C779-Chapter 1 - Markup Language and Site Development Essentials
markup language
A series of commands used to format, organize and describe information on a Webpage.
metalanguage
A language used for defining other languages.
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)
A protocol that enables operating systems to map file name extensions to corresponding applications. Also used by applications to automatically process files downloaded from the Internet.
Plagiarism
A specific instance of infringement in which an individual or entity claims to have created content (e.g., images, writing or other exact expressions) that was in fact created by other developers. Proven plagiarism can result in severe reprimands, loss of employment, corporate lawsuits and financial penalties.
Trademark
A unique word, phrase or symbol that is claimed or officially registered by an organization with the government. Trademarks can include logos, phrases, company names and so forth. If a logo, word or phrase is trademarked, then only the organization that registered it can use it
responsive design
An approach to Web development that uses a series of techniques to make Webpages dynamic and accessible on all device screen sizes
geolocation
An HTML5 Application Programming Interface that allows developers to retrieve the geographical location information for a client-side device.
Infringement
Any violation of a copyright or trademark. Copyright and trademark infringement are punishable crimes.
Determining the audience and message
As you determine your audience, consider eliciting input from various parties, including: ►Customer representatives — Organizations often have important customers attend meetings and provide input. Customer representatives can teach you about the various types of messages that appeal most to potential customers. For example, some may want to focus on the value of a particular product, regardless of cost. In other instances, customers may help you focus on a message that shows your products to be inexpensive. Once you have surveyed customers to determine what the market wants, you can begin to craft Webpages that clearly convey your company's message to its intended customers. ►Suppliers — If you are planning for large sales as a result of your Web effort, make sure that your product suppliers are ready for this. Otherwise, you could damage the company's reputation by making promises that cannot be kept. Even though a Web authoring team works mostly on creating markup pages, your Website's ability to communicate with the public means that such business concerns are essential for the overall success of the project. ►Shareholders— If your organization is publicly owned, you may need to obtain input from shareholders about the look and feel of the site.
hosting solution: Using traditional cloud hosting service provider
Benefits ►They provide complete Website solutions. ►A cost effective solution for simple Website design and management. ►The hosting service will configure the server for you. Drawbacks ►Lack of flexibility in Website management and hosting. ►Packages are pre-configured, severely limiting choices and customization.
host solution: Using a cloud service provider
Benefits ►You do not need to purchase additional hardware or software. ►A cloud service provider will do more than configure your server; it will also provide completed and finished services for your organization. ►A cloud service provider can also create custom solutions. ►High level of customization and control over services and hosting. Drawbacks ►A cloud service provider often charges a flexible subscription fee that varies upon the resources used (e.g., software licenses and hardware). ►As with an ISP, you are dependent upon the cloud service provider's management, security services and uptime reliability. ►They do not necessarily provide domain name registration, which means you would need to purchase that from another provider to use the cloud service. ►Costs can be high depending on the options you decide to pay for.
hosting solution: Using an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Benefits ►You do not need to purchase hardware or software. ►The ISP will configure the server for you. Drawbacks ►You have fewer choices in the configuration. ►An ISP provides only basic services (e.g., limited Web servers and small databases). ►You are dependent upon the ISP's management and security services. ►Limited availability, depending on the ISP.
hosting solution: Configuring your own
Benefits ►You have more control over your services. ►You have more choices. Drawbacks ►You must purchase and house all necessary hardware and software. ►Configuring your servers will take time and expertise. ►You must manage your own server, including security services.
Validating design issues
Consider the following design concepts ►Message — Deliver a coherent message for each page. Information that is not relevant or otherwise distracts readers from a well-conceived central idea should be placed on another page or eliminated. ►Fonts — If specifying fonts, make sure that you use common ones so that browsers do not have difficulty rendering them. Use proper sizes; small fonts are difficult to read ►Images — Make sure that all images used on a page contribute to either the page's navigability or its message. ►Color — Take time to consider color combinations so that your pages are as attractive and readable as possible.
