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Bibliography
Journal Articles (top)
Boyd, A. & Bruce, N. (2008 January). What goes into good Web design? A report on the new ACS Web site. Journal of Chemical Education, 85(1), 20-21.
This is a short and well written article that discusses design factors that helped improve the American Chemical Society’s website, which was redesigned in September 2007. The authors of the article are Adam Boyd and Natasha Bruce. Boyd is Web Associate of the American Chemical Society, and Bruce is a Senior Web Editor in its education division. They give several examples of how user testing and changes in the site’s design improved its usability, findability, and functionality. This article provides good example of design elements in use.
Paulos, L. (2007). Building Pages. Career World, 36(2), 16.
This is a brief and concise article that explores a day in the life of a Web site developer. The author interviews Alison Walsh, one of the people responsible for maintaining The-n.com, the official site of the The N television network. The discussion reveals the tasks involved in Web site maintenance such as writing, HTML coding, and graphic design. The article also includes a handy inset that summarizes the educational requirements, salaries, and career outlook for the industry.
Perugini, S. & Ramakrishnan, N. (2006 July/August). Interacting with Web hierarchies. IT Pro, 19-28.
A resource for more experienced designers, this article discusses Web site interfaces and information hierarchies. The authors, Saverio Perugini and Naren Ramakrishnan, are computer science professors at the University of Dayton and Virginia Tech, respectively. They identify and expound upon three features that interfaces to information hierarchies should include - flexible navigation orders, the ability to expose and explore dependencies, and support for procedural tasks - and offer some examples of these features. This is a great resource for designers and developers of commerce websites.
Singh, S. N., Dajal, N., Spears, N. (2005). Understanding Web home page perception. European Journal of Information Systems, 14(3), 288-24.
Every Web site needs a good homepage that directs visitors to the resources they want. The authors of Understanding Web homepage perception discuss how Web site users view homepages and how they are affection by this impression. While the content of the discussion is in-depth and covers useful concepts such as usability and site architecture, the language is a bit stodgy. The article is also 14 pages long. As a result, this article wouldn’t be suitable for designers wanting quick tips and suggestions. However, if the designer is conducting a study, this article would be a great addition to the research.
The authors of this article are Surendra N. Singh, Nik Dalal, Nancy Spears. All are published university professors. Their interests and backgrounds in marketing and information systems make them authoritative sources.
Books (top)
Lopuck, L. (2006). Web design for dummies, 2nd Edition. New York: Wiley Publishing
Like most “…For Dummies” titles, Web Design for Dummies is written for the beginning to intermediate practitioner. One of the most useful characteristics of this book is the fact that it’s not very technical. Instead, the author focuses on principles and general ideas about what makes sense for page layout. This is a great book for those who are just beginning to get into Web design. It might not be very useful to experienced designers, but it could serve as a refresher tool. The table of contents, index, and graphics increase navigability through the book.
The author, Lisa Lopuck, is a well-known expert on user interface design. She 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. Lopuck also speaks at conferences and teaches seminars at colleges and universities.
McNeil, P. (2008). The Web designer's idea book: the ultimate guide to themes, trends and styles in Website design. Cincinnati, Ohio: HOW Books.
Author Patrick McNeil is a Web designer, programmer, writer and project manager who has worked in the Web industry for eight years. He shares his expertise with designers in the form of an idea book. This resource is for the designer who has occasional creative blocks and needs inspiration. It is full of images of actual Web pages. The table of contents arranges the examples by site type, layout, color, design style and more. With over 200 pages, this heavily illustrated book is a great desk reference tool for designers.
Rubenstein, C. P. (2007). Crash course in Web design for libraries. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.
Now more than ever, libraries need good Web sites that help carry out their missions and guide patrons to the resources they need. This book is an essential tool for inexperienced librarians who need to create a Web site for their library. It has slightly more than 200 pages and a logical table of contents and index that help users find desired information. The topics covered include navigation, form, typeface, images, lists, and tables. The author creates a fictional library, the Red Rose Library, and guides readers through the design process by creating a site for the library. Based on the appearance of the sample site, this book shouldn’t be used for large libraries in need of complicated Web sites.
