SciFest has come to an end, leaving me with a lot to consider. I faced frustrations getting used to problematic equipment and programs, learnt the complexities of multi-tasking at events and the sleep-deprivation dealing with a lengthy production process. Some of what happened was out of my control, while other problems that arose were due to lack of planning or other faults on my part.
Elements out of my control included things like: sound recording equipment not working, PhotoStory program giving issues marrying sound and photos, and individuals not getting back to me with regard to planned interviews.
I could have improved by having more forward planning around stories. I felt my SciKidz photo story was well-planned but my climate story became too long and text heavy because i got too bogged down in the large quantity of information instead of planning and sticking to a focus. Secondly, i failed in the group work process, and worked primarily alone. This was not really what the SciFest coverage experience was supposed to be about.
All the negative points aside, SciFest gave me great insight into the multi-media production process and what is required in terms of quality and content of stories. This experience, while throwing us in the deep end, showed us what covering 'real-life' stories in a new media format involves and thus prepared us for the work in the coming terms. I feel enriched by the knowledge gained during the process and now feel better prepared for up-coming events such as the National Arts Festival next term.
Thank you to Jude for persevering, staying many a late night in the lab with us and being a pedantic pain! No really, thank you - i learnt more in one week than i thought i'd learn in a couple of months.
Friday, 30 March 2007
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
Scifest bootcamp part 2 - i'm bad at group work
Reflecting on this SciFest process has made me realise that I completely failed with regard to groupwork. For the purpose of SciFest, the class was divided into four pairs, and it has been interesting to see the dynamics within those different pairs. Some groups worked hand in hand on all the stories, while others (such as myself and Arther)ended up working on our stories on our own.
Each individual in the group was meant to produce one SciFest new media package and one photo slideshow - yet you were supposed to work on these stories as a pair. I found this concept a difficult to wrap my mind around, because I felt unsure about what level of investment Arther should have in my stories and vice versa.
This type of group work is best suited to a situation where the two indivuals are skilled in different areas and thus can assist one another in producing wholistic multi-media stories. This was problematic in our case because apart from my experience with photography, we were on equal footing with writing and audio recording/ editing skills.
On the first day of SciFest we headed out on every story together but I clearly felt the division between "my stories" - the ones i had come up with - and the one's Arther wanted to cover. He came with me to a couple of my lectures, but didn't really contribute anything to them or my follow up interviews and i largely was the same with his.
After the first day we ended up focusing on our different stories and apart from advising Arther at his photo story shoot, sub editing one of his stories and taking a couple of photos for him, i wasn't of any real assistance to him. Similarly, he has not contributed to either of my stories.
I attribute this to a failure on both our parts to fully utilise what could have been the benefits of working in a group. I really felt the struggle of working alone at some stages in the process, while in other ways it seemed more natural to me than having to take another individual into account along the way.
I know i will be taken to task on this issue and i can only say it has been yet another learning curve along the tumultuous road of SciFest. It has taught me to make group work arrangements from the beginning and develop a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities from the outset. Similarly, it would have helped if i had gained a clearer understanding from my lecturer regarding group work and the division of workload on the four stories between the two of us.
The best i can do is to work towards being a better group worker in the future!
Each individual in the group was meant to produce one SciFest new media package and one photo slideshow - yet you were supposed to work on these stories as a pair. I found this concept a difficult to wrap my mind around, because I felt unsure about what level of investment Arther should have in my stories and vice versa.
This type of group work is best suited to a situation where the two indivuals are skilled in different areas and thus can assist one another in producing wholistic multi-media stories. This was problematic in our case because apart from my experience with photography, we were on equal footing with writing and audio recording/ editing skills.
On the first day of SciFest we headed out on every story together but I clearly felt the division between "my stories" - the ones i had come up with - and the one's Arther wanted to cover. He came with me to a couple of my lectures, but didn't really contribute anything to them or my follow up interviews and i largely was the same with his.
After the first day we ended up focusing on our different stories and apart from advising Arther at his photo story shoot, sub editing one of his stories and taking a couple of photos for him, i wasn't of any real assistance to him. Similarly, he has not contributed to either of my stories.
