Journal 1

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Journal #1:  Niederst, Robbins Jennifer. Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Web Graphics. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly, 2012. Print.

Summary:

Web design usually involves teams of designers, each with a specific job.  There is an interaction designer, User Experience Designer and a Visual/ Graphic Designer, as well as multimedia developer, content strategist and information architect.  A web designer must always have the user in mind.  O’Reilly distinguishes between frontend design and backend development.  Frontend design has more to do with how the user will see and use the page, while backend development has more to do with the programming and server management. 

HTML:  A markup language, which sets up the structure of the webpage.

CSS:  Is responsible for how the webpage looks.

JavaScript is a programming language that is responsible for what a webpage does.

The web is a way of sharing information in addition to file transfer and email.  The internet is the network of computers.  Servers allow sharing, or communication between computers. A domain name links to an IP address,  to be found on a server.  A URL is a pages address.  The source document contains text and HTML and CSS mark ups to define how the page will appear.  The graphics are accessed by the mark ups, such as in the Jen’s Kitchen example.

There is a lot to consider when designing webpages these days.  There are many different devices that it will be viewed on, with a few different ways to connect.  As designers, we also need to consider how the user will be viewing the page.  Are they in a hurry?  Are they sitting at a desk?  Do they have a small phone screen or a large monitor?  Sticking with the W3C standards will help to ensure uniformity.  Using the progressive enhancement strategy is one way to help with differing browser capabilities.  The designer starts with a very basic page that can be accessed by all, then adds layers of complexity.   Responsive web design uses CSS to allow the page to open in different ways depending on the size of the screen, therefore allowing for optimal user experience.

The Web Accessibility Initiative was started to ensure Web access for all.  For example, users with vision problems can use screen readers and users with limited use of their hands can use altered keyboards etc.

Would I be more of a frontend Designer or a Backend Developer?

I definitely find myself more drawn to frontend design.  As a frontend designer, I would need a good eye for design, as well as solid knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.  In addition, knowing about server side programming and database management would be beneficial.

What was the most interesting information you learned from this reading?

I found the explanation of how webpages and the web work to be very helpful and easy to understand.  I also learned that responsive web design can make pages easier to read on the iPhone, by breaking up the elements, and allowing them to be viewed larger without too much scrolling around.