Week 5 - DQ 2

Week 5 – DQ 2 Saturday, June 12, 2010 List the reasons why using clear standards are important when developing a website. In what areas should these standards be applied?

It is architect Frank Lloyd Wright who is credited with the design principle of "form follows function". This means that any project, including web design, should be a combination of good form that is harmonious with it's function. In the world of web design, this is referred to as "standards-based design". Jeffrey Zeldman is recognized as a pioneer of that movement. Today, the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C] is the entity that recommends standards or non-proprietary technologies to create guidelines and ensure that Web technologies work well together.

Standards can refer to any aspect of web design. For example, colors and fonts, cross-compatibility across browsers and hardware, and accessibility are all considerations for standard principles of web design. Additionally, internal factors (not seen by end-users to a site) or external factors (viewable/functional site aspects) can be used to evaluate a web design. It defined as web design practices that ensure that a Web site can be used by someone using any browser and any Web-enabled device. Typically this is achieved by using standard protocols and coding/programming languages to ensure end-users can equally view and access information that is displayed on a site.

Standards can be beneficially applied to any site. However, some industry experts make a distinction in how different sectors need to focus on standards. For example, the following list outlines the strategies that different types of organizations should follow toward standards:

Internet device manufacturers would be prudent to follow standards closely from their initial date of proposal.

Telecommunications providers must follow proposed standards from the start, but they do not need to pay close attention until the proposal begins moving forward.

Enterprise IT departments can monitor overall developments periodically and carefully research only those standards that are near ratification and that will directly impact the organization.

E-commerce providers can approach research much like an enterprise IT department but should pay close attention well before a standard is ratified.

Application developers should evaluate a proposed standards early on in the ratification process, and, if it could have a major impact on that developer's unique business, examine the standard closely. (FACCT)

There are several benefits to using clear standards when developing a website. First, because standards are meant to be universal practices, using them can save a company money through all stages of a web site development life cycle: from planning to maintence. Some experts estimate savings of 25%-50% over the complete web site life cycle. Another benefit is that standards reduce risks related to any aspect of web design. As developing legislation requires web sites to be accessible, for example, designing and maintaining sites can reduce the likelihood of ligation expenses. Web standards also mean that little or no special coding is needed to support multiple browsers. The most beneficial aspect of the web standards movement is it's responsibility for the near-universal use of CSS and the ability to change the look of a website without changing the underlying code.

References:

(n.d). Internet Standards. Retrieved from Faulkner Information Services: Faulkner's Advisory on Computer and Communications Technology (FACCT) database.

Jeffrey Zeldman: King of Web Standards; As a pioneer of standards-based design, he helped put an end to the browser wars and made Web sites available to all. August 7, 2007 pNABusiness Week Online, p.NA. Retrieved June 12, 2010, from General OneFile via Gale