Ethical issues regarding copyright, trademark and plagiarism
Consider the following ethical points as you create markup code and design Webpages: ►You cannot copy a site's code or look without the owner's explicit permission. You can create entirely new code that provides a similar look and feel, but consider the perception you present if your site looks just like another. ►Borrowing a lot of code from a site infringes upon the author's copyright. ►The owner of a copyright may allow copyrighted material to be used by others. This permission may be exchanged by contract, for a fee or simply for proper attribution. Most major Websites post their copyright and licensing contact information. ►All aspects of a Website are copyrighted. Do not "borrow" images, text, logos, music, scripts, applications or code. Seek proper permission if you find an element on a site that you want to use. ►You cannot provide a link from your Website to another site without permission because such a link generally implies that the two sites have a business relationship. ►You cannot copy or translate the content of another Website without explicit permission.
host solution: Virtual server
Description ►One Web server contains your site and several other sites. Benefits ►You have less up-front cost and faster deployment time. ►The Web service is generally running already. You simply provide your thoroughly tested code Drawbacks ►You rely upon the provider's server configuration. ►You have no control over the server. You control only your Web files. ►If the provider's security is lax, then your virtual server may be easily compromised. ►You have less flexibility in Web server functions.
host solution: Co-location
Description ►The service provider allocates space for your equipment. You provide the server hardware, and the provider supplies space and necessary bandwidth for your server. Benefits ►You have complete control over your equipment. ►You do not have to share server resources with any other party. ►You have a choice over both hardware and software configuration. Drawbacks ►This option is more costly. ►If your equipment experiences problems (either hardware or software), your provider will give fee-based support because the hardware and software are yours. ►You may need to fix any problems yourself. ►You are responsible for your own security.
host solution: Dedicated hosting (or co-hosting)
Description ►The service provider gives you access to a dedicated server that it owns. Benefits ►You have less up-front cost. ►Your site can be launched more quickly because most providers have preconfigured servers. ►You do not need to purchase a server and associated software. ►You do not need server configuration knowledge. ►The service provider configures the system, then allows you to access the system and upload files. Drawbacks ►You are limited to the operating systems and services offered. ►You must inquire about the level of customer support. Many providers do not provide extensive customer service, which may lead to long wait times in case of problems. ►Some providers allow you total control over your dedicated host. In such cases, you (or a consultant) must secure your systems.
Trade secret
Intellectual property that must remain private for a company to retain viability. Examples include proprietary code, business plans and sales contacts.
Cloud computing
Software, infrastructure and platform services that are hosted by a remote data center and provided to organizations or individuals over the Internet.
offline storage
The ability for Web browsers and online services to download and access content and services without being connected to the Internet.
Licensing
The legally authorized use of another person's or entity's copyrighted intellectual property. The terms of the license are generally dictated by the copyright holder. Licenses require contracts and usually an exchange of money, services or both
Copyright
The legal ownership of expression by an author. According to most developed countries, copyrighted intellectual property becomes the property of the author for a certain number of years. Copyright protection ensures that the person or group who owns the copyright has the right to publish or otherwise distribute material, and control how it is redistributed. In most countries, a copyright can be sold by its owner.
Creating and documenting an initial Website plan
This plan has several names, including: ►Site diagram ►Storyboard Regardless of the name you use, this plan must include the following: ►A statement discussing the purpose and intended audience for the site. This statement may evolve over time, but it is important to begin with this statement to remind everyone involved why the site is being developed and to steer all efforts in the proper direction. ►A rough outline of the pages needed, including:— The default page (e.g., index.html), also called the home page.— Sections of the site (e.g., products, sales, international, contacts).— An estimate of the technologies required (e.g., databases, Web servers, search capability, indexes). Your Web team cannot create this plan in isolation. You must obtain input from stakeholders.
Avoiding copyright infringement, trademark infringement and plagiarism
Ways to avoid problems include: ►Reviewing all Website content for originality — This includes code, images and text. The review must be independent. In other words, choose someone who is not on your team but who will work diligently to highlight any potential infringement issues. ►Conducting regular content reviews — A single content review at the end of the project may not solve infringement problems. Regular reviews are likely to encourage development team members to change their practices so that you do not have a large problem to resolve near a deadline. ►Obtaining express, written consent for any material you use — Make sure that written consent is properly stored for later retrieval, and that developers do not take advantage of this consent. Even specific design concepts are copyrighted, so if you "borrow" someone else's unique expression for your own site, you may incur legal action. Of course, images and code are all protected by copyright ►Creating reasonable deadlines — Busy developers often take shortcuts to meet deadlines. Work with your project manager to ensure that deadline pressure does not contribute to a team's tendency to copy content.
