[webdev] Web Design Update: August 16, 2012

Laura Carlson lcarlson at d.umn.edu
Thu Aug 16 06:33:02 CDT 2012 

+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 10, Issue 08, August 16, 2012.

An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web
design and development.

++ISSUE 08 CONTENTS.

SECTION ONE: New references.
What's new at the Web Design Reference site?
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
New links in these categories:

01: ACCESSIBILITY.
02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
03: DREAMWEAVER.
04: EVALUATION & TESTING.
05: JAVASCRIPT.
06: MISCELLANEOUS.
07: NAVIGATION.
08: STANDARDS, GUIDELINES & PATTERNS.
09: TOOLS.
10: USABILITY.


SECTION TWO:
11: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

[Contents ends.]


++ SECTION ONE: New references.

+01: ACCESSIBILITY.

Not All Students Are Treated Equally in Today's Digital Era - A Call
for Accessible Technology in Higher Education
By Sean Devine.
"...While the education industry has taken steps to improve
accessibility in recent years, there is still a long way to go to
level the playing field for all students. Education technology
providers need to be accountable and ensure their offerings are
accessible to students with print-related disabilities. Faculty and
administrative officials have a responsibility to select only
accessible products for the classroom. Together, we can ensure that no
student is left behind as a result of his or her print-related
disability as we continue our path in the digital revolution of higher
education. "
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sean-devine/not-all-students-are-trea_b_1752292.html

A New Standard for PDF Accessibility: PDF/UA
By Matt May.
"After many years of work and with contributions from individuals
around the globe, the August 7, 2012 publication of ISO Standard
14289-1, better known as PDF/UA, marks one of the most significant
developments in the evolution of the popular and widely used Portable
Document Format (PDF). The publication and availability of PDF/UA will
encourage the production of PDF files that are more consistently
accessible to persons with disabilities..."
http://blogs.adobe.com/accessibility/2012/08/pdf-ua.html

5 Reasons Businesses Should Take Web Accessibility Seriously
By Philip J Reed.
"Too many businesses make the mistake of dismissing web accessibility
as irrelevant, but the assumption that accessibility issues concern
only a small segment of would-be customers is a potentially
profit-damaging misstep..."
http://webaxe.blogspot.com/2012/08/5-reasons-businesses-should-take-web.html

How Well Do Ontario Library Web Sites Meet New Accessibility Requirements?
By Joanne Oud.
"New changes to Ontario law will require library web sites to comply
with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, version 2.0 (WCAG 2.0).
This study evaluates 64 Ontario university, college, and public
library web sites to see how well they comply with WCAG 2.0 guidelines
at present. An average of 14.75 accessibility problems were found per
web page. The most common problems included invalid html, poor color
contrast, incorrect form controls and labels, missing alt text, bad
link text, improper use of headings, using html to format pages, using
absolute units of measure, and issues with tables and embedded
objects..."
http://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/1613/2520


+02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.

Resolution in Media Queries
By girliemac.
"...decided to post a few short topics from my last presentation, and
my first topic off the preso is about CSS resolution..."
http://girliemac.com/blog/2012/08/03/resolution-in-media-queries/

'Old' Flexbox and 'New' Flexbox
By Chris Coyier.
"Just so everyone is clear on this: "Flexbox" (more specifically: CSS
Flexible Box Layout Module) has undergone a lot of changes in the last
three years. Changes both to the spec and what browsers have
implemented..."
http://css-tricks.com/old-flexbox-and-new-flexbox/

CSS Style Guides
By Chris Coyier.
"As we wrap up our recent poll on ordering CSS properties, it brings
up the larger issue of CSS style guides. Ordering properties is just
one choice you have to make that makes up a complete styling strategy.
Naming is a part of it. Sectioning is a part of it. Commenting,
indentation, overall file structure... it all makes up a complete CSS
style guide..."
http://css-tricks.com/css-style-guides/

Enhancing Boxes with CSS3 Bling
By Chris Mills.
"...In this chapter you'll learn new ways to (tastefully) add
graphical effects to your sites programmatically without having to use
millions of background images. You'll start by looking at some basic
isolated examples and then advance to more involved implementations.
So put on your sequined disco clothes, jangle your change, and prepare
to strut your funky stuff..."
http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1925240

Learning to Love the Boring Bits of CSS
By Peter Gasston.
"The future of CSS gives us much to be excited about: On the one hand,
there's a whole range of new methods that are going to revolutionize
the way we lay out pages on the web; on the other, there's a new set
of graphical effects that will allow on-the-fly filters and shaders.
People love this stuff. Magazines and blogs are full of articles about
them. But if these tools are the show ponies of CSS, then it's time to
give some love to the carthorses of the language. Learn why 'boring
bits' like selectors, units, and functions will be revolutionary to
the way we work-albeit in humble, unassuming ways."
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/love-the-boring-bits-of-css/


+03: DREAMWEAVER.

Building Better Websites with Dreamweaver Site Definitions
By Tom Negrino.
"To set up a new website with Dreamweaver, you have to begin by
creating a site definition. Though Dreamweaver makes setup easy, it
has some pitfalls that can trip up the unwary. Tom Negrino, coauthor
of Dreamweaver CS6: Visual QuickStart Guide, guides us step by step
through the process of site definition..."
http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=1927382


+04: EVALUATION & TESTING.

5 Ways A Task Analysis Results In Great Design
By Susan Weinschenk.
"A task analysis is the one document that really spells out what the
users' experience is going to be before you design anything at all..."
http://www.theteamw.com/2012/08/10/5-ways-a-task-analysis-results-in-great-design/


+05: JAVASCRIPT.

