Simple Usability Tips
When designing a web page it’s easy to get lost in the glamor of glamerous logos, decorated links, and elaborate navigation bars. Depending on what the customer (or you) want, some of these things can be good. Just remember, if unhappy, return to the basics. Some of these include…
Content, Content, Content
Sometimes considered the golden rule of web design, rightfully so when you conisder what a web page would be without it, “Content, Content, Content” is a good standard to follow regardless of who you’re designing for. Don’t ever get too caught up in the rest of a design to forget that, out of everything on that page, the content is what the visitor is here to see. Make the content as easy to read as possible. Some things to acheive this include high contrast between text and background, line height (distance between lines in a paragraph, set with line-height: 150%; in CSS), font size, and the font itself.
Clear Navigation
Navigation is there to look like a navigation. It should be an independent section of the page, clearly detatched. Trying to make your navigation subtle can confuse viewers, causing them to lose interest and visit a different page. A good example of a clearly visable navigation is found in Jay Koster’s Aqueous Template. The blue background of the navigation makes it distinct from the rest of the page, while the smaller font of the sub-navigation makes its purpose clear.
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