Response to: "The Foundations of Web Design" by Jeffrey Veen

I had heard most of the points listed in this article before. The Library vs. Gallery approach was interesting to me- that particular analogy was new to me. Having used web editors before, I'm not too overwhelmed when approached with the task of putting up a website. However, some of the points made in this article are things that still elude me. For example, "a bond exists between content, design, and interactivity. Words, pictures and code are inseparable . . ." While on some level I already knew this, it is also one thing about web design that scares me. I know enough code to be dangerous. I can copy and paste bits of code into my pages and have a sense for where that code should go; however, building a robust web page using code is not high on my list of "to dos". So how much should an average teacher know about code and at what point does the knowledge of code just serve to "muddy the waters"?

Degradability is another issue that I confess not spending too much time worrying about. I know that I should be paying attention to it but I need some sort of list that allows me to readily see what I should stay away from when it comes to design and what types of things actually enhance the site. Is there a way to have a web design compatible to most browsers, connections, etc., and it not be just plain text? I would like to know more about vector graphics- that is an area I am ignorant about. I also want to understand Cascading Style Sheets better. This article helped me to understand what I need to know more about when it comes to web design.

http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/design/site_building/tutorials/tutorial3.html