Sexy Web Design
Elliot Jay Stocks
SitePoint, 172 pp.
ISBN-13: 978-0980455236
Reviewed by Brandon Ching

I do not have a single creative bone in my body! OK, that’s probably an exaggeration but when it comes to designing an innovative, attractive, and useable web site, I definitely could use a helping hand. As a web developer, I am generally responsible for the data in our sites rather than the look & feel; that’s the UI team’s domain!

However, not all developers have access to professional UI resources and, depending on the situation, many of us often wear a number of different hats. As such, Sexy Web Design by Elliot Jay Stocks is a book that seems made for folks like me who know a little something about the basics of web design, but are nowhere near creative experts.

The primary focus of Sexy Web Design is on the process and fundamentals of professional design rather than specific HTML and CSS techniques. As such, there is a heavy focus on planning and organizing a web site and little coverage of actual coding. In fact, there is little to no CSS in the book. So you may be asking yourself what use is a design book without any code samples? In short, quite a bit.

The author takes you through all phases of planning a site design from research and customer requirements to site mapping, wireframing, usability, composition, navigation and his keen emphasis of aesthetics. The text is an ideal companion for designers and developers who are new to interacting directly with customers as Stocks covers the professional give-and-take process of designer/customer interactions. While coverage of each topic is rather short, it is to the point and seems to cover the requisite ground for a basic introduction.

There are many good visual examples of the principles Stocks is introducing and he does point the reader to more detailed texts and web sites for further readings on the respective topic. The text also provides a number of general considerations that people not trained in design could be unfamiliar with including composition, mood, contrast, volume and depth, typography, and textures.

Overall, the book was very readable and approachable. I would recommend the book to experienced web developers who don’t dabble much in site design or customer interactions (but know the technical details of HTML and CSS) and for those looking for a general introduction to the planning and creative considerations of designing a web site from the ground up.

I would say that the biggest disappointment of the book was its brevity. Stocks covers a lot of ground in only 172 pages and with a lot of that real estate used up with visual aids and examples, it doesn’t leave much for explanation. However, in combination with other more detailed and technical resources, it does address the often neglected planning, usability, and customer interaction aspects of a bottom up site design and for that, I feel that it is a book worthy of consideration.

Tags: basics, Book Review, Developer, ENT, experience, fact, fundamentals, help, IT, research, review, sexy web design, technique, UI