CopyStyler : Web design by example

Abstract

This thesis describes the design and implementation of CopyStyler, a tool to enable novice web users to style their own web pages by emulating the style of existing pages on the Web. The tool is implemented as a browser extension on Firefox, created using Chickenfoot. The tool lays the user's page and the page they wish to emulate side by side, and the user uses a custom selection process to define which page styles he would like to copy and which page elements he would like to change. The tool was evaluated on a variety of web pages and structures, as well as with a variety of users. This thesis also proposes additions to CopyStyler that could be created to enhance its ability in other areas of style copying.