Practical Aesthetics of Web Design
	Compiled by Rick Raguso, Faculty Resource Center

            Since the introduction of such user-friendly web-authoring tools as Web Easy, FrontPage, and Dreamweaver the ability to create a web-site has been within the reach of even the most intimidated novice.  However, this does not mean that everyone has suddenly become a competent designer.

            So far, few existing resources have attempted to approach Web page design as anything beyond the mastery of the technical authoring skills required to optimize the HTML code, graphics, and text within Web pages.  Although web design does pose novel challenges, most of the guidance you need to design, create, assemble, edit, and organize your site is not radically different from current practice in print media. Most Web documents can be made to conform to The Chicago Manual of Style conventions for editorial style and text organization. Most of what one needs to know about creating clear, comprehensive, and consistent internal publishing standards is already available in guides like the Xerox Publishing Standards: A Manual of Style and Design. Don't get so lost in the novelty of Web pages that basic standards of editorial and graphic design get tossed aside.

World Wide Web pages are different from books and other documents in one crucial respect: hypertext links allow users to access a single Web page with no preamble. Thus Web pages need to be more independent than pages in a book. This usually means that the headers and footers of Web pages are more informative and elaborate than printed pages.  Individual Web pages often need so much information because a single Web page may be the only part of your site some users ever see.

            The first step in designing a Web site is to make sure you have defined a set of goals. Without a clear statement of purpose and objectives the project will begin to wander off course and bog down.  Careful planning and a clear sense of purpose are the keys to success in building Web sites. Before beginning to build your Web site you should:

1.  Identify your target audience

2.  Have a statement of purpose

3.  Know your main objectives

4.  Have a concise outline of the information your site will contain

    Users of Web documents don't just look at information, they interact with it in novel ways that have no precedents in paper document design.  Keep in mind that web sites are not static.  The ease with which a site can be updated is a great advantage to keeping your audience up to date.  However, this cuts both ways.  A good site is maintained and updated regularly.  An abandoned site becomes obsolete quickly, and will seem as stale and boring as a back issue in a dentist’s waiting room.                                                                                                

Like a set of instructions your site’s navigational system has to be clear and intuitive.  A well-designed system should be able to accommodate a range of user skills and interests.  Avoid circuitous links and try to make your site branch out in an organic fashion, stemming from your homepage and becoming more specific as one explores.  Give important information priority, ensure that the first thing a user will see is clear and eye-catching.  Like the front-page of a newspaper balance and space is a concern when arranging text and graphics.  Keep in mind that while perfectly symmetrical pages may be unexciting a certain aesthetic balance is probably a good idea. 

Plan your site so that your design suits your audience in its aesthetic continuity.  You can do this by keeping some elements running through all the pages.  Try to be consistent with your fonts, banners and backgrounds.  There is plenty of room for novelty on the web without having to disorient your audience with drastic fonts and jarring colors. 

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