Aspects of Web Design
Published June 16, 2008 | 
Web designing involves developing or creating content rich presentations which are accessible through the World Wide Web to all and sundry. Thus web designing primarily involves designing the content and the features of web pages and websites. The word “website†needs no introduction at all. It basically comprises a group of set of pages containing information about certain issues. These pages are in the form of web pages and are written in a certain code which is called a markup language. This language is HTML or Hyper Text Markup Language. Thus designing a website would be defined as creating and sorting out the web pages that constitute the website.
There are various and often widely differing priorities for different websites depending on their type and end goals. For example the aspects of web designing for a commercial website and a non commercial one might vary widely. Also, the Internet and in a manner of speaking, the World Wide Web is in a state of constant flux. Newer features are always occurring as a result of newer technological developments. However, there are certain features that manage to stay constant. For example it is said, that in a perfect website, a user must be able to access his desired content in three clicks only. Basically it implies that a website must be uncluttered and user friendly.
The other important factors operating behind web designing are firstly, the content of the website. This is the first and most vital features of web design. The content or rather the information put up on the website should be relevant and useful also, the content must be such that it succeeds in capturing the viewer ship of the sector of people that it was targeting in the first place.
The second vital element of web designing is what has already been touched upon before. The usability of the website is very important. It should be uncomplicated and uncluttered. That is, the user does not need to be a rocket scientist to have to be able to navigate his way through the site.
Thirdly, the style of the website including the graphics should be visually appealing to the user. It must be clean and sharp.
Lastly, the website should be easily accessible. This is where the technology of search engine optimization is used. The website should appear on the major search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and MSN and also on all major Internet Directories. Basically the site should be visible on the World Wide Web.
What to Avoid in Web Design
Published May 16, 2008 | We’ve all been there, done that, when it comes to visiting bad websites. The text doesn’t say anything clearly, the graphics are loud and flashy, the pages take too much time loading – we could go on and on, couldn’t we ? So, while designing your website, you should know what to avoid, keeping those websites in mind.
Firstly, when it comes to the homepage, avoid rambling. Don’t go on and on about what you can and cannot do, what are the services you can and cannot provide, etc. Make your text crisp and concise. If possible, divide it into sub-headings. Remember to be clear. The website visitor shouldn’t be driven off in confusion. Also, if you have a Flash movie on your homepage, always keep the option of Skipping Intro – otherwise you are forcing the visitor to wait until the whole thing finishes loading, and what if he’s pressed for time, or doesn’t want to watch the movie ?
When it comes to the navigation, resist the urge to experiment. We’ve seen websites that have no consistency in navigation bars and buttons. One button is on the top of the page, on another page, it’s at the bottom. Not only is this confusing, it looks bad, too! So avoid playing around, keep it consistent. Remember to maintain a rhythm. Also, avoid large garish fonts, this hurts the eyes. At the same time, avoid too-tiny fonts, as these drive people away in frustration, when they can’t read. Remember that reading your text shouldn’t have to be a supreme effort on the part of the visitor. Also, avoid giving information, on and on without pause. Put in sub-headings and paragraphs wherever necessary. Lay emphasis on keeping the text short and clear, and avoid spelling mistakes. This leaves a really bad impression.
And finally, the graphics. This is probably the most important part of any website. Remember that saying: A picture is worth a million words ? It’s true when it comes to web design too. Avoid harsh, loud graphics – and also avoid compressing your photos too much – this makes the photo unclear. And remember which format to use, as well. If the photo in question has few colors, (less than 64), and if it contains text, then use GIF. If it’s a photograph, use JPEG – these are for images that contain 32 million colors or less. Avoid using large graphics, as these increase download time. Make them easy to download.
So now that you know what to avoid in your web design, what are you waiting for ? Get started designing your website !