Like the conundrum over serif or sans serif, there are no hard-and-fast rules, only guide-

lines. Some prefer dark text on a light background; others like their copy reversed.

Whatever the case, contrast—the level of color difference between the words and their

environment—must be set relatively high in web design. A thousand different monitors

will produce a thousand different images. For a deeper discussion on the topic and a list of

tools to help discern contrast ratios, see Chapter 3.

5. Diving into advanced typography is beyond the scope of this book. However, a great book that

wades neck-deep into the topic is CSS Mastery: Advanced Web Standards Solutions, by Andy

Budd, Simon Collison, and Cameron Moll.

6. For an entertaining read on how Arial was unceremoniously derived from Helvetica, read Mark

Simonson’s article “The Scourge of Arial,” at www.ms-studio.com/articles.html.

33

WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES

Summary

Writing and the presentation of the written word are the fundamental goals of the Web,

but this too often gets forgotten in the excitement of the design process. Design and con-

tent, like in any medium, are symbiotic, and when working together, they create a stronger

finished product. Web designers and information architects are responsible for how con-

tent is presented, and must work with copywriters to ensure that the best possible product

makes it to the outside world.

34

WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES

Summary

Writing and the presentation of the written word are the fundamental goals of the Web,

but this too often gets forgotten in the excitement of the design process. Design and con-

tent, like in any medium, are symbiotic, and when working together, they create a stronger

finished product. Web designers and information architects are responsible for how con-

tent is presented, and must work with copywriters to ensure that the best possible product

makes it to the outside world.

34

WEB DESIGN AND MARKETING SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS WEBSITES

Summary

Writing and the presentation of the written word are the fundamental goals of the Web,