Datasheet

CHAPTER ONE FUTUREPROOF SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES
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Sometimes cutting edge or bleeding edge is used in reference to designers or developers
who use tools that aren’t yet supported by the mainstream. Although both the cutting
and bleeding edge may appear as unsuitable candidates for crafting a stable site, using one
or a mixture of both can be done in such a way that those who have access to the support-
ing tools bene t and those who don’t have access have something just as  tting to use in
its place.
If your competitors are going to provide support for a tool, and you look around to  nd
that you could be the last person standing in the traditional-techniques circle, it may be
time to investigate whether moving on can bene t your audience. Often, new technolo-
gies provide designers with appealing solutions that otherwise wouldn’t be possible (for
example, CSS sprite rollover menus). Many designers keep an eye on sites that use cutting-
edge work, looking for inspiration and creative ways to polish their own skills.
Adapting your site to account for the many existing variables gives you insight into the
habits of users and how they embrace technology, and it gives you the opportunity to
o er them more user-centered designs. You will see an increase in the use of small screens
and the removal of the barriers of  xed-width design. Also, you’ll see how reducing the
requirement for inputting text helps users without quick access to a normal keyboard.
Creating future-proof sites is about molding platforms around experiences that can ben-
e t every user.
Solutions for a successful layout
 is section covers techniques for producing  rst-rate, scalable layouts. Before you can
understand design variables in their entirety, you must  rst be conversant with the meth-
ods designers use to make layouts as  exible and future-proof as possible.  is informa-
tion includes making decisions about which methods you will use, why using a particular
technique will bene t your audience, and which of the many layout techniques will sus-
tain the highest levels of ubiquity.
Consideration #1: Need versus none
At  rst glance, it may appear a bit silly to ask, “Do I really need a  exible site?” For the
purpose of this discussion, the aim isn’t to question whether having a  exible site is a
good thing, because clearly it is. Also, if you design  exible layouts from the outset, you
will reduce the chances that users will face problems with your site later on. However,
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