The Design of Web Pages
The design of the web page is second to content; however, if a web site is designed poorly no user will spend time looking at the content to begin with. Design of a website should be considered every step of the way in the website creation process. The content should dictate the design, but the design should also help when organizing the topics and content. The two work together.
One of the hardest parts about web design is entering into the dialogue. Forbes has a great article about the 25 tips for web designthat can really help the new web designer understand the major design considerations they should take into account. The five second rule is the number one item on the list, and one of the most important. According to the site, "Remember that you have just five seconds to explain your value proposition to users when they enter to your site. The back button is the most widely used command on the web. If you don't answer a user's needs right away, he or she will click "back" and exit your site." The design of the website is very important to consider because without a user friendly design the great content will be lost.
Another great resource when designing a web page is the Google Style web page guidlines. This site gives you colors that work well together and their codes and well as full color palette's, how to choose a color scheme, and how to use primary and secondary colors in a web page. Out of all the tools on the web for color design this one stands out because it doesn't overwhelm the user with hundreds of different colors. Also, this web page gives information on how to use complementary colors rather than simply providing the codes for the colors.
The design of a website is a way to ensure that a user reads the content. While content must come first in order to create a website. Consideration of the design elements the creator is interested in using should be addressed at every stage of the process of creating a web site. The design of the website is the means of receiving the content. If a user feels the design of the site is uninviting, they may not stay around long enough to read up on the content.
