Design
Aspects
For
the moment forget the good web pages - before you look for such
pages first take a look at a bad
web page - (although in this case it is so bad it is really
quite good).
Once you have seen this
bad page you should begin to understand that there are a
few simple rules which will improve your web pages:
- First
consider the ease with which your page can be read
- Don't type in capital
letters - you lose the shape of the word making it harder
to read. On the world wide web capital letters are
considered SHOUTING!
- Don't type all
your pages in an italic font style - reserve italics
for emphasizing a word phrase or quotation.
- Try to avoid setting a font size. Doing
so will prevent some people reading your website if you
make the text too small.
- Avoid - it gets very irritating and can distract
the reader. If you must use it get only one area to blink.
Remember too that Internet Explorer won't display it.
- Effects such as trailing text which follows the pointer
are interesting for a few seconds but then become irritating.
- Using more than
two or three font styles on a page looks untidy. Remember
too the only font styles you are reasonably certain
that your reader will have will be the standard
variable width, serif font such as 'Times
New Roman',
the sans serif variable width fonts such as 'Arial' or
'Verdana' and the fixed width font such as 'Courier'.
- Avoid the use of
underlining for titles and emphasis. It's better
to use the bold effect and to make headings bigger.
Reserve underlining for links.
- Avoid the use of
vivid backgrounds - they make text difficult to read.
If you must use one then place the text in a table
and use a plain background in it. That can look very
effective.
- Use a contrasting
font and background color -
Which
do you think is easier to read? |
Which
do you think is easier to read? |
- Add plenty of what
printer's call 'white space' - blank areas between sections
- Next
consider what happens if the page is printed out.
Most browsers will not print the background by default but
will print the text as the same color as it is on the page
- so yellow text on a black page would be printed in yellow
against a white background (assuming you use white paper in
your printer) If you expect someone will print out your page
then either use a dark font colour against a light background
or provide a link to a printable
page. And of course, place the link at
the page top.
- Wherever
it is appropriate use a graphic -
they add interest to a page. But, take into account
the loading time of graphics. If it takes more than 20
seconds to load a graphic at 28.8 K/second then try changing
the graphic to make it quicker to load. Most graphics can
be optimised using a program such as Paint Shop Pro. If
you have to use a lot of graphics on a page then use a
smaller 'thumbnail' version as a link to the full size
version.
- If
you add
sound to a page then make sure your page does not cause a 'Click to run
an ActiveX control...' error. If it auto-starts, give
your viewers a way of turning it off or changing the sound
volume. I use a JavaScript control written by Les Govern
to do this available from http://midistudio.com/MPlayer9/CodeGen-MP9.htm
- Remember
to test your web page using different browsers
to make sure everything
works properly. In the PC world
that means at the very minimum testing using Firefox and
Internet Explorer - the two main contenders. Maybe one
day they will be fully compatible with each other and use
'standard' HTML, JavaScript and Java?
- Remember
to include in your pages some code for other browsers
that can't use effects like frames or Java (something to
the effect of - 'You need to upgrade')
- Finally,
if all this is beyond you
- Look
for a web page design service. JayDax
offers one :)