Posted by dorayme on 04/05/07 23:06

In article <57l6loF2dha8nU1@mid.individual.net>,
Bergamot <bergamot@visi.com> wrote:

> David Segall wrote:
> > Bergamot <bergamot@visi.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>I think these guys did pretty well:
> >>http://www.brightfinance.co.uk/
> > Really? I am using the latest version of Firefox and Internet Explorer
> > under an up-to-date version of Windows XP. The page appears to be
> > merely an 800x600 pixel design that is centered in the browser window.
>
> You are mistaken. The columns widths are set in % (of window) with a
> total max-width in ems,

If this is meant to imply that the cols grow at merely resizing
the browser window, it does not happen on my machine. Now read on
B, don't react.

Segall is not exactly mistaken. Perhaps he is not cottoning on to
something that is important to you, namely where font size
alterations are involved. He probably did not notice how it grew
on a big screen when one ups the text size. And this is another
element of a more sophisticated idea of "fluid design".

The term "fluid design" is too undefined to settle the matter. It
is pretty confusing for a lot of people as it is sometimes used
to cover the simple idea of the content growing to fill the
browser window (to picture this, imagine a graphic dependent page
and all the images dimensioned as percentages of the browser
window). Nothing to do with font size as such.

Another more likely example of a fluid design in this non 'font
variable' sense is a thumbnail gallery with a great many pictures
that are floated. They wrap and they adjust well to whatever the
size of the screen. Those with big screens (no matter about their
font requirements) get to take advantage of their screens. They
get to see more pictures than on a small screen, they scroll
less, etc.

In your example, there is none of this "taking advantage" in this
pure sense I am describing. I understand _your_ point very well,
it is a good one in many ways, please do not re-explain it. But
you need to take a deeper look at the idea if it is to connect
and mean things to the average punter.

--
dorayme

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