When it comes to web design, CSS is the only way to go. You should focus on good CSS for a well structured and flexible website. A great website is one that looks good on all devices. Here are some advantages to focusing on CSS for your websites.

1.  The content is separated from the design

Because you are able to create a separate Stylesheet and link it to all your web documents, you have great control over how your website looks. So if you want to change a certain aspect of your page, you only need to alter one file: your Stylesheet!

This of course, generates some great flexibility. This flexibility is not available when your website is using tables for layout, inline font tags or inline defined colors.

A single CSS file can contain positioning, layout, font, colors and style information for an entire web site.

2. You site uses less bandwidth and loads faster

Because stylesheets are so lightweight, your website will load much faster. The main reason is because you do not need table layouts anymore for the positioning of elements. Since text loads really really fast your website will be visible in a flash.

This means that visitors will be happier when surfing your website. They only have to download the Stylesheet once, and it’s automatically reused for every page. So the only thing that needs to be loaded is the actual content.

On average a website will load five to ten times faster if it makes use of cascading style sheets.

3. Your website will automatically gain better search engine results

With CSS, you can position any element, anywhere you want. So if your menu is at the bottom of your HTML document, you can bring it up using absolute positioning. The reason this is useful is to make sure the search engine spiders pick up the main content first.

Another advantage you automatically gain is that your HTML code is much cleaner. So the search engine spider will not have to separate the junk code from the real content.

So make sure you put your logo text and your menu at the bottom of your HTML document at put it at the top using CSS!

4. CSS is compatible with newer browsers

Because more and more browsers are used other than Internet Explorer on a Windows machine, you need to be sure that your website is accessible by all major and newer browsers.

By using webstandards, defined by the w3c, you are making sure your content is viewable in the future.

Because there are so many browsers these days, it is impossible to test your website in all these browsers on different configurations. Coding to standards is then the only practical solution.

5. CSS can be used to display the same content on different media.

Because you are able to define different stylesheets for different media you have great flexibility in presenting your content.

The printer for example, is a medium on itself. If someone prints out your website, you will be able to modify the look of it. Add an extra black and white logo, remove the advertisements and change the colors to black and white values. It’s all done easily by using cascading stylesheets. And the best thing is, visitors do not even have to know you created a new Stylesheet especially for the printer.

Stylesheets can also be created specifically for PDA’s and such. As you will understand, this adds some great flexibility to the presentation of your web document

Conclusion

Cascading Style Sheets are created to make things easier. It gives you great control of your website and makes your visitors happy when they are surfing your website.

You are prepared for the future and will gain better search engine results automatically. This is important for web design packages. Start using CSS to its full potential today! It will suit you well.

Interesting UX eBooks For Web Designers

The current offered instructional UX resources make me 2nd guess my official education. I have a degree in graphic design, however whatever I discovered UX and item advancement has actually originated from the sweat of my own eyebrow.

Self-taught designers are empowered much more as style thought-leaders promote brand-new analyzing an extremely budget friendly and easy medium: eBooks. Without makers or publishers, style understanding is more available than ever.

Spend some time to boost your UX Library with a few of the very best eBooks of 2016.
1. Atomic Design– by Brad Frost
Picture Credit: Brad Frost

Hot off the press! Brad simply launched his book today! Pro-tip: it can be checked out online at atomicdesign.bradfrost.com, though you ought to absolutely support Brad and his brand-new book. Atomic Design is the go-to for developing pattern libraries that enable massive styles. Dealing with an internal style group with an Agile engineering group, I cannot state how important these concepts are.
2. Intercom on Onboarding– by Intercom
Picture Credit: Intercom

The only inspiration ought to you have to read this eBook is understanding Samuel Hulick composed the foreword (developer of UserOnboard). Anybody who has dealt with an item understands that onboarding is among the most tough arts to master, and Intercom do a fantastic task of simplifying– from creating your item to obtaining your company on board (get it?).
3. Prototyping for Physical and Digital Products– by Kathryn McElroy
Picture Credit: O’Reilly

You cannot have a book list without an O’Reilly book? Contrary to common belief, there’s a lot more to prototyping than choosing which app you wish to utilize. Digital designers still have much to gain from the ageless lessons of physical media. Kathryn strolls through the objectives and results of prototyping, and ways to develop the ideal prototyping for your job.
4. The Definitive Guide to Free Fonts– by Jeremiah Shoaf
Image Credit: Typewolf

This eBook is distinct due to the fact that it’s continuously upgraded to consist of the current complimentary font styles. Jeremiah provides options to the most popular font styles by offering links and contrasts. If you have not gotten in the world of complimentary font styles, you should, as there is an entire brand-new world of font styles beyond Typekit.

5. Real-Life UX Design Processes– by UXPin
Image Credit: UXPin

Okay, UXPin has well over 100 eBooks nowadays so it felt required to consist of one in this list. In this eBook, numerous business and their style groups demonstrate how things work behind the drape. If you operate at a remarkable business like me, you’re continuously wanting to enhance your style procedure. Check out the inner operations how Slack, Autodesk, 3M and more.
6. Item Design Industry Report 2016– by InVision
Image Credit: InvisionApp

I’m constantly nervous to obtain my hands on market studies and reports. InVision’s market report is a great gut look for your and your group. Are you ahead of the curve? Are you paid relatively? What tools is everybody utilizing nowadays, anyways? What about Knoxville website maintenance?
7. Intercom on Jobs-to-be-Done– by Intercom
Picture Credit: Intercom
Benefit:
The Vignelli Canon– by Massimo Vignelli
Picture Credit: Wired

While this is certainly not from 2016, it deserves pointing out. Believe gold, my buddies. Even if Vignelli does not follow your design, this is still worth your time. No designer can leave the value of typography and grids, and among the masters has actually shared whatever he understands with you.