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Elements of Web Page Design

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All sites are designed with much of the same basic design elements ... Form is the layout or design of a website things to consider and plan prior to coding: ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Elements of Web Page Design


1
Elements of Web Page Design
Objective 6.01
2
Websites
  • Vary in content, organization, purpose, and style
  • All sites are designed to provide information
    and/or sell products/services
  • All sites are designed with much of the same
    basic design elements
  • Loading time should be 6-7 seconds
  • Top of your home (first) page is the first thing
    users see when accessing your site so the design
    is critical to the sites success
  • Good site to visit for design tips
  • http//education.ed.pacificu.edu/bailey/resources
    /teachnology/websites.html

3
A Good Website
  • Sites should be designed to attract viewers and
    interest them enough to return.
  • Communication is the basic reason for all
    websites so keep the message clear.
  • Research shows that a website has about 6-7
    seconds to attract and retain viewers.

4
Home Pages
  • Point of entry into a website
  • Referred to as a Portal into a website
  • Sets the tone of the entire website
  • Design of the home page will vary, depending on
    the function and needs of the users and nature
    and complexity of the organization as a whole
  • URLUniform Resource Locator. The websites web
    address (for example http//www.henderson.k12.nc
    .us).
  • URL points visitors to the website
  • URL is as important as a street address for a
    traditional business
  • First appearances are important in a traditional
    store and just as important on a web page

5
Home Page continued
  • In hierarchical organizations, sits at the top.
  • Titled index.htm

6
Who is the Target Audience
  • Know the target audiencethe people you want to
    reach with the website.
  • Expectations for older and younger audiences vary
    greatly.
  • Younger audiences like more interactivity and
    visuals but expect quick loading time.
  • Older audiences often prefer less flash and more
    substance and also expect quick loading time.
  • Remember cultural differences as you design your
    site. More information will be presented later
    in the course on this aspect of the market.

7
Web Page Design/Form
  • Form is the layout or design of a websitethings
    to consider and plan prior to coding
  • Target audienceintended group of users who will
    visit your site
  • Types of menu(s) used in the site and links to
    and from all pages
  • Tone of the siteusually set by color choices,
    interactivity, and graphics
  • Number and size of graphics to match the site
  • Visit the following site for more information
    about web design
  • http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_page

8
Text Menu
  • Use keyed text to links from a home page or other
    web pagesoften used as a navigation bar
  • Left-hand navigation bars are quick to use and
    easy to design
  • Loading time is faster than graphics
  • Sometimes boring but can be designed attractively
    in frames or tables
  • Color scheme and auto shapes add to the
    appearance of sites with text menus
  • Often used in training and educational sites
  • Easy to read and easy to code

9
Text-based Menu
10
Graphic Menus
  • Use images as links for navigation
  • Slower loading time even with Ethernet speed (10
    Mbytes/sec the speed data is transported across
    information lines)may still be ten times slower
    than text-based links
  • Grabs attention quicker than text menus
  • More attractive than text-based menus
  • Key factor is that loading time should stay below
    10 seconds, keeping users from becoming
    impatient.
  • More visually attractive than text-based menus
  • Slightly slower than text-based
  • Smaller images and thumbnails make loading faster
    than large pictures

11
Graphic Menus
12
Combination Menus
  • This site uses a combination of text and graphic
    menus.
  • The search feature offers more user options while
    providing an interesting home page.
  • Loading time is quicker than a graphic menu.

13
Structured vs. Unstructured Menus
  • Structured
  • Options are listed in logical order.
  • Options are easy to use because they are either
    in horizontal or vertical order.
  • Unstructured
  • Words are hot linked within a paragraph.
  • No organization, just keywords hyperlinked.
  • Often used for educational information or online
    dictionaries.

14
Unstructured Menus
  • Less desirable for a home page.
  • Hot linking of key words can result in a great
    deal of distraction of the content.

15
Navigational Efficiency/Function
  • Websites that are complex and closer to reality,
    require more digital capacity.
  • 10 second loading time is a general rule used by
    many organizations.
  • 100K per page will allow
  • Text (20K), one photo (2x2 inch photo is about
    65K), and about four icons
  • Technology is now available that can push 5-10
    seconds of videoviewer can watch one chunk of
    information while another is downloading
  • Text size and contrast combined with simple and
    clear fonts will make your web pages easier to
    read and navigate.

16
Simplicity Enhances a Home Page
This very basic page is easy to navigate. The
menu appears to be text-based but it is relying
on JavaScript for execution. The page loads
quickly.
17
Complex Pages
  • Complex pages can contains
  • Graphic menu
  • Text menu
  • Simple search capability
  • Forms
  • A variety of options

18
Don't Choose, Have it Both Ways!
  • The best way to meet the needs of both casual
    browsers and highly targeted frequent users is to
    offer alternative views of your web site.
  • One approach is to make a visually-attractive
    main home page aimed at the general audience of
    web browsers, but also offer a more text-oriented
    alternate home page that emphasizes rapid access
    to information via detailed text menus.
  • Another approach is to use a graphic banner at
    the top of the home page, followed by a dense set
    of text-based links.
  • The design elements that make up a good web page
    are often a personal issue. Although you must
    keep in mind the audience for whom you are
    providing information. 

19
Both Ways continued
  • Text size and contrast coupled with simple and
    clear fonts will make web pages easy to read. 
    Keep the number and size of graphics on the main
    page to a minimum (this affects load time). 
  • If a page is populated with several graphics,
    create a separate page and use thumbnails
    (smaller graphics that can be expanded if more
    detail is necessary).  A page with text and
    minimal graphics will load fast and keep your
    readers interested. See next page for a website
    example of thumbnails.

20
Thumbnails
Thumbnails allow pages to open
quickly. Click on thumbnails and see larger
picture and more details. Loading time is much
faster with thumbnails.
21
Frames
  • Displays the text or graphic menus in one frame
    and the main page in the larger frame
  • Consist of separate web pages
  • Use only 2-3 frames
  • Difficult to copy
  • Load time is slower with multiple frames
  • The BEST reason to include frames in a web page
    is to make more information visible with little
    scrolling.
  • Most web designers recommend that frames not be
    used because they are not user friendly

22
Frames Minimal Use Can Enhance a Home Page
23
Helpful Websites
  • Design Tips http//education.ed.pacificu.edu/bail
    ey/resources/teachnology/websites.html
  • Web Design
  • http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_page
  • http//webmonkey.com
  • Search in any search engine for new and updated
    information on web design. Every time you look
    you will find another site that may be useful.
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