Top Ten Tips for Designing Web Sites

  1. Organize your files before you start
    Gather your files together
    Draw out a flowchart
    Set up a directory structure
    Make it portable to various platforms and Web browsers
  2. Design for your user
    Determine who will be using your site & how often
    Keep their needs in mind
    What equipment are they using?
    How old are they (eyesight, language use varies)?
    What is their knowledge/skill level?
    Will this page be part of their daily work environment?
  3. Have a clear objective
    What are the goals of your site?
    What do you want your user to do?
    How does your design support your goals?
  4. Keep it simple
  5. Make it easy to use / understand
    Large font size
    Contrast between type color and background color
    Lots of "white" space
    Comprehendable at a glance
    Take advantage of links - you don't have to put all your info on one page
    Focus the user's attention and direct them with visual cues
  6. Have a flexible design
    Allow for future growth
    Computers and user preferences will vary
  7. Use a consistent style
    Give your user a sense of context
    Repeat navigational elements
  8. Make it visually pleasing
    Use a clean style
    Avoid graphics that are hard to look at
    Don't suprise your viewer with unwanted sounds, movies
    Use images and methods which are congruent with the goals of your site -
    Don't distract the user
  9. Plan for maintenance
    Use an open ended design that can be easily updated
    Be ready to hand the site off to someone else
    Avoid content that will soon be dated
  10. Test your site
    Test your site to make sure there are no broken images or links
    Have a couple other people use it and get feedback

C I Corporation
http://cicorp.com
CIC@CICorp.com
800-319-3190