A demonstration of what can be accomplished visually through CSS-based design. Select any style sheet from the list to load it into this page.
Littering a dark and dreary road lay the past relics of browser-specific tags, incompatible DOMs, and broken CSS support.
Today,we must clear the mind of past practices. Web enlightenment has beenachieved thanks to the tireless efforts of folk like the W3C, WaSP and the major browser creators.
Thecss Zen Garden invites you to relax and meditate on the importantlessons of the masters. Begin to see with clarity. Learn to use the(yet to be) time-honored techniques in new and invigorating fashion.Become one with the web.
There is clearly a need for CSSto be taken seriously by graphic artists. The Zen Garden aims toexcite, inspire, and encourage participation. To begin, view some ofthe existing designs in the list. Clicking on any one will load thestyle sheet into this very page. The code remains the same, the onlything that has changed is the external .css file. Yes, really.
CSSallows complete and total control over the style of a hypertextdocument. The only way this can be illustrated in a way that getspeople excited is by demonstrating what it can truly be, once the reinsare placed in the hands of those able to create beauty from structure.To date, most examples of neat tricks and hacks have been demonstratedby structurists and coders. Designers have yet to make their mark. Thisneeds to change.
Graphic artists only please. You are modifying this page, so strong CSS skills are necessary, but the example files are commented well enough that even CSS novices can use them as starting points. Please see the CSS Resource Guide for advanced tutorials and tips on working with CSS.
You may modify the style sheet in any way you wish, but not the HTML.This may seem daunting at first if you’ve never worked this way before,but follow the listed links to learn more, and use the sample files asa guide.
Download the sample html file and css fileto work on a copy locally. Once you have completed your masterpiece(and please, don’t submit half-finished work) upload your .css file toa web server under your control. Send us a link to the file and if we choose to use it, we will spider the associated images. Final submissions will be placed on our server.
Why participate? For recognition, inspiration, and a resource we can all refer to when making the case for CSS-baseddesign. This is sorely needed, even today. More and more major sitesare taking the leap, but not enough have. One day this gallery will bea historical curiosity; that day is not today.
We would like to see as much CSS1 as possible. CSS2 should be limited to widely-supported elements only. The css Zen Garden is about functional, practical CSS and not the latest bleeding-edge tricks viewable by 2% of the browsing public. The only real requirement we have is that your CSS validates.
Unfortunately, designing this way highlights the flaws in the various implementations of CSS. Different browsers display differently, even completely valid CSS at times, and this becomes maddening when a fix for one leads to breakage in another. View the Resourcespage for information on some of the fixes available. Full browsercompliance is still sometimes a pipe dream, and we do not expect you tocome up with pixel-perfect code across every platform. But do test inas many as you can. If your design doesn’t work in at least IE5+/Winand Mozilla (run by over 90% of the population), chances are we won’taccept it.
We ask that you submitoriginal artwork. Please respect copyright laws. Please keepobjectionable material to a minimum; tasteful nudity is acceptable,outright pornography will be rejected.
Thisis a learning exercise as well as a demonstration. You retain fullcopyright on your graphics (with limited exceptions, see submission guidelines), but we ask you release your CSS under a Creative Commons license identical to the one on this site so that others may learn from your work.
Bandwidth graciously donated by DreamFire Studios. Now available: Zen Garden, the book.