Featured Web Design Schools

Web Design and Development Books

Whether it's a trusty reference or a description of the latest technologies, most web designers have a book (or two or twenty) on their shelf that they just can't live without. Here are some of our favorites -- the beginnings of a solid web design library.

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Reference

HTML: Visual QuickStart Guide
by Elizabeth Castro
A great introduction to HTML covering all of the basics for linking, images, text styling, tables, frames, forms, and more. It also covers basic CSS (fonts and colors), as well as how to add scripts to a page. Many designers could probably get by with just this book, but if you're feeling bold, you might move up to...
HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide
by Chuck Musciano
They don't call it "The Definitive Guide" for nothing. Every tag, every attribute, every little detail of HTML and XHTML is explained and dissected. Put it within arms reach of your computer.
Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide
by Eric Meyer
Eric Meyer must dream in CSS. The web's acknowledged master of CSS wrote the definitive guide which not only covers the range of CSS1 features, but includes an overview of CSS2. An invaluable appendix notes which CSS features are/aren't supported in various browsers.
Eric Meyer on CSS
by Eric Meyer
Not really a reference, this book uses a lesson-based approach to show you how to apply your CSS knowledge from basic styling all the way up to using CSS (instead of tables) for layout.
JavaScript: Visual QuickStart Guide
by Tom Negrino and Dori Smith
Most web designers don't need to know too much JavaScript -- just enough to cover the basics (rollovers, popups, basic form validation) -- and this book fits the bill perfectly. Great examples and plenty of visuals.
Javascript + CSS + DOM Magic
by Makiko Itoh
Writing cross-browser DHTML used to be a mess, but thanks to the W3C DOM (Document Object Model), things are looking up. This book uses short, easily-applicable projects to teach JavaScript, CSS, and DHTML.
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web
by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville
Sometimes, the most important work you do on a website happens before you write one piece of code. This book covers the basics of Information Architecture -- creating a site's hierarchy, navigation systems, labeling, and more; a must for any web designer who wants to get a handle on the big picture when creating a site.

Thinking About Web Design

The Art and Science of Web Design
by Jeffrey Veen
Neither a reference book nor a tutorial, this book will get you thinking like a web designer. Learn the fundamentals of information architecture, whether a database-driven website is for you, and much more.
Taking Your Talent to the Web
by Jeffrey Zeldman
Billed as a "Guide for the Transitioning Designer", this book has tons to offer to web designers, developers, and practically anyone working on the web today. Covers everything from dealing with clients to anti-aliasing tips to gamma compensation to JavaScript for designers.
Design for Community
by Derek Powazek
Building and running an online community can be an incredible challenge. Derek Powazek knows all about it and covers the big issues facing designers (and administrators) of community sites. Don't miss the interviews with the creators of the web's most prominent communities.
Fresh Styles for Web Designers
by Curt Cloninger
Stuck in a boring "logo-on-top-nav-bar-on-left" rut? Cloninger's book is great inspiration; it focuses on ten different styles of web design and explores examples, as well as techniques for achieving their effects.

Usability

Designing Web Usability
by Jakob Nielsen
Love him or hate him, the web's most famous usability "guru" knows a thing or two about usable websites. This weighty tome is an incredible resource web designers looking to improve the usability and user experience on their sites (and who isn't?).
Don't Make Me Think! A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability
by Steve Krug
Less high-and-mighty than the Nielsen book, Krug's book is a great, quick-reading introduction to usability. The perfect book to use when persuading your boss to invest in some usability testing.

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