Tutorials

CSS Beginners Do’s and Dont’s Part 1

Tags: Beginner

As I mentor some friends who’s learning CSS, I tend to repeat myself when asked for some advice. Here are 5 things that I would recommend to better yourself as a designer and developer.

1. DO Crossbrowser Check Often (Very Often!)

There have been many incidents where someone asks for help regarding a crossbrowser bug and it ends up they didn’t bother crossbrowser testing until the end of the project. My rule of thumb is for every section of the website (header, side column, content, etc), check all of your major browsers.

DON’T move on until its resolved (unless you are pressed for time). When you build on top of an existing bug, it will be time consuming to go back and undo everything to fix or just to even investigate the issue. For us designers/developers, time is money, so let’s make sure we catch and terminate the bugs at an early stage.

Here are some articles I’ve written regarding this topic:

• Cross Browser CSS Fixes, Tools, and Hacks
• Debugging CSS – The Plan of Attack
• Beginner’s Checklist Before Debugging CSS

2. DO Aim for Perfection

Clean code and precision in your code makes life easier on everyone around you. Some people call it being anal, but its just doing your job to the best of your abilities. You don’t want someone painting your house spilling paint all over the place right?

DON’T get used to sloppy coding habits. Its easier to be lazy and leave sloppy code around, but doing so will only bloat your code and give you a headache in the long run. Read up on this article – “12 Principles For Keeping Your Code Clean” for good coding habits.

3. DO Subscribe to Blogs and Resources

One of the things I tell many novice designers/developers is to subscribe to designers/developers that you admire. 90% of the knowledge I have now is from reading blogs and articles online. If you are new to RSS Feeds, check out my previous article “Why Designers Should Subscribe to RSS Feeds“.

DON’T live in a bubble. Seek out new information and trends!

4. DO Ask Questions on Blogs & Forums

I never really took advantage of this when I was starting out but now a days there are plenty of strong communities that are willing to help out. Ask detailed questions with specific examples, links, and code. The more information you provide to them, the faster and easier they can scope the problem.

I would recommend checking out CSS-Tricks Forums, Smashing Magazine Forums, and Designers Talk Forums since its very active and a lot of talented designers/developers are willing to help out.

DON’T be shy and keep the confusion to yourself.

5. Do Experiment and Learn By Trial and Error

I developed my skills and knowledge mostly by trial and error. I think this is the healthiest way to get some real hands on experience. When you read a tutorial on how something is done, read it carefully, and experiment with it.

DON’T eat and run!

Great Articles for Beginners

• HTML & CSS – The VERY Basics
• 5 Tips For Design Students
• Preparing For Your Next Web Design Job
• CSS do’s and dont’s Part 1: CSS Selecting
• 8 Premium One Line Css Tips
• CSS tips and tricks, Part 1
• Top CSS Tips
• CSS Cheat Sheet
• CSS Shorthand Guide