Website design
Where do you start? Do you sketch your thoughts out on paper? Or do you try to do it an a computer? Do you have a logo? Do you put the web page on the left of the screen? Do you have the page in the center of the screen? or Do you stretch it out?
So many questions to be answered! We get asked them all…
We always start with pen and paper, it is the oldest and best way to get the ideas you have out of your head. There is no use having loads of brilliant ideas flying around in your head, get them on paper and you will be able to see what you have missed. The most important thing is that you must have a clear purpose for your web design.
Once you have dumped your brain on paper in a sort of wish list you can then start to sketch a crude layout (you don’t have to be a designer to draw boxes) at this point, all you need to do is mark out simple layout – no Picasso attempts yet.
A basic web design has 3 fundamentals:
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- The HEADER – the bar at the top with your logo, navigation and telephone number.
- The CONTENT container – the middle of the page with the main content and images in.
- The FOOTER – at the bottom of the page.
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So, you now have a wish list, a basic box layout with header, content and footer containers sketched out. You now have to add the wish list items to your sketch, make sure you leave enough room for them all and DON’T clutter the design – keep it fresh, clean and easy to navigate. Make sure that you get all of the important information included at the top of the page – (above the fold). Another important factor in web design is the message, the header message – Try not to use “Welcome to our website” You need to get your message across quickly and effectively.
The current standard for websites is to deliver the information in the center of the page, not on the left of the screen. Websites are no longer built to stretch with the page. We use a 960 width grid system that ensures that all websites fit within the smallest of screens with the weirdest resolutions set.
Some good things to remember are:
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- Do not use too many different fonts
- Do not use Time New Roman as the font
- Do not use too many colours
- Keep your navigation simple
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See some of our other blog posts to give you further ideas on web design.
