HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
Modern CSS Layouts: e Essential
Characteristics
Zoe Mickley Gillenwater
Now is an exciting time to be creating CSS layouts. After years of what felt
like the same old techniques for the same old browsers, we're finally seeing
browsers implement CSS 3, HTML 5 and other technologies that give us
cool new tools and tricks for our designs.
But all of this change can be stressful, too. How do you keep up with all of
the new techniques and make sure your Web pages look great on the
increasing number of browsers and devices out there? In part 1 of this
article, you'll learn the five essential characteristics of successful modern
CSS websites. In part 2 of this article, you'll learn about the techniques and
tools that you need to achieve these characteristics.
We won't talk about design trends and styles that characterize modern CSS-
based layouts. These styles are always changing. Instead, we'll focus on the
broad underlying concepts that you need to know to create the most
successful CSS layouts using the latest techniques. For instance, separating
content and presentation is still a fundamental concept of CSS Web pages.
But other characteristics of modern CSS Web pages are new or more
important than ever. A modern CSS-based website is: progressively
enhanced, adaptive to diverse users, modular, e
!
cient and typographically
rich.
• Progressively enhanced,
• Adaptive to diverse users,
