Web Design

Look and Feel Way your web site works Personality it conveys to the user Plan the way to looks Test against the variable nature of the web

Design The Entire Site Plan unifying themes and structures that will hold the pages together Communicate a visual theme

Create Smooth Transitions Create a unified look among the sections and pages of your site Repeat colors and fonts Think of this as turning pages in a magazine

Use A Grid Provides visual structure Layout device that organizes the page into columns and rows

Use Active White Space Active White Space is blank space that is used deliberately Blank areas on the page, does not have to be white Guides the reader and defines areas of the page Lack of white space suggests the page contains too much information Poor use of white space – – Good use of white space – –

Create Usable Navigation Users should be able to answer the following –Where am I –Where can I go –How do I get there –How do I get back to where I started

Navigation Place navigation elements in the same position on each page Use the same graphics for navigation

Design for the User Know your audience

Design for Location

Design for the Screen Shape of the screen Light

Type Design Choose fewer fonts and sizes Use available fonts Design for legibility Avoid using text as graphics

Graphics File Formats GIF JPG PNG SVC

Computer Color Basics Monitors displays color by mixing red, green and blue Color vary between monitors based on both user’s preferences and brand of equipment Dithering Banding

Sizing graphics 730 x x x x x x 50