Wonker
12-02-2002, 11:18 AM
Hi all,
Im new to web design, and ive been given the task of making a web page for a friend and artist. One of the important things this person has asked for is that it is very user friendly. I was wondering if you guys could give me some pointers. What do you think are the most important factors to consider when trying to make a web page easy and usable.
Thanks
spufi
12-02-2002, 02:26 PM
Don't try to go nuts with trying to do a bunch of stuff with the site.
Give the layout room to breate.
Create a design that fits the artist, ie if they happen to be a sci-fi buff, then use that to your advantage.
Make a basic template page and get that working first.
Don't use nested tables for layout.
Learn what Cascading Style Sheets are and how to use them.
Make sure you have a work around for any JavaScript you use incase a person has JavaScript disabled in their browser. Not that I would touch JavaScript early on... If you do use JavaScript, please learn how to code it. ;)
Make sure your site looks good with multiple browsers, ie Netscape, IE, etc...
Make sure your site looks good with different resolutions. I've seen professional sites that didn't look good in 800X600 mode despite it being the most used.
Unless you already have Dreamweaver, Front Page, or some other high end web site creator tool, don't buy one. Even if you do have one, I wouldn't recommend touching it until you know what the heck you are doing. There are also way too many free text editors for download. Text Pad (http://www.textpad.com/) is just one of them that I would recommend.
Validate (http://validator.w3.org/) your page.
If you have questions, ask them here. :)
Well, I could probably ramble on all the more, but I'll show you a template of a page I'm working on right now for a friend who does music on the side.
Template (http://www.lauramccandliss.com/mb/)
Ok, I almost forgot. Have them define user friendly. :)