Meyer showed a intriguing way to present vertical bar graphs using a table, tr, and td tags along with a z-index. I must say it was impressive to see how he coded it in a way that I would have never discovered. He also taught us when it was appropriate to use class and IDs within the html markup and when it was not appropriate. He explained which classes/ids within the style sheet had the last “say so” and how inherited properties are nixed with a more specific class. I also learned how to use the !important attribute for debugging purposes. Basically the !important attribute stresses that definition above all others in the css definition. He did reiterate not to use it as a means of a quick fix for a problem because it is considered lazy in the CSS world.

Tantek Celik, chief technologist at Technorati introduced Microformats to our group. I must say that I had never heard of Microformats before today. It was an interesting concept which basically takes hcard and hcalendar information presented through an html page and converts it into vcard information. You may be asking, what good is this? Basically it will allow you to download user’s contact information from the web and allow you to import that information directly into your address book on your computer. Sounds pretty nifty to me!

Overall I think AnEventApart NYC was a good learning experience and an open arena for good question/answer sessions. I recommend it to anyone that specializes in HTML/CSS design. Visit the the AEA NYC photo pool to see some photos from the event.

Design and CSS specialists Eric Meyer, Jeffrey Zeldman and Jason Santa Maria are the founders of AnEventApart. Luckily I was one of about one hundred attendees. Meyer, Zeldman and highly acclaimed designer Jason Santa Maria spent most of day one showing the process of redesigning their web magazine AListApart.com.

Jason Santa Maria presented his methods of developing their logo with an “intellectual” look and feel. He showed us examples that stemmed from a mere sketch book drawing to the final product. He also shared the developmental stages of the new A List Apart website, from beginning to end. He shared why it was important to keep websites fresh with small changes and updated content and how that can help maintain a constant flow of traffic.

Zeldman presented constructive ways of how to deal with bad clients and bad projects. He commented on how communication and becoming interactive with clients and making light of a situation helps them to relax and how it gives them a sense of control.

Eric Meyer displayed his techniques of CSS and HTML coding and how he takes a several photoshop designs (thanks to Jason Santa Maria) and creates a functioning website. He discussed some of the problem areas within the design and how we overcame those obstacles.

Another special guest, Khoi Vinh, took us through his busy schedule as the web design group manager at The New York Times Online. He shared the ways that he managed his work and leisure and how to be successful being a good manager of time. We also learned how he enjoys taking his dog “Mister President” for a walk every day! Vinh also manages his popular website, Subraction.com.