There’s a great new article in A List Apart #224 outlining what a designer new to Web Standards and CSS can expect upon their first foray into table-less development. I’ve always told folks that the barrier to entry with regard to CSS-based design is steep, but once you get pass the first few hurdles and mental blocks, it’s nearly smooth sailing (Hi Internet Explorer).

Ben Henick outlines 12 lessons that he has learned through his evolution to Web Standard development. Several of these lessons have contributed to many of my own headaches.

  • Everything you know is wrong… sort of
  • It’s not going to look exactly the same everywhere unless you’re willing to face some grief… and possibly not even then
  • You will be forced to choose between the ideal and the practicable
  • Perfection is not when there’s nothing to add, but when there’s nothing to take away
  • Some sites are steaming heaps of edge cases
  • Longer lead times are inevitable
  • Coherent and sensible source order is the best of Good Things
  • Descendant selectors are the beginning and end of genuinely powerful CSS rules
  • In the real world, stylesheet hacks will get your project across the finish line
  • Working around rendering bugs is like playing Whack-a-Mole
  • When you’re drowning in CSS layout problems, make sure of the width and height of the water, float without putting up a struggle, and get clear of the problems
  • Background images will make the difference between the plain and the tastefully embellished

Henick goes into further detail to explain and present examples of each lesson listed above. Make sure to read them all.