| Are you confused about the ruling principles of good | | | | functional and accessible -- and I have already told |
| web design? It's not surprising. With the technology | | | | you how important those things are. The same goes |
| that powers web design and the World Wide Web | | | | for the design itself. Keep the number of colors and |
| changing almost by the minute, it's a given that the | | | | patterns to a minimum, do not clutter up the page |
| principles of solid web design would change right | | | | with heavy background files, make your design clean |
| along with it. But some things never change. Here are | | | | and simple and easy to read. |
| some web design in a nutshell guiding principles that | | | | Web Design in a Nutshell Principle #4: Less is more. |
| will help your designs stand out above the crowd. | | | | That holds true for everything from file size to menu |
| Web Design in a Nutshell Principle #1: Functional is | | | | options. Despite the fact that broadband access is |
| Beautiful. A pretty web site that does not work is | | | | more widespread than ever, more than one-third of |
| just a pretty web site. Solid web design is based on | | | | internet users are still on dial-up connections. Big file |
| functionality. Before you ever choose a color, know | | | | sizes and database intense operations can seriously |
| the purpose of your web site, and then design | | | | slow down the speed with which your web page |
| everything you put into it to further your purpose. | | | | appears on their screen -- and most of them won't |
| Web Design in a Nutshell Principle #2: Accessibility is | | | | wait for it. Who needs them? See #2 for the |
| Key. Choose to be accessible to as many people as | | | | response to that one. |
| possible. That means creating web design that | | | | Web Design in a Nutshell Principle #5: Rules were |
| complies with the latest web standards as defined by | | | | made to be broken. Do not be a slave to 'design |
| W3C, and then working in fixes and shims for cross | | | | principles'. Tastes change, and your audience should |
| browser compatibility. It's all well and good to be | | | | always come first. Lean and clean may be in, but if |
| snobbish about noncompliant browsers, but if you | | | | you are designing a site for a homey, folksy, |
| leave their users out of your big picture, you are | | | | arts-and-crafts site, then go for the kitsch. |
| shutting out a valuable market/audience. | | | | In other words, to sum up web design in a nutshell, |
| Web Design in a Nutshell Principle #3: KISS it for luck. | | | | make it simple, make it accessible and make it work. |
| Yes, you know the acronym -- keep it simple. By | | | | If you do those things, your web sites will always |
| making your website simple to navigate, you make it | | | | qualify as good design. |