Articles by Type
Articles
We publish articles on virtually every topic related to creating and maintaining websites—web design, web development, information architecture, business, and usability. Our volunteer authors and columnists are experts in their fields, offering insights, tutorials, and explorations of a wide range of subjects that talk directly to the professionals in our industry.
Behind the Curtain
"Behind the Curtain" will demystify the world of web programming, revealing it for the straightforward process it should be. Offering an insightful and experienced look on topics that every web developer should be aware of, columnist Jonathan Snook will cover subjects from protocols to frameworks to methodologies to examples.
Book Reviews
Publishers release thousands of web-related books each year. How effective, important, well-written, or useful are these guides? When a book is highly anticipated or looks particularly interesting, we publish a review by a staff member or contributing author, outlining who it’s written for, what you’ll learn, and if it’s worth your hard-earned money.
Code Sharp
The sophisticated use of X/HTML has moved beyond paragraphs, heading, lists, and using the class attribute. In this column, John Allsopp investigates the intelligent, cutting edge use of semantic HTML. These articles feature practical as well as theoretical discussions of HTML—and offshoots like microformats—to help you write code that’s sharper and smarter.
Design in Theory and Practice
“Design in Theory and Practice” is all about visual communication design for the web. This column will explore topics ranging from the fundamentals of design, to typography and motion, to some of the more advanced theoretical concepts surrounding the practice. Joshua David McClurg-Genevese will guide you through the core tenets of the profession using examples from a wide variety of sources including classical art and architecture, business, media and movies, the environment and, of course, the web. “Design in Theory and Practice” will provide a solid foundation for any web design endeavors, with insight and resources to enhance your daily design activities.
Interviews
Our timely exchanges with top industry experts in areas such as web design and development are informative and not to be missed. Whether it's an in-depth, entertaining profile or quickly touching base with our penetrating "Five Pertinent Questions," we talk with the web professionals who fascinate us most, and then share those conversations with you.
Product Reviews
Our detailed reviews of recently released software and hardware products are written by staff members and contributing authors. We only provide reviews of products that we consider of special interest to our readership, and don’t accept submissions or suggestions from manufacturers or their affiliates.
The Business End
Seven years ago, Nick Gould was lucky (no, “smart”) enough to associate himself with a group of practitioners of the then-fledgling craft of web usability and user interface design. Previous experiences as a corporate lawyer and internet business development executive offered little preparation for the myriad challenges and frustrations that awaited him as CEO of a small design consultancy doing its best to survive as the tectonic plates constantly shifted beneath our feet. Now that the Internet Marketplace has settled somewhat, this column will explore the business, project management, and client relations issues that confront web design professionals every day. Our response to these issues, both as individuals and as a community still actively struggling to write the rules of our own engagements, can determine the success or failure of our careers, our businesses, and our industry as a whole. So, at least when viewed in this light, the “business of usability” is vital.
The Carpenter's Workbench
Web designer, developer, and information architect Nathan Smith offers insights into web craftsmanship—that relentless pursuit of quality versus mediocrity. He advocates adherence to standards and best practices, not for the sake of following the rules, but to provide a consistently solid user experience. Topics range from business to content management, CSS to JavaScript—the tools of web professionals at work.
The Working Designer
In this compelling series, talented web designers choose one of their projects and walk us through their thought processes and workflows as they create exceptional designs. The column offers a unique opportunity to watch designers at work, seeing what inspires them, how they address challenges and solve problems, what motivates their choices, and how they work with clients and other team members.
View Source
View Source takes a close look at interface design and development. The smallest details can distort or damage the big picture, and this column takes on the challenges of skillfully refining every component, action, or bit of code. Early articles covered organizing CSS and JavaScript, cross-browser testing, semantics, and making all of your client-side technologies work together seamlessly. Well-known author Garrett Dimon has moved on to digging deeply into the best practices for the interface design and development process of applications as well as general websites. Join Garrett as he takes his magnifying glass to every aspect of the intersection between our work and our users.
