2004 Website Design Do's and Dont's

[brandblast]

Happy New Year! 2003 has certainly been a great year and many beautiful and highly functional sites have been developed using proven usability and design techniques. Of course 2003 has also brought us some horrible examples of web design practices.

With this in mind, let's explore and share some of our design do's and dont's.

I'd like to begin by looking at a design don't I found at http://www.buffalosoldiers.net

What is going on with that background? The navigation simply disappears after you click on a link.

So what is the lesson in this url? I'll tell you:

-Background - Don't choose a background that draws attention away from your page, images are specially dangerous and should be used sparingly.

-Navigation - Your navigation should be consistent throughout your entire site. here is a great in-depth article on the subject http://www.smartwebby.com/web_site_design/website_navigation_tips.asp

So, what are your design do's and dont's for 2004? Will any new technologies affect the way sites are designed in 2004? Do you think nothing much will change?

Look forward to some great replies as usual.

[vwebworld]

Ok, I'll bite... will 2004 be any different
than 2003, for Web Design?

In a word - no... or maybe it's yes.

I think all the past do's and don'ts still apply.
But here's a few do doos:
Do try to be different - originality is good eventhough
"content" is king.
Do not expect clients or viewers to "get it" - when it
comes to why you designed a site "that way".
Do listen to clients, they know more about their business
than you do.
Do buy all your web site templates from me (comming soon).
You'll save so much time and money.
Don't use the latest technology (flash, CSS-5, streaming video...)
just to use it. Not everyone is a cool as you (or me).
Respect the viewers... usability, clear communication, and sound design - works every time.
Learning is an on-going process.
and lastly - wireless devices (for internet access)
need to be considered in designing web sites.


... creating something is always better,

~Roland

[brandblast]

Regarding this bullet:

-Respect the viewers... usability, clear communication, and sound design - works every time.

I'm glad you touched on usability, if you do nothing else, build your Web sites so that they make sense to everyone. The Web is so hard to use for a lot of people, that most of America has virtually no interest in trying to decipher a Web site's complex navigation, most prefer quick access to the info they're looking for through easy to use navigation.

This successful simplicity is shown over and over again through the interfaces of the successful websites: Logo, search box, links, content, all neatly categorized and easy to navigate. Over and over again, the successful sites - your competitors -have embraced this simplicity.

So fire up your browser right now and look at your website through the eyes of your visitor, create specific tasks to be accomplished, then gage the ease with which the task was completed.

Example:

TASK: Get company's contact info.

-How many clicks will it take a visitor to find your company info?
-Can users find the page easily from anywhere in the site?

Perhaps we should create a list of usability questions, and post them here? What do you think?

Feel free to share your links like this one named Top Ten Web Design Mistakes of 2003 http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20031222.html

[atimmins]

A big do that so many don't, create and use a site map!!! I'm doing an optimization for a site that has over 2000 pages. It was originally almost 4000 pages with Frames. Either way whoever originally designed it, did'nt take the time to make a site map.

Can you imagine trying to find the info you want from 4000 pages without even a site map to begin guiding you??? Blows my mind.

[matauri]

You guys have covered my favourite Do's & Dont's, expecially in regards to Navigation & Site Maps. I cant emphasize on those enough! It doesnt matter how enhanced your site is technically or graphically, if you haven't got ease of navigation, say goodbye to the visitor who initially thought you had a good looking site.

So I am going to include a new 'dont' of mine since I have started to design to standards & accessibility.

Don't make the mistake of thinking you cant have a good looking site & still have the standardised technical components.

When people start venturing into standards & accessibility most of the sites they reference for information pertaining to this area are fairly bland, cut & dry, hence putting off designers wanting to use standards. Designing to standards doesnt stop you using good looking graphics or colour combinations, which when all tied together can still give you a great looking site. There are also more & more snippets of code available in CSS that are making sites more dynamic.

And another favourite 'Do':

Do date pages that contain content. There is nothing worse than reading through a whole page of information, then not knowing how current the information is. When researching now I go straight to the bottom of the page to see if the information is dated & how current it is. I usually try & find a current site by adding the date to my search keywords.



Cindy

[Website Biz]

Here's another one - Don't Annoy Your Visitors.

Pop ups have pretty much worn out their welcome. New browsers are coming out with pop up blockers, the Google Tool Bar has a built in pop up blocker, and pop up blockers are selling like crazy. Your visitors don't like them. Use them very sparingly, if at all.

