Top 10 Web Design Tips 1. Use a content management system (CMS) 2. Provide a service 3. Do not get too clever 4. Usability is paramount 5. The Web is an easily changeable medium 6. Make text more accessible with plenty of headings, subheadings, and lists 7. Check your work 8. Be consistent 9. Leverage the power of free online web developer tools 10. Remember, web design is supposed to be fun 1. Planning your website * Review several sites' services and self-interested goals * Determine your site's purpose * Narrow your purpose to one goal * Identify your target audience * Have a call to action * Understand your constraints * Identify a service you can offer users * Make sure your ecommerce site offers a service * When offering a service, make it relevant and valuable * Gather requirements, even if you don't think there are any * Create a use case diagram 2. Website architecture * Translate the use case diagram into an outline * Assign priorities to every outline element * Translate the outline to a site map * Follow the three-click rule * Use sequential navigation when appropriate * Use external links sparingly and prudently * Do not let ads detract from your site's content * Ensure your site has no dead ends * Do not use under construction pages * Ensure every page has a page header * Ensure every page has a page footer * Make hyperlinks and icons explicit * Use breadcrumb trails when designing complex sites * Always create a site map or site index * Create a prototype navigation template * Create a website framework, complete with blank pages 3. Writing your text * Consider blogging * Ensure your site contains quality content * Chunk your information into bite-size pieces * Write like a journalist * Write descriptive headings and subheadings * Persuade users with subtle techniques * Prefer simple to complex and edit your writing * Ensure meaning is intuitive on important items 4. Webpage layout and composition * Place important information above the fold line * Make pages printable * Use grid theory * Violate a page's grid to draw attention to an element * Emphasise what is important * Prominently display your purpose, or have a tagline * Design for a maximum screen resolution of 1024x768 * Know the difference between fixed and flexible layout * Use a centred layout 5. Using web colour effectively * Have a basic understanding of colour values * Understand colour theory essentials * Use a tool to generate a colour palette * Generate a colour palette from a photograph * Use your colour palette consistently across pages * Choose colours to match your site's mood * Accept that colour choices may not appear as you wish * Use text and background colour harmoniously 6. Texture * Add texture with a repeating pattern * Add texture with a non-repeating image * Use perspective for depth and to direct the eye * Use drop-shadows to add depth * Use gradients to fade colours in or out * Overlap objects for the illusion of three-dimensionality * Use opacity/transparency for an interesting visual effect 7. Web typography * Understand fonts * Specify the desired font * Specify relative font size or no size at all * Increase line height to make text legible * Left align text and headings in most situations * Make hyperlinks obvious * Avoid using ALL capital letters * Add sufficient padding around boxed text * Place links as you would footnotes 8. Images * Choose the right file format: JPG, PNG, SVG, and GIF * Consider including a logo for brand identity * Design an attractive header image * Use only relevant images * Use images legally * Use scalable vector graphics when possible * Crop your photos * Edit a photo before using it on a webpage * Use icons * Use the alt attribute for images on your webpage * Choose relevant images * Consider using thumbnails if appropriate 9. Using multimedia effectively * Leverage the power of YouTube * Understand the basics of video file formats and codecs * Consider podcasting to deliver your multimedia * Consider linking to media files * Use Flash sparingly * Include audio on your web pages * Avoid Splash screens 10. Testing your website * Troubleshoot appearance issues * Check for broken links * Test using more than one browser * Test your site's usability * Check for accessibility issues * Evaluate your site's effectiveness in achieving its goals * Test your site's speed * Deal with browser compatibility issues * Audit your site for SEO * Test your site using Google Webmaster tools * Validate your site's pages using the W3C's HTML Validator * Validate your CSS style sheets using the W3C's CSS Validator * Remember, you cannot please everyone Top 10 Web Design ProblemsSolved 1. I still don't know how to actually create a webpage. What do I do next? 2. What do I use in HTML and CSS to create a webpage? 3. How do I edit photos so they look good on a webpage? 4. Where can I learn more about use case analysis? 5. How do I check my work once I'm finished? 6. Nobody is visiting my site. How do I get users? 7. My site looks unprofessional. How do I make it appear more professional? 8. My website takes a long time to load. How do I fix this? 9. I'm not very artistic, but can't afford to pay a web designer. What do I do? 10. How do I start?