I attribute this to a failure on both our parts to fully utilise what could have been the benefits of working in a group. I really felt the struggle of working alone at some stages in the process, while in other ways it seemed more natural to me than having to take another individual into account along the way.
I know i will be taken to task on this issue and i can only say it has been yet another learning curve along the tumultuous road of SciFest. It has taught me to make group work arrangements from the beginning and develop a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities from the outset. Similarly, it would have helped if i had gained a clearer understanding from my lecturer regarding group work and the division of workload on the four stories between the two of us.
The best i can do is to work towards being a better group worker in the future!
Monday, 26 March 2007
Scifest bootcamp - a kick up the *!@#
"What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger". Okay so it turns out that saying is a little hard to appreciate when you are running on this little sleep and your week has consisted nearly entirely of living in the new media lab. In fact the only time you leave this windowless world is to attend SciFest events, trail the Monument and gather more material for your stories... and if you're lucky catch a bite to eat. Maybe i'm painting a rather grim picture here so let me rephrase - it has been a very good learning curve! Jude has officially thrown us in the deep end, and it turns out most of us seem more adept at drowning than swimming. As a photographer it has been a new experience covering an event not just with my camera but with my pen and notepad and with audio recording equipment. I've certainly felt like i've learnt a whole new range of skills in multi-tasking, and have performed many acrobatic balancing acts trying to hold a microphone while taking notes, with my camera slung over my shoulder!
Another learning curve has been the length of the multi-media process, I never expected it would take quite so long to get stories ready for publishing. Jude is intent on being meticulous and insists the stories are perfect before they can be published on the Grocott's Digital site. As a result of his perfectionism and our amateur status, there is currently very little content sitting on the site! In fact I am eagerly waiting to have my first multi-media package published later today - much cause for celebration, even if it is several days later than i hoped!
There is no doubt that Darb and Jude's name for this week, "Scifest Bootcamp 1.0" was incredibly accurate!
Another learning curve has been the length of the multi-media process, I never expected it would take quite so long to get stories ready for publishing. Jude is intent on being meticulous and insists the stories are perfect before they can be published on the Grocott's Digital site. As a result of his perfectionism and our amateur status, there is currently very little content sitting on the site! In fact I am eagerly waiting to have my first multi-media package published later today - much cause for celebration, even if it is several days later than i hoped!
There is no doubt that Darb and Jude's name for this week, "Scifest Bootcamp 1.0" was incredibly accurate!
Thursday, 8 March 2007
Web accessibility for all
Why accessibility of web pages should be of concern to journalists and why information access technologies should be careful not marginalise people.
As a journalist operating in the new media age it is important that I ensure the content I produce does not marginalise people. In terms of online media, this means the web pages I create must be accessible to everyone: including those who are physically disabled, as well as those who are disadvantaged in terms of the quality of their internet connection and limited bandwidth.
Before reading on this topic, I have to admit that I had not considered users who have visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities and was not aware that organisations and initiatives such as that of the W3C existed to promote web accessibility for people with disabilities. In investigating web accessibility it became clear to me that “most web sites and web software have accessibility barriers that make it difficult or impossible for many people with disabilities to use the Web” [1].
These accessibility issues are a real setback for someone producing media which should be freely available to the whole public. When thinking about what the web has come to mean to people today I realise that it is an essential resource for millions of people, including those who are disabled. In fact, the web can be an even more valuable resource for a disabled person, because it can “help people with disabilities more actively participate in society” [1] as well as offers the “the possibility of unprecedented access to information and interaction” [1].
I am sure that media would form a (probably large) portion of the information which disabled people consume and thus as journalists we have a responsibility to take web accessibility for all into consideration. Thus as a content developer, I need to take different people with their different situations into consideration and design user-friendly and accessible web pages.
This can be achieved for example through using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) which allows the XHTML author to “have more control over their pages, make those pages more accessible to people with low vision, and by sharing the style sheets, will often shorten page download times for all users” [2].