Intellectual property
a unique product or idea created by an individual or organization, and that generally has commercial value
Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
is the ability to automate the planning and operations of an entire organization. Depending on the organization, this automation might include hiring, termination, manufacturing and marketing. Enterprise resource planning is a service typically provided by a cloud service provider for a cost.
site map
►A brief, hierarchical representation of a Website that enables visitors to quickly identify areas of the site and navigate to them. ►The storyboard also provides a site map to help visitors quickly find resources on your site.
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
►A markup language that describes document content instead of adding structure or formatting to document content. A simplified version of SGML. ►XML enhances the structure and navigation of data. It is not used to format the page's appearance ►Businesses use XML because it allows data to be interchanged with all types of applications. ►XML is often used with intranets and extranets because these systems tend to focus mostly on sophisticated personal and business transactions ►XML documents can be formatted into print documents, Web documents, PDF documents, comma-separated values (CSV), Braille, text-to-speech and many other formats. ►Because the documents are well-formed and define only the content, changes can occur on the fly (i.e., dynamically or without interruption), without administrators or programmers manually reformatting the content before transmission. ►The W3C governs the development of XML
Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML)
►A metalanguage used to create other languages, including HTML and XHTML. ►SGML was originally created by IBM and was standardized in 1986 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ►SGML is a powerful markup language that describes documents by organizing concepts separately from their visual presentation ►SGML's purpose was to describe only the information within a document, not the formatting of it. ►With SGML, you can describe how data elements in the document relate to each other. ►SGML was not designed to format the data's appearance on the page.
Graphical user interface (GUI)
►A program that provides visual navigation with menus and screen icons, and performs automated functions when users click command buttons. ►Commands are displayed on the graphical user interface as they will appear in a browser, thus the programs are often called WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors.
Document Type Definition (DTD)
►A set of rules contained in a simple text file that defines the structure, syntax and vocabulary as it relates to tags and attributes for a corresponding document. ►The DTD is generally specified in a separate file, which you reference, or declare, at the beginning of each document that you want to conform to the rules. ►Once the DTD is established, then all elements in the document must conform to it
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
►A technology that allows greater style definition and formatting control of HTML elements. Formatting can be placed within the HTML or called remotely from an external style sheet. ►The W3C regulates the development of CSS3 standards.
If you use a traditional cloud hosting service provider or a cloud service provider, you may need to obtain the following information from the provider
►Account information — This includes user names and passwords of all accounts associated with your server. The service provider may issue you multiple user names. Write the information carefully and store it in a secure place (e.g., a locked safe). ►IP addresses and DNS names of the server. ►Instructions about file and directory locations. ►The service provider's contact information — Such information includes Help Desk support numbers (and possibly the names of dedicated help desk workers), email and texting numbers.
Addressing audio challenges
►Alternative audio support — If you include audio content on a page, make sure that a text-based equivalent is readily available for hearing-impaired users. ►Alternative speech input — If your site includes the ability for speech input, make sure that an equivalent keyboard entry mechanism is available. ►Text support for audio elements — Make sure that any audio elements are clearly marked with alternative text so that readers can obtain the information.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
►An NDA is a legally binding contract signed by both parties stating that they will not reveal any trade secrets or intellectual property owned by the other. An NDA protects the following intellectual property from unauthorized use by contractors, partners or others who are allowed access to it: ►Ideas and concepts ►Specific plans ►Code ►Written documents ►Most NDAs specify penalties if stipulated violations occur. One problem with an NDA is that it takes time to agree about its content. If you involve several individuals on an NDA, then the timeline on a project might increase.
Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML)
►Because the requirements for XML and HTML are dramatically different, the developers of HTML decided to create a medium that would merge the two into a markup language ►The idea was to make the transition from HTML to XML without making all existing HTML documents unusable in XML clients ►These requirements meant that XHTML could not completely depart from HTML, nor could it be patterned completely after XML. ►XHTML documents are not required to render correctly in standard clients, but will have little if any difficulty. ►Two versions of XHTML were created by the W3C: XHTML version 1.0 XHTML version 1.1. ►NOTE: third version, XHTML 2.0, was abandoned by the W3C in 2009 in favor of a new XHTML5 version, which is still under development.
you must communicate it effectively using at least some of the following strategies:
►Calling relevant parties to ensure that everyone is satisfied ►Sending email messages ►Sending postal ("snail mail") messages if necessary ►Sending fax messages ►A telephone call is appropriate at times, but because phone calls are not usually recorded, they cannot be readily recalled and referenced. Email and paper-based transmissions can be stored for later retrieval, and used for reference and accountability.
typical Web development project cycle.
►Create and document an initial Website plan. ►Obtain relevant input from stakeholders. ►Communicate the Website plan. ►Consider technical and non-technical concerns. ►Develop the site. ►Publish the site. ►Manage the site.
Browser types and versions
►Google Chrome An open-source browser from Google. Chrome has many features, such as a clean interface, automatic crash recovery, multi-threading capability, improved sandboxing, isolated tabs and privacy mode. ►Mozilla Firefox An open-source browser. Firefox versions are available for various operating systems, from Windows to Linux. ►Microsoft Edge A proprietary Microsoft browser installed by default on all Windows operating systems. At the time of writing, Microsoft Edge is the default browser on modern Windows machines. ►Windows Internet Explorer A proprietary Microsoft browser installed by default on all Windows operating systems ►Opera An alternative Web browser with extended language support. ►Lynx A command-line text-only Web browser. Often used by those with shell accounts and those who are visually impaired because it can be used with software that renders text into voice. A binary version is included with most versions of UNIX/Linux.
As part of a team that manages a site, you must:
►Create new content — The perception that a site has failed to remain current can be damaging. Innovation and fresh content are both essential to managing a site that stays popular. ►Update dead links — For various reasons, links that once functioned may fail over time. A link can become invalid because a page's location was changed on the hard drive, or because the link pointed to an external Website that no longer exists or has changed its structure. You can use automated applications to check your site for dead links. However, someone must still manually alter any invalid links to make them valid again ►Remove old sites — Sometimes an entire site becomes invalid. It is your duty to remove such sites from the Internet. ►Remove unused pages — Pages on Websites sometimes become stale, especially if they are tied to a marketing campaign. If they cannot be updated, they must be removed. ►Ensure connectivity — You or a member of the IT department may be assigned to ensure that the site is active and that enough bandwidth is available. You may have to upgrade or downgrade bandwidth, depending upon customer volume. You do not want customers to be frustrated by slow site access, but you also do not want to pay for unused bandwidth ►Report access troubles — Sometimes you need to contact your ISP and begin a trouble ticket to begin resolving a problem. It may also be your responsibility to follow up with problems to ensure they are properly resolved ►Process feedback from customers and stakeholders — Your team will be asked to make changes to the site periodically. Some changes may be subtle; others may require considerable effort on your part to make the site fulfill its potential and truly benefit your organization
Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
►Created by the W3C with the mission that webpages should be accessible to all people, including those with disabilities. ensure that development tools can be used by disabled people ►The WAI has developed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to provide a universal set of standards promoting accessibility. ►According to the WAI, the Web's full potential can only be realized by "promoting a high degree of usability for people with disabilities." ►The WAI works with worldwide organizations in five main areas: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development. ►The European Union and Australia have mostly adopted the WCAG standards. ►WAI aims to ensure that core technologies used on the Web, such as HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS3), Extensible Markup Language (XML) and the Document Object Model (DOM), are equally accessible to all users, including those with physical, visual, hearing and cognitive disabilities. (You will learn more about these technologies later in the course.)
