Web links
These are mostly internet resources that we have found useful and/or inspiring in the course of our work. We strive to be non-obvious.
Guidelines and advice
Site validators
Guidelines and advice
Web design and engineering can be a complicated and drawn-out process. Before starting on a website build, or the redesign and enhancement of an existing site, it is a good idea to map out the forthcoming project, at least in sketch form. But don't take our word for it - here are some trustworthy links that will help.
- Web Design for Business
An excellent guide to the web design and engineering process from the Design Council. Written in plain English, it covers just about all aspects of web building and details just what businesses should expect from internet suppliers and vice versa. Not all the details here need apply to any given project, particularly small websites, but there is much sound advice herein for everyone. - useit.com
This valuable site - from web guru Jacob Neilsen - focuses on website usability. Neilsen's frequent usability surveys are often shocking. Although many site designers are slowly starting to get the message - that the idea is to get people to visit your site, to find the information they were looking for, and maybe even to tarry for a while (doh!) - the world wide web is still in appallingly bad shape when it comes to usability and accessibility. It's certainly worth evaluating your site against Neilsen's frequently issued checklists.
Site validators
If you are commissioning a website, and are choosing a web design or programming company, make sure that the designers are aware of, and use, these invaluable resources. Site checkers cover a lot of areas from code validity (which can make all the difference to search engine submission and appearance in browsers) to specifics of disability access. Here are a few we use regularly.
- Bobby
A classic web resource for testing how your site rates for disability access, Bobby's assessments are usually pretty severe. Don't let it get you down - it is almost impossible to get a top rating from this site, especially if you wish to retain some design values. Nevertheless, it is well worth paying attention - Bobby will suggest many accessibility improvements that you can implement without sacrificing visual flair. - Usablenet
Much less cruel than Bobby. Submitting your site to Usablenet will generate a report on accessibility and usability that may surprise you. - Vischeck
Not just a validator, this admirable site is a great source of information in its own right. Vischeck will re-render your site as it would appear to people with several different kinds of colour-blindness. This validator has to do a lot of work, so be patient. - W3C Code Validator
Utterly essential. The World Wide Web Consortium - founded by Tim Berners Lee himself - define the coding standards (and much else) that all web designers and programmers should strive to adhere to. Whatever code version you are using, this validator rapidly generates an error report that you can use to get your pages squeaky clean. - W3C Stylesheet Validator
W3C's other essential code validator focuses on CSS (cascading style sheets). It's even easier to get these right than fixing the HTML/XHTML, so give it a spin. Who knows what you may have missed?
