Web design is a tricky art that combines both the creative and the
analytical skill sets to create something unique and visually
compelling. At the end of the day, good web design is more than the sum
of its parts. Beginner and amateur designers may think that web design
consists of finding a web host that’s reliable and simply uploading a
pre-designed template, but there’s more to it than that, much much.
The above is the introduction to a post that recently appeared online at
speckyboy Design magazine. I thought it appropriate for this blog
since it deals with beginning web design which many genealogists are trying
to do. It does not matter whether you are hosting your site on RootsWeb
servers or are paying for hosting somewhere. These seven tips offer some
good advice.
- Site Navigation – One of the most important aspects of
designing your site is the site navigation. Your menu should appear on
evey page of your site as who knows where you visitor will enter – maybe
by a side door rather than the front door. Can he or she get to other
parts of your site or only back to the Home Page. Spend some time
thinking about and designing your Site Navigation.
- Typography – Eye catching fonts that are not
distracting allow you to do a lot with a little. Don’t overdo it with
too many font changes or use fonts that you viewer may not have on their
computer.
- Page Layout – A clean and well organized layout will
keep your visitors from getting lost and confused. Spend some time
organizing your site with plain old paper and pencil before you actually
start the design process.
- User Interaction
- The Color Palette -Color selection can make a big
difference when it come to designing an attractive website. Choosing
colors that go well together and compliment your design can take time
but it is well worth it in the long run.
- Page Optimization – Speed and responsiveness are both a
front-end and a back-end issue. Everything on your site does not have to
appear on the Home page. Make sure you use good search engine
optimization techniques when building your pages.
- Overall Focus and Goals – Ask yourself what your site
is trying to accomplish and what message you want to communicate to your
audience, and you’ll have a better idea of how to proceed.
You can read Seven
Super Quick Tips for Beginner and Amateur Web Designers in
its entirety.