Blog
Books for Budding Web Developers
As part of our team, we have two people who have never designed a web site: Demond Drummer (Organizer) and Tahirih (TEA) Klass Metzger (Office Manager). However, since they are working in such a web-oriented company, they have both decided to learn the basics of web development, and have asked me for advice. Below, I've compiled a list of books I recommend for anybody wishing to dabble in web design and development. Listed in recommended reading order:
Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML
The Head First series take beginners seriously. They optimize their books for learning, rather than reference material. The books are chock-full of useful advice, exercises, and illustrations. Their HTML book is a great example of their style -- easy to take in, yet thorough enough that even experienced web developers can benefit from it as a refresher.
Don't Make Me Think
Knowing the technical details of making websites is not enough. A good web developer should also know how to make usable web sites. Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think is an instant classic in that field. Styling himself as a promoter of "advanced common sense", he explains with illustrations and examples many of the factors that go into making websites truly usable.
The Non-Designer's Design Book
And it's sibling, The Non-Designer's Web Book form a very good basis for understanding the visual design aspects of web sites. From basic layout to typography, these books will help beginner web designers form a language for communicating with other designers. They will also introduce basic design rules that everyone should master before moving on. It's alright to break these rules, but only if you want your websites to look amateur (or you are good enough to pull it off).
Agile Web Development with Rails
3rd Edition, or whichever edition is the latest (4th edition is due in June of 2010).
There are debates of religious pitch about what programming platforms are better or worse for web development. The top contenders include PHP, Python/Django, and a myriad others. I will skip over the religious wars and declare that Ruby on Rails is my favorite, especially for beginner programmers. It has a bit of a learning curve, but the book eases it significantly. There are also the wonderful Rails Guides, a powerful set of tutorials to bootstrap anybody into Rails development; the IRC channel; and Rails Bridge, a friendly community whose goal is "to create an inclusive and friendly Ruby on Rails community."
Good Luck
I've done what I can to pass the torch to the next generation of web developers. Hopefully, Demond and TEA will blog about their experiences and progress through becoming proficient web developers. I would sure love to read about their success!
If you have any questions about this article, or any of my recommendations, leave a comment below, or catch me on twitter.