This site is a guide to web page design for the relative newcomer who is interested in creating a well-designed, easily navigated, effective web site.
This site isn't for those interested in developing a hyper-animated, 'cool' site with a visual feast of gyrating images and wacky fonts. Sounds dull? - Back to Welcome page.
If you're still interested:
Emphasis is very much on the design of the pages, rather than technical
details like HTML coding or the creation of impressive graphics. The overall
philosophy is that the majority of the work should take place at an analysis
and design level, well before any construction takes place.
CONTENT IS EVERYTHING, style follows it.
The Web is littered with sites where style triumphs over content. But if the content is meaningful, and the design well-planned, the results will be successful.
Information is presented with a reliance on bold text. This is not to shout but to facilitate quick scanning of the material by highlighting keywords in the design process.
Bullet points are used to emphasise some key ideas:
To indicate specific points worth thinking about
Other points worth noting, and things to avoid doing
The following indicate:
On to the next topic
Back to the previous topic
Andto indicate end of the section
The approach to designing a web site is handled by a progression through 7 key topics, easily remembered with the mnemonic 'ADDTIME':
Analyse - Identify: the users, the objectives and the tasks.
Design - the theme of the site and the main topics. Plan for feedback.
Develop - Build pages individually, then link. Incorporate changes.
Test - on different people and on different browsers.
Implement - Launch, ensuring feedback devices function.
Maintain - Update and change regularly. Listen to feedback.
Express - yourself. Break a rule or two. Enjoy.
A Navigation Bar is provided for those who like to jump about a bit, and there are some Notes worth looking at which include links to some useful sites.
However, starting with Analyse is highly
recommended.