1. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Web Design CIS 285 January 2005

2. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Facets of Web Design Profile audience Message you want to communicate Possibilities and limitations of Web publishing Portability

3. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Site Usability and Accessibility Web’s usability – measure of how quickly it gets its message across to the user 6-8 sec rule Readers scan Browsers – not all are visual Design for the medium Make your design portable

4. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Know Your Audience How will users move through the info?  Association  What will attract them  Why do they come to your site  Technical level, reading & vocabulary level, educational level, cultural background, sex What technologies do users have  Connection speeds  Types of computers, browsers, plug-ins

5. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Consider Your Own Objectives Content of site Mission statement, requirements document, or list of objectives Communication goals Balance end-user considerations with one’s objectives

6. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Identify Content Goal E-commerce, on-line shopping Publishing Special interest (personal interest) Billboard Virtual gallery Gaming Product support, catalog Intranet / Extranet

7. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Structuring Information Drill-down structures  Information in site is layered several levels beneath the homepage Flat-structure  Lessening of the drill down approach  Increase navigation options Multiple browser windows  Cab be used for control (forms)  Avoid gratuitous use

8. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Design The Site Craft a look and feel Plan unifying themes and structures Create smooth transitions Use active white space Use a grid to provide the visual structure Avoid too much content

9. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Developing A Look Less is often more Backgrounds Icons – intuitive ? Color choices Images Use prepackaged graphical themes Use active white space

10. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Desirable Page Elements Search engines Navigation tools  Graphics, text, image maps, buttons  Links within site VS outside site Last updated date Contact information Counters

11. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Desirable Page Elements Guest Books Feedback mechanisms Mailing lists Threaded discussion groups Chat channels Multi-media content

12. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Breaking Up Long Pages Graphic elements Horizontal rules Images Pull quote Text-based elements Table of contents Text effects

13. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Testing Your Design Pilot the site Use different browsers Try different platforms Apply different connection speeds Test with / without plug-ins or other media

14. CIS 285 Winter Quarter 2005 Robinson Trends In Web Site Design Server-side processing Personalization International audience Disabled audience