Costs associated with a cloud service provider include:
►Database connectivity — Cost is based on the amount of database support you require. ►Per-service costs — Each additional service you use will increase costs. ►Bandwidth — In addition to increasing (or decreasing) bandwidth, you can also pay the cloud service provider to closely monitor bandwidth usage. ►Customer support — A cloud provider can provide customer service to your company. Some providers also offer support to your customers, allowing you to avoid the hiring, training and maintenance costs of creating your own team. ►Security — Larger cloud service providers have their own security auditing teams. ►Application development — A cloud service provider will either have its own application development team or will have relationships with remote development teams that can create custom applications for you.
Your Web team must process various types of feedback. Feedback can include:
►Direct contact with customers — People who frequent the site may contact you directly through feedback forms to inform you about desired changes. ►Feedback from upper management — Executive officers may request changes to the site in order to improve the company's image. ►Feedback from sales and marketing — Sales representatives often receive comments from their customers about desired changes. Addressing such reports of customer requests is essential to the site's success ►As you receive feedback, you must be able to distinguish between serious feedback and nuisance input.you should always work to obtain a consensus of opinion that includes reliable sources, then obtain appropriate stakeholder approval before making any changes.
tips to consider when validating your markup code
►Do not be discouraged when you see multiple problems reported for a page. Sometimes one small flaw can cause the remaining code on the page to fail validation, even if the remaining code is actually valid. ►When errors are reported, search through the code carefully to find the true problem. Sometimes when a validation program finds a problem, it does not report the correct cause or it may not report the cause clearly. ►Make sure that you are validating the correct file. ►Validating your markup code is worthwhile because validated code is most likely to be interpreted accurately by the majority of user agents. ►To reiterate, make sure you adopt a single W3C standard and apply it consistently so that when you validate your markup code, the code and your specified DTD will match, and the results of the validation process will be legitimate
Hyperlinks
►Embedded instructions within a text file that link it to another point in the file or to a separate file, when the link is accessed, usually by a click of a mouse ►The global set of linked documents across the existing Internet framework grew into the World Wide Web.
Critical ADA compliance factors to consider when creating reasonable accommodations in your Websites include:
►Ensuring that all images have text-based descriptions so that sight-impaired visitors can access sites through screen-reader technology. ►Providing text-based alternatives to all non-text content (e.g., Java applets). ►Providing forms that are easily read by screen-reading technology
Creating universal markup code
►Follow W3C standards carefully. ►Choose one standard version of any given language you use, and apply that standard consistently throughout your document, pages or site. ►Your pages will be ensured to render in future versions of most browsers. ►Your pages will be more scalable. This means that as you add more sophisticated content, make pages searchable or use the content in ways you have not yet imagined, you can still use markup you created without having to revise the code extensively. ►Your pages will be more accessible to disabled users. You will be able to more easily make your pages compliant so that your site is available to the widest possible audience and does not present a liability to your organization.
HTML Versions
►HTML 3.2 is an older but functional HTML standard. ►HTML 4.01 Recommendation (released in 1999) contained many improvements from HTML 3.2, most notably Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) ►HTML 5
HTML 4.01 flavors
►HTML 4.01 Transitional — allowed developers to insert formatting using either CSS or traditional layout instructions (e.g., HTML font, color and phrase elements). This version rendered in browsers that did not support HTML 4.01 features such as CSS. This version also allowed tags that the W3C considered to be less useful, known as "deprecated tags." ►HTML 4.01 Strict — required the exclusive use of CSS when defining layout instructions. Deprecated tags were not allowed and generated errors. ►HTML 4.01 Frameset — required for pages that used HTML frames, which placed Webpages inside each other to create separate panes in the browser window. Some felt that frames provided additional functionality or enhanced a site's look and feel. ►You specify the flavor of HTML by using a document type (<!DOCTYPE>) declaration. You will learn more about the <!DOCTYPE> in this and later lessons.
