Website Design, Part II
Above: JPEG for the Web image.
Designing Your
Web Site:
1.
About Designing your Web site
a.
Your
design will not look the same way by different browsers.
Your pages will look different on a Mac and PC too. Try to test your
design on each platform.
b.
Consider
that a majority of Internet users have a 14” monitor and a 28.8 modem (affects
loading time). If you are designing on a larger monitor, view it on a smaller
one.
c.
Design
pages to be 640 pixels wide.
d.
Find
designs of other pages you like and pull down “View Source” under the view
menu to see how they were created.
e.
Build
brand name identity on your site.
f.
Keep
consistency of design and theme among pages in your site.
g.
Create a
template.
2.
Color
a.
Use the
color palette of 216 colors that are used by the two major browsers: Netscape
and Explorer
b.
Does
color scheme reflect the mood and image you are trying to convey?
c.
Does your
color combination make it easy to read your text?
d.
If you
are using a patterned background, can you read the text over it?
e.
Will your
background color make it difficult for the user to print
(e.g., black or dark backgrounds with light type)?
f.
Dark type
on light background is easier to read than reverse light type on dark
background.
g.
Avoid
colors that are difficult to read online (e.g.. yellow, blocks of
red text)
3.
Graphics
a.
Use GIFs
and JPEGs for the Web
b.
Observe
copyrights if you are taking graphics from the Web. Do not take graphics from a
Web site unless it offers them for your use.
c.
Keep
images, photos and gifs small for loading speed
d.
Limit use
of animated gifs
e.
Limit
blinking text if you use it at all
f.
Save
photos in JPEG format and graphics in GIF format.
4.
Layout
a.
Put your
most important material near the top
b.
Use
subheads to break up type
c.
Keep
lines of type short. It’s difficult to read long lines of type in print and
even more difficult online.
d.
Average
screen resolution is 72 pixels per inch.
5.
Content
a.
Content
is important and Content is King online. John Caserta, director for Internet
Chicago Tribune, says, “Design is the communication of information in a clear
way.”
b.
Remember
to consider how the design will reflect the content of your site.
6.
Usability
a.
Usability
is one of the most important parts of design. Good organization and navigation
are the “cornerstones of making a Web site easy to use “ (Carol Rich, 2000,
p. 234).
b.
The
driving force in site design should be utility
c.
How you
organize the data affects how you design the site
d.
Create a
list of content
e.
Prioritize
and categorize the content, Prepare a flow chart.
f.
Establish
an interface for navigation. The interface is the way users are going to use
your site and consists of navigation tools like buttons, links, menus and other
tools.
g.
Navigations
should be consistent so users will not get confused or lost in your site.
h.
Test your
site’s usability. You can test your site with a group of friends and watch how
they use the site. See if there is anything that confuses them or if there are
buttons or menus they can’t find or access. See if there are features they
don’t understand or want to use.
7.
Typography
a.
Consistent
use of typefaces and colors create brand identity in your site.
b.
Limit
fonts to two.
c.
Avoid
changing the colors of individual words or phrases within text.
d.
Reserve
light blue type of links
e.
Reserve
underlining for links
f.
Sans
serif and serif work well on the Web
g.
You can
create interesting online design with only one typeface by using some of these
contrasts:
i.
Size: big and small letters/ Letters in large sizes like 36 point can
contrast with others in 12 or 14 point
ii.
Positive and negative: black type against white or light background
iii.
Upper and lowercase contrasts
iv.
Weight: letters given heavy weight can contrast with letters that are
narrower
h.
Again, remember to select colors that reflect the mood and image you want
to convey. See “color” above.
8.
No
more than 3 Clicks
Limit to three clicks to maneuver within
your site.
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