Charles P. Rubenstein is a lecturer and professor of Information Science and Engineering. He has developed Web sites for professional societies and educational institutions since 1996. The book is published by Libraries Unlimited, a very reputable publisher of library related literature.
Van Duyne, D. K., & Landay, J. A., & Hong, J. I. (2007). The design of sites: patterns for creating winning Web sites (2ND ed). New York: Prentice Hall.
The message this book delivers is simple: don’t reinvent the wheel. By recognizing and expounding upon the patterns and themes of various types of Web sites, the authors help designers generate design ideas. The book has many convenient checklists that cover the "dos" and "donts" of Web site design. Screen shots, diagrams, images, and color-coded sections allow easy use and reference. Beginning designers may find use in this book, however, ones with more experience would benefit more from this title since it includes advanced concepts such as AJAX and design for mobile devices.
The authors, Douglas K. van Duyne, James A. Landay, and Jason I. Hong, all have computer science backgrounds and experience in Web design. Two are university professors. Prentice Hall is a reputable educational publisher.
Newspaper Articles (top)
Gomes, L. (2007 June 12). Business technology – talking tech – good site, bad site: evolving Web design. Wall Street Journal (Eastern edition), B.3.
This resource is an interview with Bruce Temkin with the firm Forrester Research. Forrester Research is a research company that provides its clients with advice about technology's impact on business and consumers. It’s a short and concise article that provides a professional analysis of what design aspects are effective and which aren’t. Practical examples offer insight into the principles most necessary to create effective Web site interfaces. This is an appropriate resource for designers wanting to improve their site’s usability.
Venouziou, E. (2008 September 28). Is Web design for you? St. Petersburg Times (Florida), 1F.
This article is a must-read for novice designers. It is an interview of three Web design entrepreneurs who share the advantages and disadvantages of working in the industry and owning their own company. The language is clear and the piece is less than 500 words. The interviewees are objective in their reflections and don’t advocate a particular position.
Web articles (top)
George Mason University. (n.d.). Web design principles checklist. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/Webdesign.htm.
This resource is a straight-forward and comprehensive checklist of principles to consider when creating a Web site. It can be used by beginning or advanced Web designers. The list includes factors such as audience needs and interests, purpose of the site, content, and graphics. The author, Virginia Montecino, was a professor at George Mason University and was involved in enhancing teaching and learning with technology for many years. This checklist is a great tool to use when designing sites.
Beaird, J. (2007 April 2). The principles of beautiful Web design. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from http://www.sitepoint.com/article/principles-beautiful-Web-design/.
This Web-based article is intended for the experienced Web designer who sometimes has trouble generating design ideas. It walks the reader through the many aspects of Web design, including discovery (establishing purpose) and implementation. The author is an experienced graphic designer and goes into considerable detail discussing concepts such as unity, balance, continuity, isolation, and contrast. This is a fantastic resource for Web designers seeking comprehensive design advice.
Websites (top)
Librarians’ Internet Index. (n.d.) General Web Design Resources. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from http://lii.org/pub/subtopic/2071.
Provides links to a variety of Web design reference sites. Topics covered include HTML, CSS, and usability. All the linked sites were updated in 2005. Although many of the site descriptions say the resources can be used by beginners, the actual content seems more appropriate for advanced designers.
Kyrnin, J. (2008). About.com: Web design/html. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from http://Webdesign.about.com.
Jennifer Kyrnin has been a professional Web developer since 1995 and has experience maintaining large and small Web sites. She shares her expertise through Webdesign.about.com. According to Kyrnin, Webdesign.about.com is a forum for those who create Web pages. The site has plenty of information about Web design, new HTML, CSS, and XML standards and also provides updates about Web conferences and Web development news. The homepage links to a page that discusses Web design basics and lists resources for designers who want to become more familiar with design fundamentals. The author’s writing style is not intimidating. Webdesign.about.com is a good resource for Web designers with limited experience.
