![[Dmitry's Design Lab]](x-ddb.gif)
Dmitry Kirsanov's monthly column
 
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These articles written by Dmitry Kirsanov are for everyone interested in the important basics of design proper---design as art and science. Such design essentials as color, fonts, shape, texture, dynamism, the principles of using artwork, photography, and animation, plus some more specific issues such as web site navigation or logo design, are treated in detail and illustrated by case web design projects.
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What I'm trying to do in my articles is achieve the level of objectivity that would allow my readers, even if they disagree over some points, to argue scientifically rather than pursue a useless it's-bad-because-I-don't-like-it sort of argument. -- Sounds formal? from Designing with Chaos, Tutorial 25
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You'll also find here sample chapters from HTML Unleashed and HTML Unleashed, Professional Reference Edition, two authoritative volumes dedicated to the more technical issues of web design. Scroll down for a complete list of Design Lab articles, or view a page of extended abstracts.
Visit Production Graphics, and 3D Animation Workshop WebReference columns, for more tips and insights on Web graphics and 3D Animation. Also try our design resources.
| Tutorial 25 |
Designing with Chaos: Chaos is not only an important philosophical concept, but a powerful design tool requiring a trained eye and a historical perspective |
| Tutorial 24 |
The Art of Animation: Learn the important basics of creating animations that dazzle and entertain - but do not annoy |
| Tutorial 23 |
Dynamic Design: Master the dynamic power of static objects and learn to direct the user's eye through your page for a seamless experience |
| Tutorial 22 |
Nonlinear Design: A study of the character, perception, and possible design uses of curvilinear shapes |
| Tutorial 21 |
Using Artwork in Design, Part II: Learn what is involved in real-world design projects using artwork, with primers on borrowing classic masterpieces and on creating your own fine-art universe |
| Tutorial 20 |
Using Artwork in Design, Part I: An overview of using custom artwork in design projects, with important contradistinctions explained by examples |
| Tutorial 19 |
Logo Design Revisited: What was right and what was wrong in my old logo treatise, now on the material of several commercial logo designs |
| Tutorial 18 |
Designing a Designer's Site: A detailed account of what it took me to create the site of my design studio at www.kirsanov.com |
| Tutorial 17 |
Preparing for XML: See how the modular approach allows you to pursue an XML-like style of design in plain old HTML. |
| Tutorial 16 |
The Flesh and the Soul of Information: Learn how abstractions can refine your design practice, and how structure can make content and presentation collaborate, not rival. |
| Tutorial 15 |
The Art of Distortion: Learn the principles behind various graphic effects, how to choose the right one, and how to know when to abstain |
| Tutorial 14 |
The World of Fonts: The history of typefaces at a glance, and how to select the best fonts for your job (nominated Best of the Net by The Mining Company) |
| Tutorial 13 |
Modular Web Design: Designing out of consistent modules and other issues, illustrated by the Books of Russia redesign |
| Tutorial 12 |
The World of Texture: Learn how to use textures and web page backgrounds to make your pages look---and feel---different |
| Tutorial 11 |
Size and Proportion in Web Graphics: All about proportioning principles in web design, with a special report on extra-small graphics |
| Tutorial 10 |
Putting It All Together: A Case Design Project: A detailed account of Quiotix site redesign, from creating a company logo, through page drafts, to final testing |
| Tutorial 9 |
HTML Unleashed, Professional Reference Edition: An exclusive online sampling of chapters from the new book, covering: HTML Accessibility, Designing for Search Engines |
| Tutorial 8 |
Photography in Web Design: How to add a touch of professionalism to your web graphics by a sensible use of photographic images |
| Tutorial 7 |
Geometric Primitives in Web Design: A treatise on the use, intentional or not, of simple geometric forms in web graphics and page layout |
| Tutorial 6 |
HTML Unleashed: An exclusive online sampling of chapters from the book published by Sams.net, covering: SGML and HTML DTD, HTML internationalization, and XML |
| Tutorial 5 |
Designing Site Navigation: Learning from good and bad examples of navigation panel design |
| Tutorial 4 |
The World of Color: What every designer should know about the use of colors |
| Tutorial 3 |
Being Creative by Example: A survey of professional design sites---to see what the future of mainstream web design might look like |
| Tutorial 1, Tutorial 2 |
The Art of Logo (Part I: Your Media, Part II: Your Tools): A creative tutorial on all aspects of logo design, featuring a sample project (nominated Best of the Net by The Mining Company) |
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