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This is a more complete list of the sources I used in compiling the information in this site, along with other good resources for those who wish to dive deeper into the world of Web design.
General Resources and Large-Scale Tutorials
- SitePoint
- SitePoint boasts informative articles and blog posts, and one of the most helpful and vibrant design communities on the Internet. I’m proud to be a mentor in the Web Design forum.
- The SitePoint HTML and CSS Reference
- An invaluable reference to HTML and CSS, written by two of the premier experts in the field, Tommy Olsson and Paul O’Brien. I’m proud to call both of them my friends and colleagues. Also available in print form.
- WDG HTML Help Reference
- A venerable and excellent reference from the guys at Web Design Group (WDG), some of whom helped design HTML and CSS specifications.
- Opera’s Web Standards Curriculum
- One of the best sources of information about standards-based Web design and development.
- HTML Dog Guides
- Excellent, comprehensive resource.
- The Essential Guide to CSS and HTML Web Design by Craig Grannell
- Excellent combination of tutorials and reference materials.
- Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition by Jennifer Niederst Robbins
- "Quick reference" from 2006. Needs a new edition to incorporate information on modern browsers, but still an excellent resource.
- Hazel’s Tutorials
- Excellent and eclectic group of tutorials, covering CSS, Wordpress, hardware, and more, from my SitePoint friend and colleague Hazel.
- W3 Schools
- A good, comprehensive resource for HTML and CSS tutorials, including “try it yourself” areas to play with code. It is not affiliated with the W3C, though many people believe that it is, and it apparently isn’t being kept entirely up-to-date. Nevertheless, a useful source of information.
- HTML Source
- Ross Shannon’s excellent beginner’s guide to HTML and CSS. Some of the material is a bit obsolete, but overall it is a very strong guide to building your first Web page.
- Tizag Beginner Tutorial
- Another excellent, if not entirely up-to-date, beginner’s guide.
- 250 Quick Web Design Tips (Part 1) and (Part 2)
- A pair of comprehensive “tips” articles from designer Alex Dawson.
For Beginners and Intermediate Users
- Build Your Own Web Site The Right Way Using HTML & CSS, 2nd Edition by Ian Lloyd
- I’ve incorporated a good amount of information from this terrific book, but there’s plenty more between the covers that I didn’t crib. An essential for any library, even for advanced designers. Ian teaches his readers to code with XHTML, a decision I personally disagree with, but it’s a minor caveat, and it in no way reduces the importance or the usefulness of his book.
- Getting StartED Building Websites by Alex Dawson
- Another excellent primer to almost every aspect of building your first Web site. And another book by a SitePoint friend and colleague, Alex Dawson. I’m very pleased to add this book to the list.
- How to Build Websites
- Excellent, ground-up set of tutorials by veteran Web designer Stefan Mischook that assumes the visitor knows nothing – which is where we all started off.
- HTML & CSS – The VERY Basics
- An introductory video from design guru Chris Coyier.
- CSS-Lab
- Website Building Resources
- Two excellent and informative sites by my SitePoint colleague Ray Hopson (Rayzur). The second page is comprised of links to other sites.
- AddedBytes "For Beginners" Series
- Several excellent, narrowly focused tutorials.
- Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML by Elizabeth Freeman and Eric Freeman
- Head First Web Design by Ethan Watrall and Jeff Siarto
- The Head First series is excellent for new designers, especially those who feel uneasy about their ability to learn design.
- Dave Raggett’s Getting Started with HTML
- Dave Raggett’s More Advanced Features for HTML
- Dave’s pages are quite dated, and contain some obsolete information, but they are still a good basic resource. He is a true expert on all things Web.
- Web Sites that Work by Roger Black
- A 1997 design primer that doesn’t give a lick of code, but does provide an excellent grounding in fundamental design principles.
Resources for Specific Topics
- W3C DOCTYPE Page
- Paul O’Brien’s Raw CSS Examples
- Large number of excellent individual tutorials, most explained in detail, from one of the most knowledgeable CSS experts around.
- CSS Zen Garden
- A terrific showcase of the myriad ways CSS can be used to style a single, unchanging HTML template.
- { visibility: inherit; } Web Design Tools
- An excellent source of information on a variety of techniques, from beginning to advanced levels, from my SitePoint colleague Eric Watson.
- CSS Tutorials Category
- Only three small, specific tutorials from “Tech-Evangelist”, but I’ve used them in this site. I hope he expands the series in the near future (though it doesn’t look likely).
- 8 Definitive Web Font Stacks
- My own work, an article that examines the idea of the “font stacks” and makes some suggestions as to stacks you can incorporate in your own work. The discussion of the article adds valuable information and some much-needed caveats. Also, I’ve recently published an examination of Microsoft’s Vista fonts which you might find useful.
More Advanced Information Resources
- A List Apart
- One of the premier sites for HTML and CSS design, adhering strictly to standards.
- 456 Berea Street
- Roger Johansson is one of the best, if rather idiosyncratic, voices advocating valid and semantic Web design practices. His site is a must on any list of design resources.
- CSS Tricks
- CSS Tricks from Chris Coyier, an acknowledged expert in the field. His site won’t appeal to beginners, but once you’ve gotten some knowledge under your belt, trundle on over and be prepared to learn some amazing and useful stuff. I’m very fond of the snippets of code that he provides. Very, very useful.
- Position Is Everything
- Excellent source of information on advanced CSS layouts, IE bugs, and more.
- CSS Newbie
- Nice collection of basic and advanced tips and techniques, covering CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and Wordpress.
- Search-This
- Excellent all-around site, lots of informative tutorials.
- Fiftyfoureleven
- Another informative design blog, though it hasn’t been updated in a while.
- HTML Utopia: Designing Without Tables Using CSS, 2nd Edition by Rachel Andrew and Dan Shafer
- The Principles of Beautiful Web Design by Jason Beaird
- Jason is an artist and graphic designer, and his book focuses more on the design process than on code.
- Bulletproof HTML: 37 Steps to Perfect Markup by Tommy Olsson
- Designing with Progressive Enhancement by Todd Parker, Scott Jehl, Maggie Costello Wachs, Patty Toland
- Terrific resource that explains the concept of "progressive enhancement," and gives code-based examples, mostly jQuery resources.
- Web Sites that Work by Roger Black
- A 1997 design primer that doesn’t give a lick of code, but does provide an excellent grounding in fundamental design principles.
- Distinctive Design by Alex Dawson
- I’m very proud of this book, because I was the technical editor! Alex has done an excellent job of summing up the disparate elements that go into what he calls "distinctive design."
