Web Design Chapter 4 Notes
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Transcript Web Design Chapter 4 Notes
4
Planning a Successful
Web Site: Part 2
Web Design,
3rd Edition
Chapter Objectives
Discuss the relationship between page length,
content placement, and usability
Complete Step 5: Design the look and feel of the site
Complete Step 6: Specify the site’s navigation
system
Use a checklist to review your design plan
Chapter 4: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 2
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Page Length, Content Placement,
and Usability
The initial, visible screen
area is extremely
valuable space
Place the most critical
information above and
to the left of the
potential scroll lines
– Avoid a cluttered
appearance
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Visual Consistency
Use consistent content and design features—
repeat design features
Inconsistent appearances confuse visitors
Be careful not to over apply consistency
– Overly applied consistency makes pages boring
and uninteresting
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Visual Consistency
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Color and Visual Contrast
Color schemes create unity
Limit the number of colors in your scheme to three
major colors
Apply color scheme to the background, graphic
art and illustrations, and text across all pages
Choose background and text colors to provide
sufficient contrast--the greater the contrast, the
greater the readability
Choose graphics that match or complement your
color scheme
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Color and Visual Contrast
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CSS and Formatting (Cascading Style Sheets)
The CSS specification allows Web designers
to use a text document, called a style sheet, to
control the appearance of one or more pages
at a site
Styles can create visual consistency
You create style rules that allow you to specify
formatting properties and their values
Style sheets centralize formatting
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CSS and Formatting
Inline Style
– Inserted within a tag
Internal Style Sheet
– Inserted within a page’s heading tags
External Style Sheet
– Saved in a folder with the site’s pages
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CSS and Formatting
External Style Sheet
Chapter 4: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 2
Sample Style Sheet in CSS editor
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Page Layout
Can ensure visual consistency across a Web
site’s pages
A well-designed layout creates a sense of
balance
Display certain items consistently (in the same
place) on all pages
– Logo and name
– Links
– Content area
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Page Layout
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Layout Grids
Underlying structure of
rows and columns
Allows you to precisely
position page content
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Tables
Arrangement of cells in rows and columns
Two common uses
– Create rows and columns of data
– Create Web page layout
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Tables
Web page data table
Chapter 4: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 2
Layout table
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Tables
Position text and other elements
– Float property--sets position of element (text)
positioned outside table
– Cell spacing--amount of space between cell
contents and border
– Cell padding--amount of space between table cells
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Table and Cell Properties
Tables
Options for defining table width
– Absolute width—will not resize if browser window
resizes
– Relative width—defined as percentage of browser
window
Each option has advantages and
disadvantages
Understand that each user will view your table
differently
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CSS and Page Layout
CSS can divide a page into sections
– <div> tag
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Step 5: Design the Look and Feel
of the Site
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Step 6: Specify the Site’s
Navigation System
Well-designed navigation is easier for visitors
to understand
Draws them deeper into the Web site
Design should be both user based and user
controlled
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User-Based Navigation
Link pages based on the visitors’ needs
Understand how visitors will view your Web
site
– Usability tests
• Formal—expensive—testing laboratory
• Informal—friends, family members, coworkers
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User-Controlled Navigation
Visitors move around the site in a manner they
choose
Link back to home page
Next page link
Previous page link
Well-designed navigation is essential to the success
of your Web site
Allow site visitors the freedom to choose how they
want to move from page to page at your site
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Link Types
Text links
Image Links
– Image map
Menus
Bars
Tabs
Chapter 4: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 2
Breadcrumb trail
Site map
Search capability
Frames
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Text Links
Common way to navigate from section to
section
Target--clearly identify the page to which the
link points
Mouse over link—hidden—use caution
Rollover link—hidden—use caution
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Image Links
You can assign a link to an image
– Image map--contains hotspots—areas on the
image to which a link is assigned
• Client-side--processed by visitor's browser
• Server-side--sent back to server, more complicated
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Image Links
Menus, Bars, and Tabs
Best for grouping related links
Navigation menu
– List of related links
– Pop-out menu
Navigation bar
– Graphic buttons present links
• Drop-down menu
Navigation tabs
– Present links as small tabs
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Menus, Bars, and Tabs
Navigation bar
Navigation
tabs
Drop-down
menu
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Breadcrumb Trail
Hierarchical outline or horizontal list that shows a visitor the
path he or she has taken from the home page to the page
currently being viewed
– Use in conjunction with other navigational elements
Breadcrumb trail
from home page
to current page
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Site Map (Site Index)
Summary page of links to major pages at the
site
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Search Capability
Allows visitors to quickly locate pages in your
site
Popular navigation tool for sites with large
numbers of pages
Hosted Web-site search provider can provide
search services
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Search Capability
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Frames
Divide Web pages into multiple areas
Can scroll individually
Receive mixed reviews
Understand the pros and cons of using frames
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Navigation Design Tips
Create both a user-based and a usercontrolled navigation system
Place major links at the top and/or down the
left side on all pages at your site
Avoid ambiguous text in text links
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Navigation Design Tips
Ensure that links clearly identify their target
pages.
Include a link back to the home page on
underlying pages. Include Next Page and
Previous Page links on pages to be visited
sequentially
Follow WAI guidelines for text links, grouping
links using navigation menus or bars, and
image maps (Web Accessibility Initiative)
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Navigation Design Tips
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Design Plan Checklist
Define the site’s purpose
Identify the site’s target audience
Determine the site’s general content
Select the site’s structure
Design the look and feel of the site
Specify the site’s navigation system
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Chapter Summary
Discuss the relationship between page length,
content placement, and usability
Complete Step 5: Design the look and feel of the site
Complete Step 6: Specify the site’s navigation
system
Use a checklist to review your design plan
Chapter 4: Planning a Successful Web Site: Part 2
39
4
Planning a Successful
Web Site: Part 2
Web Design,
3rd Edition