Additional Resources

Whether you're looking to learn more about VCU-specific resources or web design and development in general, these resources should point you in the right direction. Are we missing something that you'd like to see added? Email us!

VCU Resources

• Web Services
• Enterprise Marketing and Communications
• Brand identity
• Technology policies, guidelines, & standards
• Web Privacy Statement

Essential Resources

• A List Apart
• W3Schools Online Web Tutorials
• Webmonkey: the Web Developers Resource
• World Wide Web Consortium
• Designing with Web Standards by Jeffrey Zeldman & Ethan Marcotte - A classic among web design books

Browser Tools

• Web Developer toolbar: One of the most useful browser-based tools for web development
• Google Page Speed: A Firefox/Firebug plugin from Google that evaluates website performance and provides suggestions for improvement

Accessibility Resources

• HiSoftware Cynthia Says: Test your site for web accessibility compliance
• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
• Accessibility Guide at Penn State
• WebAIM: Introduction to Web Accessibility
• 456 Berea Street - Accessibility blog
• Colour Contrast Check: Useful for checking the amount of contrast between foreground and background colors
• Vischeck: View your site through color-blind eyes.
• Building Accessible Websites by Joe Clark
• One of the fundamental books about web accessibility

Optimization Resources

• Let's make the web faster (from Google)
• Web Page Analyzer: This tool will analyze your site and let you know where your speed issues may lie.
• Website Optimization: Speed, Search Engine & Conversion Rate Secrets by Andrew King
• An extremely useful resource for website optimization

Usability Resources

• useit.com: Jakob Nielsen on Usability and Web Design: Jakob Nielsen is one of the earliest and most vocal advocates of web usability. (Disregard the terrible design of the site; the content is good.)
• Usability.gov Federal resources on usability
• User Interface Engineering Features great content in their blog and articles
• Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
• The quintessential book on web usability.

Mobile Development Resources

• W3C: Mobile Web Best Practices Provides a good overview of best practices for developing for mobile devices.
• W3C MobileOK Checker Provides a helpful overview of potential issues with your mobile website
• mobiReady A useful tool for testing your site for mobile-readiness - provides more comprehensive feedback than the above W3C checker
• Designing for the Mobile Web A quick overview of the basics for developing mobile websites
• Mobile Usability Helpful look at the usability issues inherent with mobile devices
• Mobile Web Design by Cameron Moll
  Though it's now a few years old, this book covers a lot of the basic information well.