Reading this post on HTML/CSS as art vs. science: http://tinyurl.com/2xpmum
Sitting down at 35th St. Bistro for Tom’s birthday lunch.
Andrew details each side of the issue I bought up in my latest bog post. HTML and CSS as an art or specialized craft, wherein the code becomes as important as the site made from it:
…given proper thought, a website can be as elegent [sic] in code as it is graphically. It is a concept of precision engineering, as opposed to plain good engineering.
And HTML/CSS as a science, or as the “raw materials” for the site being built, and not an end product in and of itself:
Whatever you think of html and css that fact remains that it exists solely as a way to present data. It is a tool to achieve a good outcome and not an outcome in itself. [snip] This is very much the view that seeks to avoid making perfect the enemey of good enough, and as such is something of a common sense approach.
I think Andrew does a really nice job of explaining both sides to this discussion without showing bias towards one or the other. Visit site »
Zeldman’s latest article at A List Apart shows (yet again) why he is still the industry thought-leader in an industry full of thought-leaders. A really great peice on the current state of our profession. Visit site »
Sweet! Compare, for fun:
Flickr: Seattle JeffCroft.com Seattle
It shouldn’t be a surprise that I really like this idea! Visit site »
Nathan Borror (my friend and former colleague, who happens to be one of the best designers I’ve ever worked with) has released Boilerplate, a new CSS framework. He says, “I’ve started this. It’s a work in progress. I will explain later.” He also says:
A simple CSS framework that reduces redundant boilerplate code, imposing as little semantic suggestion as possible.
As initial author of Blueprint CSS I’ve taken a lot of my original code and some of the current iterations of Blueprint to form a stripped down simple framework that provides the necessary CSS essentials. There is very little semantic suggestion which allows you to craft good semantic markup.
Boilerplate does not include a grids component, from what I can tell (the grids piece of Blueprint is arguably the most useful piece, and certainly the most controversial and divisive).
Looks like a terrific start towards a framework for those who are concerned about Blueprint’s visual class names. Visit site »
Richard, who continues to be one of web typography’s biggest assets, has an ALA article that’s all about sizing type. He evaluates many different ways of sizing type, demonstrating the results of each across several browsers (including when text is resized by users). He ultimately concludes than an em-based approach is best. I would agree with this completely. He also notes in his addendum that the math needed to use this approach can get complicated, especially with deeply-nested elements.
In the typography workshop I’ve done a few times now, I’ve come to much the same conclusion. If you want the absolute best, most ideal way to size type, using ems is the way to go — but it will take you more time and patience, because of the math. Sizing with pixels is definitely easier, but also definitely not as ideal. You’ll have to evaluate the trade-offs and decide what’s appropriate for a given project. Visit site »
Heading out to Fremont for some Ben Tesch birthday action.
Okay, I’m now officially excited about this flick. Visit site »