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Web page guidelines:
Design Considerations
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- Follow a simple and consistent design. Complex designs can
confuse people, so keep it simple. A consistent design will let
your readers concentrate on content, without having to waste
time figuring out how to maneuver your layout. At Cornell, the
time and workstation "power" required to load a Web
page are still important considerations when using some of the
latest Web authoring tools, especially if your visitor is connecting
to campus with a modem.
- Don't create gratuitous graphics. Graphics are one reason
for the interest in the Web by both publishers and readers and
should definitely be included on your Web page if possible. Still,
it's important not to overuse them. Blinking text and other excessive
decorations can be distracting; background colors and textures
can affect download time. Think very carefully about the colors
and textures you choose for backgrounds and the effects they'll
have on the readability of text. Also, don't forget that many
people still use monochrome monitors.
- Give people cross links. Visitors should be able to move
from one major page to another on your site without having to
go back to your home page. Put cross links to all your major
pages at the bottom of all major pages. For a good example, see
the bottom of this page.
- Be careful about "over-linking." While linking
to the work of others in your organization and throughout the
world can help your readers, it can also lead to information
overload. It's important to balance linking within your page
design. Too many links can be a visual eyesore on the page and
a distraction from the original information you want your readers
to concentrate on.
- Don't create dead end links. Readers can get discouraged
from returning to your pages when those pages are filled with
empty links with grand labels like Descriptions of All Classes!
- Sign all pages. Place a standard signature at the bottom
of all major pages. This signature should contain the name of
the page owner, date of last update, organization name, and an
e-mail address for comments and reporting broken links. See the
example at the bottom of this page.
The design guidelines above have been adapted
with permission from University of Texas - Austin TeamWeb's
outstanding collections of
web publishing guidelines.
Other Resources
Information about web design and style is in abundance on the
web. Here are some excellent sources of information.
Creating:
Intro |
Copyright |
Resources
Publishing:
Intro |
Course |
CU People |
CU Web Forum
Last updated: January 5, 2001
Links updated: May 17, 2007
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