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Back when I first got on the Web, some of my first Web site designs were just
horrible. Heck I was still learning HTML, and that was way before CSS or any
of these nice features we have now were around.
After spending some time though learning my basics in Web site design I got
better. I found my balance in the Web site design world.
Every yin has a yang. Every coin has two sides. Why should Web site design
be any different? The two sides of Web site design are really ugly and basic
designs fighting with over the top artistic displays of digital imagery. The
truth of the matter is, neither extreme is too popular. The key to having a
good Web site design is to find the correct balance between the two methods.
The very basic designs out there I like to refer to as "black and white"
designs. These layouts have very little to them, or they are a mixture of different
font sizes, colors and background just for the sake of having them. We were
all there at one time. The first Web site we created was ugly. You know why?
The reason is we were just playing with all the new features we were finding
out about. After time though you come to realize that nobody really likes that
52 point headline in the middle of the page with 15 point body text. You really
shouldn't have gone with that yellow background and the white text either.
The more elaborate and flamboyant designs out there I call "Artsy-Fartsy".
These layouts are more or less there to look pretty and do not offer much functionality.
Yes, having a large picture of Lucy Lawless across the right side of your page
might look cool. It doesn't offer much functionality though.
Think about the poor people on dial-up. You think they are ever going to wait
for the warrior princess to load? I think not. Then there are the tiny text
people. I do not want to have to cross my eyes trying to figure out what the
body text on your page is telling me.
So we have established a definition of both extremes and have warned you about
why neither is good to go by all the time. So what is a designer to do? Find
your middle ground. You must remember that not everybody loves to hear that
midi playing as soon as they go to your Web site. You must also remember that
not everybody can read tiny text. When designing a Web site, the word to keep
in mind is useability.
Make it easy for me to read the text, but still give me a pretty layout or
design to sit behind it. Find one layout and stick with it through the entire
Web site. Don't changes horses on me in mid-stream. The more people who design
Web sites that are not too basic in design but not too far advanced either are
the Web sites that become more popular. Just look at some of the Web sites you
visit every day. How many of those are at an extreme one way or the other? I
would guess that not many are.
About The Author
Mitch Keeler (www.mitchkeeler.com/) is a guy who likes to help people out in
his own charismatic and odd way. Instead of showing somebody how to do something,
he much more enjoys having people see the problem and the solution through his
own eyes. Mitch has worked as an article and content writer for various Web
sites around the globe.
Mitch Keeler is also a former Customer Service Director and Customer Service
Manager for a large Web hosting company. Please feel free to contact Mitch (www.mitchkeeler.com/contact.php)
or look over his impressive resume of accomplishments (www.mitchkeeler.com/about.php). |
