Standout Designs for the Web is available to pre-order

My new book, Standout Designs for the Web, is available to pre-order for £14.99. Discover what’s inside, why I wrote it, and how to get my Hardboiled Client Interview Guide with your purchase.

After months of writing, designing, illustrating, and occasionally wondering what I’d got myself into, my new book, Standout Designs for the Web, is available to pre-order today!

It costs £14.99, comes in DRM-free EPUB and PDF formats, and will be published on November 20th. Which, as it happens, is also my birthday.

Why I wrote this book

I’ve been designing websites for thirty years, and I’ve watched the web change beyond all recognition. More technologies, tools, and resources are available now than ever, but too many websites still look alike.

I wrote Standout Designs for the Web to help change that.

Every company has a personality and a story worth telling. Finding that story and expressing it through design decisions is what makes a website stand out.

In the book, I explain how I find inspiration, discover what makes a company distinctive, and turn those discoveries into decisions about colour, images, layout, and typography. Throughout the book, I share my thinking and show how I put those ideas into practice.

Meet Wheelman

Throughout the book, I develop designs for Wheelman, a fictional company providing products and services to professional getaway drivers. It’s a ridiculous idea, but it gives me the opportunity to explore a variety of content, including editorial, e-commerce, and services, while demonstrating the same design process I use for real clients.

The result is a practical demonstration of how a company’s personality can influence everything from its colour palette to the way its pages are composed.

A little something extra for pre-ordering

Alongside the book, I’ve written a 35-page Hardboiled Client Interview Guide. It’s my practical guide to asking better questions, understanding what matters to a client, and uncovering the stories that can inspire more distinctive website designs.

Anyone who pre-orders Standout Designs for the Web will receive the guide with their purchase.

Available on November 20th

Standout Designs for the Web is heavily illustrated, and I’ve put as much thought into its design as I have into my writing. The PDF preserves the layouts exactly as I designed them, including the double-page spreads, while the EPUB adapts them for a more flexible reading experience. Both versions are DRM-free, so you can read them on whichever devices you prefer.

The book costs £14.99, and pre-orders are open now. It will be delivered on November 20th. (Did I mention that’s my birthday?)

I’ve put a lot of myself into making this book, and I’m really happy with how it’s turned out. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed making it.

If you want to read more about the making of my new book:

• I wrote another book. It’s called Standout Designs for the Web
• Designing the pages of Standout Designs for the Web
• Behind the cover of Standout Designs for the Web