GearPop Blog

HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites

A full-color introduction to the basics of HTML and CSS from the publishers of Wrox! 

Every day, more and more people want to learn some HTML and CSS. Joining the professional web designers and programmers are new audiences who need to know a little bit of code at work (update a content management system or e-commerce store) and those who want to make their personal blogs more attractive. Many books teaching HTML and CSS are dry and only written for those who want to become programmers, which is why this book takes an entirely new approach.

  • Introduces HTML and CSS in a way that makes them accessible to everyone—hobbyists, students, and professionals—and it’s full-color throughout
  • Utilizes information graphics and lifestyle photography to explain the topics in a simple way that is engaging
  • Boasts a unique structure that allows you to progress through the chapters from beginning to end or just dip into topics of particular interest at your leisure

This educational book is one that you will enjoy picking up, reading, then referring back to. It will make you wish other technical topics were presented in such a simple, attractive and engaging way!

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The Web Designer’s Idea Book: The Ultimate Guide to Themes, Trends & Styles In Website Design

Inspiring Web Design at a Glance

The Web Designer’s Idea Book includes more than 700 websites arranged thematically, so you can find inspiration for layout, color, style and more. Author Patrick McNeil has cataloged more than 5,000 sites on his website, and showcased in this book are the very best examples.

Sites are organized by type, design style, theme, color, element and structure. Each chapter is easy to use and reference again and again, whether you’re talking with a coworker or discussing website design options with a client. As a handy desk reference for design layout, color and style, this book is a must-have for starting new projects.

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White Space is Not Your Enemy: A Beginner’s Guide to Communicating Visually through Graphic, Web and Multimedia Design

Designing a brochure or web site without an art background? Step away from the computer and read this breezy introduction to visual communications first. Written for non-designers, White Space is Not Your Enemy is a practical graphic design and layout text introducing the concepts and practices necessary for producing effective visual communications across a variety of formats, from print to Web.

This beautifully illustrated, full-color book covers the basics to help you develop your eye and produce attractive work. Topics include:
* The basics of effective design that communicates its intended message
* Pre-design planning
* 13 Layout Sins to avoid
* Basic typography
* Working with color
* Storyboarding for video, Web, and presentions
* Information graphics
* Mini Art School–all the basics in one chapter
* Outputting your work

* Finally–the basics of layout, design, and visual communication for print and web in one easy-to-digest book!
* “Try This” sections in each chapter include fun, hands-on activities to develop skills.
* The companion web site includes text and photo support material; video clips that put the principles in practice; interactive multimedia components; and links.

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Above the Fold: Understanding the Principles of Successful Web Site Design

Above the Fold is a book about the fundamentals of effective graphic communication set in the context of Web design. Unlike other books that focus on the intersection of design and technology, Above the Fold explores the relationship between the stakeholders of a Web project– the designer, the user and the client — and how this continuous cycle affects the decisions made by successful Web designers. Above the Fold is not technical manual or a how-to book, nor is it about timely trends; it’s about the timeless fundamentals of layout, usability and measurement that lead to a successful digital product. 

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Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to (X)HTML, StyleSheets, and Web Graphics

Everything you need to know to create professional web sites is right here. Learning Web Design starts from the beginning — defining how the Web and web pages work — and builds from there. By the end of the book, you’ll have the skills to create multi-column CSS layouts with optimized graphic files, and you’ll know how to get your pages up on the Web.

This thoroughly revised edition teaches you how to build web sites according to modern design practices and professional standards. Learning Web Design explains:

  • How to create a simple (X)HTML page, how to add links and images
  • Everything you need to know about web standards — (X)HTML, DTDs, and more
  • Cascading Style Sheets — formatting text, colors and backgrounds, using the box model, page layout, and more
  • All about web graphics, and how to make them lean and mean through optimization
  • The site development process, from start to finish
  • Getting your pages on the Web — hosting, domain names, and FTP

The book includes exercises to help you to learn various techniques, and short quizzes to make sure you’re up to speed with key concepts. If you’re interested in web design, Learning Web Design is the place to start.

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Web Design All-in-One for Dummies

Web designers must wear many hats. Among books on Web design, Web Design All-in-One For Dummies is the one that helps you successfully wear all those hats without losing your head.

Full-color illustrations and five self-contained minibooks show you how to be a graphic designer, creative organizer, visual communicator, markup language technologist, and cutting-edge trendsetter, all in one. This book helps you lay the groundwork, follow design rules, test your site, register a domain name, and much more.

  • Getting Started covers planning, defining your target audience, choosing the right software, and more
  • Designing For the Web acquaints you with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, plus how to choose a layout and optimize graphics
  • Building Web Sites gets down to nuts and bolts: putting text, images, hyperlinks, and multimedia files together, organizing content, and building navigation systems
  • Web Standards & Testing teaches you how to test and validate so everyone can enjoy your site
  • Publishing & Site Maintenance helps you get your site online and keep it current

Web Design All-in-One For Dummies also helps you learn how to choose a Web editor and graphics program, how to make your site accessible to the widest possible audience, and when it’s time to call in a pro like author Sue Jenkins. It’s just what you need to start and manage a great site.

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The Principles of Beautiful Web Design

This second edition of The Principles of Beautiful Web Design is the ideal book for people who can build websites, but are seeking the skills and knowledge to visually enhance their sites.

This book will teach you how to:

  • Understand the process of what makes “good design,” from discovery through to implementation
  • Use color effectively, develop color schemes, and create a palette
  • Create pleasing layouts using grids, the rule of thirds, and symmetry
  • Employ textures: lines, points, shapes, volumes, and depth
  • Apply typography to make ordinary designs look great
  • Choose, edit, and position effective imagery

And lots more…

This revised, easy-to-follow guide is illustrated with beautiful, full-color examples, and leads readers through the process of creating great designs from start to finish.

It also features:

  • Updated information about grid-based design
  • How to design for mobile resolutions
  • Information about the future of web fonts including @font-face
  • Common user-interface patterns and resources

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The Web Designer’s Idea Book, Vol. 2: More of the Best Themes, Trends and Styles in Website Design

Web Design Inspiration at a Glance

Volume 2 of The Web Designer’s Idea Book includes more than 650 new websites arranged thematically, so you can easily find inspiration for your work. Author Patrick McNeil, creator of the popular web design blog designmeltdown.com and author of the original bestselling Web Designer’s Idea Book, has cataloged thousands of sites, and showcases the latest and best examples in this book. The web is the most rapidly changing design medium, and this book offers an organized overview of what’s happening right now. Sites are categorized by type, design element, styles and themes, structural styles, and structural elements. This new volume also includes a helpful chapter explaining basic design principles and how they can be applied online. Whether you’re brainstorming with a coworker or explaining your ideas to a client, this book provides a powerful communication tool you can use to jump start your next project.

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