Journal 1 - Chapters 1, 2 and 3 - Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, Javascript, and Web Graphics

Robbins, J. (2012).  Learning web design:  A beginner's guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web graphics (4th ed.). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly.

Chapters 1 through 3 provide us with a basic foundation for understanding websites. 
Web design has become much more standardized which is invaluable in light of the fact that people will be accessing websites from a variety of device  

A web designer creates a base that can be read by any device or web browser; then adds layers upon layers of features.  This layering approach allows all to at least access the basic information on all devices.  Then, depending on the person's device capabilities, more and more details can be seen. 

A person can be a jack-of-all trades or can specialize in a specific area of web design.  The main aspects are related to:  design, development, content strategy and multimedia.

I am extremely interested in creating websites, both by hand and by using out-of-the-box technology.  I want to put them side by side and see if I can tell the difference between an original and a cookie cutter.  I think the main things that would be different are the graphic elements.  If someone is a true artist and knows how to translate that art into digital media, the visual element will be far superior to an out-of-the-box basic design. 

Still, I want to perhaps, outside of class, put together an out-of-the-box website so I can quickly identify all the moving parts, focus on SEO and selling a product; and then backtrack, using this as a model, to create an original that is more intricate and pleasing to the eye.

Question 1:  When a person says "web design" does it mean just one or all of the below?
Visual (graphic design); user interface and experience design; web document and style sheet production; scripting and programming; content strategy; multimedia.

Answer 1:  It means all of those things.  A person does not have to do all of these facets.  A person can pick a specialty and utilize a team for the remaining items.


Question 2: What are the 4 main categories of web design?

Answer 2:  Design (how it works), development (document, style sheet, scripts, images), content strategy (website text and its organization), and multimedia (sound, video, animation, interactivity)

Question 3: What are the basic suggested tools for a would-be web designer?  

Answer 3:  a computer, memory, large monitor, scanner, digital camera, 2nd test computer, and mobile devices for testing.