WWW.Layout: Effective Design and Layout for the World Wide Web [Paperback]

Jerry Glenwright (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Starting with basic layout instruction, this book then gives readers more in-depth information for new learners or advanced designers. Glenwright refers to Microsoft's FrontPage and Adobe GoLive software as visual examples for different techniques and gives instructions for creating Web-authoring effects using these programs. Breakdown of the content with page numbers appears at the beginning of each chapter. An appended list of URLs allows readers to surf the Net, viewing even more examples. The strongest aspect of this book is its visual content. Many of the full-color pictures are of Web page examples as well as illustrations that are instructive. The examples are divided into categories, aiding those who want to create a specific kind of Web page, but the software used to create these examples is not indicated. Some areas of the book offer an explanation of a design concept but with no instruction of how to create it. For example, the section entitled "Designing with Frames" simply offers a definition. Still, this book would be very helpful to anyone wanting to learn how to create a Web page.
Donna Head, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823058581
• ISBN-13: 978-0823058587
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,324,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One startling omission makes me worried..., May 27, 2001

By 

Mr. R. A. Day (Cambridgeshire, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: WWW.Layout: Effective Design and Layout for the World Wide Web (Paperback)

I haven't read the whole of this book yet but first impressions show that it carries the same impressive style of others in the series. However one amazing oversight makes me wonder just how much credibility to place in this title. This occurs when discussing web-authoring software. To quote: "The web-authoring software world is dominated by two major-league players: Microsoft and Adobe" He refers, of course, to FrontPage and GoLive. Nowhere is any mention made to Macromedia in general or Dreamweaver in particular. Even the most commited Adobe-phile cannot deny the current pre-eminence of DreamWeaver in this whole area. And so I think to myself - if Jerry Glenwright is so far off the mark with that then how can I trust any of the other content in this book? The three stars awarded is done on a purely arbitrary basis - it would be unfair to judge a book fully without reading it first. However, such a major mistake leaves me wondering if it is worth reading the whole book.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DON'T get this book for layout inspiration, July 9, 2003

By 

Lee Coursey "Lee Coursey" (Russellville, KY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: WWW.Layout: Effective Design and Layout for the World Wide Web (Paperback)

This book takes a total graphic artists approach to layout - after you get through the first half of the book dedicated to simple web terminology and technology like CSS and HTML with very simplistic explanations. Even then, it does nothing with the nuts and bolts, but rather tells you things like "CSS allows you to specify exact font size".

When you DO get to the layout section, they take only the most artistic sites to review - and then they're not even broken down to see how they're put together. It's just page after page of screenshots and little quips like "here's that white background again!"

It's little more than a coffee table book - one suitable only for graphiuc designers who fancy switching mediums. If you're looking for ideas and inspiration for practical web layouts, look ELSEWHERE!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Quite Disappointed, June 21, 2003

By 

Timothy J. Joko-Veltman "Tim" (Brasilia, Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: WWW.Layout: Effective Design and Layout for the World Wide Web (Paperback)

I bought this book under the impression that it would have at least basic information about the process of creating a layout for a web page, and/or critiques/breakdowns of "good" and "bad" web page layouts.

I became increasingly disappointed as I read: not only did I find neither of these things, but to my chagrin, the book encourages dated HTML techniques, gives only cursory attention to CSS (which will soon be THE qualification for web designers), as well as patent disregard (ignorance?) for usability and accessibility issues.

The "Show Case" of screen shots at the back of the book is a great idea, and well done, as another reviewer pointed out. However, it would not only add value for the reader, but create a much more professional feel for the book, if some sort of design critique were given for each of the examples. Without this, it feels amateurish, however nice the paper, the layout and the graphic quality of the book.

I give it two stars for 1) the screenshot "Showcase", and 2) the layout of the book itself.