This icon marks WireMedia projects that incorporate
web standards. WireMedia designs and builds sites that follow the recommendations for accessibility and
web standards outlined by
the W3C and webstandards.org.
What are web standards?
Web standards are a set of technologies for creating and interpreting information for the web. Working with these standards involves following certain guidelines when designing and coding, with the goal of crafting sites that deliver the greatest benefits to the greatest number of web users.
The web standards movement involves a fundamental shift in the web development process. In the past, content (site structure, text) and style ( the way the content looks) have been inseparable. Inevitably, with so many people generating so many websites, things have gotten a bit out of control. Many websites use code that is so messy, complicated and makeshift that even small changes to these sites require hours of rewriting in hundreds of documents. With web standards, content and style are separated. This allows these two core aspects of the website to be maintained independently of each other, resulting in a much more efficient workflow (for example, editing a single document instead of having to change twenty). This separation also allows sites built with standards to function more efficiently, delivering sites that are accessible to more people via more types of internet devices and that will continue to function correctly as browser platforms evolve and new technologies emerge.
Why does WireMedia use these standards?
We are fans of web standards for several reasons. By using standards, we increase the accessibility and longevity of the websites we build while streamlining development and maintenance costs for all involved. Efficiency is increased. Budgets are kept low. Information is presented to site visitors in a clearer, more accessible manner. Our clients are happy; their site visitors are happy; we are happy.
How do clients benefit from the use of standards?
Websites built using web standards cost the client less. In the short-term, they are easier to build and produce, saving the client money on development. In the long-term, they are easier to maintain and update, allowing the client to keep their maintenance budgets reasonable. Websites built with standards are also more forward-compatible, meaning that new technologies are more easily (and inexpensively) integrated. Additionally, due to standards-prescribed separation of site content from style, it is far simpler and more affordable to redesign or dramatically alter sites built with standards.
Websites built using web standards are also more widely accessible and easier to use. They appear more consistently in a wide range of web browsers and offer content to users of handheld devices such as cell phones and PDAs, as well as to users with disabilities who access the internet using assistive devices like screen readers.
Our clients are already experiencing the benefits of working with web standards, and we look forward to a standards-compliant future.