Webpage authoring terms:
►HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language version 5) A language that requires few plug-ins and standardizes how video and audio are presented on a Web page ►SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) A metalanguage that is used to create other languages An ISO-standard language used to describe data and context as opposed to its appearance. ►HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) A language that describes a document's visual layout Language used primarily for defining format and appearance of Web documents. ►XML (Extensible Markup Language) A language that describes the function and context of the information contained in a document Newer language used to define context as opposed to appearance ►XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language) A language that organizes data in a document and formats the page's appearance in a Web browser Web language standard that separates responsibilities for organizing and formatting data. ►Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) A set of guidelines for ensuring Website accessibility to all users, including those with disabilities. ►Tags Embedded information that defines the font, color and phrase elements used on an HTML page. ►Markup language: Language that describes context and formatting for online documents. ►Hyperlink: Embedded instructions within a text file that link it to another point in the file or to a separate file. ►Cascading Style Sheets (CSS3) Style sheet language that provides the formatting and "look" of a Webpage or document written in a markup language ►JavaScript Scripting language that provides dynamic, interactive capabilities to Webpages
HTML5
►HTML5 provides modern requirements for the Internet with fewer plug-ins, such as the ability to standardize how video and audio are presented on a Webpage ►Introduces the <video> element, which is designed to eliminate the need to install third-party plug-ins (such as those for Adobe Flash or Microsoft Silverlight). ►Adds the <audio> element, which allows pages to seamlessly add audio files for events such as podcasts. ►Establishes ways to enable drag-and-drop capability for Webpages without using third-party add-ons. ►Gives developers more native tools such as download progress indicators, image captioning options and form validation tools to use on a page. ►Provides developers with a native option for offline storage, and enables applications to run as expected even without network connectivity. ►Allows developers to retrieve the geographical location information for a client-side device, called geolocation. Examples include using the Global Positioning System (GPS) of a mobile device to determine the device's location, which allows Web services to be provided based on the client's location.
egotiate your prices with service provider representatives by:
►Indicating your present needs — Discuss plans in which you pay full price now then negotiate lower prices later, or vice versa. ►Asking to talk to the sales representative's manager — The manager has the decision-making power to negotiate lower costs. ►Asking your manager to discuss prices with the sales representative or with the representative's manager — Escalating negotiations can enable exceptions and swifter decisions.
Consider the following strategies that you can use to effectively take the lead during a meeting:
►Make introductions — As you introduce people, explain their roles on the team. ►Recall past business — Make sure that each team builds on past decisions and considers past discussions in a meaningful way. At all times, try to make any repeated discussions culminate in a decision that allows the group to show progress on the project. ►Create a list of action items, including timelines — A list will help you communicate your team's progress. ►Monitor time — Even if important information is imparted in your meetings, if they are too long then important participants may not want to attend again. ►Ensure proper discussion focus — Provide an agenda of meeting topics so participants come prepared and expecting to discuss only relevant issues. Consider announcing a time limit for a particular discussion if you fear that it may continue too long. ►Handle heated discussions — Changing focus may be especially important if a discussion becomes too heated or if animosity develops among participants. ►Distribute minutes — Meeting notes, or minutes, help all parties see progress result from meetings. Minutes also help everyone identify unfinished business, as well as determine any particular topics that were omitted
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
►On June 21, 2001, the U.S. government implemented Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards. ►Section 508 requires that Federal agencies provide accommodations users with disabilities for all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by federal agencies. ►Section 508 is based on the Priority 1 and 2 checkpoints of the W3C's WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.
stakeholders are relevant organization employees or contributors who can provide or help determine the following information
►The purpose of the Website. ►The site's look and feel. ►The services that the audience requires from the site. ►Funds available to develop the site. ►Development timelines. Although your team will largely determine how long it will take to create the site, your team will also have to coordinate with other departments in the organization. For example, the sales and marketing teams are likely to have important input about when the site is published, as well as its look and feel.
As you validate design issues, consider the following:
►Organizational design standards — You have already learned about the importance of branding standards. As you help develop Webpages, make sure that you are following developed rules and advice from your department and others. Such standards help support decisions concerning your organization's branding and marketing standards. ►Ethnic diversity — You may be asked to tailor messages to particular cultures and ethnicities. Project management will ensure that such needs are considered and recommended during planning meetings. It is your responsibility as a designer to create pages that implement all recommendations. ►Language choice — Some organizations will need to use only one language for their sites, such as English. Others may need to create multiple sites in various languages to accommodate an international audience. Still others may offer an immediate choice of one or two languages because the government of the country in which they reside demands such accommodations, for example. ►Common color schemes — Preferences for color combinations differ from one culture to the next. Remain sensitive to and informed about such preferences. ►Messages that appeal to customers — You may need to alter your message about a particular product or activity if you present it to another culture. Consider the expectations and preferences of specific cultures so that your message is as clear and appealing as possible.
