Web Design: The Complete Reference [Paperback]

Thomas A. Powell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Complete Reference | Publication Date: May 12, 2000

-- Soaring demand -- the online community continues to grow exponentially, creating enormous demand for Web sites, and thus Web designers
-- Untapped market -- most people with Internet service have unused free Web site hosting space, but lack the knowledge needed to create even a simple site
-- This edition is updated to reflect new Web building practices -- including usability, XML and XHTML -- plus, includes more practical and focused examples and documentation

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

With so many books out on particular development tools and languages, it's refreshing to see one that tackles the overarching topic of Web design and implementation techniques. Web Design: The Complete Reference is a rare combination of design theory and detailed information on implementation. Author Thomas A Powell, who also wrote HTML: The Complete Reference, has produced an impressive sequel in this hefty title.

Powell addresses topics like navigation theory and user profiling, backing up high-level discussion with excellent, practical technique. He goes beyond your garden-variety explanation of what particular features are and how to code them by specifying the problems you might face and offering solutions. You get insight you can use: how to handle those pesky frames by understanding UI consequences, keep frames from opening within themselves, and offer your users the ability to print framed pages reliably.

All the bases are covered, including adding GUI interactivity, solid page layout and formatting techniques, and a look at the various Web technologies and their effect on site design. The entire work exudes the confidence of a well-seasoned writer, and the discussions leave you feeling well informed. This book bridges the gap between knowing how to build Web sites and having a holistic knowledge of all of the intricacies and pitfalls of coding for the Web. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• Web-design methodologies
• Usability
• Types of Web sites
• Navigation theory and practice
• Linking text/buttons/icons/graphics
• Search facilities
• Text handling
• Colors and images
• Building interactivity
• Web technologies (XML, CSS, JavaScript)
• Cookies
• Server-side scripting
• Multimedia
• Site delivery and management
• The future of Web design
• Site evaluation procedures

From the Back Cover

The Ultimate Resource on Web Site Design Theory and Practice.

Plan, build, and maintain dynamic Web sites that balance form and function. Web design expert Thomas Powell provides thorough explanations of effective site architecture, layout, and navigational features, and describes how to add graphics, links, interface widgets, and multimedia. You'll also get complete details on enabling search and e-commerce capabilities, handling privacy and security issues with respect to site design, and programming dynamic Web applications. The companion Web site, www.webdesignref.com, is loaded with live examples you can apply to your own site, along with links to other useful sites and downloadable tools.

• Gain a solid background in Web design theories and techniques
• Plan site architecture with respect to user-centered design and navigation
• Learn how to plan, specify, and build large web sites
• Format text and add links, icons, and imagemaps
• Integrate Web GUI widgets, such as windows, forms and pull-down menus
• Add images--GIFs, JPEGs, PNGs--animation, audio, and video
• Learn core Web technologies, including HTML, CSS, and XML
• Optimize for global search engines and design for local search engines
• Program Web applications using JavaScript
• Select appropriate hosting environment for fast site delivery

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 872 pages
• Publisher: Mcgraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1st edition (May 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072122978
• ISBN-13: 978-0072122978
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,868,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for everybody., August 10, 2000

By 

"mmgilman" (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Web Design: The Complete Reference (Paperback)

This book is a general overview of web design.

The book begins with examples of web architecture (linear, hub, etc.) and then begins to expand on all issues related to web design( Text, Graphics,etc.). In my opinion it does not do this in the proper order. You learn about Graphics and Browser Auto-Detection before you learn about text. This is not that bad though. Basically this book lists improvements and the do's and don'ts of making a site. This book does not teach HTML! You will find very little on tags. The book frequently references it's Companion Book (Complete Reference: HTML).

This book also stops teaching about 75% through it. It then begins to explain what the future of web design will be and starts it's huge appendix section. In my opinion, alot of the different appendices should have been in a different book. What's the use of listing the hexidecimal color codes in a book that mentions very little or nothing about color usage in web design.

I also would have liked a section in the book on page layout. The book uses one layout throughout the entire book.

Java and CSS code is spread throughout the book, but no mention of how to put it into your site. Another thing I did not like about the book was, on about 25% of the improvements to web sites it listed, it gave you no code to perform the improvement. Examples: There are many useful forms in the book, but no code. It fully explains the importance of having a local search engine on your site. No code. There are many others.

Also, the book is too big for it's binder. After the first full day of usage(turning pages and laying the book flat so I could reference or type in some code) pages began to separate from the binding. I'm gonna have to go to Kinko's and get it rebound.

To me, this book is meant for someone who knows HTML code, but does not know the methodology of creating a user friendly site.

Do not, get this book if this is your first time building a site!

Do get this book if you are seeking to improve upon your current web design style!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable!, December 22, 2002

By 

Leo "Katphish" (Norwich, NY, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Web Design Complete Reference (Paperback)

This book is absolutely wonderful! Anyone truely interested in web design will benefit greatly!

The author is very knowlegable in the web medium and gives extensive detail into some of the most important and least looked at areas of design... the design itself! That's right, this book won't serve as a complete HTML guide. The book does talk a lot about HTML, it's stucture and propoer use and functure as well as gives lots of code examples. Same for javascript. But this book is mostly geared towards design issues. Where do you but the navigation bar on a website? How big to make your buttons? How should you organize the site? What are the steps to creating a web project? What kind of site models could you use? How to best use the web technologies available to create usable content.

The book emphasises a balance between form and function and talks a lot about usabillity, something that is of utmost importance in making interactive media. This book will guide you through the thinking behind interface desing concepts and aesthetic issues as well.

Easy to read and superbly written, this book is great! Some other reviews have displayed a dislike for it's focus on design principles and concepts instead of code the underworkings. While the book will infact give you good examples of use of HTML and Javascript as well as tons of info about these technologies (and brief intros) it was not meant to be a code manual. The name is "web DESIGN: the complete refrence"... if you want a code primer or refrence or beginners guide to making simple web pages get a different book. This book however gets you thinking about the issues of desinging usable websites that you probably never considered and that up until now, many books have been completely ignoring.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete reference is the word., May 28, 2000

By 

Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Web Design: The Complete Reference (Paperback)

More and more companies are using the web for e-commerce, e-business and e-learning. You have been tasked with the job of designing a web site that will not only build a client based but will also make your company stand out in the cyberspace community, where do you turn for the one book to guide you through it all?

Start by purchasing the WEB Design: The Complete Reference and begin to unlock the power of the web and the potential of unlimited customer base sales and support for your personal company or the fortune 500 mega power. This book has everything you need to create one of the most dynamic web sites.

In this 850 plus page encyclopedia of web design, you'll learn about core design issues, how to setup a site navigation and organization. You find information about page design and layout. You be given tools for adding images, creating form, menus and other web related items.

The book delves into web technology like HTML, CSS and XML. Also included is detailed information about Java Scripting, PERL and other web languages. Read about web technologies like CGI, Active X and other plug-ins and you'll be creating new pages and site in no time flat.

The book has a plethora of pictures, diagrams, tables, charts and most importantly coding examples making sure you understand the concepts completely. I was impressed by the amount of information included in the books and also by the accuracy and detail of the information.

The author also includes real world tips and tricks so you can see how everything fits into place. You will need a basic HTML and web design background as this book is more towards the high intermediate and advanced group. About the only shortcoming is no CD-rom with the usual freebies like banners, bullets and pre-written plug-ins and scripts. Still overall a very good value for the money.