In Issue No. 235 of A List Apart, for people who make websites:

Setting Type on the Web to a Baseline Grid

by Wilson Miner

Grids, grids, all God’s children got grids. Even a one-column layout with no artwork uses a grid (just not a very interesting one). Web designers have spent the last year or so discussing the application of sophisticated grid systems to multi-column layouts. Wilson Miner shows how to apply the same principles of proportion and balance to the type within those columns by borrowing another technique from our print brethren: the baseline grid.

Accessible Web 2.0 Applications with WAI-ARIA

by Martin Kliehm

“Web 2.0 applications often have accessibility and usability problems because of the limitations of (X)HTML. The W3C’s standards draft for Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) addresses those limitations. It provides new ways of communicating meaning, importance, and relationships, and it fills gaps in the (X)HTML specifications and increases usability for all users by enabling navigation models familiar from desktop applications. Best of all, you can start using ARIA right away to enhance the accessibility of your websites.”

Tags: alistapart, accessible, webapps, accessibility, design, webdesign, layout, grids, baselinegrid

Filed under: A List Apart, Accessibility, Design

4 Responses to “ALA 235: vertical grids, accessible web apps”

1. Blog Surfers said on 12 April 2007 at 9:18 pm:

   ALA 235: vertical grids, accessible web appsJeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report4/10/07, 10:47 am

2. 
   Alex said on 10 April 2007 at 6:33 am:

   Glad to see the article on grids, as it’s a fundamental element of design and one which can make or break a website, but one that’s often overlooked.

3. 
   Rob kirton said on 16 April 2007 at 3:58 am:

   I found the article from Wilson Miner, relating to grids and typography to be of particular interest; and I have already begun to apply the concepts he introduced. Although agreeing with his approach of the font resizing ideally being a browser function to aid accessibility, most web develpers cannot yet go over to pixel scaled text, having the unfortunate task of still supporting I.E. 6 and below. To his credit he did at least make reference to those who have a slightly different take on the concepts outlined (24 ways article)