Javascript Fundamentals - Development for Absolute Beginners
By Bob Tabor.
"Want to learn a different language? Over the course of 21 episodes,
our friend Bob Tabor from www.LearnVisualStudio.net will teach you the
fundamentals of Javascript programming. Tune in to learn concepts
applicable to web based videogames, enhanced user interfaces, and
dynamic web pages..."
http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/Javascript-Fundamentals-Development-for-Absolute-Beginners


+06: MISCELLANEOUS.

Responsive Design and Retina Images - Skating to Where the Puck Will Be
By Marc Drummond.
"...I believe the <picture> element provides the best way forward..."
http://marcdrummond.com/responsive-web-design/2012/08/10/responsive-design-retina-images

Workflows In A Responsive World - From Waterfall To Agile
By Steven Bradley.
"...Things seem to be moving from a mostly sequential and structured
waterfall process to an iterative and incremental agile process..."
http://www.vanseodesign.com/web-design/responsive-workflows/

The Many Faces of Mobile First
By Brad Frost.
"We see the phrase 'mobile first' everywhere. Luke Wroblewski
definitely struck a nerve when he coined the phrase a few years ago
and created an important battle cry as we head into this multi-screen
future. Luke's definition of mobile first consists of three core
components..."
http://bradfrostweb.com/blog/mobile/the-many-faces-of-mobile-first/

The Top Responsive Web Design Problems ... And How to Avoid Them!
By James Young.
"James Young recently surveyed his fellow designers about the biggest
problems they face on responsive sites. Here, he reports on the
results - and offers his solutions..."
http://www.netmagazine.com/features/top-responsive-web-design-problems-and-how-avoid-them


+07: NAVIGATION.

Why Glossaries Help Users Find Information
By Tom Johnson.
"One findability technique commonly ignored in help applications is
the glossary. A glossary defines key terms in an application. How does
it assist with findability? A glossary helps users know the right
words so that they can be effective with their searches. After all,
how do users find what they're looking for unless they know the right
words?"
http://idratherbewriting.com/2012/08/09/why-glossaries-help-users-find-information/


+08: STANDARDS, GUIDELINES & PATTERNS.

HTML5 and CSS3 Fundamentals - Development for Absolute Beginners
By Bob Tabor.
"Want to learn a different language? Over the course of 21 episodes,
our friend Bob Tabor from www.LearnVisualStudio.net will teach you the
fundamentals of HTML5 & CSS3 programming. Tune in to learn concepts
about web pages, CSS3 styles and HTML5 features..."
http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/HTML5-CSS3-Fundamentals-Development-for-Absolute-Beginners


+09: TOOLS.

Responsive Design Bookmarklet
By Victor Coulon.
"a handy tool for responsive design testing"
http://responsive.victorcoulon.fr/

Responsive Web Design Testing Tool
By Matt Kersley.
This tool has been built to help with testing your responsive websites
while you design and build them..."
http://mattkersley.com/responsive/


+10: USABILITY.

How and Why Icons Improve Your Web Design
By Nikolaj Mertz.
"In our everyday life there are icons everywhere. You can find them on
any interface, road sign, keyboard, you name it. Icons help us to
better understand and interpret information. Not only offline, but
also online can icons help us to support content. Therefore it is
important to understand how and why to use them. Let's take a look at
why you should include icons in your web design and how to do it most
effectively."
http://blog.usabilla.com/how-and-why-icons-improve-you-web-design/

Re-imagining Apps for Touch
By Luke Wroblewski.
"I just kicked off a new video series for Intel Software Partners on
re-imaging desktop application design. Many of the capabilities
(touch, location detection, sensors) that got me excited and focused
on mobile over the past several years are now making their way to new
devices and creating different ways of thinking about and designing
desktop software..."
http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1606

Tablet, Mobile Users Expect Pages to Load within Seconds
By Patricio Robles.
"Building a performant website that delivers a quality experience to
the rapidly growing number of consumers surfing the web on mobile and
tablet devices may often be a challenging task, but that doesn't mean
that users are willing to cut companies any slack..."
http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/10497-tablet-mobile-users-expect-pages-to-load-within-seconds-report

SEO and Usability
By Jakob Nielsen.
"What makes a website good will also give it a high SERP rank, but
overly tricky search engine optimization can undermine the user
experience."
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/seo-ux.html

Everything in its Right Pace
By Hannah Donovan.
"The real-time web started as something we did because we could.
Technological advancements like more efficient ways to retrieve large
amounts of data, the cloud, and the little computers we now carry
around in our pockets made it just a really sexy problem to solve.
Successful experiments turned into trends, and those trends are now
becoming unquestioned convention. But does the always-on,
pull-to-refresh design of Twitter and Facebook make sense your
product? Hannah Donovan explores whether real time is the right
choice-and how we can instead consider pace."
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/everything-in-its-right-pace/


[Section one ends.]


++ SECTION TWO:

+11: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

Accessibility Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/accessibility.html

Association Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/associations.html

Book Listings.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/books.html

Cascading Style Sheets Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/css.html

Color Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/color.html

Dreamweaver Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/dreamweaver.html

Evaluation & Testing Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/testing.html

Event Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/events.html

Flash Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/flash.html

Information Architecture Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/architecture.html

JavaScript Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/javascript.html

Miscellaneous Web Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/misc.html

Navigation Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/navigation.html

PHP Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/php.html

Sites & Blogs Listing.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/sites.html

Standards, Guidelines & Pattern Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/standards.html

Tool Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/tools.html

Typography Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/type.html

Usability Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/usability.html

XML Information.
http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/xml.html

[Section two ends.]


++END NOTES.


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+ SIGN OFF.

Until next time,

Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
mailto:lcarlson at d.umn.edu


[Issue ends.]

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