OCD when creating CSS structure?

[cgCody]

I'm just curious...

Do I have a problem, or are there others out there that get frustrated over trying to create the perfect structure?

When I'm defining my CSS, it goes through several iterations. It starts off a bit messy and chaotic as I throw stuff in to test it out. As the style becomes refined, the code is structured into more reusable bits. Sounds great, right? However, as the style nears completion, I always find myself fretting over stupid stuff, even when everything works as is. I start thinking about "what if" scenarios, instead of just dealing with things as they come. I'm basically spending my efforts trying to turn my styles into perfect little lego blocks that I can plug into ANY html structure and expect it to work without adjustment.

I suppose it's an ideal thing to aim for, but sometimes I feel like I'm trying harder than necessary. Thoughts?

[ralph.m]

There seems to be no Holy Grail for style sheet layout. The thing I find most useful for getting over this issue is a tight deadline.

[Stevie D]

Do I have a problem, or are there others out there that get frustrated over trying to create the perfect structure?

I agree with @ralph.m – in the development of any project (whether it's web-based or not), there comes a point where you hit the law of diminishing returns, where you can still make further improvements and refinements but it stops being worth doing so. If you're working on a project that doesn't have a strict deadline, there's always the temptation to tweak a bit here, nudge a bit there, in that elusive aim of perfection. On the other hand, if you have to have it ready by a specific date, or you're only getting paid for x hours and you've already spent that much time on it, you don't have that luxury. You just need to learn when to draw a line, when "good enough" really is good enough.

[cgCody]

Oh yeah, with a deadline it's easy to push myself forward. That doesn't stop it from breaking my heart!

At the moment, I'm working on a portfolio site whenever I have a bit of spare time. I've been out of the loop on web design since IE6 had 80% of the market, and only recently decided to jump back in the game. With everything that's changed over the years, and all the dusty information in my brain, I'm in no hurry to build this site. The project is mainly a vehicle for getting reacquainted with the trade...

With that said, I'm driving myself crazy over here! With every step forward, I learn about some new feature that wasn't available or viable 5-6 years ago, or an old feature that isn't viable today, which sends me two steps back. haha! Oh well, I'm still having fun with it.

[ralph.m]

This is where I give myself a 'cold shower', as it were, and turn my focus back on the content itself. Content is very good at telling you what is and isn't needed, and I find that if I focus on that, I don't get too obsessed over CSS etc. But then, I'm not a designer ...

[cgCody]

I'm in the process of getting into that mindset, actually. Being a very visual person, it's easy for me to put design before content. That's not good in a medium where content is king.

In a way, I think "lorem ipsum" text is a bad thing. It's a bit backwards if you think about it. Those columns in my about page might look fantastic with the 40 lines of gobbledigook in there, but what if I don't really have that much to say once I get around to writing the real content? It may look better layed out in a different way. I think with my next design, I'll define all the content first. I'm willing to bet the entire process will go much smoother.

[ralph.m]

Yes indeed. I'm not much good at design, so used to fret awfully about the look of a site ... until I began to focus on content. If I get the organization of the content right, a 'wireframe' naturally arises by itself, and from that you have your layout ... and then styling is a pretty simple last step. At least you have a firm foundation for adding in decoration.

[cgCody]

Bologna! I took a peek at your site. I'd say you're a good designer.

[ralph.m]

Bologna! I took a peek at your site. I'd say you're a good designer.

Ha ha, thanks, but I'm about to lanuch a completely new design in a few weeks—a lot better, but again, focused on (the rather simple) content.