| I. Keep Important Sections Above
the Fold
One of the keys to successful web page
design is keeping all important text and images above the
fold. All significant information should be accessible to
users without scrolling down the page, and should be organized
in a logical, easy to follow manner. For example, at HostSearch,
our most important function is our search function, which
is available to users on the first page, above the fold. Information
that needs to be kept above the fold include the name of the
site, the site logo, and any sections of content or pages
that you wish to promote to users. Remember, this is the part
of your site that your users will see first, so plan carefully
because in the Internet world, first impressions really do
last a lifetime.
II. Make Sure Text is Readable
In many web sites today, the combination
of text and images is extremely common, and a good way to
get the most out of each space on your web page. That being
said, it is extremely important to make certain that all text
which is combined with images is readable by users. Perhaps
the best way to achieve this goal is to use contrasting text
and image colors, and to blur the background image. By blurring
the background image, you are in effect drawing attention
to the clear part of the image, which is the text, thus getting
the most out of both the image and the text. In addition,
this tactic also helps to reduce the size of these combined
images, allowing your page to load faster.
III. Create Grid Layers
When designing your page, it is a good
idea to create your page all at once, and save it as a single
file. Although the file will end up being rather large, it
will give you a good idea of the look and feel of the page.
After you have your page laid out, create a new upper-most
layer using a graphics program, and set it to low opacity.
Next, draw blocks on that layer using a color to mark the
edges of the images on the page. Using these blocks as a guide,
you can then make changes to the images below. The layer of
sblocks will help you keep your page consistent, and are extremely
useful for dynamic pages.
IV. Avoid Wide Text Columns
When designing your web pages, it is a
good idea to avoid wide, margin-to-margin text blocks, which
take up a lot of space and can put off readers. Instead, lay
out longer text stories in narrow vertical columns. Also try
to avoid putting long vertical columns side by side, as it
will make the reader scroll up and down the page.
V. Use Sub-categories
In order to avoid large text blocks, break
up text into smaller sub-categories. This will assure that
your pages are more aesthetically pleasing, and more reader-friendly.
Sub-categories also allow readers to select certain portions
of content that they are interested in, rather than making
them sift through large text blocks. |
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