I'm thinking Web Design?

[-Demosthenes-]

Sweet, how current should it be? The one I'm looking at is from 2002, too old?

[Klaynos]

Sweet, how current should it be? The one I'm looking at is from 2002, too old?

 

Not much has really changed, fashiones change, and XHTML and CSS should be slowly taking over from HTML.

 

http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/news

 

There's links tehre to all the old and new specs to try and see differnces....

[RyanJ]

Sweet, how current should it be? The one I'm looking at is from 2002, too old?

 

You don't really need a book, as long as you know HTML the conversion to XHTML is simple - have a read of the W3schools tutorials.

 

http://www.w3schools.com/xhtml/xhtml_intro.asp

 

-- Ryan Jones

[-Demosthenes-]

You don't really need a book' date=' as long as you know HTML the conversion to XHTML is simple - have a read of the W3schools tutorials.

 

http://www.w3schools.com/xhtml/xhtml_intro.asp

 

-- Ryan Jones [/quote']

I don't know HTML, so that might be a problem. I'm still thinking about wether I need more help than w3schools, I think I do. BTW, W3Schools say you can be certified with them, over the web Can that even work?

[DaveC426913]

Web Designer? PhotoShop!

 

What you're talking about is more Web Developer.

[mooeypoo]

Not precisely. Photoshop is not web design per sae, it is a helper in webdesign. Web design means the structure of a page (links, menu, and such), and while you are right that php/mysql and "advanced" coding is already a web developer, photoshop is not the only tool for web design.

 

If you work only with HTML or basic functions, you are a web designer, and you use WYSIWYG html programs with the assistance of photoshop.

 

But I agree on the suggestion -- photoshop rules. Make sure you understand how to manipulate image size to make it as small as possible for its quality, so that it loads fast, and you have a good webpage.

 

~moo

[Klaynos]

TBH a webdesigner to me is someone who comes up with what goes on the site, and the look of the site. I'd normally class my clients as webdesigners, they send me images and dev specs, I make their site a reality...

 

I read his original post, and took the interperation he was using as designer, as what I'd use as a developer...

[-Demosthenes-]

Yeah, I'm very knew at this. I just barely changed my major, I've been studying history

[Sayonara]

When you say "strictly xhtml" does that mean without learning html?

No.

 

XHTML is delivered in three "flavours", and any one document can have only one flavour.

 

The flavours are frameset, transitional, and strict.

 

Strict XHTML is the most demanding in terms of having accurate and well-formed code. It is easiest to learn strict from the start, so that you quickly become familiar with the full requirements of XHTML. This will result in valid pages, simpler search engine optimisation, and easier adoption of XML when it takes over the planet.

 

Most books I can find pair xhtml with html (or javascript). Should I be avoiding html?

XHTML1 is basically HTML4, but with a couple of specific rules added, and several tags deprecated out of the specification.

 

Don't buy a book. Use the specs on the w3's web site, or any of the totally free resources on the web. Why throw money away on something that is available for free?

 

Web Designer? PhotoShop!

 

What you're talking about is more Web Developer.

Photoshop is all very well' date=' but most designers like to know things like how to correct or manipulate the image maps and rollovers etc that ImageReady generates.

 

You can't build a career in web design on the basis of the ability to use one proprietary package. What happens when the client asks you to design a Flash version of the site, that can interact with the back-end developer's PHP scripts? Or if they use an XML-XSLT pagemill?

 

You should also consider that more than half the visual structure and decoration on any credible modern web document is done via CSS, which means the designer MUST understand the requisite concepts.

 

I think when you hear "web design" you are probably thinking of a graphical designer, who happens to be working for a web project. Does that sound about right?

 

TBH a webdesigner to me is someone who comes up with what goes on the site, and the look of the site. I'd normally class my clients as webdesigners, they send me images and dev specs, I make their site a reality...

 

I read his original post, and took the interperation he was using as designer, as what I'd use as a developer...

It's a blurry line, because most designers have and use plenty of development skills, and probably vice versa.

 

I would categorise a developer as someone whose role involves building web and server applications. That means that HTML and CSS (static or generated) are pretty much shared between developers and designers.

 

 

I think it is important to remember here that "design" does not merely mean "arty farty drawing 'n' shit."

 

A well designed site is one that has been structured and planned properly, uses intuitive workflows, and so on... there's a lot more to it than putting rounded corners on boxes and creating translucent buttons, and a good understanding of the applicable technologies is essential for anyone who wants to actually do it as a career. It's not like there is no competition.

[-Demosthenes-]

XHTML is delivered in three "flavours"' date=' and any one document can have only one flavour.

[...']

XHTML1 is basically HTML4, but with a couple of specific rules added, and several tags deprecated out of the specification.

 

Don't buy a book. Use the specs on the w3's web site, or any of the totally free resources on the web. Why throw money away on something that is available for free?

 

Because I unconsciencely associate learning with print media (schools always use textbooks ).

 

So I'll be looking at "strict" XHTML then, thanks for explaning that, I think I'll be okay now .

[Klaynos]

If you get any questions or problems, ask here. I would have thought one of us would know the answer.