Revised: December 27, 2009
Quality Assurance:
Interviewing Web Developers & Designers
When interviewing web developers and designers, knowing what questions to ask can affect the quality of your web site and increase the likelihood of achieving your web site goals.
Charlottesville Web Design Firm
We are a Charlottesville web design company specializing in handicap accessible, search-engine friendly web designs, standards-compliant web development and search engine optimization. We provide in-house web design services and also work with several Charlottesville web designer studios.
- Will the web programming be hand coded? This is not absolutely necessary, but it is strongly recommended. If the designer or developer will not be hand coding your web site, be sure you understand the limitations of web sites coded with auto-generated, table-based layouts.
- Will my site be handicap accessible? Yes. This also benefits visitors with temporary disabilities and those with slow Internet connections who turn off images to reduce page loading time. Why limit web site access if you don't have to?
- If accessible, what guidelines are being targeted? You may wish to consult with your attorney. Consider a minimum of WCAG Level 2. Complying with this level will make your site accessible to disabled visitors. To learn more about web accessibility guidelines, see our web accessibility resources.
- Will visitors be able to resize the web page text without "breaking" the layout? Until recently, making a web page bullet proof required considerable time and effort. Fortunately, modern web browsers (released since 2008) provide a means to resize the entire page without damaging the layout, which takes the burden off the front-end web developer or code-capable web designer and eases the cost to develop modern web sites.
- Will the layout be CSS or table-based? The layout should be coded with pure, external CSS.
- Will it be HTML or XHTML? XHTML
- How can I tell if my existing site is XHTML or HTML? Examine the top line of programming — known as "source code" — for the web page you want to check. Your browser will display the source code for any web page if you select VIEW -> SOURCE from your browser top menu.
- What's a document type declaration (DTD) and how do I check which document declaration type the developer has specified? The DTD indicates which type of HTML or XHTML the developer is using to code your web site. The DTD should appear at the top of each web page, in the page programming (source code). If you aren't sure how to display the web page source code in your browser, see the answer above.
- Which document type (DTD) indicates top quality?
XHTML 1.1 or Strict XHTML 1.0 - represent top quality, and are the preferred standards.
Transitional XHTML 1.0 - acceptable if there is a valid reason.
Frameset XHTML 1.0 - Frames have been deprecated by the W3C because they pose serious obstacles to accessibility. Frame-based sites are also more challenging for search engines to index, so search engine results can be adversely affected. For both reasons, avoid building your site with frames.
Loose HTML - Loose means few if any steps are being taken to adhere to current standards. If you are paying a developer or designer, there is no reason to accept Loose HTML. - If it won't be XHTML 1.1, or XHTML 1.0 "Strict,", why not?Transitional XHTML is necessary sometimes. If interviewing more than one front-end web developer or code-capable web designer, compare answers.
- Does the developer or code-capable web designer agree to provide error-free programming? Yes, of course. Why else hire a professional? The concept of error-free web programming is not intended to suggest you should hire someone who never makes a mistake. The idea is to hire someone who agrees to test for and correct mistakes. As a client, you have a right to expect the final product to be error free.
- Will all pages validate? This is a continuation of the concept of error-free programming. It is preferable to use a less strict document type (DTD) that will enable the site to validate, than to use a strict declaration with invalid coding. Whichever document type your designer or developer chooses, it is your right, as client, to demand that each page on your site will validate.
- How will I know if my pages validate? There is a wonderful free tool, provided by the W3C that is very easy to use. You don't need any technical programming knowledge or skills. Simply visit The Validator (external link) . Copy and paste, or type, the complete URL of the page you wish to test into the form box and select "submit" to test your page. Note: the URL is the whole address that appears in the address box of your browser. For example, to test this page, you would type:
http://www.nick-stone.com/web-designer-interview.php
(It may be easier to copy and paste.) Testing a page takes only a few seconds. If the page passes, the results will congratulate you with a bright green banner. If the page flunks, the errors will be listed and the banner will be red.
Bonus Question
- Why do my pages need to validate? They don't. But valid (error-free) web pages yield important benefits. Several search engines seem to favor valid pages, so eliminating errors may improve search results. Error-free pages load faster. Pages with valid programming, in compliance with current web standards, are more likely to render properly on alternative devices or browsers. Valid pages enhance handicap accessibility and thus limit legal liability for accessibility issues.
Ready For Web Standards & CSS?
To hire the best web-standards and CSS web developer in Virginia — in our opinion — please call Nick Stone in Greene County, Central VA:
434-284-2840
or use our contact form.
