Keeping on the WebTrack -- Dressed for Success

Didn't major in layout? No problem. Here's a collection of sites offering a multitude of design tips for your web page.

Design Tips

Usable Web URL: http://usableweb.com/index.html	Intermediate
Comments: Usable Web is a collection of 422 links and accompanying information about human factors, user interface issues, and usable design specific to the World Wide Web. Usable Web adds value to the links by providing descriptions, multiple organizational schemes (by date, by site, by topic) and custom search engine queries

Web Page Design for Designers
URL: http://www.wpdfd.com

Intermediate

Comments: Excellently designed and organized, it is geared towards the "print" designer who wants to develop and improve their techniques for web site design. It doesn't cover HTML or much else technical like that, but gives detailed focus on the elements of good design for web pages, especially typography, page layout, color optimization, and some good tips and tools. Very good resource and index pages as well.

HTML Help by the Web Design Group URL: http://www.htmlhelp.com	Intermediate
Comments: This is a subject-comprehensive site that covers all aspects of creating and designing web pages. It contains a lot of reference pages and tutorials, well organized and nicely designed. A little more geared towards the HTML designer who has already gotten their feet wet and needs more guidance on specific issues.

Yale C/AIM Web Style Guide URL: http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/index.html	Beginner
Comments: "One of the best Web design resources I know," says AITS' Statistics Lab Manager.

The Pixel Foundry URL: http://www.pixelfoundry.com	Beginner
Comments: This site is an excellent way of getting started on making buttons and graphic designs for your websites. It teaches you some of the most advanced photoshop techniques in a step-by-step tutorial. It has some cool links to some other sites showing how to make graphic animations and designs to jazz up your webpage.

Web Reference URL: http://www.webreference.com	Beginner
Comments: Corporate is the first word that comes to mind. Though there are some helpful tutorials and references, getting to them is a little difficult because you have to discern the links out of the animated banner ads and over-designed 'zine' feel of the site. So if you can stand having ads flashed at you the whole time you're trying to read, it's decent for the beginner.

HotWired URL: http://hotwired.com/	Intermediate
Comments: This site is a bit overwhelming and flashy, but it does have a great deal of information. Great glossary of terms and tutorials on a variety of subjects including web development, graphics, fonts, java, and more. Includes a searchable database.

HighFive Excellence in Web Site Design
URL: http://www.highfivearchive.com/core/index.html

Advanced

Comments: The site offers a review of a WWW site that it awards its HighFive logo. I found the site very confusing to navigate through with the buttons on the bottom and the navigation features on the left side. I kept clicking the 5 button thinking it would take me to their high five sites. It didn't go anywhere because I was already on that page. I finally figured out what I should click. It does review some very sophisticated sites which is of interest.

The Web Developers Virtual Library
URL: http://www.stars.com

Beginner

Comments: This site looks like it has a lot of useful information and history about the web and its elements, but it's very poorly designed, looking jumbled and suffering from 'too much information at one time.' It's hard to parse things because of this, and it also contains annoying animated banner ads and too many disparate graphic elements. It's got a lot of information, but it's just ugly.

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Last Modified Monday, 25-Feb-2002 11:46:07 EST
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