[cooper]

Some suggested resources you may want to visit online for design ideas:
www.webmonkey.com (http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/design/)
www.zeldman.com (http://www.zeldman.com/dwws/)
Eric Meyer's site (http://www.meyerweb.com/)
www.lynda.com (http://www.lynda.com/resources/inspiration/)

Maybe one of my sites will get into that list some day, hahahaha.

[MrLeN]

- Don't use tables (much).

- Don't use those freakin' premade WEB HOST templates!

- Don't use static HTML (It's over).

- Don't use methods that create stringed URL's (where possible), if you want to attract search engines - or make money. Especially if you have NIL advertising budget!

- Do keep your web pages LIGHT, in both code and images.

- Do have AMPLE links to, within and around your site(s). Links are like roads for search engines. The more there are, the better the search engine can get from A to B. Think of link titles and alt tags as "Road Signs"!

That's my 2 cents.

MrLeN

P.S. ..and don't use those freakin' animated characters and flashing buttons from clipart sites - ack!

[symbolic]

I'd never have enough time to get through all 2004 of them.

symbolic

[btreloar]

DON't use flash splash pages that take more than a second or two and don't have a "skip intro" option!

[cooper]

DON't use flash splash pages that take more than a second or two and don't have a "skip intro" option!

I would disagree as it depends on the content of the site. If your site is a business oriented site then yes, drop the Flash intro in favor of getting the visitor directly to the information they are seeking.

However, if your site has, for example, more of an entertainment focus then a Flash intro might be appropriate. It's up to the site owner and/or developer. And if you DO have a Flash intro make sure you have a way for the visitor to skip ahead to the next page/screen/frame/etc. It's the kindest approach to navigation so a returning visitor doesn't have to sit through the intro again and again and again and again, ad naseum...

[gwsoccer14]

Very Simple List

Do
Use a target="blank" for any links that are not under your domain. This is a good way to lose visitors.

Use Whitespace to your advantage if it is one of the best visual indicators around

Make sure it works in both Netscape and IE, even though Netscape is falling off why would you want to alienate any of your potential users

Make sure your homepage clearly states what your business is, I have been to so many sites that are very ambiguous and instead of me finding out what it is I just leave the site

Don't
Use huge images as links (including rollovers). Yeah it may look cool but download time is a huge problem.

Use a cool new technology just because it looks good, it should fit ur site

Worry, Be Happy

[zbatia]

The most important factor to consider is usability.

Our first web site was designed around TV screen with a 'remote control' as a menu. The web surfers liked the unique design but complained that to find the needed information is a problem, that many links on the same page repeat each other, that the pages are overloaded with not-so-relevant information.

Obviously, we have considered those remarks. Now we are working on re-design of our existing web site (version #3) that must be even more user-friendly. Than less "jumping images" you have than easier to read your text and get to the point. If you want to make some accents, do it with smart design (colors, backgrounds, layout). Don't use yellow background to highlight the text. I personally never read the text with yellow highlighted backgrounds. It reminds me all those sale blurbs where in the end of 3 feet page you see the 3-digit price...

It's time to use CSS and XHTML on every web site but I don't think it's going to happen soon...

[brandblast]

**LOAD TIME**

The main page of your web site should load in 8 seconds or less with a 56K modem.

According to two recent surveys, conducted by Forrester Research and Gartner Group, ecommerce sites are losing $1.1 to $1.3 billion in revenue each year due to customers click- away caused by slow loading sites.

If a page takes too long to load, your potential customer will not wait. Ultimately costing you business.

[brandblast]

A HOMEPAGE WITH A PURPOSE

Your main page should specifically let your visitors know exactly what you're offering. How many times have you visited a site and never figured out exactly what they were selling?

If your potential customer can't find your product or service, they definitely won't waste a lot of time looking for it. They'll go on to the next site and probably never return.

They're visiting your site for a specific purpose. They want something your site offers. Whether it is information, a product or service.

[brandblast]

A SPLASH OF "THE RIGHT" COLOR

Be cautious when selecting your background and text colors. Busy backgrounds make text difficult to read and draw the attention away from the text.

Always be consistent with your background theme on each page of your site. Your site should be nicely organized and uniform throughout. Keep in mind, colors affect your mood and will have an affect on your visitors as well.

Bright colors such as yellow and orange, cause you to become more cheerful or happy, while colors such as blue and purple have a calming effect.

Dark colors such as brown and black have a depressing effect. A good rule of thumb would be to use colors based upon the type of effect you're trying to achieve.