Addressing cognitive and technical challenges
►Page content that flashes, flickers or strobes — Such content may cause problems for those with neurological disorders. ►Alternative navigation — Navigation aids should be provided to help those with lower cognitive skills. ►Audio support — Audio transcriptions of text-based content may help users with reading disabilities such as dyslexia. ►Low-resolution alternatives — Design Webpages so that they do not require large, expensive screen resolutions, or provide low-resolution alternatives.
As you work with your stakeholders, remember the following:
►People who will approve your project often have no technical expertise in your field. Nevertheless, remember that they are essential to the success of your project. ►Be prepared to explain non-technical needs to a technical audience. In other words, make sure that you can present business concerns to IT professionals in ways that will help ensure that your needs are met.
When working with a traditional cloud hosting service provider or a cloud service provider, be prepared to detail your needs.
►Potential amount of traffic. ►Hard drive space you will need. ►Database and Web server needs. ►Additional services (e.g., custom applications).
Ways to obtain quality feedback
►Providing Web forms on the site that ask for customer input — Such forms should be available only to serious customers and/or members of the organization. For example, make the form available only to users who have paid for a service or provided verifiable identity. Otherwise, you increase your chances of receiving prank information from trolls. ►Conducting surveys in person — You or other team members can contact customers at the direction of your team leader. Such surveys should be directed to your top customers. Make sure that surveys are quick and to the point. You may also want to offer your customers a valuable product, service or discount in exchange for responding to the survey. ►Conducting surveys via email or text — If you want to contact more people, an email survey may be appropriate. However, be sure to send surveys only to established customers. Otherwise, your organization may receive a bad reputation as a "spammer."
Ways to ensure clarity both in meetings and in communication include:
►Regularly asking if anyone has questions — This strategy helps some team members speak up. However, less outgoing individuals who have questions may still hold back. ►Asking team members to summarize their understanding of decisions — Although this strategy puts some people on the spot, this is preferable to having team members remain confused about the project's direction. ►Asking a third party to deliver a summary of progress — This third party can attend your meeting and ask questions of team members. By listening to responses, you can gauge overall team participation and understanding. ►Writing regular updates about the project — Make sure that in your updates you translate technical requirements into non-technical language, and vice versa.
When testing your Webpages for browser compatibility issues, check the following:
►Rendering of tables — If you use HTML tables to format content, some browsers may not render the information proportionally, which can distort the way information appears on the page. Some browsers also do not support table options. ►Strictness levels — Older browsers may not be able to render the newer versions of HTML or XHTML well. ►Color support — If you use background colors or colors within tables, your customers' browsers may not render them exactly as you have intended. ►Images — As you already know, some Web browsers do not support images at all. Some browsers do not render background images, whereas others do. Always provide alternative text descriptions for images, and use background images sparingly. ►Scripting languages — Make sure that any scripting language you use is supported by the majority of Web browsers. ►HTML version — Choose a version of HTML that you know most browsers will support. The HTML5 specification is a solid choice because it is backward-compatible and can render in all modern browsers.
