Review: Sexy Web Design
Iain Laskey gets all hot under the collar over ummm web design?
| Product | Sexy Web Design |
|---|---|
| Company | Sitepoint |
| Web | www.sitepoint.com |
| Price | £31.49 |
| We like | Inspiring, useful methodologies |
| We don't like | A bit thin |
| Rating | 8/10 |
| Requirements |
There's a lot of books out there with titles mentioning web design which are full of CSS and HTML. This isn't one of them. Instead, it really is about design.
The author, Elliot Jay Stocks has an impressive client list and is well known on the speaking circuit so his credentials are good. In Sexy Web Design, he shows how to gain inspiration and get ideas together long before you turn on your PC or Mac.
With chapter headings such as Research, Structure, Navigation and Interaction and Aesthetics, you can soon see that this is going to be useful stuff.
The book is printed on pure white paper with lots of bright colourful illustrations from various web sites. Mixed in are dozens of hand drawn sketches and diagrams to show how a design is worked on from the earliest stages of doodles through to examples done in Photoshop ready for showing to a client.
Many web site developers come from a programming or IT background rather than a design one. Sexy Web Design introduces techniques such as mood boards, paper prototyping and wireframing which many readers may not be aware of. It's both interesting and helpful to see both the wireframe drawings and finished sites side by side to see how the process can work. Equally, a section that shows how you can do variations on layout whilst keeping the same basic structure, is very useful.
We thought the section on navigation and interaction was particularly good. The author has an engaging style and much of the time it reads like a friend chatting to you about the subject. The section on aesthetics is also interesting, especially for someone from a non design background. There's the obligatory bit of colour theory with different colour wheels plus some useful links to tools to help find attractive colour combinations. There are also explanations of traditional concepts such as the golden ratio and the rule of thirds to help create a balanced layout. Adding textures and the value of illustration either photographic or hand drawn are covered as is the power of a good set of icons. Possibly most important of all, typography is given coverage including using images or sIFR techniques to replace text with more attractive versions.
The book finishes off with example pages being produced in photoshop to present to a client to show a design before it's agreed and the marking up can begin. The author also shows how limited interactivity can be faked if needed.
Throughout, the author provides useful links to sites offering further reading, useful tools or software that can help with the design process.
Conclusion
We liked Sexy Web Design (but not the title!) a lot. However, whilst it's easy to absorb the concepts presented throughout, at just 145 pages, the book does feel a little too lightweight and many sections cried out for more in depth discussion. Perhaps a second (much fatter) book would be in order to expand on some of the ideas - more of a full on crash course in design concepts and methods for non designers.
Despite that, we found Sexy Web design inspiring both in terms of design ideas but also as a different way of working. No more starting a design by switching on the PC. Much more designing with a pen, paper and a stack of images and objects to help pin down the mood and look of a site.
If the author wanted to change the way the reader thought and worked, he succeeded.
