The web is a beautiful place. Since 320 and up became the new way of thinking and responsive design became ubiquitous among younger, more modern sites, we’ve seen a swathe of incredibly slick-looking image sliders and carousels, HTML5 Canvas creations and CSS3 transitions worked in across the board, and endless variations on the ever-popular Bootstrap framework. It’s perhaps this last point that bears thinking about for a moment longer, because Bootstrap was intended to be just that – something to help web designers get off the ground with a basic structure, and then depart from there. For many, though, it was seen as an all-in-one package that enabled them to get their new website online right now, for which further development was almost incidental. So many websites are now built from Bootstrap that you can spot them a mile off.
And is there a problem with this? Well, not really – not right now, anyway. But with all this focus on gorgeous elements, streamed media and micromanaged fade effects, some are wondering whether anyone is still thinking about the main content of a website – the text. As Steve Jenkins, Editor of Web Designer magazine, said: “Style versus substance has been the eternal struggle for web designers ever since GeoCities was offering free space on the web. What’s more important? Nowadays, both are critical to the success of a site. The lifespan of an aesthetically-pleasing design is short-lived if the content is poor. Conversely, a content-rich site will soon overcome any design shortfalls.”
Moreover, with an unrivalled burst of innovation and exciting new launches in recent years – from HTML5 and CSS3 to the Twitter API update and rollout of a new Android IDE – there is the worry that the barrier to entry for all these design and development tools may remain too high for all but the most hardcore of enthusiasts. While dev communities assuage our fears with excellent peer-to-peer reviewing and feedback, version control and the production of tools to make things more accessible, even these are often beyond the reach of business owners and bloggers who find no middle ground between the ‘ready to open’ Bootstrap box and the prospect of coding a full RWD site from line one.
Yet things may be changing. The web whispers of mentoring schemes for new web developers, where those with the experience share it with those who are fresh from university and require some commercial training. Raspberry Pi continues to take schools by storm, and the new UK curriculum is to bolster archaic, MS Office-focused IT lessons with some actual coding while also introducing vocational Tech Level qualifications. One of the key challenges of the coming years is to ensure that, as our technology continues to advance with the digital pioneers who lead the charge, we adapt our approaches to training the next generation of devs, and make sure that they are taught not only how to employ the latest design trend but also how to emphasise the core messages and functions of a site, how to engage users and increase conversion rates, and how to integrate effective SEO techniques from the outset.
A new publication that rises to answer these challenges is The Web Design Book Volume 2. Aimed at teaching people how good websites work and to what purpose, as well as how to produce specific contemporary effects, this bookazine balances style with substance. With primers for essential tools like CSS, PHP, Git and REST; feature-length guides to building WordPress themes from scratch, generating 3D graphics with WebGL and more; plus tutorials covering everything from building feed aggregators and vintage stitched-badge effects to designing mobile map apps and implementing powerful JavaScript libraries and frameworks, it’s a self-contained course on how to give your site some bite while keeping your end goal in mind. A steal at just £14.99, you can pick up a copy on the high street today or over at the Imagine Shop.
