Web Page DesignThe Key to a Successful Web Page

by Judy Bogdanets

Make it simple.

• “Don’t make me think!”, as Steve Krug stated in his book, Don’t Make Me Think, A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.

• Web pages should be user friendly and straight to the point.

• The less thinking the better.• Pages should not be too “busy” looking, it can cause some

confusion and make the page look difficult and less appealing.

Appearance.

• The appearance of the Web page should be clear.• Important information should be bigger, bolder,

highlighted in different color text or font, and/or anything that will make that important information stick out.

• Make it obvious when subjects are clickable. • The less clicking you have to do before you get to where

you want to be, the better.

Keep It Interesting!

• Too much noise on the Website can be confusing.• “Omit needless words” as Krug stated in his book. • Add some pictures or images. • Keep the facts short, simple, and straight to the point.

Benefits of Omitting Words:

• It reduces the noise level of the page.• It makes the useful content more prominent.• It makes the page shorter, allowing users to see more of

each page at a glance without scrolling.

Create Options.

• Make information easily accessible. • Create tabs or links with categories and sub-categories. • Organization is key.• Create a search bar where users can search for keywords

or categories.• Create a Sort and Filter option.

Test your Website.

• Before launching your Website, TEST IT!• Ask a few friends or random people to navigate your Web

page to determine if it’s user friendly and has everything it needs.

• Make adjustments if necessary and re-test.

Contact Info

Judy BogdanetsEmail: judybogd@buffalo.eduWebsite: http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~judybogd/