Articles

With the assistance of modern software, developing a web site has never been easier. Now, even novice web site designers can utilize these software tools to develop a simple, yet graphically pleasing, website. But, it is important to keep in mind that simplicity does not guarantee usability. Attention must still be paid to the elements of good design, as well as navigability, usability, and readability. This article offers insight into the fundamentals of good web site design that can be applied to any web design software package.

The first rule of thumb for graphic design is to design web pages that are easy to read. Many people have visited sites with fancy, complex backgrounds only to find that the text and the content was unreadable against the background. The text color should be highlighted by the background through the use of opposing colors, such as black and white. Where a fancy background is desired, text blocks should be offset with by a background consisting of a single, opposing color.

Text size should be large enough to read, but not so large that a small block of text dominates the page. Link colors should likewise be easily distinguished from regular text. Text should be centered for headlines, and justified on both sides for paragraphs. Most modern browsers support fully justified text. Older browsers which don't support fully justified text will simply disregard the command and present the text aligned only on the left side. Fully justified text will make the page more appealing to the majority of web site visitors.

The next set of graphic design guidelines pertains to easy navigation of a web site. Every page of a web site should be accessible within three clicks. A table of contents or other menu is useful for keeping a site organized and easy to navigate. The use of frames, which are pages within pages, is helpful. A frame for the table of contents can be placed on the left side of the page, while each link opens in a frame on the right side of the page. In this way, the user remains anchored to the main page.

An Internet site ought to be easily found. Using of wisely selected keywords scattered all over the site makes it simpler for search engines to catalog the site correctly based upon the topic. A correctly catalogued web site will be found easier and more often by web searchers. Numerous search engines make forms available for search engine submission. Use of these forms would help the search engines locate and accurately index the web site as well.

Utilizing website software development tools and paying attention to the basic rules for good graphic design, even the most inexperienced web designer can create a functional, attractive site. And by putting in a bit of computer time and effort, a beginning web designer can amass the experience needed to acquire one of the plentiful web design jobs that are available in today's marketplace.