on how to design websites. None of them ever did more than barely touch on how to do it using Photoshop other than take a image, add words, make them links, now make rollover links, "wow doesn't that drop-shadow look great". Whatever they were all crap.
This book on the other hand takes you through several real-world applications, although they are ficticious sites. Anyway, the techniques you will be shown, and the subsequent workflow, along with the fact that the author explains to you why you are doing something before you think it necessary amke this book very easy to follow.
What I mean by this is you are laying out in photoshop, and all the while he is explaining how this will relate to dreamweaver later. It's not a book written with the premise of do as I say or you will be sorry later. It is written under the premise of make things easier on your self cause we are going to need this for when we use css to bring it into dreamweaver. The stage has already been set, and your mind is already working on the eventual task.
GREAT BOOK!!!!

I got a few good workflow ideas from this, and I often feel that's worth the cost of a book. That's the good part.

But, there could have been so much more. Why and when would you use FireWorks instead of Photoshop, for instance. What would you do with a "mockup" in Photoshop once you got to Dreamweaver? I figured it out, but it's not explained. Books like this should be "beta-tested" to discover what's missing.

My other complaint is that it's visually confusing. Too many graphics, too much wasted ink, and none of it useful. When people purchase a computer manual they want it to be illuminating, not confusing. This reminds me of trying to read "Wired" magazine. If you liked that, you might like this, but IMHO it doesn't help.

As other reviewers have said, this book presents tutorials in a step-by-step manner. The problem is, the author leaves out some steps. Rather important steps, too. I've had to resort to Adobe help, tips on the web, and finally youtube. Putting all that together, I am working my way through the book. In all fairness, I don't think I could make headway without the book; just don't look on it as the definitive source to learn everything. Be prepared to use it as a supplement.

Well, I am only 20 pages short of finishing this book, but I am giving up in frustration. There are just too many errors for a book of this type. Spelling errors, factual errors, and poor instructions. Granted, there were a few helpful sections, but I really had to work my way through them, trying to determine what the author MEANT to say, as opposed to what he actually published. Its too bad, really. He came pretty close with this one, its a great idea, but it just doesn't work.
I would also advise beginners to avoid this one. This book assumes you already have a certain level of confidence with CS3.

Wiley is a key player in tech-book publishing. They get a lot of product we want and need into the market. Joseph W. Lowery is a known quantity and speaks from authority and has formidable credibility in this field. We are now up to Adobe CS5, so theoretically Adobe CS3 is dated. However, it can take years for people to upgrade software (particularly considering "The Suite' pricing) and for those, like me still using CS3, having quality reference material is very helpful when priced... advantageously. Thanks to Amazon, I found a good copy of this book for a fair price to me.

About the book: Once you get to a certain point in website construction and its related feeds and arts, you're probably looking to fill in some blanks while you move ahead to perfect the 'un-perfectable.' You may not have time or interest for ultra in-depth course work or web info hunting (which has its place); you just need what you need when you want it. You want, "ah...so that's how that can be done" "brain bursts" of enlightenment-LoL. This book has that. A lot of authors; per their editors and publishers just throw mountains of data in sometimes useful packages at us while not cutting to the chase. To me; wasteful exercises. 'Workflows' gives you some nice, cut-to-the-chase tidbits without a bunch of garble in a nice linear "flow." People with in-depth, multi-faceted web knowledge may not need this book. But who knows; Lowery may fill gaps even they have forgotten or overlooked.

For me; middle of the mix website constructor, there have been a couple of great refresher-grabs from this book. I'm happy with it and in no small measure to getting it for the right price and condition. I have one small criticism. In parts of the book, some of the explanations just seem to miss the connection between "Point A" and "Point B." Not terminal, you can fill in the blanks; but for a top resource like Lowery- plus his editor- plus his publisher, this probably shouldn't be. Maybe I read wrong, but it seemed that way to me. Overall a good grab to have in your intermediate reference cache. Glad I ran across it at Barnes and could convert the price via an Amazon reseller. Thanks Joe! Thanks Amazon!

I have used Photoshop for years but vector program have always been a bit of a mystery to me. I picked up this book because I am relearning Dreamweaver CS3 and wanted to learn Fireworks. This is a great step by step tutorial. I have only had to use the help menu to look up a componet once. I am on chapter 05 and I already have two well desined websites comped.

This book is awesome for someone new the CS3. This book came at exactly the right time for me. It really walks you through Photoshop to Dreamweaver integration very easily. It is written for anyone who can read and follow instructions. Stellar book.