Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book for web designers without a formal background
Review: Even in the post dot con bubble, this is still a great practical introduction to systems analysis for websites. The forms and case studies are especially helpful for people who haven't had formal training in software or systems engineering.
Rating:
Summary: The book covers a lot more ground than what the title says
Review: First of all, this book is probably one of the most current ones (at the time of this writing) to dive into the waters of Web Design from a Project Management perspective. It has to be noted that its focus is heavily on design, but always tying things to dealing with the client, timelines, cost, etc. I thought the title didn't do the book much of a favor: in fact, if you're expecting to find content focused exclusively on re-designing your Web site, you're probably bound for dissapointment, since there's only one chapter (the first one) that touches on this topic that has turned into a very commonplace nightmare situation for Web people to be caught in these days.However the book IS packed with a wealth of content about WEB DESIGN at large, following what the authors call the "Core Process" which consists of 5 phases, all the way from defining the project to launching it an beyond. Two things that I found the book incredible about were: the space devoted to the first two phases of their methodology (planning and developing site structure) clearly overwhelms the rest of the book, which we all (should) know to be in line with the way things should be done -"measure twice, cut once." Also I loved the fact that the book is packed with illustrations in full color, as opposed to other publications out there, which limit those to "centerfolds" or B&W graphics. So, like I told you some time ago to go get the book on "Web Project Management" by Ashley Friedlein (published in 2000), I now advise you to get a copy of this book. As a Web designer, Webmaster or Web Project Manager, you will thank me for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not practice
Review: For me whose a little time to read, this book is useless. Too crowded and too many theories.
Rating:
Summary: Good advice heavily padded with meaningless blather
Review: I bought this book looking for precise workflow I could use to schedule a web site redesign. The presented 5-step process works, but is completely mired in page after page of unqualified observances and quips on the history of web design -a series of blandishments to widen the spine of the book. If you stripped 50% of the text from this book, it would be 200% more effective. After reading half the book, I was not able to construct a mind's eye view of the author's project plan for site design. There was simply too much text between the important points, and no graphics to weld it together. I was unable to summarize the book for executives, and am relying heavily on my highligher for key concepts, as this book cannot be used as a desk reference without extensive modifications. The authors tried too hard to cover the complete experience of being a web design firm. Clearly derived from the experiences of artists, this book lacks the conciseness an engineer would have brought to the table. Don't read it at night.
Rating:
Summary: This is the bible of web development process.....
Review: If you are a web site developer and you don't buy this book - you're nuts.
If you are a client redesigning your web site and you don't buy this book - you're nuts too.
If you like to build houses without blueprints or drive across the country without a map, this is probably not the book for you.
If you like to build web sites that work with a high liklihood of being on-time and on-budget...read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: great for beginners, good review for the experienced
Review: since creating my first web site in 1994, i've waited to find one book that actually encapsulates a core process into one book. we've all used this same process, called it different things and even added our own steps and 'methods'. all in all there wasn't much new to get from it in my own opinion.
but for someone who has never been involved in the design and development of a web site, this book is a must have.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensable Resource for Web Developers
Review: The collective experience and wisdom contained in this book will save even the most seasoned web developer many hours of downstream pain. It is a very concise and well-organized resource that is the ideal companion also to any web development curriculum. Thank you both Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler for their quality work in compiling this most excellent textbook and guide. The online material that accompanies this book is of a similar high calibre.
Rating:
Summary: A great book, and a decent revision
Review: The first edition of this book has been something of a bible for my small design shop, though much of the numbers and timelines were a bit science-fiction. The second edition does remedy some of this, and adds a nice chapter, but isn't all that much different from the first, so I wouldn't bother purchasing it if you have the first one.
Also please note that much of the content mentioned in the book as being available for download on their website isn't there. Seems like they haven't really gotten around to finishing the job! But nevertheless, a good book, and two very talented and capable writers.
Rating:
Summary: Go with the Workflow
Review: The Web has become so pervasive that redesigns are now more common than new designs. In fact, nearly all Fortune 500 companies now have Web sites (those that don't shall remain nameless), so redesigns are now the norm. This book is the first to address the Web site redesign process. The book codifies the workflow work co-author Kelly Goto lectured extensively on at Thunder Lizard conferences since 1997. After one of her sold-out lectures on Web design workflow one of her loyal fans would invariably ask, "When are you going to write a book?" This book, and its accompanying Web site, is the answer. Anyone can design (or redesign) a Web site. But to do it on time and on budget requires a disciplined approach. This book logically lays out that process. The authors concentrate on the "Core Process" common to all Web site design and redesign projects. By following their methodology, you can raise your chance of success for your next design project. "The idea is to put everybody - the client and team alike - in the same frame of reference, using the same terminology, following the same path," says Emily Cotler, co-author of the book. "The Core Process that we developed can apply to any sized web team, with any sized budget, whether an initial design or a redesign." Primarily aimed at project managers, this book is designed to streamline the redesign process for everyone involved. Whether your budget is $10K or $1M, the Core Process still applies. What is the Core Process you ask? It's a five phase roadmap of the workflow required for redesigning a Web site. The phases are: * Defining the Project
* Developing Site Structure
* Visual Design & Testing
* Production & QA
* Launch & Beyond The book follows this outline, expanding on each topic with detailed action items for each phase (discovery, clarification, planning for phase 1). The wonderful thing about this book is the synergistic effect it has with its companion Web site, which offers free on-line worksheets you can use in your own redesign projects. Client questionnaires, meta tag builders, and budget spreadsheets are all included and discussed extensively in the book. You save money by not buying an out of date CD-ROM, and everyone wins by having access to these battle-tested workflow worksheets. Although only 253 wide pages, the book is packed with useful information. The authors liberally sprinkle the text with site redesign examples, illustrations, flowcharts, and checklists. Plus they feature full-page in context contributions from Web experts like Nielsen, Siegel, Veen, Lynda, and Zeldman (who all happen to be New Riders authors). The advice is good, though marred by some minor technical errors. Gather are much data as you can beforehand, get client signoff on key documents, perform a competitive analysis and usability testing. However, I found one common misconception, the latest Flash plug-in is not supported by 96% of current browsers, as stated on page 124. It's Flash 3 that has a 96% penetration rate. Flash 5 has less than 80% penetration worldwide, and less than 70% in the US, according to a survey by NPD research for Macromedia. To their credit the authors are collecting these types of errors and listing them on the accompanying Web site. I wish I had this book when I was working at a Web design firm in the '90s. It would have saved us all a lot of headaches.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this for your boss, your clients and yourself
Review: This book is great for guiding people through the process of designing and launching a web site. I recommend it to designers, project managers and business people about to spend a lot of money on a web site.
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