The Basics of Web Designing

When using Graphics, think of the following tips:

#Think small, like 10-12KB per image. Depending on the source, the number of broadband users are going up. Slow pages are still really annoying, huge images are the primary cause of slow loading of webpages. Otimize your images.

# Always use graphics that will fit the content. Just because you have an adorable photo of your favorite picture, it does not mean you should have it on website about web design. The main exception to this is for "design" images. These are images or graphics that will help makes up the design of the page, and are not intended to illustrate the content.

# Do not use images that blink or move or change or rotate or flash or do anything on page. Or use them all over your site. There have been many studies that show that flashing graphics are very distracting and annoying to people. The fact that in one focus the users actually physically cover up flashing graphics to read the contents.

On Web Site Layout:

# Stick with standard layouts. Some pages use many frames on one page. Another site used a layout had to scroll to the right to read everything on the page. These layouts are great and designers find them fun to build, but they will drive the readers nuts. The reason that the 3-column layout is so popular on Web sites and newspapers is because it works. You might think its boring, but you will keep more readers if you stick with something simple that visitor can understand.

# Whitespace is more than the CSS property, it is a function of the layout. Designers should be aware of the whitespace on their pages: how it affects and how the content is viewed. Whitespace is just as important in a Web layout as it is in a paper layout.

# Use graphics as elements in your layouts. Graphics can be more than just graphics when to use them as actual elements in your layouts. An extreme example is when wrapping the text around an image, but any image on the site is a layout element and should be treated as such.

Regarding Fonts:

# Serif for headlines and Sans-Serif for text. Take any type of print design, this might be exactly the opposite of what you were taught. But the Web is not print. Sans-serif fonts are much easier to read on computer monitors because the screen resolution is not as high as in print. If you use serif fonts for normal text, the serifs can blur together on the screen making them hard to read. Your printer friendly page should use the opposite fonts (serif for headlines and sans-serif for text).

# Limit the number of different fonts. One best way to make your Web site look amateurish is to change the font over and over. Sure, it's possible to do, but limiting your page and site to two or possibly three standard font families are easier to read and looks more professional.

# Use standard font families. Choose "Rockwood LT Standard" as your font on your page, but the chances that one of your readers will have that font as well is pretty low. Sticking with fonts like Verdana, Geneva, Arial, and Helvetica may seem boring, but your pages will look better and the designs look correct on more browsers.

When Advertising:

# Do not be greedy. If you have any control over the number of ads on your site, be aware that your readers are not coming to read the ads, they are coming for the content. If the ads overwhelm the page content, many readers will not stick around long enough to read your purple prose. Yes, it's important to make money from your Web site, but if your ads drive people away, amd ultimately lose your money.

# Treat ads as you would any other image. Keep them small, avoid blinking/flashing, and keep them relevant. Just because you can have an ad on your site, does not mean that you should. If the content is relevant to your readers, they are more likely to click on the ad.

Keep in mind that websites are designed for Readers:

# Test your pages in multiple browsers. Writing Web pages that work only on the most modern browser is both stupid and annoying. Unless you are writing a Web site for a corporate intranet or a kiosk where the browser version is completely fixed, you will have problems with people not being able to view your pages.

# The same is true for operating systems. You cannot assume that just because your page works in IE8.0 for Windows it will work in IE8.0 for Macintosh.

# Write content that they want. Unless you are writing a site purely for yourself, make sure that your content covers topics that your readers want to read.