Top Ten Tips for Designing Web Sites
Organize your files before you start
Gather your files together
Draw out a flowchart
Set up a directory structure
Make it portable to various platforms and Web browsers
Design for your user
Determine who will be using your site & how often
Keep their needs in mind
What equipment are they using?
How old are they (eyesight, language use varies)?
What is their knowledge/skill level?
Will this page be part of their daily work environment?
Have a clear objective
What are the goals of your site?
What do you want your user to do?
How does your design support your goals?
Keep it simple
Make it easy to use / understand
Large font size
Contrast between type color and background color
Lots of "white" space
Comprehendable at a glance
Take advantage of links - you don't have to put all your info on one page
Focus the user's attention and direct them with visual cues
Have a flexible design
Allow for future growth
Computers and user preferences will vary
Use a consistent style
Give your user a sense of context
Repeat navigational elements
Make it visually pleasing
Use a clean style
Avoid graphics that are hard to look at
Don't suprise your viewer with unwanted sounds, movies
Use images and methods which are congruent with the goals of your site -
Don't distract the user
Plan for maintenance
Use an open ended design that can be easily updated
Be ready to hand the site off to someone else
Avoid content that will soon be dated
Test your site
Test your site to make sure there are no broken images or links
Have a couple other people use it and get feedback
C I Corporation
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800-319-3190