[ppayne]

In the "don't ignore Netscape" vein, if you have young, free-thinking customers (and we all hope we do), remember that there are important non-IE and non-Netscape browsers out there, namely

Safari (most Mac OS X users)
Mozilla Firebird (up and coming browser, already getting users)
Opera (many users on all platforms)

In the case of Mac users especially, and also of Linux users, not supporting the browser they want to use is basically telling them "hey, here's a nickel, go buy yourself a better computer, kid." In other words, it's not a good idea, since one customer lost who would have become a regular is a bit price to pay, but you'll lose hundreds. Remember that Mac users have the highest income and education, and spend more online annually than PC users.

Bottom line, ask a Safari user to check your site, and bother to download Opera and Mozilla's browsers to check your sites.

Man I am tired of that bearded Google guy smiling at me as I type. You know he's giving us The Eye.

[ppayne]

PLEASE, care who you accept advertising from. Some advertisers rob you of credibility just by being on your site. If you have a casino ad on your site, guess what? I'm clicking away in 1.2 seconds or less, because it means that all the other decisions you'll have made on the site, including your content, will not be worth anything to me. Our jlist.com site is ostensibly an adult site since we sell adult products, but we don't have a single ad, popup, or even links to other adult sites, which gives us a lot of credibility with customers.

[wenwilder]

A SPLASH OF "THE RIGHT" COLOR

Be cautious when selecting your background and text colors. Busy backgrounds (and Bright Colors) make text difficult to read and draw the attention away from the text.

Always be consistent with your background theme on each page of your site. Your site should be nicely organized and uniform throughout. Keep in mind, colors affect your mood and will have an affect on your visitors as well.

Bright colors such as yellow and orange, cause you to become more cheerful or happy, while colors such as blue and purple have a calming effect.

Dark colors such as brown and black have a depressing effect. A good rule of thumb would be to use colors based upon the type of effect you're trying to achieve.

Yellow and orange? Bad choices...... they may be cheerful when dealing with flowers or the newest addition to your home decor... but on a website..... they are the fastest way to give your visitors a headache or even make them sick.

The one benefit of orange is it will make more expensive items seem affordable and suitable for everyone. But that is only in small amounts.

Yellow, used in small amounts can be cheerful and inviting. More than a pinch is detrimental. And don't forget, this is the World wide web.... there are different meanings associated to different colors.

Just remember:

When light strikes the eye, the different wavelengths do so in different ways; the eye constantly adjusts and long wave colours require the most adjustment. In the retina, they are converted to electrical impulses that pass to the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that governs our hormones and endocrine system.

[wenwilder]

(A lot of this may be repetitive, but I was never good at editing.)

The Don'ts

1. Don't 'guess' who you're trying to reach.
2. Don't get to technical.
3. Don't give your customers a headache with your favorite color.
4. Don't keep content that isn't being read.
5. Don't repeat the same information on every page.
6. Don't hide contact information.
7. Don't use animations.
8. Don't use multiple fonts.
9. Don't take control a way from the viewer.
10. Don't 'bunch up' the text. Space is meant to be used.

The Do's

1. Know who your site is designed for - know the demographics.
2. Know your product.
3. Do make your site visually pleasing. (Keeping in mind the Don'ts of color) ;)
4. Do outline the concept of the site before it is created.
5. Make your prices available.
6. Keep your site credible.
7. Ask for input from people who know nothing about your product/service/business.
8. Use images that portray confidence.
9. Keep your site translator friendly.
10. Keep the site consistent throughout.

Do's and Don'ts is a very long subject. ;)

[Keimos]

Hi Wenwilder,
I totally agree with your last post.

First impressions last an the use of colour is very important.

From a previous comment I noticed that the Site Map was used. My question is if you have the navigation right why do you need a site map?

The internet is worldwide and hopefully the people involved with search engines are trying to ensure that we find what we are looking for. (It will always be impossible)but as long as the majority get there we are OK.

In answer to another previous example about business, SEO is not always the prime concern. As a business if you have the product and the money people will stay for longer to see what is there, best example are HP, IBM, Microsoft. They have so many scripts going and a huge database to search you have to be patient. For the rest of us it is a different matter as we do not have the finances to compete. The webmaster at Microsoft is no better than any of us, he just happens to have the most linked to site in the world, even without the links he knows that all the literature that goes out says visit us no matter how many times you have to accept cookies, activeX, java etc.

We as designers need to ascertain exactly where our client are positioned and work according to existing budgets and advertising. The site is in the ned going to be what they feel is right, we can only advise. If we advise right, more work, yippee!

Have fun folks, my rant for now