Web Design - Rules of Thumb

Contents – displaying information, website promotion, understanding, connections, politics, research.
Information flow on the website – the contents must be minimized into short internet documents, two pages tops, in order no to bore/exhaust the user. You should write in a concise and clear manner.
Graphic design decisions – graphic designers have an advantage, as they can also code in HTML as well as design the website.
Web developers must know how to use graphic tools (as HTML coders). HTML coders must NOT try to design if they’re not graphic designers – it’s a punishment to the internet (quoting a well-experienced web producer whose name I won’t mention) 🙂
Navigation system – what’s there and what’s not there – how to navigate through the menus and not to get lost in the website.
New technologies – Artificial intelligence tools (AI), augmented reality, etc. You should be updated about new technologies, install the plugins, see what’s happening, what’s new. If you see a new plugin, download it, suggest it to your client, be on top of things.

Categorize the website – what it’s for, what the objective of the website is, which category it falls under:

A Learning process
Using the media/technology to improve the learning process (interactive tutorials, remote learning sessions and so forth).

Don’t do an “enter the website” graphic in the first page, it’s a waste of time, get straight to the links and information ASAP.

Don’t put the links in the end or make obscure links. If you know what the website is selling, you have to make a quick link to the sales section – don’t let the users “fool around” before they reach the goal, just like in informative websites.

Entertainment from the very first page – stimulate the users, give them a taste of what’s in the website.
Don’t start off with a dull “click-to-enter” logo/graphic.
Give the users a reason to continue surfing, show them in the main page that something is waiting for them ahead, for example, a special sale – something attractive. Think sales/product image – promise the users something worthwhile.
The massive use of graphics and color in entertainment websites is intentional and gives a feeling of fun.
Be careful not to make graphic files too big, you don’t want grahpics to take up more than 50k for the main page.

In the main page – declaration of intent. “here you will learn X in 30 minutes”, provide an initial stimulation.
Don’t give too much information in the main page.

You should give all pages a similar design, it helps the users to know they’re in the same website.
Consider whether you want the user to get to anywhere from everywhere. It’s important for an informative website. In an educations site, for instance, you want there to be a certain process, and not to let the users jump between pages, but rather guide them from a certain page to the next.
If a page is too long, split it into several pages. If it’s mostly text, it’s better to allow continuous reading of the entire document.
Navigation system – on top and bottom (when it’s not inside a frame). If you don’t put the navigation system in a frame, the worst thing you can do is put it on the side as you’d have to start scrolling up and down.
When making navigation buttons, always add text links – mandatory.

You always want to include some added value in your website – something that will attract the users to the website and make them come back for more. Added value can be a list of links updated on a regular basis, articles or tips on a certain subject, files for download and so forth.
If you want people to come back to visit your website and that they won’t forget it ever existed after their first visit, you should update your website at least once a month – give the users a reason to come back.

Gali Nir - Graphic Design and Web Design