Graphic Design For The New User

With the assistance of modern software, developing a web site has never been easier. Now, even novice web site designers can utilize these software tools to develop a simple, yet graphically pleasing, website. But, it is important to keep in mind that simplicity does not guarantee usability. Attention must still be paid to the elements of good design, as well as navigability, usability, and readability. This article offers insight into the fundamentals of good web site design that can be applied to any web design software package.

The first rule of thumb for graphic design is to design web pages that are easy to read. Many people have visited sites with fancy, complex backgrounds only to find that the text and the content was unreadable against the background. The text color should be highlighted by the background through the use of opposing colors, such as black and white. Where a fancy background is desired, text blocks should be offset with by a background consisting of a single, opposing color.

In order to make the page more appealing, text should be at a size that is readable, but not so big that it overshadows everything else. Links should be easily differentiated from regular text with color. Headlines for texts should be centered for readability. Modern browsers support fully justified text, which is good because aesthetically text should be justified on both sides for paragraphs. If you have an older browser that doesn't allow fully justified text, disregard the command and align the text on the left side.

The next set of graphic design guidelines pertains to easy navigation of a web site. Every page of a web site should be accessible within three clicks. A table of contents or other menu is useful for keeping a site organized and easy to navigate. The use of frames, which are pages within pages, is helpful. A frame for the table of contents can be placed on the left side of the page, while each link opens in a frame on the right side of the page. In this way, the user remains anchored to the main page.

A web site that is hard to find might as well not exist. The proper use of keywords is critical to making a web site a popular web site. Keywords pertaining to the subject matter of the site, invisibly peppered throughout the site, will make the site easier for search engines to find and properly categorize. Search engines also provide forms for search engine submission which will further help the search engine serve your site to people who are seeking sites on a particular subject.

By using modern software tools and following these guidelines for good graphic design, the novice web designer can create a site that captivates a wide audience and presents the content in a clear, appealing manner. With practice, a beginning web designer can even prepare themselves for one of the many professional web design jobs available today.

A web site that is hard to find might as well not exist. Keywords pertaining to the subject matter of the site, invisibly peppered throughout the site, will make the site easier for search engines to find and properly categorize. Search engines also provide forms for search engine submission to further assist the search engine serve your site to people seeking information about a particular subject. By following basic graphic design guidelines, and using up-to-date software, even a novice web designer can create a site that will interest any audience. With a little practice, a new web designer can work toward applying for available web design jobs.

- samora Jinqua