Thanks for those thoughts and links, Georg. I will check them out and run up on your philosophical perspectives.
Rick > -----Original Message----- > From: Gunlaug Sørtun [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 10:28 AM > To: Rick Faircloth > Subject: Re: [css-d] Float list items > > Rick Faircloth wrote: > > On a practical note... > > ...which I prefer to respond to "off list". > > > I've been wanting to find a tutorial on constructing CSS based > > websites that demonstrates best-practice methodology. > > You'll only find loads of "personal preferences" - practices that works > well for a person or a small group with more or less the same mindset. > "Best practice" is still a mix of facts and fiction, where "fiction" is > what some _think_ is best but haven't actually tested in depth. > > > By that, I mean what is the best order to follow in constructing a > > site, start-to-finish? > > The "best" order is actually: any order, or disorder, that works for > you, and results in something that works for as many as possible - > preferably all but that's not always possible. > > > I typically start with a design, then code the CSS and HTML to make > > the design happen. > > That seems to be how most designers do it. That's also usually how > developers have to do it when presented with a visual design. > > > However, I've been wondering lately, if I shouldn't code the HTML > > content, without any design applied, then start applying design. > > That's how many developers do it - more or less, when designing > something from scratch. > > > This would help focus my attention on the semantic aspects of the > > site, followed by the style of the site, which is also the order of > > importance... content first, then style second. > > > > Are there any tutorials that could walk me through such an approach? > > I prefer to learn-by-doing, rather than just read about the > > philosophy. > > Maybe <http://www.htmldog.com/> will work. I've never really looked into > it and it is a bit old, but some say it's a good place to start. > > > I could do it on my own, but by working with a pre-coded and designed > > site, I can focus more on the methodology rather than the technical > > aspects. > > Pre-coded and designed sites becomes outdated in a short time, so using > one as base means you'll be working with yesterday's methodology and > solutions to design-problems. That's not always bad, as long as you're > aware of the limited value some of the old stuff has. > > > I can only offer "philosophical views" on the design-process... > <http://www.gunlaug.no/contents/wd_additions_11.html> > ...and a few tricks. > > I always design at html level, so my work will usually come through > quite well at that level... > <http://www.delorie.com/web/lynxview.cgi?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gunlaug.no%2Fcontents%2Fwd_addit > ions_11.html> > > I include all sides of web design and development in the term "design", > so "visual design" is just a small part of it all. > HTML, CSS, Javascript etc. are tools - different painting-tools if you > like, and I like to paint on all media that are available to me across > the web... > <http://www.gunlaug.no/contents/wd_1_04.html> > <http://www.gunlaug.no/contents/wd_1_04_01.html> > <http://www.gunlaug.no/contents/wd_1_05.html> > This "extended canvas" is constantly changing, so it sometimes feels as > if I am "painting on water in the midst of a stream". > > The only "constant" I use is an old and well-tuned HTML Tidy... > <http://www.gunlaug.no/contents/wd_1_07.html> > ...but that option is of less value for web designers today since all > recent versions of Tidy seem to have been "made useless by default" and > almost impossible to make to work properly. Even the Tidy attached to > the HTML validator is "no good" IMO, because it's infected with > "personal preferences". > > Sites like <http://www.webaim.org/>, <http://accessites.org/site/> and > <http://www.accessifyforum.com/> can be very useful, but you'll have to > develop a sense of what's useful and what isn't, as "personal > preferences", "quick fixes" and "lack of will and testing" will always > have to be sorted - especially on the forum. > > > Apart from that it's "persistence" and "testing, testing and more > testing", that is the key. If you aim at developing good strategies, > then you will. It may just take a while until you reach a "comfort > level", and once that is reached you can't afford to slow down if you > want to keep up. Web design/development is still in its infancy. > > regards > Georg > -- > http://www.gunlaug.no ______________________________________________________________________ css-discuss [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.css-discuss.org/mailman/listinfo/css-d List wiki/FAQ -- http://css-discuss.incutio.com/ List policies -- http://css-discuss.org/policies.html Supported by evolt.org -- http://www.evolt.org/help_support_evolt/