Some other key tools can be used when striving for greater web accessibility such as text equivalents, user agents and non-text equivalents. Text content, which conveys the same function and purpose, can be provided instead of images. This helps those with sensory and other disabilities as well as helping users find pages more quickly. User agents such as screen readers and Braille displays present the information to the user. Lastly, non-text equivalents of text are helpful for those who may have learning or cognitive disabilities or those who may be deaf.
While the full span of web accessibility guidelines are too vast to discuss here, there is an important lesson to be learnt: journalists have a responsibility to consider their entire audience and think creatively and usefully about how to ensure web pages are accessible to the greatest number of people. It seems that learning XHTML as we are currently doing in our new media course at Rhodes, and through using this in tandem with style sheets, are steps in the right direction to greater web accessibility. As the W3C point out, we need to consider that many users are operating in contexts very different from our own [2] and we need to consider all possible users in an equal manner and cater accordingly.
Works Cited
[1] W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. 2005. Introduction to Web Accessibility. Retrieved on the World Wide Web on 07 March 2007: http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[2] W3C Recommendation. 1999. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 07 March 2007: http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
As a journalist operating in the new media age it is important that I ensure the content I produce does not marginalise people. In terms of online media, this means the web pages I create must be accessible to everyone: including those who are physically disabled, as well as those who are disadvantaged in terms of the quality of their internet connection and limited bandwidth.
Before reading on this topic, I have to admit that I had not considered users who have visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities and was not aware that organisations and initiatives such as that of the W3C existed to promote web accessibility for people with disabilities. In investigating web accessibility it became clear to me that “most web sites and web software have accessibility barriers that make it difficult or impossible for many people with disabilities to use the Web” [1].
These accessibility issues are a real setback for someone producing media which should be freely available to the whole public. When thinking about what the web has come to mean to people today I realise that it is an essential resource for millions of people, including those who are disabled. In fact, the web can be an even more valuable resource for a disabled person, because it can “help people with disabilities more actively participate in society” [1] as well as offers the “the possibility of unprecedented access to information and interaction” [1].
I am sure that media would form a (probably large) portion of the information which disabled people consume and thus as journalists we have a responsibility to take web accessibility for all into consideration. Thus as a content developer, I need to take different people with their different situations into consideration and design user-friendly and accessible web pages.
This can be achieved for example through using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) which allows the XHTML author to “have more control over their pages, make those pages more accessible to people with low vision, and by sharing the style sheets, will often shorten page download times for all users” [2].
Some other key tools can be used when striving for greater web accessibility such as text equivalents, user agents and non-text equivalents. Text content, which conveys the same function and purpose, can be provided instead of images. This helps those with sensory and other disabilities as well as helping users find pages more quickly. User agents such as screen readers and Braille displays present the information to the user. Lastly, non-text equivalents of text are helpful for those who may have learning or cognitive disabilities or those who may be deaf.
While the full span of web accessibility guidelines are too vast to discuss here, there is an important lesson to be learnt: journalists have a responsibility to consider their entire audience and think creatively and usefully about how to ensure web pages are accessible to the greatest number of people. It seems that learning XHTML as we are currently doing in our new media course at Rhodes, and through using this in tandem with style sheets, are steps in the right direction to greater web accessibility. As the W3C point out, we need to consider that many users are operating in contexts very different from our own [2] and we need to consider all possible users in an equal manner and cater accordingly.
Works Cited
[1] W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. 2005. Introduction to Web Accessibility. Retrieved on the World Wide Web on 07 March 2007: http://www.w3.org/WAI/
[2] W3C Recommendation. 1999. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 07 March 2007: http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/
Wednesday, 7 March 2007
The advantages of knowing XHTML as a journalist in Africa
Why it is important for journalists to have a solid grasp of the technical language of XHTML in the African context.
As a journalist working in the bandwidth-poor continent of Africa, it is essential that I have a solid grasp of the technical language of XHTML. This is because those who consume online media in Africa are using varying digital devices and internet which is costly and has an incredibly low bandwidth. In fact it is very important that I take this into consideration in my media production, considering this problem is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa where I work, “which has the lowest teledensity in the world and the highest unmet demand for telecommunication services” [3].
