Posted by Jonathan N. Little on 11/10/07 22:33

1001 Webs wrote:
> On Nov 10, 7:20 pm, "André Gillibert"
> <tabkanDELETETHIS...@yahodeletethato.fr> wrote:

>> There's a difference between C++ and CSS.
>> Most C++ developers are somehow trained and produce quite correct
>> applications.
>> But, most CSS developers are highly ignorant, and have fundamentally wrong
>> design principles, such as "it should render identically eveywhere".
> I fail to see what's "fundamentally wrong" with that.
> It is a basic graphic design principle.
> When you design a magazine or newspaper for example, every page should
> look the same in terms of structure.
> You can play with the headers, image positioning, etc. but all pages
> should follow the same pattern.
> That's why you use Templates and grids.

Ah! But that reveals the root of your error concerning web design and I
am an artist and graphic designer. The web is not paper. An overused
statement but none the less true. With magazines, newspapers, posters,
or whatever, there is one constant...the paper. As the designer in such
media the "viewport", the dimensions of the piece of paper, is known and
unchanging. It is is integrally part of the design process, if you are
any good ;-) You have a static canvas upon which to build your design.

With a webpage you have no such constants, no matter how much you (the
big universal 'you') wish to deny it. Holding you breath. Tantrums on
the floor. Jumping and screaming will not change that fundamental fact
that if the content is on the web, as the designer, you have no control
over the size of the viewport used by the users. Additionally, nor what
fonts your page is rendered in. Or in what color depth your images with
display or if your image will be seen at all! Or even if your text is
displayed at all for it might be a screen reader.

Now you can try and make your page "work" only for the parameters that
you have narrowly defined hence making it difficult for conditions
outside your constraints. But all that will accomplish is deny access,
"closing the book" for some users that might have been potential
customers, which is usually contrary to the original purpose of
"publishing" the page on the Web.

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

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