Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Basics Of Web Layout

A web layout plays a crucial role in a website design, and is a guide that helps you to come up with text, graphics, and designs in a particular manner. Web layout is the basic draft of what your website will appear like at the final stage. Therefore, you need to pay equal attention to text, graphics, and designs when working on web layout.

Here are a few basics of web layout that can help you make the best of your website.

• A layout should be simple and neat. Make sure there are not many graphics. The text is more important, thus make use of correct font size. Although images and graphics add to the attractiveness of your web page, they will be a hindrance when it comes to downloading. A normal visitor does not wait more than 7 seconds for the page to open.

• Do not ignore the white space. It helps the website look neat and simple making it easy for the visitors to read. If you do not use the white space well, and characters are too close, the page will look ugly and cramped.

• When designing a website, remember the average size of a monitor. When your website is opened on any screen, it should adapt itself to the appropriate screen size.

• Colors on a web page should not be dull or too bright. Whatever color you use for both background and the characters should be sober and easy on the user’s eyes.

• Have a perfect balance of picture and text. To upload a large image with small text in a far corner can be confusing. Keep text to the right of an image to make it easy to read.

• When it comes to designing a website, you simply cannot place any thing anywhere. There has to be a proper place for everything. In web layout, be sure about what content and graphic that every page should contain. Let there be a proper flow of thought on your website.

• The navigation needs to be simple and easy. Many people try to make fancy navigation buttons confusing the visitors. If a browser is not able to figure out navigation, he will leave your site and move on. Thus when creating your navigation keep an average user in mind.

• Make sure you have proper text width. An average person can read about seven to eleven words on a line. Long sentences or too short sentences can be a big turn off for the visitors. Thus, you need to keep the length of your sentences perfect to enable easy reading.

• If you plan to use templates, go for the unique and less popular once to avoid being a part of the herd.

A proper web layout results into a well designed website. Many ignore the fact of web layout; however, it is a plan that will guide you. To make an appealing yet simple website, be ready to work hard on the layout. Layout can give you a perfect ideal of what the website will look like. A well-planned web layout is necessary to come up with well groomed website.

Peter Brittain
Slinky Digital Perth Web Design

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