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Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, Second Edition
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Author: Patrick J. Lynch, Sarah Horton
List Price: $19.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
ISBN: 0300088981
Publisher: Yale Univ Pr (March, 2002)
Edition: Paperback
Sales Rank: 6,860
Average Customer Rating: 3.58 out of 5
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Customer ReviewsRating: 4 out of 5
What a Style Guide is. What a Style Guide is not.
It's disappointing to read all the negative reviews of what I think is a very good book. I think many reviewers lack the understanding of just what constitutes a style guide, so I am going to give my best definition of what a style guide is. Style guides, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, are more concerned with good journalistic practices than graphic design, covering such topics as how to treat page titles, the proper attributing of an author, how to construct footnotes, the importance of dating articles, consistent nomenclature, the consistent use of language, and other important but admittedly dry topics. In almost all cases these things will influence graphic design, and some *very* basic, but in my opinion very good, graphic design information is covered. Also covered, to a fairly high level of detail, is information on graphic format and web color, navigation, and basic usability issues. What this book does not cover, and what one should not expect from a style guide, are examples of cutting-edge design, or information on current design trends (or what many of us think of when we thing of "style"). I think all graphic designers would do well to head the advice in this book, and think that most good graphic designers already do, and are probably already familiar with the information presented here. Obviously designers that know the rules usually break them with better results than those that don't. I think most designers will appreciate this book. If you are looking for an example of really cool, award-winning Websites, try the magazine Communication Arts, especially their Interactive Annual. If you are looking for a great book to introduce you to the basics, I haven't found a better book than this.To sum up: "Style" means "cool" to most of us. Try Communication Arts Interactive Annual for exaples of current, award-winning "style". A "Style Guide" is an explaination of common conventions for a given medium. For an example of a good "Style Guide", get this book.
Rating: 4 out of 5
A Great Resource
Whether you're new to web design, an old hand, putting together a personal or hobbyist site, or charged with developing a website out of thin are for an employer or organization, this book is an essential resource. (Of course, you can read all the chapters on the affiliated website, but if you want to have a book to hold in your hand, this one's a good choice.) The authors go through the basic elements of site design, weaving in design theory along the way (in a way anyone can understand) and providing examples for the web design conventions they refer to. As a writer and editor, I've relied heavily on Strunk & White. Moving from print design into web design, I've looked for a resource that would serve to help me make the transition. This book fits the bill.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Great book for starters!
I recommend this book to anyone who is a designer for the web or publishing industry. I bought this book to start as a class requirement. I didn't know what to expect at first, but as I was reading through the book I found this book to be very helpful. It really covers all areas of basic design and it's useful for all designers, especially for starters. The fundamentals of design is universal and in the book, it explains how design concepts have been around for a long time like in the publishing industry and how it's carried over to the web now. Learn the concepts so that you too can be a sophisticated designer.
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