Book Review: CSS3 For Web Designers

CSS3 for Web Designers by Dan Cederholm has been a very handy go-to for me this year. At RainStorm, we decided to begin practicing progressive enrichment at the beginning of 2011, which opened the door for some usage of CSS3.

The browser-specific property declarations are still not second nature to me, so I’ve really appreciated having this handy reference guide nearby. As an aside, buying the eBook version of these reference books make for even more handy reference, as in-PDF searching from an easy-to-open file makes using them even more convenient.

As most of you know, CSS3 properties are supported on your favorite browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox), but not in Internet Explorer 7 and 8, which unfortunately still make up the majority of the users browsing the internet. Cederholm makes a compelling argument for enhancing the experience layer of your websites using CSS3, while ensuring that the function and content of your website are easily available to anyone visiting your website.

The book breaks down CSS3 functionality into several easy-to-digest sections – one on hover states, one on transforms, one on using multiple backgrounds, and one on form validation. Throughout each section, you’ll find other CSS3 goodies mentioned, such as transparency, text and box shadow, and gradients.

If you are still nervous about making the plunge into adopting CSS3 into your development, I’d highly recommend this book. You can read through it in a matter of an hour or two to orient yourself around what CSS3 has to offer, and it doubles as a handy reference guide as you get your feet wet.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of posts highlighting books on the craft of web design. If you know a great book we should review, tell us at contact@rainstormconsulting.com.