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Introduction 5

Programmers discover how to more effectively control browser elements in

order to build Web clients that are as interactive and efficient as traditional

Windows applications. Designers see how to create attractive, coherent Web

sites. Beginners will find the book to be an effective tutorial introduction to

CSS; experienced users will find it a useful, up-to-date reference.

For designers, would-be designers,

programmers, and developers alike

The book is written for a broad audience: designers, would-be designers,

programmers, developers, and even small office staff or individuals who

want their Web pages to come alive. In other words, the book is valuable to

everyone who wants to design more effective Web pages and do the work

more efficiently.

The book shows how to exploit validators to ferret out errors in your code, and

how to solve design problems using utilities, features, hidden shortcuts, and

other CSS techniques.

The book is also for would-be designers who want to get involved in creating,

customizing, or improving Web page design, but just don’t know how to get

started. Whether you want to sell cars, create a good-looking blog, or are

interested in creating a great visual impression, you’ll find what you need in

this book. The book is filled with useful advice about design (what looks good,

what looks bad, and what looks just plain boring). And you get plenty of prac-

tical, real-world CSS examples, including

Following best design practices

Managing text effectively


Using the rule of thirdsfor effective overall page design

Creating dynamic, animated effects such as fades and moving shadows

Making do in a shaky economy ...........................................................

No matter what they tell us from the bully pulpit, we know how shaky the econ-

omy is, don’t we? The primary trend in nearly all industries today is toward

making do with less: fewer workers, less time to complete tasks, and stretch-

ing resources as much as possible. This trend demands improved productiv-

ity. Some offices respond by letting some of the staff go and heaping additional

work on the remaining employees. In many cases, a more successful long-term

tactic is to improve the general efficiency of the staff, downsized or not.

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