Perhaps one of the nightmares a web searcher can get into is visit a site and emerge out of it totally confused because of the layout. Therefore a site's layout must be very well thought of alongside its contents.
One of the very first things to consider in developing a site is its aesthetic aspect – the appearance. The backgrounds provide a good way of catching the attention of site visitors. Instead of making it the usual pale color, try incorporating it with the site's theme. The designer can make the background even more interesting by adding complementary images to the background. Care should be taken however, to ensure that the background image will not obscure the actual text of the site. One thing to remember is to avoid using bright colored backgrounds, as these will make reading quite difficult.
Text and pictures are the greatest crowd drawers to any site. The very first thing to consider in putting up the text for a site is readability, not only for the viewer but also for the site browser. The text size should be just right to allow visitors with poor eyesight to still read the contents. A size of around 3 for the body text should be enough for most readers. Also vary the sizes for each section of the text, such as the largest being the section heading and the smallest for captions. Alternately, you can identify section headings by having them all capitalized or in a different color.
Font style is also very crucial in the text design for a site. The easiest way to go with in font style is using the most common fonts. People will definitely be comfortable with these and will find them easier to read. These is also very useful in addressing cross platform issues, such as using Firefox to read a site written for Internet Explorer.
If indeed, you want to use stylized fonts, restrict their use in the section headings. The larger sizes of the headings makes them easier to read while also making them more eye catching. Also remember to take note of compatibility issues and choose only the appropriate fonts.
In putting the images, try considering whether they are the central focus or will be added to complement the text. In case of the former, put it on the center. One thing to avoid in this case is wrapping the text around the picture, as this makes it hard to read. What you can do in inserting the pictures into the text is to have a break before and after the image. This will help readers focus on the image.
Image sizes must also be appropriately chosen for the viewer to totally appreciate it. In case of simple images, a sufficiently large picture of it showing the details can be used. For more complex images, it would be better to post a thumbnail and link it with a larger sized copy for easier viewing.
Navigation is also key to a very well thought out layout. Your navigation buttons must be conveniently located on screen to facilitate easier use. Also the navigation titles must be readable to users. One thing that you can do to jazz up your navigation bar is to have simple animation accompany the action of activating the link. Also try to vary the color of your link to be more interesting.
These are some of the basic specifications to produce a user friendly site layout that can enhance the overall site visitor's experience.
Author Resource:-
The author is a contributor for TeamCreatives.com, a web design outsourcing company - we craft more than websites, we are innovations redefined.
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