Raising Web Standards

The article “Where Our Standards Went Wrong” by Ethan Marcotte was a very interesting read and helped me understand the area of web standards better. This article first mentions the division that exists between web standards advocates today. The first position takes a hardline stance and states that if the conventions of a language aren’t followed then we are producing something that’s invalid. The second position takes a pragmatic view and states that the invalid code caused by broken tools and third-party code shouldn’t nullify our commitment to web standards.

It’s hard in this day and age to build a site that is standards-compliant because once third-party advertising codes, etc. have finished with the once-valid markup, things can turn ugly. Even though these sites end up having invalid code, they still look okay in the browser so it seems pointless to make the final code perfect. But this can lead to many problems in the future. That is why there are many benefits to building websites within web standards. These include shorter development cycles, lower maintenance costs, quicker page load times, an increase in site’s accessibility, device independence, a metric it can be measured against, and the knowledge that your site is compliant with future browsers. Validation is an ongoing process that will continue long after the site launches. It’s also important to figure out these errors in markup for a website before it goes live and causes lots of extra time and trouble for web developers to figure out. Even though sites with invalid code can look the same as valid, well-coded sites, they end up costing much more to maintain.

While I understood the gist of this article, I didn’t know all the meanings of certain words or programs that were mentioned throughout it. This is because I don’t quite know all the lingo involved with building websites yet. Considering that I have only worked in HTML and CSS in Dreamweaver, I have a hard time understanding how it could get so complicated. Although there might be more efficient or easier ways to code, Dreamweaver is very consistent in making sure markup is valid. Being able to preview my websites has made it easy to see if something has gone wrong in the markup. So based on what I read in the article and the experience I do have with coding, I agree with Marcotte that error-free markup is essential. It will save so much time in the future and make things easier to change if code is done right the first time!

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Marcotte, Ethan. (2007). Where Our Standards Went Wrong. A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 233.    
         http://www.alistapart.com/articles/whereourstandardswentwrong/

Read My Design

The article “Reading Design” by Dean Allen is a focus on the importance of good typography choices and the ability to read design. He uses an example by Warren Chappell who wrote the book A Short History of the Printed Word. Allen was blown away by the way the elements on the page—the body type and typesetting— gave the words on the page an “organic, breathing presence”. Everything on the page seemed to be visually perfect, from the margins to the text block to the illustration placements. Allen suggests that this method of designing like Chappell will benefit designers if they view their work as being written rather than assembled. 

Allen points out that as designers, we can’t just arrange words on the page. We have to carefully think about the meaning of the word(s) and make the best typographic decisions possible. As he states, “the primary goal of communication design [is] to make vital, engaging work intended above all to be read. To use design to communicate.” Text should no longer be considered a graphic element. Text is and should be meant to be read. As a designer, one way to get better at readability is to not be ignorant of what editors do and to study what they know and learn from them. Allen strongly suggests that “above all, read what you are designing, and imagine reading it for the first time, like someone who just found it.”

Through this article, I was a little confused about the meaning of the word “read” since there are various meanings. Read can refer to the ability to understand what is being said but it could also refer to the legibility, like whether the typographic appearance is able to be read. I think this article is probably stressing the idea of both, but it’s hard to know for sure what one they consider more important. Although, my guess is that each is equally important. 

One thing I thought was interesting that Allen brought up in the article was how a designer’s work is like an extension of himself. I have noticed quite often how when a designer, and this includes myself, is critiqued for their work, it is taken more as a attack on them personally. As a designer, I am realizing that I need to be more open to critiques and to separate myself from my designs. It’s important to hear a solid unbiased critique as design isn’t and shouldn’t be subjective and I shouldn’t design based only on what I like. These critiques are the best way for me to learn and grow as a designer. But I also need to try new things or I won’t learn, and this article has challenged me to think more outside the box and to explore different typographic elements.

-k

Allen, Dean. (2001). Reading Design. A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 128. 

          http://www.alistapart.com/articles/readingdesign/

It's All About Community

One aspect that many websites implement is community, where users can engage with the site itself but also with each other. This is most commonly seen in social media websites, but is also seen in many other sites as well as they try to get user interaction and feedback. In the article “Community: From Little Things, Big Things Grow” by George Oates, it talks about the strategies she has learned from starting up the photo-sharing site called Flickr. She’s been excited and challenged from the users, not just from their beautiful photography, but also in how to use Flickr’s infrastructure in ways she wouldn’t have envisioned. Throughout the process, she’s come to embrace that “people will warp and stretch your site in ways you can’t predict–they’ll surprise you with their creativity and make something wonderful with what you provide.” 

One strategy she’s learned from this is to give people fewer rules to follow and people will be more creative. She saw Flickr as a playing field without any rules so that users had to figure out their own “way to play”. Many Flickr groups have sprung out based on specific areas of conversation like photography techniques or “Guess Where” groups where people try to identify where mysterious photos were taken in their town. There are no specific rules to engagement which leaves the members to interact how they like. Another plan of action for Oates in order to grow the site was communicating with members by chatting or providing public forums which allowed members to asked questions. Oates suggests hiring a community manager in order to help welcome and support a growing community. A third strategy of Oates was making Flickr feel personal. She was really focused on copy in order to make it sound human. The site design is also plain and simple so that it’s straightforward and easy to use. This also won’t take away from the main subject of the site, which are the photographs. A few other strategies Oates mentions: let users creates their own path which allows for a unique experience, allow users to chose whether to share their identity or remain anonymous, implement user “commandments” or guidelines once the site grows, allow variation for all sorts of users, and lastly be open as a designer by sharing your own content and making contacts. Social media sites are meant to be an exciting way to share about yourself so why not join in on the fun you’ve created!

I really enjoy social media sites, but I’ve always been a little apprehensive of them as well. It’s a great way to communicate quickly, to share photos and ideas, and to keep in contact with people. I just fear that social media is taking over real world, face-to-face interactions which I think are so key in communicating. I also find it can be highly distracting as I find myself drifting onto social media sites while doing my homework. I enjoy Facebook to a degree as I like staying in contact with friends from high school and family and friends that live far away. But so many people post about every little thing they do, what they’re feeling, and other things that seem to personal and probably should be shared privately. As a designer, though, I personally love design and craft sites. I’m really addicted to Pinterest, as is obvious from my 1,753 pins and 974 likes! Other sites that I’ve recently discovered and am excited to check out more are Designspiration, Image Spark, and Wookmark where there are lots of great designs to be inspired by!

-k

Oates, George. (2008). Community: From Little Things, Big Things Grow. A List Apart: For People Who Make 

          Websites, 258. http://www.alistapart.com/articles/fromlittlethings/