In light of this, there is huge value in using XHTML as it creates more accessible pages through making it easy to share and process electronic documents regardless of the type of device, computer platform or operating system used [1]. This is invaluable because it makes websites more predictable, more portable, and more accessible, as they are built to work on more than just one specific browser [1].
Thus through using XHTML one can create “optimized easy-to-manage web sites that upload and download faster, and enhance search engine optimization” [2]. Essentially ‘less is more’ in that the cleaner one’s pages are and the least markup and tags they have, the more streamlined, efficient, easy-to-mange, search engine-friendly the web design will be [2]. This is especially the case where web pages are designed with Cascading Style Sheets modelled on well-structured XHTML pages.
Structural XHTML markup also has the advantage of device independence and repurposing of documents. A basic XHTML structure document can be paired with any number of stylesheets to provide output to numerous devices such as “computer screens (through web browsers), high-resolution printers, handheld devices, aural browsers or braille devices for those with visual impairments, and so on” [5]. Readily available stylesheets make this a simple matter of pairing a semantic HTML document with the appropriate stylesheets, which is helpful for providers with low bandwidths. [5]
In addition to all these advantages for those wishing to consume media in Africa, knowing XHTML has a lot of benefits for the journalist themselves. Considering that we may not always have access to expensive software, the ability to create web pages just with a basic text editor is invaluable [4]. Hence, as a contemporary journalist wishing to go into this great continent and produce significant multi and online media, my skills in XHTML are all the more relevant and pertinent to my context and will benefit me and the media I produce in the years to come.
Works Cited
[1] Byrne, Jim. 2003. The Advantages of Using Valid HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007: http://www.mcu.org.uk/training/usestandardmarkup.php
[2] Kraus, Bud. 2007. Why learn XHTML and CSS? Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 26 February 2007:
http://www.joyofcode.com/reasons_to_learn.html
[3] Jensen, Mike. 2006. Open Access: Lowering the Costs of International Bandwidth in Africa. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007:
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/apc0612.php
[4] Niles, Robert.2005. From the Teaching Trenches: Hardcoding is Harder, but Results are Worth It. Retreived from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[5] Wikipedia. 2007. HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 07 March 2007: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html#Semantic_HTML
As a journalist working in the bandwidth-poor continent of Africa, it is essential that I have a solid grasp of the technical language of XHTML. This is because those who consume online media in Africa are using varying digital devices and internet which is costly and has an incredibly low bandwidth. In fact it is very important that I take this into consideration in my media production, considering this problem is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa where I work, “which has the lowest teledensity in the world and the highest unmet demand for telecommunication services” [3].
In light of this, there is huge value in using XHTML as it creates more accessible pages through making it easy to share and process electronic documents regardless of the type of device, computer platform or operating system used [1]. This is invaluable because it makes websites more predictable, more portable, and more accessible, as they are built to work on more than just one specific browser [1].
Thus through using XHTML one can create “optimized easy-to-manage web sites that upload and download faster, and enhance search engine optimization” [2]. Essentially ‘less is more’ in that the cleaner one’s pages are and the least markup and tags they have, the more streamlined, efficient, easy-to-mange, search engine-friendly the web design will be [2]. This is especially the case where web pages are designed with Cascading Style Sheets modelled on well-structured XHTML pages.
Structural XHTML markup also has the advantage of device independence and repurposing of documents. A basic XHTML structure document can be paired with any number of stylesheets to provide output to numerous devices such as “computer screens (through web browsers), high-resolution printers, handheld devices, aural browsers or braille devices for those with visual impairments, and so on” [5]. Readily available stylesheets make this a simple matter of pairing a semantic HTML document with the appropriate stylesheets, which is helpful for providers with low bandwidths. [5]
In addition to all these advantages for those wishing to consume media in Africa, knowing XHTML has a lot of benefits for the journalist themselves. Considering that we may not always have access to expensive software, the ability to create web pages just with a basic text editor is invaluable [4]. Hence, as a contemporary journalist wishing to go into this great continent and produce significant multi and online media, my skills in XHTML are all the more relevant and pertinent to my context and will benefit me and the media I produce in the years to come.
