Good coverage of web design, too much printed SVG.

An introduction to web design for those coming from the technical side of things, this book covers many aspects of graphics and UI design, but sometimes falls short in its allocation of page space and in the technical details.
Strength: Design fundamentals as applied to websites.
Great discussion of Line, Type, Shape, Texture, Space, Size, Value and Layout etc. Although I have been designing web sites and simple printed material for years, I found the exercises and explanations in this book refreshing and useful. Also liked the emphasis on clear communication with the client and common pitfalls. The discussion of color in chapter 8 was particularly well done with clear examples printed in full-color.
Weaknesses: Reliance on SVG.
Although I am an avid supporter of SVG, I found that this book's reliance on the technology and excessive printing of code to be distracting. I counted 75 pages of verbose SVG code and 25 pages of general XML/XSLT/ASP/HTML code printed in a 350 page book. Also, although well suited for bridging the technical-aesthetic gap, SVG still lacks widespread browser support, and no web developer worth his salt would actually build a professional website in SVG today, a point which the authors should have acknowledged more clearly. However, the XML/XSLT/XHTML/ASP examples used later in the book effectively illustrate how these emerging technologies can be combined into a single project.
Summary:
As someone with experience in web technology and design, I found several minor flaws in the technical assertions made in the book (browser compatibility), but enjoyed the non-technical design / interface portions which, to be fair, was the focus of this book.

Other Reviews

• many words with little meaning
• Good for a particular niche readership...
• Good coverage of web design, too much printed SVG.