Journal 1
Jennifer Niederest Robbins (2012) Learning Web Design 4th Edition
The first three chapters of the book give a basic overview of the Internet and the principles of web design. Designing a web site is not a one man job, and it turns out that there are usually 4 main roles that are needed: design, development, content strategy, and multimedia. The general structure of a web page consists of three things: HTML, cascading style sheets(CSS), and JavaScript. HTML dictates the structure of the site and is also where the content is located. CSS determines how the content is presented, and is important because it sets rules that are consistent across all pages. Finally, JavaScript is used when user input and interactivity are needed for a website. Following this structure is important and is part of the concept of Progressive Enhancement, which allows us to futureproof websites. The idea of progressive enhancement is that all of the content is stored in the HTML, so every browser and device will be able to view it. It may not look exactly the way as intended on older devices and it may look different in the future as the standards change, but the most important stuff is still visible. This is related to the idea of Responsive Web Design, where the presentation of the content changes depending on the size of the viewer window and type of device.
Q1: Why is this important?
A1: People are increasingly using different devices to access the Internet, so we must ensure that our websites are functional on all devices. Even if the presentation does not look the way it is intended to, the content still needs to be accessible.
Q2: What is the most important thing that needs to be on every website?
A2: It should be the content, because that is the entire purpose of making a website. Thus, the content needs to be stored in the HTML, and not in the JavaScript or behind some animation. If it is in the JavaScript, this could potentially single out users who are on older devices.
I agree having functional web sites in all devices is essential. Chapter 3 gave an introduction on how responsive web design can assist with this issue.
ReplyDeleteAnthony, you've provided a nice summary and insight to the first few chapters from Robins. I agree that the most important thing on a web page is the content itself. The presentation is a nice component to have, but really the content takes priority. I love nice presentations, however, I want to be able to understand the what/why/how of whatever the page may be for.
ReplyDeleteI like your thoughts about how internet access will continue to change. I never imagined that we could access the internet from a small device such as a watch. It is important to know the different applications that are continuing to grow and be available for different devices.
ReplyDeleteAs an educator progressive enhancement struck a cord with me. The methodology of keeping the content visible no matter what is also a great strategy when creating a lesson plan. I always start with a basic lesson then layer higher-level thinking based on the student’s needs and experiences. Likewise, I love the idea that websites and lesson plans alike should be "future-friendly" not "future proof." This idea helps ease the anxiety of needing my work to be perfect. Instead it just needs to be functional, then you can add to it as needs arise.
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