What I learnt from 'Transcending CSS'
Posted: 25 February 2007
When I bought Transcending CSS I wondered what I would learn from the book, as there are a lot of others based on front end design and coding of valid XHTML/CSS based web code.
However, as the author Andy Clarke is a well renowned designer and speaker at various web conferences, he can give both newcomers and experienced designers/coders valuable information.
>> For making your life easier, making you think differently, and see everyday objects as being your design inpspiration on the web.
What I learnt from Andy’s chapters in ‘Transcending CSS’:
- Design Scrapbook > using iPhoto to store scanned design ideas, paper sketches, and inspirational design styles, types and logos. For future reference and design inspiration.
- Grid Design > Designing to the grid, and using Khoi Vinh’s Subtraction web site as a classic example.
- CSS3 > new guidelines and new techniques for creating web layouts using CSS3.
- Image Zoom with CSS > check out the flickr photos on @media07.
- Multiple background images with CSS. Fantasic, but only supported in Safari browser at the moment.
- Creating colour palettes > start with a colour at 100%, then creating a reduced transparency to reveal the bg colour (black or white) < giving tones from a single colour which you can use.
Photo of iPhoto Scrapbook
Image of Red Colour Palette
Thoroughly recommended book, and a refreshing change to have some design aspects as well as code.
Oh, and the delicious images of fruit in the book just made me want to reach for the blender to make myself another Callender Kahlua smoothie!
Cheers Malarkey, may the good ship ‘Britpack’ keep sailing!
