design concept (was RE: [thelist] IE Headaches (Table/Image layout) + CSS)

[M. Seyon]

Message from Matt Warden (12/27/2004 04:00 PM)
>Joel,
>
>On Mon, 27 Dec 2004 10:44:41 -0800, Joel D Canfield <joel at spinhead.com> wrote:
> > > Designers, IMO, should have a good
> > > understanding of HTML and CSS so that they can keep the
> > > limitations of HTML
> > > and CSS presentation in mind when they design pages.
> >
> > Meself, I'd rather work with a brilliant designer who'd never even
> > *heard* of HTML and CSS, so they wouldn't fall into the trap of
> > designing around limitations, but force me to figger out how to create
> > their 'impossible' design.
>
>Agreed.
>
>Someone posted this to thelist not too long ago. Interesting article:
>
>http://www.jasonsantamaria.com/archive/2004/05/24/grey_box_method.php
>
>Excuse the rather long quote:
>
>"Rather than focusing on producing the visuals I had worked through in
>my sketches, I was trying to see how I could incorporate CSS into the
>site's build. Some of you might work this way to great success, but
>for me it was like shooting myself in the foot. It's easy for me to
>get hung up on what is possible and the technical limitations of
>something like CSS or Flash while I am designing."

While I understand Joel's "let your creativity run wild" attitude I don't 
think it's realistic.

Nor does the article Matt references say the same thing.

There is a very, very marked difference between someone who has "never even 
*heard* of HTML and CSS" and someone who is aware of the technologies but 
chooses not to focus on them during the early stages of design.

Design is created "for a particular purpose or effect", with the medium 
being an integral part of that purpose/effect. To design with no 
understanding of the medium, now that's shooting yourself in the foot.

regards.
-marc

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