Web Page Design: Best Practices
Your web site should be designed to appeal to your target audience. Follow these recommended design practices with your target audience in mind.
Web Site Organization Techniques
- Hierarchial
- Linear
- Random (also known as Web Organization)
Clearly labeled navigation on every page is helpful. The user should not be lost on your site.
Navigation Best Practices:
- Navigation Bars
- Short Pages
- Table of Contents
Four Visual Design Principles
- Repetition
- Repeat visual elements throughout design. Not only does it tie together the work, but it makes it easier to load again and gives unity to the website.
- Contrast
- Add visual excitement and draw attention. Make design elements interesting and easy to read.
- Proximity
- Group related items together to give visual clues of the logical organization of information. It will make navigation easier.
- Alignment
- Align elements to create visual unity and cohesion
Major Components of Web Page Design
Three guidelines for each design element
- Page Layout Design
- Ice Design: solid or fixed design
- Liquid Design: fluid web page
- Jello Design: configures page to the center
- Text Design
- Use common fonts
- Be careful of the size of fonts
- Use appropriate color combinations
- Graphic Design
- Antialiased Text: smooth images/text
- Keep image sizes and dimensions as small as possible
- Include text descriptions of images to get key points across even if image is not displayed.
- Accessibility Considerations
- Perceivable: text alternatives, adaptable content, and distinguishable from background.
- Operable: keyboard accessible, enough time to view time-based content, safe contrast/designs.
- Understandable: readable, predictable, input assistance accessible.