Understanding Web Design

Jeffrey Zeldman

We’ll have better web design when we stop asking it to be something it’s not, and start appreciating it for what it is. It’s not print, not video, not a poster—and that’s not a problem. Learn how to explain to clients and bosses what it is you do, and why they should stand back and let you do it.

Debug / Reboot

Eric Meyer

With judicious use of CSS, you can visually call out problems in your markup, as well as wipe out a great deal of browser inconsistency. This exploration of how (and why) will illuminate some of the dustier, darker corners of CSS in the service of gaining a deeper understanding of CSS and browser behavior.

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The Lessons of CSS Frameworks

Eric Meyer

Wouldn’t it be great if your toughest layout challenges were pre-solved for you, with code you could use over and over no matter what the design looks like? Sure, but is it possible, or even wise? Find out as we study popular CSS frameworks to help you better understand CSS as a design tool.

Design Challenges, Standards Solutions

Stephanie Sullivan

Liquid and elastic layouts. Multi-classing. Forms, forms, forms. What’s a web professional to do? Join us for an exploration of practical design approaches and techniques to provide solid, standards-based solutions to today’s design challenges.

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Good Design Ain’t Easy

Jason Santa Maria

Successful design strikes the balance between form and message. When that balance is threatened by generic templates and design sameness, even the most thoughtful messages can come off as generic and insincere. Learn how design can be a supportive storyteller (not just a passive bystander), how to plan a layout for flexibility and growth, and get everyone you work with to see the light.

Progressive Enhancement with JavaScript

Aaron Gustafson

We’ve all heard the rallying cry for writing “unobtrusive” JavaScript, but that only gets you so far. To truly meet users’ needs, no matter what their device or platform, you’ll have to apply the principles of “progressive enhancement” to your client-side scripting. This session will help you get into the PE mindset and walk you through concrete examples that demonstrate PE in action.

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Kick it Like Pelé

Brian Oberkirch

Those who dabble on the web (or the soccer pitch) know that the real action takes place away from the spotlight. We’ll review, catalog, dissect, and champion small design victories that daisy chain to create a delightful overall user experience.

Findability Bliss Through Web Standards SEO

Aarron Walter

Learn how web standards can help make any project more findable for your users and accessible to search engines. Findability bliss is even attainable with Ajax and Flash interfaces with some web standards wisdom.

Lunch

Good vs. Great Design

Cameron Moll

It’s easy to poke fun at bad design, but it’s far more challenging—and rewarding—to discern differences between good design and great design. This session will teach you practical design techniques for tipping the scales of greatness in your favor, using a blend of graphic design theory, human computing principles, and a communication-centric approach.

On-the-Spot Usability Reviews

Robert Hoekman Jr

Get ready for slam-bang action as Robert performs on-the-spot usability reviews of sites submitted by our live audience on the fly. It’s a ton of fun, with loads of audience participation—and everyone leaves with great ideas on how to improve their own sites.

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Living, Breathing Design

Dave Shea

The days of “fire and forget” web design are over. It’s no longer practical to think of a website as a collection of static documents; sites are complex organisms, constantly evolving and adapting. Examine popular management strategies for sites as they change over time, and learn the principles and code behind flexible and adaptive layouts, shifting design elements, and contingency plans.

Web Standards: The Return of the King

Jeffrey Zeldman

From 1998–2001, we fought to get standards in our browsers. In the ensuing years, we relearned markup and design, rethought coding, and made accessibility a priority. It all seemed to be going well—and with the release of the more standards-compliant IE7, the road ahead looked glorious. So what went wrong? Why are so many standardistas up in arms? And what does the future look like for standards-based design?

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Underpants Over My Trousers

Andy Clarke

Comic books have long been an inspiration to artists, designers, and filmmakers. But what lessons are there to be learned by those web designers who dare to look into this muscle-bound, four-color world for inspiration? In this session, learn how Andy applied his passion for comics to, of all things, his design for a Puerto Rican newspaper website by studying his design inspiration, creative concepts, and how he implemented his designs using superhero CSS.

Designing the Next Generation of Web Apps

Jeff Veen

The hype around Web 2.0 continues to increase to the point of absurdity. But what can we learn from these trends to actually apply to our designs? Learn how new thinking is being infused into design practices in the following trends:

• New technology integration with Ajax, syndication
• Design trends in tagging, progressive enhancement, and anticipatory interaction
• Philosophical shifts in business towards openness, generosity, and collaboration with your users

From Prototype to Web Page

Greg Rewis

Special session sponsored by Adobe

Explore current standards and best practices for web page prototyping and design, and get a sneak peek at how the upcoming releases of Adobe Dreamweaver and Fireworks will address some of these concerns.