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01.09.08
Web Standards And Their Importance In Design
 By
Dustin Brewer
There is a lot of talk amongst designers about why
web standards are important, sometimes it is a bragging point to say that you know a lot about
CSS and HTML and can make a good site within standards.
Some of it is just a line to make whatever you are doing sound better. I hear a lot of local Oklahoma web design companies talk about web standards but for the most part I see some of them still designing in tables or not even getting the bare minimums in when it comes to web standards.
This article is going to be directed at web design firms, web design clients and web designers everywhere. The importance of web standards is more then just something to say, it is the way the web should be designed. There is more then just passing an HTML or CSS validator when it comes to standards. Even so there is more to making a site pass coding standards, accessibility being the primary objective. Accessibility is usability, it isn't just about disabled it is about ensuring that your site will work from the time it is published until the end of time if it needs to. I'll go over different web standards and accessibility guidelines and how they can be implemented, used and maintained better then just exporting a document out of Adobe Photoshop or throwing together an insane unaccessible image map.
Web standards are important for maintainability
When it comes to making something work, you don't want to use duct tape where nails should be used or glue where something needs to be welded. Using the right tools for the job is part of any project, whether it be on the web or in your backyard. The solution to most problems when it comes to web is to ensure that you are adhering to web standards as best you can within any given project. This ensures for longevity of the projects life with little or no structure maintenance.
When you use web standards the way they are meant to be, like safety guidelines, you are separating out presentation and structure so when it is time for a redesign you are making it as easy as possible to simply replace a stylesheet or two rather then recode an entire site. This ability may not be necessary for all sites but when you are dealing with a large project it is very difficult to go back in and change all of the HTML within the site.
Web standards are important for usability
Using web standards in your design will ensure that you are appealing to the majority of people that may visit your site. You don't just want to make your site accessible to just one browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox, you need to make sure that it works across as many browsers as possible. It is sometimes difficult to get it working perfectly across all browsers but you really have to make sure you are paying attention to browser usage numbers. Right now most people should be checking Firefox, Opera, IE7, IE6 (there are ways to test multiple versions of IE) and Safari. These are the most popular browsers being used, I personally don't go beyond that set of browsers for most projects.
Continue reading this article.
About
the Author:
Dustin Brewer is a web designer located in Oklahoma City, OK specializing in aesthetics in design, web standards, accessibility and usability. He also enjoys helping others to discover CSS and web design best practices through his web site, dustin brewer, a web design news site.
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