Web Design with Mac OS X

I've been developing websites on my Mac for over eight years and I've tried many of the applications available for creating different types of websites, including photo albums, blogs and HTML sites. In this article, I briefly describe some of the options available for creating a website with Mac OS X.

Photo Album Software

One of the easiest ways to create a web page of photos is to use a photo album creation program. You add images to the program, set a few preferences for how the web page displays the images and tell the program to create an album. Some of the programs available also let you upload the finished website directly to your web host. 

If you own iPhoto, you can export any album as a website and in minutes have your beautiful photos ready for posting on the web. 

Do a search on MacUpdate for "photo album" and you'll find several other one-step photo website applications.

iWeb

All Mac computers come with a web design application, iWeb, included in the iLife package, usually found on your Mac's Install disk. iWeb is not the best web design application on the market, but it works well for beginners who want a moderately easy-to-use web design application. With iWeb, you can create photo albums, blogs and regular web pages.

Third-Party Web Design Applications

There are several good third-party applications that you can use to design a website with Mac OS X. These range in price from the free Kompozer to the expensive Dreamweaver, but most have the same basic features, letting you create photo albums, blogs, contact forms, and complex HTML sites. Also included in this category are Sandvox,RapidWeaver and Freeway.

Web Browsers for Web Design

Did you know that some web browsers are also web design programs? SeaMonkey is an updated version of Mozilla and is built from the same code as Firefox, but, interestingly, Firefox lacks the web design element. Select Composer from the Window menu in SeaMonkey and you'll be able to design your web page with formatted text, images, tables and more.

HTML Editors

If you know a little about HTML code, you can use one of the many HTML editors available for Mac OS X. Most of the editors include a preview mode so you can view your web page while adding code to it. The programs also usually have easy menu options for inserting code items, such as images, tables and lists. Some will even let you create style sheets to use with your web pages. One HTML editor I've used is Taco HTML Edit, but do a search on MacUpdate for HTML editors or web design and you'll find several other programs.

Online Blogging Platforms

If you just want to blog or create a simple website, your best option might be an easy-to-use online platform likeBlogger or Squidoo. Just sign up for a free account, select a theme or topic and start blogging. Many social networking sites, like MySpace, also offer free blogging platforms, so this is another option.

Creating a website with your Mac doesn't require artistic talent, HTML knowledge or money. You just need a little bit of time and the right application or platform for your purposes. This article has, hopefully, helped you narrow down your options.

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