Works Cited
[1] Byrne, Jim. 2003. The Advantages of Using Valid HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007: http://www.mcu.org.uk/training/usestandardmarkup.php
[2] Kraus, Bud. 2007. Why learn XHTML and CSS? Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 26 February 2007:
http://www.joyofcode.com/reasons_to_learn.html
[3] Jensen, Mike. 2006. Open Access: Lowering the Costs of International Bandwidth in Africa. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007:
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/apc0612.php
[4] Niles, Robert.2005. From the Teaching Trenches: Hardcoding is Harder, but Results are Worth It. Retreived from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[5] Wikipedia. 2007. HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 07 March 2007: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html#Semantic_HTML
The advantages of knowing XHTML as a journalist in Africa
Why it is important for journalists to have a solid grasp of the technical language of XHTML in the African context.
As a journalist it is essential that I have a solid grasp of the technical language of XHTML, especially considering that I am working in the bandwidth-poor continent of Africa. For those in Africa who do actually have access to the internet, it is far more expensive than in developed countries and providers have “less bandwidth that a home broadband user in North America or Europe” [3]. For reasons such as the lack of optic fibre cables which are able to supply international low-cost bandwidth, the developing nations of Africa continue to struggle with low bandwidth and high internet access costs. In fact this problem is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa “which has the lowest teledensity in the world and the highest unmet demand for telecommunication services” [3].
In light of this, there is huge value in using XHTML as it creates more accessible pages through making it easy to share and process electronic documents regardless of the type of device, computer platform or operating system used [1]. This is invaluable because it makes websites more predictable, more portable, and more accessible, as they are built to work on more than just one specific browser [1].
Thus through using XHTML one can create “optimized easy-to-manage web sites that upload and download faster, and enhance search engine optimization” [2]. Essentially ‘less is more’ in that the cleaner one’s pages are and the least markup and tags they have, the more streamlined, efficient, easy-to-mange, search engine-friendly the web design will be [2]. This is especially the case where web pages are designed with Cascading Style Sheets modelled on well-structured XHTML pages.
Structural XHTML markup also has the advantage of device independence and repurposing of documents. A basic XHTML structure document can be paired with any number of stylesheets to provide output to numerous devices such as “computer screens (through web browsers), high-resolution printers, handheld devices, aural browsers or braille devices for those with visual impairments, and so on” [5]. Readily available stylesheets make this a simple matter of pairing a semantic HTML document with the appropriate stylesheets, which is helpful for providers with low bandwidths. [5]
In addition to all these advantages for those wishing to consume media in Africa, knowing XHTML has a lot of benefits for the journalist themselves. Considering that they may not always have access to expensive software, the ability to create web pages just with a basic text editor is invaluable [4]. Hence, as a contemporary journalist wishing to go into this great continent and produce significant multi and online media, my skills in XHTML are all the more relevant and pertinent to my context and will benefit me and the media I produce in the years to come.
Works Cited
[1] Byrne, Jim. 2003. The Advantages of Using Valid HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007: http://www.mcu.org.uk/training/usestandardmarkup.php
[2] Kraus, Bud. 2007. Why learn XHTML and CSS? Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 26 February 2007:
http://www.joyofcode.com/reasons_to_learn.html
[3] Jensen, Mike. 2006. Open Access: Lowering the Costs of International Bandwidth in Africa. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007:
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/apc0612.php
[4] Niles, Robert.2005. From the Teaching Trenches: Hardcoding is Harder, but Results are Worth It. Retreived from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[5] Wikipedia. 2007. HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 07 March 2007: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html#Semantic_HTML
As a journalist it is essential that I have a solid grasp of the technical language of XHTML, especially considering that I am working in the bandwidth-poor continent of Africa. For those in Africa who do actually have access to the internet, it is far more expensive than in developed countries and providers have “less bandwidth that a home broadband user in North America or Europe” [3]. For reasons such as the lack of optic fibre cables which are able to supply international low-cost bandwidth, the developing nations of Africa continue to struggle with low bandwidth and high internet access costs. In fact this problem is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa “which has the lowest teledensity in the world and the highest unmet demand for telecommunication services” [3].
