# \[OT\] Good web design

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 3, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141 "2009-08-03T22:57:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/1 "2009-08-03T22:57:12Z")

</div>

Sorry for the OT, but I figure there must be other people on this list  
who have been in the same boat as me.

I’m looking for resources on good web _design_ - by which I mean  
designing a website which is visually appealing.

I can make functional websites, and I have a pretty good understanding  
of HTML/HAML and CSS/SASS, but it’s pretty gutting when the _error page_  
from Phusion Passenger looks 10 times better than the website I’m  
deploying 🙂

A paper book with lots of examples would be good, and I’m quite happy to  
pay for one, but would appreciate some ideas for which ones are worth  
seeking out. Good online resources are fine too, of course.

Many thanks,

Brian.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/2 "2009-08-03T23:14:09Z")

</div>

Here is one that I like. They change the articles but you can search  
for old ones from what I remember.

> **[Smashing Magazine — For Web Designers And Developers](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/)**
>
> Magazine on CSS, JavaScript, front-end, accessibility, UX and design. For developers, designers and front-end engineers.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/3 "2009-08-03T23:25:16Z")

</div>

Brian,

I have designed web sites part time for years, and I’ve also been a  
professional artist. The single point I’d make to you is that good  
visual design is about aesthetics. There is, of course, a huge  
functional aspect to any human interface. But you’re addressing “visual  
appeal”.

There is no quick path to having a better aesthetic sense. It takes  
years, and real work. So, work at it. Take a beginning design course at  
your local university. Look at as many web sites as you can, and keep  
copies of the ones you like. Interrogate yourself as to why you like  
them. Keep looking.

If you’re looking to apply recipes out of a book - well, this is  
probably better than NOT doing anything at all, but it won’t give you an  
aesthetic sense. People who are good at visual design have a developed  
sense of how the visual part of the brain works, although few would  
likely put it that way.

I suggest you peruse the books available on visual design for web  
designers. Find one that interests you, that you think you can learn  
from, and really WORK its content. Then grab another and do the same  
thing. You’ll get what you pay for, with your own effort. I know no  
other way. Good artists, just like good musicians, work at it daily, for  
hours.

Best of luck - this should be a fun journey for you, much of the time.

t.

Brian C. wrote:

> A paper book with lots of examples would be good, and I’m quite happy to  
> pay for one, but would appreciate some ideas for which ones are worth  
> seeking out. Good online resources are fine too, of course.
> 
> Many thanks,
> 
> Brian.

–

```auto
Tom C., MS MA, LMHC - Private practice Psychotherapist
Bellingham, Washington, U.S.A: (360) 920-1226
<< removed_email_address@domain.invalid >> (email)
<< TomCloyd.com >> (website)
<< sleightmind.wordpress.com >> (mental health weblog)

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/4 "2009-08-04T02:55:36Z")

</div>

Brian C. wrote:

> I can make functional websites, and I have a pretty good understanding  
> of HTML/HAML and CSS/SASS,

Even still, I’d encourage you to check out the css-discuss mailing list:  
[http://www.css-discuss.org](http://www.css-discuss.org). The folks there are masters at making sites  
that are absolutely stunning, yet standards complaint and accessible for  
folk with a variety of disabilities who use a number of browsers besides  
IE/Firefox/Opera (i.e. - text-based).

There are all sorts of things that you _can_ do to make sites more  
aesthetically pleasing. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you  
_should_ do many of them. First and foremost, Web sites should be usable  
by the client. often, though, many popular graphics techniques for  
building sites actually hinder usability. This doesn’t mean that good  
sites have to be ugly; the two are absolutely not mutually exclusive.  
That’s why I highly recommend css-discuss. Those folks just have  
crazy-mad skills when it comes to making beautiful and usable sites.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/5 "2009-08-04T16:46:37Z")

</div>

On Aug 4, 2009, at 3:43 AM, Brian C. wrote:

> However there is theory behind music (e.g. scales and modes), and some  
> basic ‘rules’ which can help you avoid the most obvious pitfalls (like  
> don’t play a perfect 4th over a chord with a major 3rd, except in  
> passing). I’m hoping to pick up on some of that for layout, spacing,  
> colours, fonts etc.

I learned a little of that from “The Principals of Beautiful Web  
Design.” I must stress that it’s a beginning book and won’t carry you  
to far. It does cover exactly what you are asking for though, some  
basic principals of layout, color, etc.

I have also picked up the beta book of the Pragmatic Programmer’s “Web  
Design for Developers: A Programmer’s Guide to Design Tools and  
Techniques,” but I haven’t had time to read through it yet.

James Edward G. II

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 10:42am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/6 "2009-08-04T10:42:59Z")

</div>

Tom C. wrote:

> There is no quick path to having a better aesthetic sense. It takes  
> years, and real work. So, work at it.

You’re right of course. I would probably say the same if someone asked  
me how to program 🙂

Graphic design is a left brain activity. I play the piano and have a  
bash at jazz improvisation, so I’m pretty sure my left brain is  
functioning to some degree.

However there is theory behind music (e.g. scales and modes), and some  
basic ‘rules’ which can help you avoid the most obvious pitfalls (like  
don’t play a perfect 4th over a chord with a major 3rd, except in  
passing). I’m hoping to pick up on some of that for layout, spacing,  
colours, fonts etc.

Then when I see something I like, I have a framework for applying it  
later, especially when presented with a blank page as a starting point.

Cheers,

Brian.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/7 "2009-08-04T16:51:53Z")

</div>

On Aug 4, 2009, at 3:43 AM, Brian C. wrote:

> Graphic design is a left brain activity.

I’m just curious what makes you say this? I always figured it was a  
right brain activity. I thought most forms of art where.

I realize this isn’t very scientific, but Googling “graphic design  
right brain” yields more than double the matches “graphic design left  
brain” does.

James Edward G. II

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/8 "2009-08-04T17:18:27Z")

</div>

James G. wrote:

> On Aug 4, 2009, at 3:43 AM, Brian C. wrote:
> 
> > Graphic design is a left brain activity.
> 
> I’m just curious what makes you say this?

Erm, I think my left brain got my left brain and right brain mixed up  
🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@stickstone](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/stickstone)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ot-good-web-design/173141/9 "2009-08-04T17:22:19Z")

</div>

On Aug 4, 2009, at 10:18 AM, Brian C. wrote:

> James G. wrote:
> 
> > On Aug 4, 2009, at 3:43 AM, Brian C. wrote:
> > 
> > > Graphic design is a left brain activity.
> > 
> > I’m just curious what makes you say this?
> 
> Erm, I think my left brain got my left brain and right brain mixed up  
> 🙂

Well stop confusing my left brain! 🙂

James Edward G. II