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Sexy Web Design
by Elliot Jay Stocks
Summary »
"Sexy Web Design is an easy-to-follow guide that reveals the secrets of how to build your own breathtaking web interfaces from scratch. You'll be guided through the entire process of creating a gorgeous, usable web site by applying the timeless principles of user-centered design. Even if you're short on design skills, with this book you'll be creating your own stunning web sites in no time at all. Throughout, the focus is on simple and practical techniques that anyone can use - you don't need to have gone to art school or have artistic flair to create stunning designs using the methods outlined in this book."
Website Owners Manual
by Paul Boag
My Review »
When asked about web design related books there are two that I always recommend; Ian Lloyd’s Build Your Own Website and Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think. I now have a third essential book recommendation.
This book is an excellent introduction to the non-technical elements of actually running and managing a website. It covers so many of the areas a website owner needs to know and does so in a very logical order.
Paul’s informal writing style makes this a book that is easy to read from start to finish. However, it is laid out in manner that makes it easy to also use as a reference tool.
Without a doubt the chapter on role definition and especially establishing a core vision for your website had made the biggest impact on me. Like so much of the book, it will seem obvious once you grasp the concept.
I have listened to the Boagworld podcast since the first episode and it many ways it has directed my web design career. This book feels like a natural extension to the podcast that will help both website owners and website designers.
Web Empower Your Church
by Mark Stephenson
My Review »
I wanted to find this book interesting and relevant, I really did. To be honest though I found it a bit too basic and have read other books that were much more inspiring and informative.
I reckon this could be down to a couple of factors. First of all, I was more or less aware of the subjects contained within it. More importantly, I don’t think I fell into the right target audience even though I do undertake a lot of work creating and advising on church websites.
If you’re a church leader who has little web experience but is looking to develop a website then this may be a good book choice for you. It does cover the basics and certainly angles it towards the niche of church websites. However, have a look around at other books on the subject of being a website owner.
Online Marketing Inside Out
by Brandon Eley and Shayne Tilley
My Review »
As a freelance website designer, it’s often difficult to focus on just the technical aspects of building a good website. One additional area you often need to have knowledge in is how to promote websites. While there are plenty of books on marketing around there are only a few that cover the modern areas of marketing a website.
This book focuses on the specifics of promoting a website. Even better it does so by focusing on key relevant areas such as SEO, email marketing, social media and online advertising.
As this book is relatively quick and easy to read, I would recommend working your way through it while actually promoting a website. I read it more as a theory / knowledge gathering exercise. As such, while I found it interesting and informative I lost interest a little because I wasn’t applying the knowledge I was gaining. I will now use it as a reference to different marketing techniques when I’m actually promoting a website. My hope is that the experience I gain will be something I can hand on to clients further down the line.
DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model
by Jeremy Keith
My Review »
The one foundation block in modern web design that I’ve been missing is an understanding of JavaScript. This book is an excellent introduction to JavaScript and more importantly the Document Object Model (DOM).
Jeremy Keith once again demonstrates his ability to explain complex concepts in easy to comprehend language. Important concepts are fully explained and then built upon as the next concept is discussed. He also makes a great use of repetition that leaves you with a confidence that you are actually learning something.
The book functions well as both a cover-to-cover read and a reference resource. The practical examples are great at getting you going.
My only downside is that when I finished reading it I still felt confused by the sheer immensity of what JavaScript could be used for. Some additional recommendations for where to go next may have been useful.
Build Your Own ASP.NET Website Using C# and VB.NET
by Cristian Darie and Zak Ruvalcaba
My Review »
I have no intention of becoming a .NET developer. As such, I read this book at a very superficial level to simply get an understanding of the technologies and techniques involved in producing an ASP.NET website.
Now I’ve got that out of the way… I actually really enjoyed working my way through this book. The use of an intranet example and the process of creating it is a work of genius. It grounds the book in reality and prevents the theory from being overwhelming.
Along the way I’ll learned a little about various topics; everything from Visual Basic and C# to SQL and ADO.NET. If I had spent a little more time with it I reckon it would have given me a great start in the .NET development field.
A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web
by Mark Boulton
My Review »
This book shows why Mark Boulton is a very well respected British web designer. It is full of useful insights into the process of designing websites. This will be especially true if you’re relatively new to the field as I believe it is aimed more at the beginner level.
I found it is a fascinating read for a couple of main reasons. Firstly, the authors understanding of typography. This knowledge goes way beyond web design techniques and covers the basics of typography as they’ve stood since the invention of the printing press.
Secondly, it was inspiring to learn the workflow process of a top-notch designer. Mark is quite open about the process he goes through when designing a website. This contains loads of useful hints and tips for increasing your productivity and the quality of the final outcome.
This is another one of those books that goes in the “must-read” category for web designers.
The Wisdom of Crowds
by James Surowiecki
My Review»
While this book states a very clear premise I feel it lacks a clear structure to prove it. That said it is a great collection of anecdotal stories that provide evidence of how wise crowds can be. I found it an informative and thought-provoking read. It provides some interesting insights into the psychology of people, especially when they are required to interact with others to make a decision.
