Review: A Book Apart, CSS3 for Web Designers by Dan Cederholm

CSS3 for Web Designers by Dan Cederholm

December 7, 2010

Ryan’s Rating: ★★★★★

Having enjoyed HTML 5 for Web Designers, the first book released in the A Book A Part series, I didn’t hesitate to order its follow-up: CSS3 For Web Designers by Dan Cederholm.

Much like HTML5, the CSS3 specification is a work in progress. Cederholm points out that unlike HTML5 however, CSS3 is being implemented in pieces (modules):

Rather than attempting to shove dozens of updates into a single monolithic specification, it will be much easier and more efficient to be able to update individual pieces of the specification. Modules will enable CSS to be updated in a more timely and precise fashion, thus allowing for a more flexible and timely evolution of the specification as a whole.
http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-roadmap/

This means that we as designers can experiment with and begin to implement pieces of CSS3 where it makes sense.

The book  focuses on the implementation of CSS3 on the “experience layer”. With browser support for CSS3 growing steadily, we as designers are being given more freedom to start applying it to “non-critical” (as Cederholm describes them) components of the visual experience (interaction, visual rewards, feedback, movement). In limiting the scope of its application to non-critical components of the visual experience, there really isn’t much of a downside to utilizing it. You are essentially adding enhancements for those are able to take advantage of the new CSS3 functionality.

With the CSS3 layout modules being far from completed (and/or supported to any great extent by any one browser), there is no need to tinker with the “critical components” (branding, usability, accessibility, layout) at this point in time.  Those unable to take advantage of CSS3 will be none the wiser (assuming they aren’t bouncing to and from a supporting/non-supporting browser) since their experience will not be degraded in any way.

CSS3 for Web Designers was an easy, practical, and interesting read, which is probably why I was able to read it from cover to cover, play around with some of the examples in the book, and type up this review all in the span of a day. I already feel like I know a lot more about CSS3 than I did yesterday and am eager to experiment and explore further.

This book is 118 pages in length (about 30 pages longer than the previous in the series).

If you are still unsure or just want to take a peek at what’s inside the book, a portion of chapter 2 can be read at http://www.alistapart.com/articles/understanding-css3-transitions/.

or, Buy it now.

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Review: A Book Apart, HTML5 for Web Designers by Jeremy Keith

HTML5 for Web Designers by Jeremy Keith

December 7, 2010

Ryan’s Rating: ★★★★★

In May of this year, Jason Santa Maria announced the arrival of A Book Apart, the new publishing arm of A List Apart founded by Jeffrey Zeldman, Mandy Brown, and himself.  As stated on their website,

“The goal of every title in our catalog is to shed clear light on a tricky subject, and do it fast, so you can get back to work.”

The first book in the series to be released was HTML5 for Web Designers by Jeremy Keith. The book begins with a brief history of markup, before getting into the HTML5 specification and showing its application.

As described, the book is condensed (just 85 pages long), is by no means technical, and does a great job of outlining some of the key changes that HTML5 brings to the table.

While I haven’t had the opportunity to apply HTML5 to any great extent in the short-term, it IS the future; so the more that I can familiarize myself with it in the present, the better off I will be when the time does come for me to start taking full advantage of the new features available to me.

Still not sure? Chapter 1 can be viewed in its entirety for free at www.alistapart.com/articles/a-brief-history-of-markup.

or, Buy it now.

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Review: Creative Photoshop CS4: Digital Illustration and Art Techniques

Creative Photoshop CS4: Digital Illustration and Art Techniques by Derek Lea

April 1, 2010

Ryan’s Rating: ★★★★★★

I recently dropped by Barnes & Noble to check out the latest design and tech magazines, whah inevitably led to my wandering over to design books and eyeballing them to see if anything caught my attention. Naturally, one did: Creative Photoshop CS4: Digital Illustration & Art Techniques by Derek Lea.

As I flipped through the pages, my attention kept getting drawn to the vivid illustrations and sample works that appeared throughout. You can see for yourself by checking out the page samples on the Creative Photoshop CS4 web site. I decided to take a look at the table of contents and realized that this was definitely something that I was interested in.

The book is divided into four sections:

  • Drawing & Painting
  • Unconventional Methods
  • Real World Photoshop
  • Illustrative Photography

Each of these sections breaks down into multiple chapters covering specific applications and techniques. Every chapter includes shortcuts, tips and corresponding project files that can be downloaded from the book’s web site. Technically, you don’t even need to purchase the book to download the project files, as Lea has posted them publicly for anyone who happens to come across the book’s website.

What I found to be most useful about this book is how detailed each lesson is. Lea takes the reader through every step of the process, provides screen captures of each work as it progresses through the lesson being taught and even provides the project files for you to take a look at. Every lesson is given a difficulty rating from 1-5 and includes the fundamentals that are needed to complete each lesson.

I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record or that people may be beginning to think I’m on the take, but the fact of the matter is that I only read good books! No, I’ve read some stinkers, but I generally only buy books that I think will be of interest to me and most of the time they are. Anyway, I digress.  This book is a great addition to any Photoshop enthusiast’s library but most appropriate for users beyond the novice stage. Anyone with a grasp of the basics can learn a lot from this book and take their skills to the next level. I have a number of Photoshop books that I have accumulated over the years and I already deem this to be one of my favorites.

Check out the book’s website and sample pages or go ahead and purchase your own copy of the book!

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Review: Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities

Logo Design Love

March 30, 2010

Ryan’s Rating: ★★★★★

I got through this book in one sitting. Once I began reading I didn’t want to put it down. Simply put, this book is a straight-forward, no-fluff, easy to read guide on creating brand identities, weighing in at just under 200 pages. It’s another must-have for anyone with an interest in pursuing logo design and even experienced designers looking for some inspiration or another perspective.

Why is a brand identity important? What are some examples of great brand identities? How do you begin the process of creating a brand identity? What are the potential pitfalls that you might encounter during the design process and how do you avoid them? What do I need to know about pricing my designs? How do I take a logo from conception production? What are some good approaches to working with clients? How do you stay motivated? All of these questions are addressed in detail in the eleven chapters that make up this great book.

Logo Design Love is a blueprint for success. Airey takes you through his process and includes examples and real-world anecdotes that further illustrate best practices for designing brand identity systems.  Finally, the book closes with Airey answering some of the most frequently asked questions that he receives and a list of 25 practical logo design tips.

If you are curious or have an interest, you can get a chapter for free here or purchase the book in its entirety here.

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Review: The Smashing Book

The Smashing Book

March 29, 2010

Ryan’s Rating: ★★★★★

A book for designers by designers.

Many of you are probably already familiar with the popular design and web development blog, Smashing Magazine. In December, they announced the release of their first book, The Smashing Book.

The book is organized into ten different chapters authored by various designers in the field:

  • User Interface Design in Modern Web Applications
  • The Art and Sciences of CSS-Layouts
  • Typography: Rules, Guidelines and Common Mistakes
  • Usability Principles for Modern Websites
  • The Ultimate Guide to Fantastic Color Usage
  • Optimization For Websites
  • Design to Sell – Increasing Conversion Rates
  • How to turn a Site into a Remarkable Brand
  • Learning from Experts – Interviews and Insights
  • Behind the Curtains: The Smashing Magazine Story

Despite being written by an array of authors, I think that the book flows pretty well and covers a wide spectrum of essential best practices and techniques in web design. It’s a great book for aspiring designers and a solid reference for even the most experienced designers to keep on their bookshelves. Hopefully this only the first of many books to be released by the Smashing Magazine crew!

You can check out preview of the book and purchase it directly through Smashing Magazine.

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