Seven tricks that Web users don't know

[Webnauts]

Building accessible web sites, you do not need to worry about resolutions.

Check my web site for an example.

[Faglork]

@webnauts - below 600 pixel you are running into problems. Try viewing it with a PDA or a cell phone ... the text in the right column will get off the viewport.

Why not go all the way and use 100% liquid design?
This will work on *all* platforms ...

While I agree that liquid design may look strange on resolutions which are above a width of 1200 pixels (especially the increasing sentence length poses a problem): I never had a case where those guys used their browsers at full screen resolution. Heck, big screens are for using multiple windows, or not?

Anyway, it would be better to discuss "viewports" instead of screen resolution. Viewport means the actual browser area which is available for viewing. With a given resolution of 800x600, the viewport may be even below 760xsomething if the user likes to have sidebars activated.

And: What if your user chose to incease font size because of e.g. eye weakness? Most fixed designs will break in this case.

This just shows that fixed width designs have severe limitations. Don't forget: Fixed widths are a limitation of *print media* and should be abandoned in favor of the new possibilities of the www. And one of these possibilities is to let the user adjust the page to his current needs - be it bigger text, smaller viewport, different colors etc.

Just my 2 cents,
Alex

[Webnauts]

faglork did you really examine my web site?

[Faglork]

Yep. Why should I make something up?

I can send you a sreenshot if you want.

Alex

[Webnauts]

Yep. Why should I make something up?

I can send you a sreenshot if you want.

Alex

Hey that is cool. Can you please send me a screenshot?

[Faglork]

I sent you a PM.

Alex

[Webnauts]

I just wanted to share with you the great news. The Accessibility & Usability forum is back.

And I would appreciate your support promoting accessibility and usability issues here.

[mystic]

please post the screen shot here on this thread

[Orion]

When I first started designing websites about 8 years ago we were at the crux of 14" monitors vs 15" monitors and people increasing screen resolution from 640x480 to 800x600 lol.

At that point in time some were using javaScript to identify the screen res and then directing to the correct page and / or setting the 'width' of the table for the browser OR designing sites fluid (ie. using 100% width).

After a couple years 800x600 ruled and has till about a year and a half ago, that's when I had my first customer request a site done at 1024x768.

In todays world of monitors ranging from 15" CRT at 800x600 to 21" LCD monitors running at over 1600px width trying to design any site static is generally NOT a good idea. If you do, then at least offer 800 / 1024 / 1280 pixel width options. A site designed at 800px viewed at full screen on a 1280px width monitor looks rediculous as there's more white space than site.

BTW.. 800x600 is the most common in the business world (outside of IT). Most companies still have their employees behind 15" monitors at 800x600 res. So if you're designing a site for the home user or the IT user.. 1024x768 (Canada and most of the USA too) is just fine. Also don't forget age... our aging populations prefer nice big fat text to read!

Keep smilin'

[shesarainbo]

When I design sites, I use my stats to tell me the screen size of my visitors. The size that I notice now is 1024 X 768. In the past it was always 800 X 600. With the decision made as to the "default" viewable screen size, I make the page auto resizing or constricting according to the user screen size.

Making a few of the columns auto stretch will allow the site to "come in" or "expand" and still be viewable with some sense of the original design.

I know this is all basic stuff. What I am really interested now is how to design a good site that allows images to be viewed on a phone or PDA with the composition and aesthetic quality of the original web document. I am sure there is much info on this topic somewhere else, so I will be looking for that tonight!

Bye