Design (web and beyond)

Good design is an essential part of any communication. The growth of the web has allowed millions of people and organizations to become part of an interconnected world of information, entertainment, and people. Unfortunately many web sites (professional and personal) miss the mark when it comes to communicating effectively.

Here are some of my most valuable tips for good web design. The use of web design can make the difference between reaching your goals and falling short.

My Top 10 Design Tips

  1. Good Content

    • Give people the facts (who, what, where, when, why, and how)
    • Keep all content relevant to your mission or goal
    • Edit your content to only include "most important" information

  2. Spelling and Grammar

    • Check spelling and grammar before putting content on the web
    • Use a word processor to check spelling and grammar
    • Have someone proofread your text

  3. Page titles and alternative text

    • All web pages need a title (imagine a Library with millions of books with no title, kind of hard to use.)
    • Use descriptive titles and include details. For example: "home page" is an OK title but "Mike's Garage and Service Station Smithfield NJ 00012" is far better

  4. Know your audience

    • Who is going to use your site?
    • What do they want?
    • What do you want them to get from your web site?

  5. Simple layout and navigation

    • Use text links and avoid Flash for navigation
    • If you use images for navigation (like me) remember the alt text
    • Limit the number of links or use a simple menu
    • Make the pages simple and "clean"
    • Avoid clutter, pop-ups, sounds, over use of Flash animation, and advertisements

  6. Use images to reinforce your content

    • A great photo is worth 1,000 words, seriously
    • Avoid cartoon clip art (unless your audience is children)
    • Choose images that make you feel something

  7. Make everything easy to read

    • Fonts should be simple, usually sans-serif (like aerial)
    • Remember text in images can not be zoomed in by the user
    • Use language appropriate to your audience (avoid too much technical jargon or at least explain terms for the user)
    • Choose colors that make text easy to read (like black on white)

  8. Follow web guidelines from the W3C

    • Check your HTML or XHTML with the W3C mark-up validation
    • Check your CSS with the W3C mark-up validation
    • Make you pages accessible for people with special needs (visual is a big one)
    • Check your page in a browser as "text only"

  9. Update your content often

    • Updates will keep visitors coming back it the updates are interesting or important
    • When things change in the real world make sure to update your web page.

  10. Test your site with real people

    • Have people "beta test" your pages before you put them on the web
    • Get advice from friends and customers to find out what they think is important for your particular web pages