Making the Web Work: Designing Effective Web Applications

by Bob Baxley

Making the Web Work is one of the first books to discuss in detail the unique challenges and issues involved in designing Web-based applications and services. The book tackles this subject on three... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0735711968
• ISBN13: 9780735711969
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Sams Publishing
• Length: 474 Pages
• Weight: 1.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Solid information

This book is tattered from referencing it and has many passages underlined. Unlike some usability books it is organized in a manner that moves you through the design problem space. It begins with setting definitions and examining the possible forces behind these projects. Then Baxley dives into the meat of the design process through a 3 layered approach. He covers all the bases - from the user point of view to navigation, Help systems, forms, layout and shows how it alI fits into the models within the layers. It is well written, making points clear without repetitive passages. I would recommend this book for beginners and old hands. It is a great book, written following the usability rules he is propounding.

Comprehensive and understandable.

Have you noticed how some web sites are warm, inviting, and easy to use, but using other sites can be a difficult and even frustrating experience? The difference lies in their design, the topic of Bob Baxley's seminal, well-researched book Making the Web Work: Designing Effective Web Applications.Good design is not a hit-or-miss issue. Mr. Baxley provides a comprehensive, in-depth framework for exploring the nine dimensions of web application design space: the Conceptual Model, the Structural Model, the Organizational Model, Viewing and Navigation, Editing and Manipulation, User Assistance, Layout, Style, and Text. Each layer is presented in an easy-to-understand manner, always from the point of view of what "works" for the user. Mr. Baxley uses examples taken directly from the web to illustrate his points: I found myself returning to some of my favorite sites to see how the designers handled issues ranging from their choice of conceptual model (magazine-style catalogs versus reference-style catalogs) to navigation choices to layout alignment.This book is much more than just a book on usability, layout, graphics or web page controls. It is rather a comprehensive approach to web application design, thoughtfully and humorously argued, and interspersed throughout with tips and techniques for the would-be designer. Although it would be a great text for a course on advanced web design, it will become a well-thumbed and indispensable addition to every web developer's library.

A comprehensive look at designing Web-based applications

As a veteran user interface design practitioner and university instructor, I found Bob Baxley's book "Making the Web Work" a valuable addition to my personal reference library, and a practical resource tool for Web design courses.He organizes the book around the elements of user interface design, which is structure, behavior, and presentation. Simultaneously, Bob leads the reader from conceptually organizing a Web-based user interface to interactive and layout issues. The numerous real-world examples within the book effectively illustrate the described design approaches and techniques, and many are applicable beyond the scope of Web-based user interfaces.Overall the book is a very readable and comprehensive look at how to design better Web-based applications.

Useful and thorough

Despite the ubiquity of the internet, the art and craft of designing web applications - defined by the author as a web site that stores and manipulates data unique to each of its users (for example online stores and sites offering financial or other on-line services) - is an evolving field. MAKING THE WEB WORK offers a thorough methodology for anybody tackling such a task, be that the actual designer of a web application, or the product managers and engineers working with (and sometimes without) the designer. Even experienced web application designers will find food for thought.