Design Checklist

The following is a list of issues you should pay attention to when designing a web page or web site. If you follow these guides you will most likely create a professional looking and enjoyable web site. Note I will be adding to this list throughout the quarter.

Communicating the Site's Purpose

• Show the company name and logo on each web page of your site.
• Have a summary what the site or company provides.
• Emphasize what your site does that is valuable to the user and different from others.
• Clearly designate one page per site as the homepage.

Text

• Text should not crowd along the left, use CSS margins
• Text should not stretch all the way across the page
• Text should be large enough to read. but not too large
• Use italics sparingly
• Background does not interrupt the text.
• Underlined text that is not a link
• Text that is too small to read

Navigation

• Don't use generic instructions (like "Click Here")
• Allow link colors to show visited and unvisited sites.
• The primary navigation links should be easily found. Usually placed along the top and or left side.
• Navigation buttons and bars are easy to understand and use. See Project Template.
• A large site has an index or site map.
• The navigation bar or buttons give the visitor a clue as to where they are, what page of the site they are currently on.
• Include a link from every non-homepage page to the homepage.
• Okay to remove the underline from main navigation links.

Links

• Link colors coordinate with page colors.
• Links are underlined so they are instantly clear to the visitor.

Graphics

• Buttons are not too big
• Every img tag has an alt attribute.
• Images files should be a reasonable size, no more than 70kb
• Always use the width and height attributes.
• Thumbnail images that are nearly as large as the full-sizes images they link to

Popup Windows and Animations

• Avoid splash screens.
• Avoid popup windows.
• Avoid blinking text.
• Use animated gif's sparingly:
  • Something like this is okay:

  

  • Avoid something like this:

  

General Design

• Pages download quickly.
• Every web page in the site looks like it belongs to the same site.
• Avoid using frames for layout.

Junk

• Counters on pages
• Junky advertising
• Having to scroll sideways
• Too many little pictures on the first page of awards that don't mean anything
• Underconstruction signs

Alway Design With CRAP in Mind

• Contrast
• Repetition
• Alignment
• Proximity