Tips, web design book reviews, resources and observations for teaching and learning web development.
Check out Linda Rathgeber’s Design Aid Kits. They are custom palettes and image sets from the author of Playing with Fire: Tapping the Power of Macromedia Fireworks 4 that can be imported into Fireworks versions 3 to MX 2004 and into Flash. Why limit yourself to the Web safe palette when it is no longer necessary?
Rathgeber has designed some of the design packs for Project Seven that rely heavily on Fireworks. You can learn more about her at the Playing with Fire site.
Since Eolas won its case against Microsoft Internet Explorer, people are wondering what to do with all their object, embed and applet tags. Here are some resources from the Apple Developer Connection site: Preparing Websites with Active Content for Upcoming Changes to Internet Explorer for Windows, Authoring Websites for Compatibility with Internet Explorer for Windows FAQ, and Creating the Best User Experience for Active Web Content.
And from Macromedia, Active Content Developer Center.
And finally, from the horse’s mouth, Information for Developers about Changes to Internet Explorer.
This is the first of Macromedia’s “Training from the Source” series that I have looked at. Macromedia Fireworks MX Training from the Source is written by Patti Schulze. I have used Fireworks since version 2 or 3 (who can remember that far back?) but never for much more than sizing and optimizing. I got this book because I wanted to go into depth about slicing, layers, buttons and building a complete Web look from the start in Fireworks MX.
I have been very pleased with how easy it is to learn what I want to know with this book. The directions are quite well written and comprehensive, the accompanying files on the CD that provide exercise material are nicely done, yet the book is not too huge and heavy. I especially liked the chapter explaining how to use the Button Editing tools and the one about integrating Fireworks MX with Dreamweaver MX.
I have never been a fan of the explanatory material that Macromedia packs with its products. In fact I think the reason I have only used Fireworks in a cursory manner up until now is that the owner’s manuals explaining Fireworks that came with it confused me. This book, however, is NOT confusing, but is easy to use and learn from.
I intend to take a look at other books in the “Training from the Source” series to see if they are all as well written as this one by Patti Schulze.
Juicy Studio: Assistive Device Chart is a nice summary of what various devices including JAWS, Home Page Reader, pwWebSpeak and others actually do with a Web page.
The ten-year-old favorite by Robin Williams, The Non-Designer’s Design Book is now out in a 2nd edition with some updates and the same clear representation of the principles of good design. This book is a classic, easy to read, and very helpful to students trying to create Web designs when they don’t have a background in design.
List-o-matic – generate CSS-styled navigation based on list items is a free online tool that will generate either a vertical or horizontal CSS styled list. From Accessify, but inspired by Listamatic, which we mentioned on Sept. 9.
Now, that’s synergy!
Listamatic collects many of the current techniques used with lists to create vertical and horizonal navigation, rollover effects and other CSS magic. The site also gives browser support for the list samples.