The Unusually Useful Web Book

by Cohen, June

• ISBN13: 9780735712065
• ISBN10: 0735712069
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-23
• Publisher: New Riders

Summary

The Unusually Useful Web Bookis the only book you need to find out everything you need to know about web sites. In fact, it's 2 books in 1. You can skim the sidebars and checklists for tips and techniques you can use right away. Or you can follow along with the main text for a detailed discussion of planning, designing, building, and maintaining your web site.The Unusually Useful Web Bookis jam-packed with:Do-it-yourself worksheets.20 worksheets walk you through essential tasks such as increasing traffic, improving site speed, writing a product plan, and making your site cross-compatible.Behind-the-scenes info.25 special Lessons from the Trenches show you how sites such as MSN.com and BabyCenter.com deal with day-to-day challenges such as naming site sections or sending effective emails.Advice from leading experts.More than 50 experts - from the father of the ad banner to the founder of BlackPlanet.com - openly share the lessons they've learned on everything from making money to working with engineers. Includes expert interviews with Adam Berliant (Group Manager at Microsoft), Greg Dotson (Chief Information Office for www.guru.com), Randi Shade (founder of www.CharityGift.com), Emily Simas (former product manager for www.BabyCenter.com), Srinija Srinivasan (VP and Editor in Chief of Yahoo!), and Evany Thomas (managing editor for Webmonkey).Jargon-free explanations.Step-by-step instructions-covering everything from acquiring a domain name to preparing images for the web-are written in language you can understand.But don't just take our word for it. Read what others are saying aboutThe Unusually Useful Web Book:"This book definitely stands out. Most books of this nature are stuffed with irrelevant and non-substantive information that only add confusion to an already complex process. This book delivers an overwhelming amount of information but presents it in a way that is both approachable and useful. There was a lot of information that I could immediately apply to current projects." Garo Green, Director of Publications, lynda.com"The coverage is practical and comprehensive. I'm not aware of other titles that take this comprehensive approach to web building, addressing the entire life cycle of web design and development as well as the roles required in each phase." Laura McCabe, co-author of Special Edition Using Flash MX"Anyone that has a passion for web design, both novices and professionals, will enjoy this book. For the novice, it's an eye opener and the reader will probably be compelled to soak in all the material, cover to cover. For the professional, it's a strong reinforcement of things we often overlook and a great reference tool. I'm a professional and found it to be an up-to-date and refreshing read, and I plan on using it as a required textbook in the classroom for my students! They will truly benefit from this book and refer to it over and over again!" Rosanna Yeung, Multimedia & Web Design Instructor, The Art Institute of California

Author Biography

June Cohen has been a leading developer of web sites and multimedia for more than a decade. In 1991, she led the Stanford University team that developed the world's first networked multimedia publication. Then, in 1994, she helped launch HotWired.com, the first commercial content site (and spin-off of Wired Magazine). While at HotWired, she founded Webmonkey.com, the much-loved web-developer's site used by millions. Later, as HotWired's VP of Content, she played a key role on a range of innovative sites, from Animation Express to the HotBot search engine. June holds a BA from Stanford, where she was editor of The Stanford Daily.

Table of Contents

Getting Started (Introduction)

Includes: What works on the web (This is an overview of industry learning) Expert advice (This is a listing of all 50 people interviewed for the book and the one piece of advice they'd offer to someone launching a web site)

Planning Your Site

Deciding what to do Special section: Writing a product plan

Naming your site

Sizing up the competition

Getting to know your users special section: Making money

Setting site standards

Designing Your Site

Designing for the web

Site organization

The user's path

Visual Design

Special section: Designing a usable site

Building Your Site

How web sites work (A primer)

Working with web technologies

Preparing images and multimedia for the web

Developing applications

Special section: Improving site speed

Maintaining Your Site

Monitoring and evolving your site Special section: Increasing traffic

Promoting your site Special section: Improving your search rank

Managing a web project and team

You'll notice that there are 4 sections to the book, plus an introduction (Getting Started)

These sections following the 4 phases of developing a web site -- planning, designing, building, and maintaining

There are also 6 special sections, spread throughout the book

Each one is focused on accomplishing a specific, important and cross-disciplinary task

They hit on the biggest hot-button issues for site owners (How to make money, increase traffic, improve site speed, etc)

Throughout the book, you'll also find special features called "Lessons from the trenches," which are like case studies -- but case studies of a particular problem, rather than a particular site

Some of these lessons include: How to encourage collaboration How to run a brainstorming session

How to set a schedule that sticks

Why you should follow web standards When to use Flash

How to work with engineers

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.