1. CSIS-401: Web Design
Dr. Breimer

2. Some Background & History
Web Design is a diverse field
Standards are important
4 reasons
Web Design is going “old school”
Separation of structure and style.
Internet Explorer isn’t the only browser?
Browser History

3. Definition
Web design is the design of websites and web applications using HTML, CSS and images.

4. Definition Websites can be very diverse. E-trade  Playhouse Disney
Facebook  Protein Databank

5. Web Design Career #1 Visual Designer Uses
Adobe PhotoShop,
Fireworks,
Flash, etc.
Expertise in graphic design, layouts, color theory, etc.

6. Web Design Career #2 Interface Designer Expertise in
graphical programming,
human computer interaction and
interfaces
Background in behavioral science, ergonomics, etc.

7. Web Design Career #3 Software Developer
Most modern software has web-based components.
Most new applications are entirely web-based.
Programmers need to know HTML, CSS, etc.

8. Web Design Career #4 Database Administrator
Almost all Databases interface with web technologies.
Large website are entirely database-driven.
Database Administrators also need to know HTML, CSS, XML, etc.

9. Web Design Career #5 Web Master/Web Authoring
Larger websites require extensive content management.
Developing and managing content is a specialty.
Writing conventions and styles are different on the web.

10. Web Design Career #6 Marketing & Advertising
Online marketing is an entire field.
Web technology can help marketers achieve new innovations.
Marketers & Advertisers need to know about fundamental web technologies.

11. HTML HyperText Markup Language
A simple text document can be “marked-up” with tags to specify how it should be interpreted.
<h1>Level 1 Header</h1>

12. HTML HTML was supposed to be a structural or “semantic” language,
But, the Browser Wars lead to the introduction of “style” or formatting tags.
“style” tags are bad!
They are being removed from the HTML standards (called deprecation).

13. CSS Cascading Style Sheets
Used to specify the style/appearance of structural elements (HTML tags).
CSS was part of the original design of the web,
but its use was almost entirely abandoned between 1997 and 2003.

14. Why are “style” tags bad?
The best answer is very complicated
Short Answer:
Leads to bloated HTML code that is hard to maintain.

15. Semantic vs Style
Semantic = Has Meaning
Style = Specifies Appearance

16. Semantic vs Style Semantic  Meaning <img src=“tiger.jpg”>
<span class=“caption”>
This is a picture of a tiger
</span>
A caption is meaningful.
Images typically have a caption that describes the image.
Style   Appearance
<img src=“tiger.jpg”>
<font type=“Arial” style=“italic” size=“10pt”>
This is a picture of a tiger
</font>
Here, we specify how to display the caption but not the fact that it’s actually a caption.

17. Semantics + CSS is better!
<span class=“caption”>Figure 1</span>
<span class=“caption”>Figure 2</span>
<span class=“caption”>Figure 3</span> …
<span class=“caption”>Figure 99</span>
.caption {
font-size: 10pt;
font-style: italic; }

18. This is why the font tag sucks! (it’s a style tag)
<font type=“Arial” style=“italic” size=“10pt”> Figure 1 </font>
<font type=“Arial” style=“italic” size=“10pt”> Figure 2 </font>
<font type=“Arial” style=“italic” size=“10pt”> Figure 3 </font> …
<font type=“Arial” style=“italic” size=“10pt”> Figure 999 </font>
<font type=“Arial” style=“bold” size=“10pt”> Sub-title </font>
Imaging if you wanted to change the font size to 12pt for all image captions?
Good luck!

19. History Lesson: The Good Times
Standardization was very important in the initial design of HTML ( )
Initially, HTML was structural/semantic
The presentation of web pages was left up to the user, via web browser settings.
Netscape & Microsoft created “evil” tags (<font> for example) so that web page designers could control the presentation of their web pages.

20. History Lesson: Browser Wars
Netscape & Microsoft added many proprietary enhancements to HTML ( )
Proprietary == Only works for a specific browser
Proprietary == Not Open == Not standard
Web authors would use HTML tags to control the visual presentation, but pages would look completely different on different browsers.
In 1998, the web development community and W3C said “Enough is enough”
was formed

21. W3C – What is it anyway? The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
international consortium of web developers
sub-organizations, full-time staff, and regular people
Work together to develop Web standards
Mission:
To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web.

