J105 Web Design

Web DesignJMC105 | Fall 2010

Think about your favorite web sites.

How do you use the sites?

What stands out about their design?

Principles of web design

• Keep it simple

• Communicate, don’t decorate

• First priority is the user experience

Keep it simple

• Occam’s Razor

• Given any two solutions to the same problem, all other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best.

Communicate, don’t decorate

• Design is not about decoration.

• Design is about discipline – creating communication with a purpose.

• Design the content, not the box its in.

How people read web sites

• They move quickly, because people don’t like looking at a screen

• They are impatient, often clicking on the first promising link

• They scan, don’t read

What that means?

• You must design for the way people use the web, not the way we think they should

• Think about your new visitors and your regular visitors

• Keep as much content as possible above the scroll

Readability

• We must go out of our way to make text readable online.

• Use shorter line lengths where possible - and never let type run the entire width of the page.

• Choose type faces based on readability.

Findability

• Make sure your site is indexed properly in search engines

• Use keywords on your site - in title, in H1 tags and in body of your site

• We will discuss Search Engine Optimization (SEO) more later this semester

Usability

• Usability: How easy it is to use a web site’s interface

• Make sure readers can find what they are looking for - news, airline tickets, friends on facebook

• Make sure readers understand how your site is supposed to function

• Do usability testing

CRAP• Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity

• Repetition is most important

• Repeat certain visual elements on every page of your web site.

• This helps readers know that they are still on your site, and it provides unity and continuity.

Grids

• Standard web site is 960 pixels with either 12 or 16 columns.

• Each column has 10 pixels of margin on the left and right, making 20-pixel wide gutters between columns.

• 960 grid is not required, but using a grid will help your overall design.

Standard ad sizes

• 4 sizes publishers have agreed to support.

• 300 x 250 (medium rectangle)

• 180 x 150 (rectangle)

• 160 x 600 (skyscraper)

• 728 x 90 (leaderboard)

Site architectureBasic web site structures

Flat

All of the pages are arranged as peers – and all accessible from each other. Common for sites with few topics (home, about us, contact us, products).

Index

Like the flat structure, with an additional list of contents. An example would be

the A-Z directory at drake.edu.

Site hierarchy

A structure where you can only access a lower-level page via its parent.

Example: News sites sports and entertainment areas.

Multi-dimensional hierarchy

There are many ways of browsing to the same content. The structure of the content can be different

depending on the mode you’re looking in.Example: Amazon.com, which has multiple ways you

might reach the book you are looking for.

Current web trends• Simple layout

• Centered content

• Design the content, not the page

• 3D effects, but used sparingly

• Soft, neutral background colors

• Strong color, used sparingly

• Plenty of white space

Centered orientation

3-D effects, but used sparingly

Strong color, used sparingly

Plenty of white space

Before and after - what improvements do you see?

Web site architecture: Terms to know

Horizontal navigation

Vertical navigation

Tab

Navigation bar with reveal dropdown

Breadcrumb trail

Paging

Design process

Sketch/Wireframes

Photoshop Mockup

Before you start coding

To share with client

How to analyze a web site

Overall questions

• Who is the audience?

• What is the purpose of the site? The message?

• Does the site achieve its purpose?

Usability

• Links make sense, are helpful and work.

• Well-organized. Logical structure.

• Easy to navigate to pages, return home.

• Reasonably short download time.

Design

• Immediately recognizable brand.

• Simple is best.

• Consistency of design across site.

• Readability: caps/lowercase used appropriately, color isn’t intrusive, typeface easy to read, white space used attractively.

• Looks professional.

Content• Error-free and interesting.

• Ads aren’t intrusive/annoying.

• Appropriate use of moving images, video, sound, photos, graphics.

• Elements compliment each other (visuals, type).

• Appropriate voice/style of writing for the audience.

ENDSources: webdesignfromscratch.com, wikipedia