Topic: First CSS and site redesign

Before I go and start adding content, I wonder if I could get your options on this site. This is my first attempt at CSS, and my second at web design so I am unsure if I am moving in the correct direction.
http://www.jstuartj.com

Any advice on the menu bar? I want to have the icons change as well as the text changes color, Should I do this with javascipt or should I use a simplied table with a background image.

I originally had tree style javascript but I could not get it to work across browers, mainly "Opera" and it needlessly added fluff so I droped it.

I dislike the menu being shorter then the content. However if the content increases the menu bar would need to increase. I would have to change it on each page. Would it be better to just set all the pages and menu to say 1200px in height even if the content will not fill it. Perhaps a script to move the postion on the menu, but would it cause too many problem cross browser and platform.

My main problem it is has to work on the Mac , perferably under 5th gen browsers under OS 9, that is the most likely system in place where I will be interviewing. While I am not looking for a web designer or designer. I don't what to look too stupid.

jstuartj

PS. Please talk me out of using flash instead.




[This message has been edited by jstuartj (edited 10-15-2002).]

Yes, I would say you are going in the right direction.

I would very strongly recommend, however, that since you are working pretty strongly in CSS, and since this layout is quite simple, that you lose the tables altogether. They really aren't doing anything that can't easily be done without them.

I'm not entirely sure what the issue with the menu/content length is. It's prefectly normal, and I would say probably preferable, for the menu to be shorter than the content.

The color change for the menu icons is simple enough with a basic rollover script.

Aside from that, I would suggest looking at toning down the colors for the right-side menu. I think the grey is too dark, and the blue too bright in the midst of the rest of the page.



[This message has been edited by DL-44 (edited 10-15-2002).]

Thanks, so much for the advice, I will make some adjustment and give the tables another try in CSS. They were giveing me trouble but what the heck you don't learn if you dont try.

jstuartj