A Practical Guide to: Designing for the Web

This little book is about graphic design. It’s a book about the craft of graphic design practice as applied to the web. It’s not a book about CSS or Usability. I may well touch on those subjects throughout, but only to support a point I’m making in relation to design.
Web design should use the principles of graphic design, but the topic of web design tends to focus on web standards, browser technology, user behaviour and backend development. Many web design books touch on some elements of graphic design, but they usually address the subject briefly and superficially. Even most graphic design books just show pretty pictures of other people’s work. There are not enough books outlining the principles, practicalities and tools of the graphic design trade.
Who Should Read This Book?
A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web is for people who want to learn the basics of graphic design and apply them to their web designs—producing more efective, polished, detailed and professional sites. It’s also helpful for graphic designers who want to brush up on the basics or learn how to integrate what they already know about design with the demands and quirks of designing specifically for the web.
Some Assumptions
That although the book contains little HTML or CSS, it assumes that you have a working knowledge of web standards.
That you work in web design and development. Business owners and managers and others who want a well—designed site may also benefit from reading this book, but the book is directed at the people who plan and create websites.
That this book doesn’t aim to be a definitive guide to web design or graphic design. It simply presents some of the theory, tips and processes I’ve learnt in the past fifteen years.