Lynch, P. & Horton. S. (2002). Web style guide, 2nd edition. Retrieved November 15, 2008 from http://www.Webstyleguide.com.
Webstyleguide.com is the Web site companion to the book with the same name. It seems to be prepared for beginning and intermediate designers and discusses design aspects such as interface design, site design, page design, typography, editorial style, and graphics. The authors are Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton. Lynch is the Director of Special Technology Projects in the Office of the ITS Director at Yale University's Information Technology Services. Horton is the director of Web Strategy, Design, and Infrastructure at Dartmouth College. Both have put together a thorough and very useful resource.
Lynda.com. (2008). November 15, 2008 from http://www.lynda.com.
Lynda.com is a Web site that features tools for Web designers who want to expand their skills. It features podcasts, tutorials, articles, and free online training courses for using various Web development applications. The site is easy to headings are intuitive, which allows users to navigate the site easily. Lynda.com’s founder and creator, Lynda Weinman, wrote the very first industry book on Web design and has worked as a consultant for Adobe, Macromedia, and Microsoft. This website is a great resource for Web designers of various skill levels.
Web Design Group. Html help. Retrieved November 15, 2008 from http://www.htmlhelp.com.
By way of this site, the Web Design Group provides resources for the advanced Web designer. According to the “About” page, “the Web Design Group is comprised of a team of globally recognized Web authoring experts who came together in 1996 to provide guidance and instruction to Web authors at all stages of development.” The resources they provide include cascading style sheet guides, HTML validation, and accessibility guides. Some of the more unique features of this site are the HTML and CSS guides written in German, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish. The site is divided into seven main sections: reference, tools, forums, archives, helpful links, design elements, and feature articles. The comprehensiveness of this site makes it a good resource for designers with intermediate to advanced skills.
W3 Schools. (2008). W3 schools. Retrieved November 15, 2008 http://www.w3schools.com/.
W3Schools is one of the most popular Web design and development sites on the Web. It offers lots of free tutorials and reference tools for designers of all skill levels. The tutorials are easy to follow and cover topics such as XML, CSS, XHTML, and of course, HTML. W3Schools.com is an excellent resource Web designers wanting to learn new skills or experienced designer who want to update their skills.
Presentations (top)
Thompson, T. Universal design and the Web: strategies and techniques. Retrieved November 15, 2008 from http://connect.educause.edu/Library/Abstract/UniversalDesignandtheWebS/38346. (requires free Real Media player)
This resource is an audio file of a presentation at the 2004 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference. The presentation provided strategies for addressing Web accessibility in higher education. The presenter, Terry Thompson, also shared techniques regarding the accessibility of HTML, multimedia, Macromedia Flash, and Adobe PDF. The presentation is only 54 minutes, which requires Terry to hurry through a lot of information. However, since it’s an audio file, listeners are able stop and start is when necessary. Experienced Web designers would benefit most from this resource.
Terry Thompson is a Technology Accessibility Specialist at the University of Washington. He has presented at numerous national conferences, seminars and workshops on the topic of technology accessibility, and has consulted with local and state government, private industry, and K-12 and postsecondary education entities on technology access issues.
Ulrich, M. R. Web design principles: the nitty gritty. Adapted from Web design: the complete reference, by Thomas Powell. (2005). Retrieved November 15, 2008, from www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/presentations/Web%20Design%20Principles%20The%20Nitty%20Gritty.ppt.
This is a neatly organized and thorough powerpoint presentation that covers many important Web design aspects. Content suggests the presentation is geared towards intermediate designers. The progression through the slides is logical, and key information is bolded to get the readers’ attention. Concepts discusses include fonts, layouts, homepages, subpages, and page setup. The file is conveniently accessible from any location with Internet connectivity.
The presentation was published by Melanie Ulrich, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Although her background is in literature, she seems to be knowledgeable about Web design and related concepts.