In light of this, there is huge value in using XHTML as it creates more accessible pages through making it easy to share and process electronic documents regardless of the type of device, computer platform or operating system used [1]. This is invaluable because it makes websites more predictable, more portable, and more accessible, as they are built to work on more than just one specific browser [1].
Thus through using XHTML one can create “optimized easy-to-manage web sites that upload and download faster, and enhance search engine optimization” [2]. Essentially ‘less is more’ in that the cleaner one’s pages are and the least markup and tags they have, the more streamlined, efficient, easy-to-mange, search engine-friendly the web design will be [2]. This is especially the case where web pages are designed with Cascading Style Sheets modelled on well-structured XHTML pages.
Structural XHTML markup also has the advantage of device independence and repurposing of documents. A basic XHTML structure document can be paired with any number of stylesheets to provide output to numerous devices such as “computer screens (through web browsers), high-resolution printers, handheld devices, aural browsers or braille devices for those with visual impairments, and so on” [5]. Readily available stylesheets make this a simple matter of pairing a semantic HTML document with the appropriate stylesheets, which is helpful for providers with low bandwidths. [5]
In addition to all these advantages for those wishing to consume media in Africa, knowing XHTML has a lot of benefits for the journalist themselves. Considering that they may not always have access to expensive software, the ability to create web pages just with a basic text editor is invaluable [4]. Hence, as a contemporary journalist wishing to go into this great continent and produce significant multi and online media, my skills in XHTML are all the more relevant and pertinent to my context and will benefit me and the media I produce in the years to come.
Works Cited
[1] Byrne, Jim. 2003. The Advantages of Using Valid HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007: http://www.mcu.org.uk/training/usestandardmarkup.php
[2] Kraus, Bud. 2007. Why learn XHTML and CSS? Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 26 February 2007:
http://www.joyofcode.com/reasons_to_learn.html
[3] Jensen, Mike. 2006. Open Access: Lowering the Costs of International Bandwidth in Africa. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007:
http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/apc0612.php
[4] Niles, Robert.2005. From the Teaching Trenches: Hardcoding is Harder, but Results are Worth It. Retreived from the World Wide Web on 06 March 2007: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/050113niles/
[5] Wikipedia. 2007. HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 07 March 2007: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html#Semantic_HTML
Tuesday, 6 March 2007
Planning XHTML for CSS
Why is it important, from the perspective of design/style of a webpage, to critically think about the structure of your content, navigation and other sections?
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are external style sheets which provide a “means of separating the content of an HTML document from the style and layout of that document” [2]. CSS is an incredibly useful and effective tool, but can only be truly maximised through creating a well structured HTML page first. Thus, it is absolutely essential to think about the structure of your content, navigation and so forth if one wishes to benefit from the numerous advantages of CSS.
Some of the main advantages of style sheets are their ability to save the designer of a webpage a lot of work through making it very easy to change the style of a document compared to the difficulties you would face with table based design [2]. Aside from the other advantages resulting from the reduced file size and so forth, CSS means that the “layout and position of navigation can be completely consistent across a site” [2] which was previously not as easy to achieve.
W3Schools sees CSS as “a breakthrough in Web design because it allows developers to control the style and layout of multiple Web pages all at once” [3]. The advantage of CSS is that the designer can set styles for each HTML element and then apply this easily to numerous Web pages. In this way then, “style sheets can save a lot of work” [3] through clearly separating the document’s presentation layout from the HTML content of the document.
However, as I have said, CSS is only truly effective if the HTML content is well-structured. Thus in order to maximise the potential of CSS there needs to be a shift from thinking about the look of the webpage first to thinking in terms of the structure. One must divide the page into content blocks, think about what the purpose of these blocks will be, and then “design an HTML structure that supports the meaning and purpose of your content” [1]. After this one can add the appropriate content in the appropriate divisions of the page, and only then should one start conceiving of the layout of the page.
