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.

Patterns in the Process

Jeremy Keith

From scribbling the first sketch to finely crafting the finished markup, CSS, and JavaScript, each step of the design process offers different challenges and opportunities. When the same challenges keep cropping up in different projects, it’s good to have an arsenal of tried and tested solutions. Learn how to develop a nose for design patterns and build a robust toolkit of reusable snippets.

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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.

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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Storytelling by Design

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).

Accessibility Beyond Compliance

Derek Featherstone

New technologies for web applications open up interactions to a highly sophisticated level. Learn how these new technologies can help designers move beyond simply complying with accessibility rules to create applications that work for everyone.

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Web Application Hierarchy

Luke Wroblewski

When a potential customer makes it to one of your pages, what will they do? Do you want them to sign up, share knowledge, buy something, or dive deeper into your content? Don’t leave these decisions to chance. Learn how people scan web pages and how to guide users through key content and actions using visual hierarchy to construct meaningful, prioritized page layouts. Multiple before and after examples will be shown.

Better User Experience Through Microformats

Tantek Çelik

The cleanest, most meaningful code in the world is not a goal in and of itself, but rather a means to an end, that of improving the user experience. Learn how proper use of microformats (in addition to those Elements of Meaningful HTML that you know by heart) can improve the usability of several common interactive design scenarios. Examples will be provided of microformats helping users in today’s browsers, what more can be achieved with plug-ins, and what to expect from tomorrow’s browsers.

Lunch

Shepherding Passionate Communities

Heather Champ

There’s much to learn from a growing, passionate community. What is built for 10,000 members may not scale when you reach 1,000,000. Share lessons learned from life in the trenches at Flickr.

2.0 Workflow: Merging Agile and UCD

Kelly Goto

The new web has become more than interaction, more than design. In this rapid-paced environment, companies and teams need to rethink their processes and methodologies to keep pace. Learn how combining Agile and User Centered Design (UCD) methodologies can create a new arsenal of best practices for design and development. Understand team dynamics and how to apply the appropriate methods to your specific situation.

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The Framework Age

Liz Danzico

Emphasis has shifted from editor to reader; stories have gone from individual to social; people are relying on patterns rather than interfaces. But as we move from designing artifacts to designing systems, are there new guidelines at work? We want users to be able to control their own experiences, but how do we ensure they have the right tools to do so? Explore principles for designing useful frameworks. Learn from unexpected models as diverse as sidewalk culture, jazz music, and even the last of the surviving oral cultures.

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? Take a tour through the web’s past, present, and future of the web to answer these questions:

• What can we learn from the rich history of data visualization to inform our designs today?
• How can we do amazing work while battle the constant constraints we find ourselves up against?
• How do we really incorporate users into our practice of user experience?

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Implementing Design: Bulletproof A-Z

Dan Cederholm

As the browser landscape changes, so does our approach to implementing flexible design. Learn 26 ways to help your interfaces become more adaptable, worry-free, and bulletproof.

A Critique Apart

Jeffrey Zeldman

Wrap up An Event Apart San Francisco with critiques of your favorite website—yours—live, on-the-fly, and on-the-spot. Join the world’s “oldest living web designer” for a rollicking and insightful exploration of design, content, and usability.