Practical Web Design for Absolute Beginners

Practical Web Design for Absolute Beginners

by Adrian W. West
Released November 2016
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781484219935

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Book description

Learn the fundamentals of modern web design, rather than relying on CMS programs, such as WordPress or Joomla!. You will be introduced to the essentials of good design and how to optimize for search engines. You will discover how to register a domain name and migrate a website to a remote host. Because you will have built the web pages yourself, you will know exactly how HTML and CSS work. You have will complete control over your websites and their maintenance.

Practical Website Design for Absolute Beginners centers around introducing small amounts of new code in short practical chapters and provides many website templates that can be easily adapted for your own websites. Each chapter builds on the templates created in the previous chapter. You are provided with a practical project to complete in most chapters, and taught to produce practical web pages right from the start.

In the first chapter you will install and configure a free text editor, then you will produce the structure for your first web page. You will then gradually learn to create more sophisticated and increasingly practical web pages and websites.

In this book you will be encouraged by means of a series of achievable goals, and you will be rewarded by the knowledge that you are learning something valuable and really worthwhile. You will not have to plow through daunting chapters of disembodied code theory because the code is described and explained in context within each project. Because each project is fully illustrated, you will see clearly what you are expected to achieve as you create each web page.

What You'll Learn

  • Provides instructions for installing a text editor for producing HTML and CSS

  • Shows you step-by-step how to build and test web pages and websites

  • Teaches you how to ensure that your websites are attractive and useful

  • Describes how to make the most effective use of color and images

  • Teaches you the essential features of search engine optimization

  • Shows you how to migrate your website to a remote host

Who This Book Is For

Practical Website Design for Absolute Beginners is for people who want to begin designing their own websites. It uses a highly motivational, easily assimilated step-by-step approach where you will start learning practical skills from the very first chapter. The book is an excellent choice for people who have computer skills but would also like to learn HTML and CSS. For readers who have little or no knowledge of HTML and CSS, the book will teach enough to complete all the projects in the book.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Frontmatter
  3. 1. Creating Websites
  4. 2. Create Your First Website and Add Hyperlinks
  5. 3. Styling the Website with CSS
  6. 4. Create Web Pages with Three Columns Using CSS
  7. 5. Create Web Pages with Four Columns Using CSS
  8. 6. Add Pictures to Websites
  9. 7. Enhancing the Website
  10. 8. Rollover Menu Buttons
  11. 9. Using Color Effectively
  12. 10. Screen Size and Resolution: Useful Templates: Rounded Corners
  13. 11. A Vertical Menu with a Picture Gallery
  14. 12. A Horizontal Menu with an Enlarged Picture Gallery
  15. 13. More about Website Images: Create a New Appearance with Tiles
  16. 14. Vertical and Horizontal Menus on the Same Page: Colored Columns
  17. 15. Create Tiles: Use Two New Tiles: Float-Drop and the Box Model
  18. 16. Create Tables for Data
  19. 17. The Secret of Attractive and Useful Websites
  20. 18. Design a Feedback Form
  21. 19. Search Engine Optimization
  22. 20. Positioning Elements on a Web Page
  23. 21. Save Time and Reduce Tedium
  24. 22. More on Using PHP include
  25. 23. Receive Emails from a Contact Us Page
  26. 24. Add Slideshows and Videos
  27. 25. Create a Tab Menu
  28. 26. Designing a Drop-Down Menu
  29. 27. Drop Shadows
  30. 28. User Name and Password for a Member’s Page
  31. 29. Create a Printable Order Form
  32. 30. Add a Search Field to Your Website
  33. 31. Styled Bullet Points
  34. 32. Indicating Which Horizontal Menu Button Has Been Clicked
  35. 33. Indicating Which Vertical Menu Button Has Been Clicked
  36. 34. Creating Multi-row Menus and Picture Galleries
  37. 35. Building Responsive Websites for Mobile Devices Part 1
  38. 36. Building Responsive Websites for Mobile Devices Part 2
  39. 37. Building Responsive Websites for Mobile Devices Part 3
  40. 38. Building Responsive Websites for Mobile Devices Part 4
  41. 39. Avoiding Some of the Pitfalls of a CMS Website
  42. 40. Go Live and Validate Your Website
  43. 41. Quick Reference: Graphics Programs: Resources
  44. 42. Installing and Using Text Editors
  45. Backmatter

Product information

  • Title: Practical Web Design for Absolute Beginners
  • Author(s): Adrian W. West
  • Release date: November 2016
  • Publisher(s): Apress
  • ISBN: 9781484219935