Chapter 3What is Web Design?

Get Trained for a Better Future

Introduction to Design

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What is Web Design? Wikipedia:

“Web Design is a skill of creating presentations of content (usually hypertext or hypermedia that is delivered to an end-user through the World Wide Web, by way of a Web browser or either Web-enabled software like Internet television clients, microblogging clients and RSS feeders.”

Definition of Web Design

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Web Design is difficult to define because it covers so much ground: Clients Types of contents Functionalities

Definition of Web Design

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Web Design BasicsWhat is a good Web site from a design standpoint?

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Defining Graphic Design

Not about Software (just tools) Visual Communication/ Functional Art Problem Solving “Information Architects” “…The designer conceives, plans, and

executes designs that communicate a specific message to a specific audience within given limitations…”

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Some Basics

1. Logos- simplified forms2. Contrast- attention3. Visual Hierarchy- comprehension4. Layout- organization5. Integrating Type and Image6. Visual Themes

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The Design Process

Defining the Problem Research (Audience, Constraints, Goals)

Build your Visual Vocabulary- search for samples Build on the work of others- combine in a new original

way Thumbnails Roughs Comprehensives Presentation Ready for Press

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It Starts With Creativity

Good design is created with a basic understanding of:

- Design processes- Theories and concepts of design

Designer/client relationship governs the entire design process

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Fundamentals of Design

Design elements Line, Shape, Value,

Color, Texture, Space

Design principles Balance, Proximity,

Alignment, Unity, Emphasis, Rhythm

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Think of something anyone can do?Answer: Make an ugly Web page. To avoid making an ugly Web page, we need

to learn the basic design principles. Four basic concepts: alignment, proximity,

rhythm/repetition, and contrast + one additional: spelling

Results: From dorky to professional looking pages

Introduction

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In order to use the principles properly we first need to understand: How users interact with Web sites. How they think What are the basic patterns of users’ behavior

How do users think?

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Users don’t read, they scan. Web users are impatient and insist on

instant gratification. Users don’t make optimal choices. Users follow their intuition. Users want to have control.

How do users think?

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Alignment: Items on the page are lined up with each other

Two types of alignment: Horizontal alignment Vertical alignment.

CHOOSE ONE. Choose one alignment and use it on the entire page. Don’t mix alignment.

Get the text away from the left edge. This means indent your text so the text doesn’t appear in long, dorky, difficult-to-read lines.

Type sits on an invisible line called the “baseline”.

Alignment

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Example 1

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Proximity: Relationships that items develop when they are close together, in close proximity.

Be conscious of the space between elements. Group together Space them apart

Difference between a paragraph and a break: <P> and <BR>

Proximity

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Three tools of proximity: Grouping Containment Whitespace

Proximity

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Example 1

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Example 2

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Example 3

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Example 4

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Rhythm: Associate elements by repeating a common stylistic feature or arrangement

Repetition: Throughout a project you repeat certain elements that tie all the disparate parts together.

Repetition elements that unify the entire site: Navigation buttons Colors Style Illustrations Format Layout Typography

Rythms & Repetition

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Example 2

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Contrast: What draws your eyes onto the page.

Contrasting elements guide your eyes into the page, create a hierarchy of information, and enable you to skim through the vast array of information and pick out what you need

Contrast

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Contrast elements: Style Colors Graphic signposts Spatial arrangement

Exception: If you want people to sit and read through an entire piece, avoid contrast so the page can be bland and uninterrupted.

Contrast

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Example 2

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Easy way to assess the overall contrast of your page

Technique: Close your eyelids so your eyes are about three quarters closed, so that normal text becomes blurred and unreadable.

Squint Test

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Example 3

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Create a focal point: Something must be the dominating force, and the other elements follow a hierarchy from that point down. The focus is created through contrast.

Contrast

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Bad spelling and bad grammar can destroy the professional effect of your web site

Use spell checker

Spell it Right!

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Applying any one of these principles will radically improve the design of your web pages, you will generally find yourself applying more than one principle, and probably all four.

Summary of the principles: Spelling Contrast Repetition Alignment Proximity

Combine the principles

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1. Place your name and logo on every page and make the logo a link to the home page

2. Provide search if the site has more than 100 pages

3. Write straightforward and simple headlines and page titles

4. Structure the page

Top Ten Good Deeds in Web Design (Nielsen, 1999)

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5. Use hypertext to structure the content space into a starting page that provides an overview and several secondary pages that each focus on a specific topic

6. Use high quality photos 7. Use relevance-enhanced image reduction when

preparing small photos and images

Top Ten Good Deeds in Web Design (Nielsen, 1999) (cont)

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8. Use link titles to provide users with a preview of each link

9. Ensure that all important pages are accessible for users

10. Do the same as most big websites else: if most big websites do something in a certain way, then follow along since user will expect things to work the same on your website

Top Ten Good Deeds in Web Design (Nielsen, 1999) (cont)

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Pictures are not crawlable. Flash in the front page is frustrating (if user

has no bandwidth connection) Provide options

Some words about pictures (or Flash)

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1. Believing people care about you and your website.

2. can't figure out what your website is about in less than four seconds

3. Contrast4. My website is everything

Biggest Mistakes in Web Design

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5. Have you ever seen another website?6. Navigational failure7. Site lacks Content8. Forgetting the purpose of text9. Too much material on one page10. Misusing Flash

…cont

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Information overload (crowded)

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Bad text (hard to read)

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100% Flash + Bad Navigation

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Bad typography

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Graphical Menu

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Graphical Menu

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Flashy – my eyes hurt

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Why? Small screen Not so powerful browser Limited data network

Design for Mobile Devices

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Most of popular CMS provide Mobile plug-ins Blogger.com Joomla Wordpress

Design for Mobile Devices

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