[thelist] Are you designing with CSS and web standards?

Zug, Bryan Bryan.Zug at seattlechildrens.org
Fri Mar 11 10:38:08 CST 2005


>>
When I found a fix to one of the problems on positioniseverything.com, I 
was happy for about two minutes, until I read about the fixes to a whole 
bunch more problems that I had also come across and worked around. My 
heart sank. This is what we worked so hard to achieve?
>>

Couldn't agree more Ian.

I've been trying for a couple of years to implement CSS 'on the next
project' and each time I get close, the same unending series of 'Pandora box
hacks emerges -- discouraging to say the least.

I always end up feeling that I just suck as a web designer because I'm not
getting it -- until I talk to some of the CSS experts I know, who are also
stumped by the same things -- ha ha ha -- one of the national leaders even
told me that he was coming to terms with the need to use tables to get CSS
to do what he needed it to do as a designer -- interesting what happens when
we drop the zealot-speak.

I think you are right in that there is a real cost of doing business here
that is too easily discarded in these type of 'pure css' discussions. I
acknowledge the benefit of the approach of CSS, but think we also need
acknowledgement of how difficult these things really are to implement.

(again, feel free to call me a bad CSS designer on this point if that's what
you think -- wouldn't really hurt my feelings at all ;)

Also to note -- CSS Zen Garden (among others) is a good site that shows the
possibilities -- however -- we're not going to make much progress in this
arena until we can honestly say that many CSS designs do look like different
versions of the same blog.

Why that is, is debatable (Current blog popularity? Limitations of CSS
design in it's current state?) -- but it's becoming clearer to me that the
"limitations of CSS as a canvas" really is a substantial point -- otherwise
I think, by this time in the CSS design 'revolution' we'd be seeing a lot
more diversity in CSS designs emerging.

Much love --

zug


--
Bryan Zug
WBT Developer
Children's Hospital
Seattle, WA

--
"The comedy of man survives the tragedy of man."
-  G.K. Chesterton, 'All things Considered'
-  Illustrated London News, Feb. 10, 1906

 



More information about the thelist mailing list