web standards in a nutshell

as designers, we’ve heard of the two words “web standards” countless of times. and if you’re a newbie designer, you’re probably wondering what that’s all about exactly.

here are the 3 main requirements of “web standards” :

1. separate site’s content from site’s representation: create and code the content of the site semantically in the (x)html page.
2. cascading style sheet for design: use css for the design of your (x)html page – period.
3. think accessibility: make sure your website is universally accessible with all the major web browsers and assistive technologies (screen readers).

and that’s it in a nutshell!

if you want more details (which i totally recommend), check out jeffrey zeldman’s designing with web standards (3rd edition). it’s a must-have book for all rock-star designers. (note that this book is not a manual of how to design a website.)

a couple of other useful websites on this subject are:

• w3.org
• a list apart

photograph: my copy of designing with web standards. it’s a 2nd edition – and not the most updated one.

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