Web Design Basics

Basics of Web Design
Chapter 3
Web Design Basics
Basics of Web Design:
HTML5 & CSS, 6th Edition
Copyright © 2022
Terry Ann Morris, Ed.D.
https://terrymorris.net
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Learning Outcomes
 Describe the most common types of website organization
 Describe principles of visual design
 Design for your target audience
 Create clear, easy-to-use navigation
 Improve the readability of the text on your web pages
 Use graphics appropriately on web pages
 Choose a color scheme for our website
 Apply the concept of universal design to web pages
 Describe web page layout design techniques
 Describe the concept of responsive web design
 Apply best practices of web design
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Copyright © 2022 Terry Ann Morris, Ed. D.
Design for Your Target Audience
Consider the
target audience
of these sites.
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Web Page Design
Browser Compatibility
 Web pages do NOT look the same
in all the major browsers
 Test with current and recent versions of:

• Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
• Mobile devices
 Progressive Enhancement:
• Website functions well in browsers
commonly used by your target audience
• Add enhancements with CSS and/or HTML5
for display in modern browsers
4
Web Page Design
Screen Resolution
 Test at various screen resolutions
 Test with multiple devices
5
Website Organization
 Hierarchical
 Linear
 Random
(sometimes called Web Organization)
6
Hierarchical Organization
 A clearly defined home

page
 Navigation links to major
site sections
 Often used for commercial
and corporate websites
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Hierarchical: Too Shallow
 Be careful that the organization is not too shallow.

 Too many immediate choices  a confusing and less usable website.
 Group, or “chunk”, related areas
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Hierarchical:
Too Deep
 Be careful that the
organization is not too
deep.
◦ This results in many “clicks”

needed to drill down to the
needed page.
◦ Too many clicks can result in

a frustrated website visitor.
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Linear Organization
 A series of pages that provide a tutorial,

tour, or presentation.
 Sequential viewing
10
Random Organization
 Sometimes called “Web”
Organization
 Usually there is no clear path

through the site
 May be used with artistic or

concept sites
 Not typically used for

commercial sites
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Visual Design Principles
 Repetition
• Repeat visual elements
throughout design
 Contrast
• Add visual excitement
and draw attention
 Proximity
• Group related items
 Alignment
• Align elements to create
visual unity
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Design to Provide for
Accessibility
 “The power of the Web is in its universality.
Access by everyone regardless of disability
is an essential aspect.” – Tim Berners-Lee
 Who benefits from increased accessibility?

• A person with a physical disability
• A person using a slow Internet connection
• A person using an old, outdated computer
• A person using a mobile phone
 Legal Requirement: Section 508

 Standards: WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1
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Design for Accessibility
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1)
https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/Overview
https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?versions=2.0
Based on Four Principles (POUR)

1.Perceivable
Content must be easy to see or hear
2.Operable
Interface components in the content must be operable by both
mouse and keyboard
3.Understandable
Content and controls must be easy to read and well-organized
4.Robust.
Content use correct syntax and function on popular operating
systems, browsers, and assistive technologies.
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Writing for the Web
 Avoid long blocks of text

 Use bullet points
 Use headings and subheadings
 Use short paragraphs
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Design “Easy to Read” Text
 Use common fonts:
• Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Times New Roman
 Use appropriate text size:

• medium, 1em, 100%
 Use appropriate line length
• Between 50-60 characters is recommended
 Use strong contrast between text & background
 Use columns instead of wide areas

of horizontal text
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More Text Design
Considerations
 Carefully choose text in hyperlinks
• Avoid “click here”

• Hyperlink key words or phrases
• Do not hyperlink not entire sentences
 Chek yur spellin (Check your spelling)
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Using Color on Web Pages
 Computer monitors display color as intensities of
red, green, and blue light
 RGB Color
 The values of red, green, and blue
vary from 0 to 255.
 Hexadecimal numbers (base 16) represent these
color values.
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Hexadecimal
Color Values
 # indicates a
hexadecimal value
 Hex value pairs range

from 00 to FF
 Three hex value pairs

describe an RGB color
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Web Color Palette
 A collection of 216 colors

 Display the most similar on the Mac and PC platforms
 Hex values:
00, 33, 66, 99, CC, FF
 Color Chart : https://webdevbasics.net/color
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Color Theory
 Color Theory:
• the study of color and its use in design
 Color Wheel
• Primary Colors
• Secondary Colors
• Tertiary Colors
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Color Schemes Based on The
Color Wheel (1)
Monochromatic
shades, tints, or tones
of the same color
https://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/color-
blend
Analogous
a main color and two colors adjacent to it on
the color wheel
Complementary
two colors that are opposite each other on the
color wheel
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Color Schemes Based on The
Color Wheel (2)
 Split Complementary
a main color, the color opposite it on the
color wheel (the complement) and two colors
adjacent to the complement
 Triadic
three colors that are equidistant on the color
wheel
 Tetradic
two complementary color pairs
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Implementing a Color Scheme
 Choose one color to be dominant
 Use other colors in the color scheme
as accent colors
• headings,
• subheadings
• borders,
• list markers, etc.
 Use neutrals such as white, off-white, gray, black, or brown
 Do not restrict yourself to web-safe colors
 Feel free to use tints, shades, or tones of colors
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Verify Sufficient Contrast
 When you choose colors for text and
background, sufficient contrast is
needed so that the text is easy to
read.
 Use one of the following online tools
to verify contrast:
• https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker
• https://snook.ca/technical/colour_contrast/colour.html
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Basics of Web Design

 Test with current and recent versions of:

 A clearly defined home

 Be careful that the organization is not too shallow.

◦ This results in many “clicks”

◦ Too many clicks can result in

 A series of pages that provide a tutorial,

 Usually there is no clear path

 May be used with artistic or

 Not typically used for

 Who benefits from increased accessibility?

 Legal Requirement: Section 508

Based on Four Principles (POUR)

 Avoid long blocks of text

 Use appropriate text size:

 Use columns instead of wide areas

 Carefully choose text in hyperlinks

• Avoid “click here”

 Chek yur spellin (Check your spelling)

 Hex value pairs range

 Three hex value pairs

 A collection of 216 colors

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