ENGH 375 & 5O7: Web Authoring and Design

Design

During this class, you will learn about design tips that will help you create the most effective visual rhetoric and design. Since this site covers some basics, we'll go over the bare basics of what goes into web design. Just remember to always read the assigned readings!

Audience

As an English student, you're probably already aware that writing to the correct audience means everything. You don't want your research paper sounding like a sales advertisement, nor do you want your twitter feed to be so overly articulate that it borders being complete bilge. Trying to find the appropriate tone to a specific audience is key, and that comes into the visual rhetoric of the site, too.

On that note, I would like to say that less is more when it comes to web design. While it might seem fun to pack your website with stuff, bombarding the user with information is likely to drive them away. It needs to visually stimulating without being overbearing. For example, if your site contains so many images that the actual content becomes buried, it might be a good idea to send some of it to the cutting room floor. So try asking what other people think of your website. Focus test on what seems distracting, what causes users to become frustrated, and so on. No better way to see how people react than to put it in front of them.

Color

Part of what builds the personality of a website is its color scheme. The color scheme effectively sets the tone of the entire website. If the colors

Take this site for example - it is composed of mostly shades of light blue and white. When creating this website, I envisioned my audience as a group of doe-eyed new users, tempted by the creative offerings of HTML and CSS, but intimidated by the seemingly complicated coding. The light blue is meant to seem inviting, while the white serves to draw you eyes to the various parts of the page. My point is, understand your audience, then create a website that will best meet their needs. The point of this website isn't to create a façade of professionalism, just the opposite. I want you feel welcome into this wonderful world of web authoring.

So what colors signify what moods. The light blue is inviting and casual, but what if the website was a dull gray. While that may good for a site based in more serious content, it would create a huge disparity between the tone of the visual rhetoric and written rhetoric. As part of an assignment, you will be covering what colors give off certain moods, so don't worry too much. Just know that it is an integral part of your website.