David Boyle - Lab 3

David Boyle
d16124360

Lab 3
Q1)
Colspan is a cell variable which allows a single table cell to span the width of more than one column. It controls the properties and structure of individual columns in a table.  Eg:                                        
  <table border = "1">
  <tr>
  <td colspan = "2"> Age List</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
  <td> David </td>
  <td> 23 </td>
  </tr>
  </table>

Rowspan allows a single table cell to span the width of more than one cell or row. It controls the properties and structure of individual rows in a table. Eg:

<table border = "1">
<tr>
<td rowspan ="2"></td>
<td> David </td>
<tr>
<td> 23 </td>
</tr>
</table>

Q3)
I found coding tables to be easier and quicker than when I was coding divs, however when it came to trying to code the height and the width of certain columns and rows in order to complete the exercise on page 49 I found it much more difficult than with divs. Tables do seem to be easier to read than divs, however I still prefer using divs for my layers.

Q4)
Similarities in US Health Websites: healthgrades.com | healthline.com | nih.gov

1. The first similarity that I found between these three websites was that they all used similar colours, predominantly an all white background with blue headlines. 
2. The second similarity I found was that each website uses a lot of pictures for there articles, giving each website a very boxlike look.
3. The third similarity I found was that all three of these sites were very responsive to screen size. Each website adapted accordingly to smaller screens making them very mobile friendly.
4. Finally, I noticed that each websites took on a flat design.

Q5)

Similarities in UK Health Websites: webmd.boots.com | patient.info

1. The first thing I noticed when on these UK health sites was they weren't responsive to different screen sizes. Neither of them adapted to a smaller screen, thus making them less mobile friendly.
2. The second thing I noticed was that these websites also took on a flat design.
3. The third thing these websites have in common was that the navigational links were positioned horizontally across the top of the pages on both.
4. Finally I noticed that both UK websites were positioned centrally on the page, with the body of the page positioned the same distance in from both left and right sides of the screen. 

Q6)

Differences between US and UK Health Websites:

1. The first major difference I noticed between the US and UK sites was the responsiveness to screen size. The US sites were evidently much more responsive and mobile friendly than the UK sites
2. The colours of the US sites that I analysed all seemed to be very similar, with a white background and mostly blue headings, whereas the UK sites seem to differ amongst each other with one taking on a predominantly green look and the other taking on a more blue look.
3. The wireframing in the UK sites were all very similar, with the navigational links horizontally across the top and the positioning of each page being very similar. The US sites on the other hand are all very different from one another. Some have the navigational links across the top, some have them down the side, and other have them half way down the page.
4. The US sites also seem to use much more pictures on each of their links and articles whereas the UK sites don't seem to use half as many for their articles and links.

Q7)

Flat Design:

A flat design website is a type of interface design that focuses on flatter styling methods as apposed to more 3-dimensional styles. It is a minimalistic approach to web design. Some websites that use a flat design are Twitter and Reddit.

Skeuomorphism:

Skeuomorphism is a type of interface design that takes on a more realistic, 3-dimensional look to its websites. It attempts to make the items on the page resemble their physical counterparts. iBooks take on a skeuomorphic design.