Newbie Design Tips
by Darla Cole
http://www.newbiehangout.com/articles/newbie-design-tips.htm



Design Tips for Newbie Webmasters

Building a new web site can be extremely exciting, fun and sometimes it can also be frustrating. It's always hard work.

To build a quality web site, there are no shortcuts. Planning is one of the most important things you can do, BEFORE you actually start the design. I've done both. I've started without a plan and then with a plan. The site with the plan has always proven to be more effective and saved me time in the long run from corrections.

Gather your ideas together, write them out and then stick with them. Then begin your coding. The actual coding is your last step. Here's some tips that you might find helpful once you begin your design. Some might seem extremely obvious, but we all have to begin somewhere, and even the most experienced designer sometimes needs a reminder to get back to basics.

1. Research.

Look at your favorite sites. Sites you've admired and enjoy reading. What is it that makes them effective? What about their layout makes it easy for you read or understand? What makes you want to return? Is it their content? The look?

Use these sites as a basis ... something you can have in the back of your mind as inspiration in building your site.

2. Graphics Layout.

Is your site going to have alot of graphics? Check out some graphic sites and see how they manage it. You don't want your page to take so long to load that people end up leaving before they have a chance to visit your other pages. Even the most obvious "graphic" sites manage with just a few images on each page. Look at Jasc.com or Adobe.com.

If numerous graphics are a necessity on your page (photo albums, template displays, etc.) use thumbnails. With thumbnails, visitors are presented with small versions of your graphic that they can click on to be taken to the original, full size graphic.

If you don't have a thumbnail creator, BatchThumbs by Harmware.com is free and simple to use.

3. Text Layout.

If your site is going to focus on content and have lots of text .. check out some sites who have lots of text and look at their layout. News sites generally have alot of text and content. How is their site laid out? Is it user friendly? Then your goal should be along the same lines.

Text on screen can be difficult to read, so try not to have columns of text with more than 10 - 12 words.

If you look at your daily newspaper you'll get an idea of how text is best positioned on a page - remember most people are more used to reading text off a piece of paper than on a computer screen.

4. Use white space.

White space serves to give the eyes a break and it also serves as a frame to draw the eyes attention to the center. If you are using a solid color background, use it as color and avoid using an image. The background image adds more load time. If you're using a template that is image based, see if you can adjust it so your text area uses a color as background rather than an image.

5. Practice moderation.

Avoid overloading your pages with flashing images, animations, banners and brightly colored text.Don't overload your pages with flashing images / animated gifs / brightly colored text, if you have a lot to say, then say it over several pages. Too much movement on one page distracts viewers, one image with text can attract attention far more than all your cute animated gifs.

6. Stick to one color scheme and font theme throughout your site.

It gives your visitors a sense of uniformity and consistency. It also brands your site.

7. Don't make your visitors have to think.

When your visitors come to your site, it's because they are looking to fill a need. They either need information or a product. Don't make them have to hunt for the info they need or figure out how to get to the next page. And certainly don't require they sit through some fancy dancy flash presentation in order to enter the area they need to go to. Your front page layout should be simple and make it clear what you are about. It should be easy to navigate and find what you're looking for.

8. Make your navigation system obvious, simple and consistent.

No matter what page your visitor ends up on, they should know how to get to the next section and/or back to where they were before.

9. Keep your images small.

Optimize your images. Your page should load in under 15 seconds or you stand the chance of losing your visitors before your page fully loads. Surfers get distracted easily and they don't like to wait long for a page to load.

10. Don't assume your visitors know what you are talking about.

Just because you know what "S.E.O." is doesn't mean that they do. Spell it out. Explain it at least once ... at the beginning of the page.

11. Spell check. (Something I forget to do many times.)

I hope that you find this info helpful ....