9 WEB DESIGN RULES
by Bob Reed, rgreed@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu,
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~rgreed/
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Don't use gratuitous imaging or javascript (animation, image maps, mouseover
tags) If it doesn't add meaning or content to your site, don't use
it.
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Design for a 640X480 browser window with NO horizontal scrollbar, but recognize
that many readers (including perhaps those evaluating your work) are reading
at 800X600 pixels or more.
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Do not post long pages. Make certain that critical content is visible
in the initial screen shot.
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No counters (see number 9 below).
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No frames. "Friends shouldn't let friends do frames!" - a UCF student.
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Spell out important URL's and email addresses so that printed copies of
the page are meaningful.
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Always include information on the author or other responsible entity, and
the date of the page, usually as a footer to your page(s).
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When redesigning an established site's architecture, maintain directories
and filenames to minimize broken links to your site. If nothing
else, post a redirection at the old URL.
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Consider your audience; design your site to present content that is meaningful
and useful to your reader and easy to navigate.
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(bonus tip) I generally try to avoid using the word "cool", but thats just
me. <grin> Sun Microsystems has a copy
of Jutta Degener's document Dangerous
Words, about terminology to avoid in web publishing.
I don't need to mention image file size, do I? You may be interested
in my demonstration
of jpeg file compression. or better still, go to http://www.zdnet.com/devhead/resources/tools/gifbot/
and run compression examples on your own image(s)! |