Sure, you want to roll up your sleeves and start using HTML5 and CSS3…it’s what the cool kids are doing. But, alas! Your client (or boss) wants the website to look good on older browsers. What to do?

In his half day workshop on “Adaptive Web Design,” author and web standards aficionado Aaron Gustafson (@aarongustafson) will show how novices and experienced professionals will gain insight and understanding about progressive enhancement and how to use it in their work.

Learn the secrets of building web pages from the content out with “mobile first” and ”responsive design”, use JavaScript wisely, work with layered CSS (including CSS3) and comply with accessibility standards. You will also learn about ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) and see how you can employ them.

Aaron has a love of web standards and an in-depth knowledge of website strategy and architec­ture, interface design, and numerous languages, including XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. He is Group Manager of the Web Standards Project (WaSP), wrote the JavaScript library eCSStender and writes for .net Magazine. His latest book Adaptive Web Design: Crafting Rich Experiences with Progressive Enhancement is…well, all about adaptive web design.

User Experience. User Engagement. Human Centered Design. Design Thinking. Business Innovation. Business Value. Shareholder Value. Bottom-line Impact. Cost Leadership. Market Segmentation, Cost-benefit Analysis. Total Quality Management. Critical Path Analysis. Return on Investment. Market Domination.

Okay, be honest. At some point above, your eyes glazed over and a bit of your soul died. And you’re not alone. It’s a common phenomenon. The language of design and the language of business don’t often connect, yet each has their own important role in the overall success of the organization. As designers, we focus on designing with empathy for users…yet often don’t give credence or empathy to our colleagues on the business side.

How can we better ensure alignment with the overall goals of the enterprise? In her session on “Strategy Patois,” Adaptive Path’s Kate Rutter discusses the benefits of learning the language of strategy and integrating strategic decision-making tools and frameworks into the design process.

Why does it matter? According to Kate, these tools help streamline the design process, focus team decision-making and ensure that the most important priorities and opportunities get the time and effort they deserve so that delivered designs align with and forward the overall strategy.

Kate is also presenting a half-day workshop on “Design Strategy in a Nutshell“. It’s almost full, so sign up today!

In her half-day workshop on “Design Strategy in a Nutshell: Connecting Design with Business Value,” Kate Rutter examines how good design alone isn’t enough to get great experiences out into the world. You need to be smart about how you start and finish as well. That’s where design strategy comes into play—ensuring that the design of products and services meets business needs, leverages your design opportunities (and abilities) and delivers real customer value.

The problem? Most businesses don’t have full-time design strategists waiting in the wings to pounce on problems as they arise. So as designers, we’re positioned to create the plans that connect user and business value. Designers are asked to bridge that gap almost every day, but knowing where to start when putting together a strategy can be tough, especially with all the other things competing for your time. The good news is that putting together a quick strategy on a shoestring isn’t as hard or complex as you may think.