22. Current Web Standards Structural Standards Presentation Standards
XHTML 1.0 – This is actually HTML 4.01 rewritten according to XML standards.
XML – set of rules for creating custom markup languages.
Presentation Standards
CSS 1 (Since 1996) fully supported by almost all browsers
CSS 2 current standard, extends CSS1
CSS 3 the future, extends CSS2

23. Current Web Standards Behavioral Standards
Document Object Model (DOM) – allows programs to control HTML documents.
Each part of an HTML document has a name
Each part can be manipulated by name
JavaScript – uses the DOM to manipulate web pages on the client’s browser.
PHP, JSP, ASP, ColdFusion, etc. can use the DOM to manipulate web pages on the web server

24. Why Standards? Advantages Accessibility Forward Compatibility
Simpler and Faster Development
Faster Download & Display

25. Why Standards? Standardized web pages look good on all browsers.
Accessibility
Forward Compatibility
Simpler and Faster Development
Faster Download & Display
Standardized web pages look good on all browsers.
And on all different types of devices.
Cell phones
PDA’s
Screen readers for the visually impaired

26. Why Standards? Future standards are built on top of current standards
Accessibility
Forward Compatibility
Simpler and Faster Development
Faster Download & Display
Future standards are built on top of current standards
Thus, Web pages made today will work in the future
Note:
Browser Wars created html tags that were not standard
These tags won’t display properly in many “standard” browswers.
Internet Explorer and Firefox still support these tags, but not for long.

27. Why Standards?
Accessibility
Forward Compatibility
Simpler and Faster Development
Faster Download & Display
Faster: You don’t have to build separate websites for separate browsers/devices
Concurrent Development: Content and style can be developed separately by different teams.

28. Why Standards? Style/Appearance tags are bloated
Accessibility
Forward Compatibility
Simpler and Faster Development
Faster Download & Display
Style/Appearance tags are bloated
Rather than load bloated HTML for every page, just load one style sheet for an entire website
Example: <center> <b> <font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=“#880000" size="+2">Sub-title</font> </b> </center>

29. Rendering Engines
Browsers actually have different rendering engines for parsing standard and non-standard HTML code.
The <!doctype> or <html> tag tells the browser which engine to use.
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "
<html xmlns=" xml:lang="en" lang="en">

30. Rendering Engines
Standard, validated HTML code can be rendered faster.
Rendering engine doesn’t have to handle special cases and errors
Most web browsers can display Non-standard HTML,
but a more complex rendering engine must be used
More complex mean slower rendering.

31. Who cares if the rendering engine is a little slow?
True, on modern PCs you won’t notice the difference.
However, consider that the device rendering the web page could be cell phone with a 33 MHz processor.

32. Standards: Big Motivation
Microsoft IE 67%
Mozilla Firefox 19%
Apple Safari 9%
Google Chrome 2%
Netscape < 1%
Opera < 1%
AOL Explorer
Amaya
Camino
Epiphany
Maxthon
Shiira
HotJava
Nintendo DS
PlayStation PWB
Lynx
Voyager
Micro Browser
Omniweb
Without standards, you would have to test how your website looked on many different browsers.

33. Standards: Big Motivation
Microsoft IE 67%
Mozilla Firefox 19%
Apple Safari 9%
Google Chrome 2%
Not a problem: 96% of the world uses four browsers.
But, more and more people are browsing on different devices
Consider cell phones, PDA’s, GPS devices, and even refrigerators…
All use different browser variations.
W3C wants the web to fully work on any kind of device.
Even today, many websites won’t display properly on small devices.

34. Internet-enable devices
Portable Media Players
To buy music
Automobiles
To send info to mechanics
Refrigerators
To buy more groceries
What will they think of next?

35. Validate Validate Validate
It’s a pain but…
At least you know that your web page will display properly on about 400 different browser variations.

36. Tim Berners-Lee (TBL) Widely recognized as
The inventor of HTML
First implementor of hypertext concept
Implemented first web browser (text based) and more importantly, first web server (unix daemon).
Should be a billionaire but then the WWW wouldn’t be so cool!
I love the man! You should love him too.

37. Web Browser History
1991: TBL makes the first web browser in his physics labs. Dr. B gets his braces off and discovers Clearasil.
1993: Mosaic (the first real graphical browser) is built. Free, open source, works for Mac’s, Windows, and UNIX. The birth of free porn.
1994: Netscape forms, they develop a browser and immediately start adding proprietary tags.
1995: Microsoft wakes up, makes a browser, and decides they need to monopolize the browser market

38. Browser History
: Browser Wars…different versions of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML emerge. While standards go down the toilet…at least a lot cool sh*t was developed.
1998: Netscape screws Microsoft in a big way by making its code Open Source. Microsoft fights back by integrating its browser into the Windows 98 and 2000.
2000: Microsoft wins! Netscape gets bought by AOL. The .com Bust happens! Dr. B contemplates becoming a pop star but then decides to be a professor.

39. Browser History 2002: Kelly Clarkson (not Dr. B) wins American Idol!
2003: Some managers who once worked for Netscape form the Mozilla Foundation
2005: Firefox busts out on the scene. First browser to make a serious dent in Microsoft’s monopoly.
2006: Dr. B finally learns CSS.

40. Summary Originally HTML was meant to be a structural/semantic language
The Browser wars lead to the de-standardization of HTML.
Proprietary style tags were added.
Standardization and semantic HTML has made a comeback
Old school web design is back!