Design Principles

No two web sites are the same. We are not just talking about the visual appeal of the site, but also taking into account its visitors. For example, a dog training web site will attract a different type of internet user than a baseball site.

The short list below highlights basic principles that should be considered when designing your web site.

1. The first principle is not to make the users think! The site navigation should be intuitive. People visit web sites for a reason. Make it as easy as possible to acheive their goal.
2. Consider the patience of your users. Don't draw out registration processes or click throughs. Make it simple.
3. Catch the eye of your viewers. A picture speaks a thousand words, and when images aren't an option try to highlight key phrases in bold.
4. Feature Exposure. Use graphics / flash to attract attention to particular site features or products.
5. Use words wisely. The web is different from print. Web Site visitors scan text on a page. Dont over do it, and if you need to use text try bullets to get straight to the point.
6. Keep it simple. Don't over complicate your site design. Keep the number of colours and fonts to a minimum. Try and restrict font useage to 3 styles and 3 sizes.
7. Accessibility. Think about your visitors who are visually impaired, or who don't have access to certain web browsers. Can they see your site as you intend it to be viewed?
8. Test, Test and Test again. Ensure that your site is fully operational and that your site visitors dont encounter any problems moving from page to page. A bad link could result in a lost sale.