Design without content is decoration

In my recent surfing, I came across a quote on a site that really struck me:

Content informs design; design without content is decoration.

I find this to be very profound. You can have the most beautiful site on the web, but if you don't have content, it doesn't matter. Sure, people may drop by to see your visual feast, but they won't return, because you have nothing to say.

I've heard it said before that content is king. This reaffirms this notion. Lately, I've found myself designing sites first in Photoshop, and then translating that design into HTML and CSS. Doing so forces me to bend my content to my design. I say no more!

I'm a technical guy by nature, who happens to have a creative side, and I'm going back to my roots. I'm going to start laying out my content in pure black and white. Pure HTML. Pure code.

I'll then make a second pass and style my presentation with CSS. This will give have the additional benefit of making look & feel changes simple and global.

Once the content is styled, I'll add flair by swapping out some text with stylized graphical elements. Add texture, and shadow, and layers. Finally, I'll add motion and interactive bits to really engage the viewer.

Time to get started on something...