Even though I wasn’t fully convinced by the author’s arguments, I would still recommend this book as an interesting read.
The Tipping Point
by Malcom Gladwell
My Review »
Brilliant. This book is a work of genius. Gladwell does a fantastic job of getting his ideas across. His writing style is very easy to follow and understand. It is fascinating to see how the ideas apply to the examples and case studies given. These examples cover a broad spectrum of society and are an education in themselves.
As I read through the chapters my mind constantly wandered off to loads of tangent, but related thoughts. To use one of his terms, the ideas presented are incredibly “sticky” and had me pondering them long after I’d stopped reading. In almost every circumstance of life the principles and ideas seem to apply.
I rarely read a book twice, however this will no doubt be one of those times. I will definitely return to this book in the future for a second read through.
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web
by Peter Morville and Louis Rosenfield
My Review »
My approach to this book was perfectly summed up by a quote from the chapter on Information Architecture (IA) Education. “We regularly meet with people who have no interest in becoming information architects but want to learn about information architecture.”
As a website designer and someone who works on a large scale website, one of the essential skills I felt I needed to develop was an understanding of information architecture. This book was a great introduction to the various aspects. In general, it was accessible and easy to read. Chapters were kept short enough to easily digest. IA concepts were well explained in plain and understandable language. However, there were a few exceptions. The chapters on Search Systems and Thesauri, Controlled Vocabularies and Metadata were, perhaps unavoidably, heavy and hard going. The book also loses a little focus in the later chapters but even these chapters are still educational and informative.
Overall, the book is a great introduction to the IA field. If, like me, this is all you need then it is worth a read. If you want to become an information architect then it is worth spending a little more time studying the concepts and following up on some of the other sources it references.
The Elements of User Experience
by Jesse James Garrett
My Review »
This book acts as both an excellent introduction and a roadmap into the field of user experience. It covers the process of creating a user centred website; all the way from gathering needs through to production of the website interface design.
As it leads you through the, now famous, conceptual model the key skills required to produce a user centric website are introduced. It carefully avoids the trap of going into great depth on each skill. Instead it suggests other books and media that focus on particular skills. This allows the book to focus on the high level process.
This book won’t make you a UX professional but it will set you on the right road. It will also have the added benefit of improving your design process. I recommend it to all web designers and website managers.
The Art and Science of CSS
by Various Authors
My Review »
There is indeed art and science in this book. The art is that it is actually quite enjoyable to read it from cover to cover. The science is that it’s also a great reference book for the techniques it teaches.
The impressive list of authors take your basic understanding of CSS and enhance it by covering some of the cornerstones of modern web design. Each chapter offers multiple solutions with no single method of achieving a result pushed over another. All are described in detail with code that covers both the HTML and the CSS needed.
If you have the time then I recommend you read the full thing and try out some examples. If you don’t have the time, buy the book anyway and use it for reference as you work on your website projects.
The Principals of Successful Freelancing
by Miles Burke
My Review »
At the start of 2008 I set the goal of establishing myself as a freelance web designer. In that time I have carried out a great deal of research while completing projects and developing my technical skills.
This book has proved to be the tipping point in my freelance journey. It has helped me confirm that I have the right mix of skills, experience and abilities to succeed. It also gave me some great advice and guidance especially on the business aspects of freelance life.
The writer’s honest style made it a very easy book to read, almost enjoyable. In all the key areas he pointed out the good, the bad and the ugly sides of freelancing. From his personal experience he offers examples of where he has failed in the past and what he has learned from these failures.
For me the best chapters were the ones that taught me how to develop key business skills such as setting my rates, selling my services and managing money. Depending on where you are in your freelance journey other chapters will either help you make the jump or appreciate what you’ve got where you are.
As the saying goes, the best choice is an informed choice. This book will help you make that informed choice.
The Google Story
by David A Vise
My Review »
This book is written as a testament to Google and all they’ve achieved in the last decade. As someone of a slightly cynical nature I found myself viewing a lot of this book with a fair amount of scepticism. Are Google really this good? Did they really have such a clear vision from the start? Do they never do evil? However, in the end I found this book incredibly enlightening and inspiring.
The Google vision is a strong one that stands against conventional thinking and drives the company to produce a quality product and a creative culture. This shines through in both the book and also the products they create. I came to realise not just that I use many of their products on a daily basis but also understand why I find them so appealing and useful.
The book is well written, very comprehensive and very informative on the different aspects and characters of Google. I have learned many things while reading this book and it has challenged me in a number of ways to improve what I do. It has also left me galvanised in my belief that free thinkers can achieve massive success when they don’t give in to the pressure to conform.
» Recommended reading list 2008
» Recommended reading list 2007
January 10 »
Web Empower Your Church
February 10 »
Website Owner's Manual
March 10 »
Sexy Web Design
April 10 »
Fancy Form Design
May 10 »
Hacking Exposed Web Applications
June 10 »
Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-on Training (Lynda Weinman's Hands-On Training)