Ultimately, if the HTML is well-structured, the page can be made to look like absolutely anything. This has been proved by the revolutionary CSS Zen Garden [4], whereby unlimited variations of the page were presented through using the exact same HTML page. In order to achieve this, one needs to just ensure content is clearly and neatly organised into and named attributes which “creates the context needed to write pinpoint accurate selectors for each individual element” [1]. The aim is to create a carefully structured HTML page, within which each element is used for its logical structural purpose.
Virginia DeBolt’s (2004) article, The Early Bird Catches the CSS: Planning Structural HTML, stresses the importance of creating well-organised and well-structured HTML pages which are structurally-ready for CSS [1]. While CSS takes some getting used to because it’s presentational attributes are different to that of HTML, there are many clear reasons for making the switch to CSS. Thus, there is clear reason to change the way in which one creates HTML content and to think about the end product through building it from the basic content up.
Works Cited
[1] DeBolt, Virginia. 2004. The Early Bird Catches the CSS: Planning Structural HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 02 March 2007:
http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/cssplanning/
[2] Vord Web Design. Advantages of CSS. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 05 March 2007: http://www.vordweb.co.uk/css/advantages-of-css.htm
[3] W3Schools. 2007. Introduction to CSS. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 05 March 2007: http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_intro.asp#top
[4] CSS Zen Garden: The Beauty in CSS Design. http://www.csszengarden.com/
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are external style sheets which provide a “means of separating the content of an HTML document from the style and layout of that document” [2]. CSS is an incredibly useful and effective tool, but can only be truly maximised through creating a well structured HTML page first. Thus, it is absolutely essential to think about the structure of your content, navigation and so forth if one wishes to benefit from the numerous advantages of CSS.
Some of the main advantages of style sheets are their ability to save the designer of a webpage a lot of work through making it very easy to change the style of a document compared to the difficulties you would face with table based design [2]. Aside from the other advantages resulting from the reduced file size and so forth, CSS means that the “layout and position of navigation can be completely consistent across a site” [2] which was previously not as easy to achieve.
W3Schools sees CSS as “a breakthrough in Web design because it allows developers to control the style and layout of multiple Web pages all at once” [3]. The advantage of CSS is that the designer can set styles for each HTML element and then apply this easily to numerous Web pages. In this way then, “style sheets can save a lot of work” [3] through clearly separating the document’s presentation layout from the HTML content of the document.
However, as I have said, CSS is only truly effective if the HTML content is well-structured. Thus in order to maximise the potential of CSS there needs to be a shift from thinking about the look of the webpage first to thinking in terms of the structure. One must divide the page into content blocks, think about what the purpose of these blocks will be, and then “design an HTML structure that supports the meaning and purpose of your content” [1]. After this one can add the appropriate content in the appropriate divisions of the page, and only then should one start conceiving of the layout of the page.
Ultimately, if the HTML is well-structured, the page can be made to look like absolutely anything. This has been proved by the revolutionary CSS Zen Garden [4], whereby unlimited variations of the page were presented through using the exact same HTML page. In order to achieve this, one needs to just ensure content is clearly and neatly organised into
Virginia DeBolt’s (2004) article, The Early Bird Catches the CSS: Planning Structural HTML, stresses the importance of creating well-organised and well-structured HTML pages which are structurally-ready for CSS [1]. While CSS takes some getting used to because it’s presentational attributes are different to that of HTML, there are many clear reasons for making the switch to CSS. Thus, there is clear reason to change the way in which one creates HTML content and to think about the end product through building it from the basic content up.
Works Cited
[1] DeBolt, Virginia. 2004. The Early Bird Catches the CSS: Planning Structural HTML. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 02 March 2007:
http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/cssplanning/
[2] Vord Web Design. Advantages of CSS. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 05 March 2007: http://www.vordweb.co.uk/css/advantages-of-css.htm
[3] W3Schools. 2007. Introduction to CSS. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 05 March 2007: http://www.w3schools.com/css/css_intro.asp#top
[4] CSS Zen Garden: The Beauty in CSS Design. http://www.csszengarden.com/
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