Key Elements of Web Design
Introduction
There are many aspects to consider when designing a website, but there are five broad goals that should be followed at all costs. First and foremost, the designer needs to focus on the target audience for the website and always consider their point of view. Secondly, the designer should follow the recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and run the web site’s URLs through their complimentary evaluation tools to ensure the highest level of accessibility. Also, the content and structure of a website must be carefully constructed for ease of use and present concise information. To make a good impression the website needs to be aesthetically pleasing without overdoing graphics or special effects. And finally the designer needs to plan for future growth as well as continually evaluate and refresh the web site.
Target Audience
The whole point of creating a web site is to promote a person or organization to a particular audience. Pinpointing the needs and interests of your specific audience is the first step to launching a successful web site. “Work from the users’ point of view. Think about where users want to go within your web site and make it easy for them to get there” (Sklar, 2003). Once you brainstorm all the various information the audience may be seeking, you can begin to organize the material into a logical structure. “A successful web-site, evidently, is the one that is capable of attracting quality visitors and retain them” (Chatterjee, 2006). The content of a web site is the crucial way of retaining visitors and giving them what they want without too much clutter to sort through. Web readers are impatient and don’t have time to sift through needless information that doesn’t relate to what they are looking for.
Organization
This is one of the most difficult tasks of beginning a web site; planning the content of the pages and how that material should be organized. The most sophisticated site is doomed
There are many aspects to consider when designing a website, but there are five broad goals that should be followed at all costs. First and foremost, the designer needs to focus on the target audience for the website and always consider their point of view. Secondly, the designer should follow the recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and run the web site’s URLs through their complimentary evaluation tools to ensure the highest level of accessibility. Also, the content and structure of a website must be carefully constructed for ease of use and present concise information. To make a good impression the website needs to be aesthetically pleasing without overdoing graphics or special effects. And finally the designer needs to plan for future growth as well as continually evaluate and refresh the web site.
Target Audience
The whole point of creating a web site is to promote a person or organization to a particular audience. Pinpointing the needs and interests of your specific audience is the first step to launching a successful web site. “Work from the users’ point of view. Think about where users want to go within your web site and make it easy for them to get there” (Sklar, 2003). Once you brainstorm all the various information the audience may be seeking, you can begin to organize the material into a logical structure. “A successful web-site, evidently, is the one that is capable of attracting quality visitors and retain them” (Chatterjee, 2006). The content of a web site is the crucial way of retaining visitors and giving them what they want without too much clutter to sort through. Web readers are impatient and don’t have time to sift through needless information that doesn’t relate to what they are looking for.
Organization
This is one of the most difficult tasks of beginning a web site; planning the content of the pages and how that material should be organized. The most sophisticated site is doomed
References: Chatterjee, A.K. (2006). 10 Elements of a Successful Website. Retrieved March 22, 2007. http://www.selfseo.com/web_design_articles.php Sklar, J. (2003). Principles of Web Design. [University of Phoenix eBook] Retrieved March 21, 2007, from University of Phoenix, rEsource, VCT310.