Addressing visual challenges
►Text readability — Make sure that fonts used are the correct size. ►Text support for images — All images must be described in text using special HTML code. ►Screen-reader support — Ensure that all pages and page elements can be rendered by audio screen readers.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
►The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 to protect the civil rights of disabled people. ►The ADA is a broad application of accessibility standards to influence commercial and social practices related to persons with disabilities ►This law has many sections, and includes mandates for equal employment opportunities and public accommodations for disabled people. ►It also includes mandates that electronic information be accessible to disabled people. Significant compliance failures are subject to financial penalties. ►Because it is an active law, the ADA is relevant to anyone designing pages in the United States, and anyone creating sites that will be visited by users who live in the United States. ►The standards are officially known as the U.S. Department of Justice ADA Standards for Accessible Design ►Any penalties are the result of prosecution brought by the U.S. Justice Department; lawsuits from individuals and class action suits are not possible. ►The Justice Department tries to determine good-faith efforts before bringing lawsuits, and generally punishes only violators who exhibit long-term, wanton disregard for the standards.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
►The traditional authoring language used to develop Webpages for many applications. ►Tim Berners-Lee of MIT invented Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) with colleagues from CERN (the European Particle Physics Laboratory) as a means of distributing non-linear text, called hypertext, to multiple points across the Internet. ►In HTML, one document links to another via pointers called hyperlinks. ►HTML facilitates data exchange through a common document format across different types of computer systems and networks on the Web ►HTML does not allow you to define a DTD and has fewer language elements than SGML ►You specify the flavor of HTML by using a document type (<!DOCTYPE>) declaration. You will learn more about the <!DOCTYPE> in this and later lessons.
automated accessibility validators
►W3C Page Validator ►HTML Validator ►Validity ►Toptal
Legal consultation
►When signing NDAs and other documents is necessary, you should first retain legal counsel. Otherwise, you may make commitments that you cannot fulfill. Any contract breach can make your company liable for a lawsuit. ►You may have to consult with legal teams in the following situations: As you create NDAs ►If you decide to use a marketing campaign, trademark or copyrighted idea similar to another company's ►If you must investigate infringement by other companies against your intellectual property
As you process and interpret feedback, you should ask the following questions:
►Which suggestions should be taken seriously? ►Does this feedback apply directly to the Website, or could this problem be solved by requesting that sales and/or marketing personnel work directly with complaining customers? ►What changes will please the majority of customers? ►How much will proposed changes cost? You must consider whether requested changes are economically feasible and worth the extra investment. ►How long will it take to make the proposed changes? ►Who must you contact in order to obtain approval and/or funding for the proposed changes
Wireframing
►Wireframing is the process of developing an outline for a Web presence. ►A wireframe is presented as a visual representation of a Webpage layout, ►Wireframes usually focus on representing a Website's layout. ►Multiple wireframes can make up a storyboard, Steps in the wireframing process usually include: ►Determining the purpose and objective of the Website. Is this an e-commerce Website? An informational Website? A company intranet? ►Identifying all stakeholders for the site. ►Outlining the basic steps of the development process. ►Identifying steps for managing the project. ►Outlining site navigation. ►Identifying the technologies that are invoked with each user request.
XHTML Versions
►XHTML Version: XHTML 1.0 W3C Status: Recommended in 2000 Notes:Still used in some production environments ►XHTML Version: XHTML 1.1 W3C Status:Recommended in 2001 Notes Still used in some production environments; provided "modularization" ►XHTML Version: XHTML 2.0 W3C Status: Abandoned in 2009; it did not provide backward compatibility Notes The W3C decided to pursue an XHTML version based on HTML5 instead ►XHTML Version: XHTML5 W3C Status:Working draft Notes Under development as part of the HTML5 specification
The chief purpose of Section 508
►is to ensure that disabled individuals have a comparable level of access to information. ►Each standard aims to ensure that Webpage design and other computer-based elements do not limit access to information by disabled users. Section 508 includes the following standards for Websites: ►All non-text elements must have a text-based equivalent. ►If using multimedia, all equivalent information must be properly synchronized with the multimedia so that disabled persons are not at a disadvantage. ►Information must be equally available in color and without color. ►Documents must be made available without requiring an associated style sheet. ►Text descriptions must be made available for all image maps. ►Client-side image maps should not be used because they cannot be properly presented to visually impaired users. ►If using tables for data, you must identify all row and column headers. ►If a table has two or more rows or columns, you must use row and column headers. ►Sites that use frames must have titles that easily enable alternative browsers to navigate through each frame. ►If necessary, a separate text-only site should be made available to ensure access. ►When scripting technology is used to enable a site feature (e.g., a form), a plaintext alternative must be available that allows an assistant application to read the feature
authoritative evidence of intellectual property laws
►source of information for US intellectual property law is the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ►source of information for European Union intellectual property law is the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) ►The hub of the global intellectual property protection initiative is the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
