The Non-Designer's Web Book, 3rd Edition

Too many web design books approach the subject with a jargon-laden, heavy-handed approach--not so with THE NON-DESIGNERS WEB BOOK. Williams and Tollett explain the Web, as well as design concepts, with a touch of dry humor and a unique, ultimately readable style. Reading this book is a joy due to its simple, accessible style and conversational language. It's probably one of the few web design books you'll ever read from cover-to-cover.Who is this book for? It's mostly for the design novice. If you have any amount of experience working with the Web and creating websites, some of this stuff is going to be a little simplistic. Even so, read this book for the design concepts it presents. Too many so-called web designers know the technical aspects of creating a website, but fall far short when it comes to design skills. The basic principles put forward in this book will make you a better designer. They certainly worked for me!If you're designing a website and you know nothing about design, invest in this book. It's a sure winner!

This is a good book to use to learn web design. It is well written. It can also be used as a reference book for details that have been forgotten. The only problem with books like these are that they become dated after a year or two. I use mine frequently.

I've read a few books by Robin Williams (though I should like to read some by the other R.Williams) and I always find them full of information. They give me insights into my use of the computer that I had not thought of, or refreshers that I need.The usefulness to me is apparent as I look back at the book and see how much I dog eared items to search on the web, or need to remember for my work. The book, as the title states is for us non-designers who are building web pages. I have built quite a few and of course I remember what ais. But to show why it is good to choose one alignment. To use sliced image maps, and so many other items makes this work a needed and cited reference on my shelf. In face I actually had read a few years ago the 2nd edition and had been telling other non-designers to get it. Finding there was a third edition slightly more current (One a year please Robin to keep up with the changes in coding and programs) I thought a reread of parts of 2 and now all of 3 was in orderSo, we come down to it. Should you get it. Yes if you are a web page designer, creator, builder. Have anything to do with web pages. Will I or you reread it. Yes again. This is a very useful, well written tome with great examples throughout. Well worth the money, time and effort you will put into it.

I bought this book for a college class I was taking but found that it was far more useful than just fulfilling a class requirement. This book details what is needed in creating a website from beginning to end, including how to be found on search engines and how to make your web site not look amateurish. The authors include plenty of pictures and graphics to illustrate their points, and do not write in "techo-garble" which keeps the average layman at arm's length. I highly recommend this book to ANYONE considering making their own website.

This book should be the first thing someone reads when trying to design a website. If for no other reason than to learn the vocabulary involved. But even if you'll be working peripherally with your web design folks the stuff in this book will help you converse more intelligently with them and have more realistic expectations for you and your website.

It has helped me with a lot of aspects of web design I hadn't thought of; it has solutions to questions I've asked others, and some questions that hadn't occurred to me yet. I have had to shelve attention to web design for awhile, due to other priorities, but I expect to pick this up and resume reading at the first opportunity.

First, a disclosure. I was already an accomplished web author, but I like to buy a new book every so often for inspiration.One of the struggles of designing web pages is coming up with the design. Staying creative, finding things that work but are still unique, is a constant challenge, and I'm not the most artistic person. So the title "Non-Designers" got my attention immediately.Unfortunately the book takes five chapters before you cover *any* design. It covers how the web works (incorrectly), some basic tools (poorly) and a bunch of fluff and space filler to make the book seem more important than it is. And finally, you get a couple chapters on design, but even then, the information is weak. A nice comprehensive chapter on complementary colors and good layout? Nope. Typography? Nope. All condensed in HALF of one chapter, and poorly done at that.For a title that implies design, I could have given it two, or maybe even three starts. I can't completely fault a book for my perceptions of what I thought it would be. But it gets a one because the information it *does* convey is incorrect. It encourages tables for layout, doesn't touch on accessibility at all, and only talks about design using expensive tools that a newcomer (the audience this book is obviously targeting) would not be willing to spend that kind of money on. The gross negligence of this book to conform to standards and provide affordable alternatives for its target audience actually does a disservice to the poor reader who actually needs the level of handholding this book provides. You may love the advice, but you don't realize the advice is *bad* until years later.Pass on this book.

Wait for the third edition, which is due out in late August 2005. Perhaps it will contain more useful information about Cascading Style Sheets, which are almost an afterthought here. The web-safe color chart and explanation is useful, along with the section on typography. There's also a reasonably clear explanation of using Adobe PhotoShop to create repeating backgrounds. But the cute graphics are like jelly beans spilled over the pages.

Bought it after reading the amazon reviews and am delighted with the book. Not only does it deal with the whole range of important factors in making web site information accesible and enjoyable, but I was surprised to find some very useful suggestions on the more techy side. Printed on nice paper with nice figures too!

迅速な対応ありがとうございました。また、機会があればお願いします。

Another excellent book which is easy to understand. I have now bought nearly the whole set

Robin Williams' design and type books inspired me to change my life and I can't recommend them too highly. Likewise, her new book on presentations, though inevitably recycling some of the same material, adds the new dimensions of time and theatre as well. So I was looking forward to reading the Non Designer's Web Book with a view to passing it on to people who know a lot less about web design than I already do. But no, sadly I can't recommend this one of the otherwise excellent family of books.I think there are two problems:- the main problem is that it feels terribly dated. The internet is fast moving, and it has left a lot of the material in the book behind. People don't want basic web sites like this any more: there are read-made blogs, content management systems and online site builders for the simple stuff, which is about as far as this book goes; interactivity, AJAX, server applications, in short "Web 2.0", is beyond its scope. Two paragraphs about cross-browser design issues simply isn't enough, especially as it isn't (easily) possible to install multiple versions of Internet Explorer on the same computer. Four pages on CSS is nowhere near enough for someone new to the subject; we still seem to be living in the land of tables and image slicing to do layout. Though published in 2005, it feels more like 2000.- it can't cover the technology in enough detail to be helpful to someone new, but on the other hand doesn't add enough to the aspects of design, appearance and interactivity that web pages throw up over paper design.I think someone who wants a simple web site might do better to read William's "Non Designer's Design Book" for the more detailed design principles, Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think!: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability" for web-specific presentation, and something else appropriate for what you're working with for the technical aspects of web design - there's vast amounts of stuff online to help, and chances are you'll be starting with something off the shelf for a basic web site.