Three common ways of orginizing web pages on a web site

Hierarchical Organization

A site displaying a clear defined home page with links to other major sections of the site on the home page andall other pages contain the same links.

Linear Organization

The pages on the web site are displayed one after another

Random Organization

no clear path or home page in the site, very easy to get lost in the site.

Methods used for web site navigation

Breadcrumb Trail

Shows a detailed list of the pages opened in order to get to were you are on the site, usually disolayed near the top of page near navigation bar.

Navigation Bar

Alows users to see all the pages displayed on the site and are able to navigate to any one of those pages.

Table of Contents

A bulleted list usaually found at the top of the page that can help provide links to specific parts of the page.

Site Map/Site Search

Site map allows users to see the whole site colasped on one screen. Site search Provides the user with a interactive text input area to enter key words inorder to find a certant part of the site.

Design Principles

Repetition

Repeating one or more elements throught the product or page, to make site more aesthetically pleasing.

Contrast

Draws users attention to the site and adds an interesting visual element to the site. Good visual contrast allows for easyer reading.

Proximity

Related items on the page should be placed close, and unrelated items should have space in between them. Makes navigation throughout the site easyer to for the user.

Alignment

Aligning elements on the pages horizontally and verticlly in order to provide the user with a more orginized look and feel to the site.

Major Components of Web Page Design

Page Layout Design

Placeing important information above the viewable section of the page, draw users to site if they see what they are looking for on the first page.

Text Design

Use common fonts, avoid "click here", only hyperlink key words not whole sentences.

Graphic Design

Choose for the most consistant colors from the web color palette.

Accesibility Considerations

Content and controls must be understandable, interface components in the content must be operable and work.