Web Design 101
Part of the strength of the web design community comes from its willingness to share the latest tips, tricks, and techniques - but when it comes to resources for beginners, the sheer level of information (and sometimes disinformation) available on the web can be daunting. Written for beginners—or those who'd like a good review—each article in the "Web Design 101" column covers a single subject in depth, and is written by one of the best designers or coders in the industry.
Columnists Emeritus
Art of Interaction
When it comes to creating user interfaces, design and aesthetics are not just frills. Design should not simply take a back seat to function or content. Everyone agrees that a good user experience is important but many miss the fact that design plays an integral role. In his column, Art of Interaction, Didier Hilhorst will assess the importance of aesthetic quality in user interface design.
DigiSect
DigiSect is a column that deals with good design, color, and other such topics that are commonly overlooked by web designers. Stephen Van Doren delves into what design is all about, what colors evoke what emotion, and just how to break free from the common blue/green eCommerce suite. Stephen cites specific examples of both good and bad design, while at the same time offering a critical analysis to help everyone improve their designs.
IAnything Goes
Information Architecture is no longer an optional aspect of web site construction, and often dedicated information architects are not available to put together all the pieces. In IAnything Goes, Jeff Lash will show the importance of information architecture in the web development process, and how non-IAs can learn and incorporate information architecture concepts into their work in the converging world of information architecture, user-centered design, web development and business strategy.
Information Architecture for the People
Information Architecture has evolved from an emerging discipline to an important aspect of the website design process. No longer trying to define itself in every spare moment, information architecture is now more driven by its performance in the business world. In Information Architecture for the People, Joshua Kaufman will discuss the topics that are most relevant to current web design professionals including empowering tools and techniques, information architecture and business strategy, and emerging ideas with the field. It wouldn't be Information Architecture for the People without your ideas, feedback and insight so please join the discussion today!
Innovating the Web Experience
"Innovating the Web Experience" will provide insight and direction - ranging from high-level, strategic insight into the web, to practical, hands-on advice for designers and developers - intended to inspire a web design revolution. Despite the now-ubiquitous use of terms like "user-centered design" and "user experience," the sad truth is that most of the work being done is tried, tired and ultimately not going to make a meaningful business difference. Through a consideration, analysis and incorporation of everything from social and enterprise factors to the practical, day-to-day realities of being a web professional, columnist Dirk Knemeyer will help readers to expand their thinking and apply approaches and skills to create a better, and more innovative, web experience.
Keep It Simple
Keep It Simple is just what it says, a call to keep web design and web development as simple as possible. In this series of columns, Peter-Paul Koch will explore the reasons why some people think simple sites are boring sites and will explain how to find simple solutions for seemingly complex problems.
Pro Dot Con
ProDotCon is a column that shares rants and raves about the web industry. The column's author, Peter Fielding, covers a series of topics from web standards, web design, writing for the web, user experience, online communities, typography, and even the web business in general. The column is twelve issues long and spanned from March of 2001 to April of 2002.
The $ & Sense of IT
Alan K’necht has always done the math first and through these columns examines this missing part of the technology equation. He’ll show you not only how to calculate ROI for new projects, but also the cost of not doing the right thing.
Web 2.0 Design: Bootstrapping the Social Web
The one-sided, read-only Web 1.0 is nearing its end: Web 2.0 is upon us. This new paradigm, where participants contribute as well as listen, write as well as read, and influence as well as be influenced, is changing web design in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. In this column, Richard MacManus and Joshua Porter explore the new technologies that are making Web 2.0 happen, take a closer look at the new interfaces that demonstrate its power, and ponder the social effects it has on the people who both use and build it.
Wide Open
Wide Open examines the intricacies of usability and access in an ever-changing development environment. David Wertheimer, a designer and usability expert, delves into the hard, often overlooked decisions of utilizing advancing technology: When to push forward, how far to push, when to hold back, and how to slow down without guilt.
