Comments on: The Methods to My Maddness - Design, Navigation and Layout http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/ Backpacking around the world on my income from the internet. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:11:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.7 by: Webjourneyman http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/#comment-123 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:31:28 +0000 http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/#comment-123 Didn't mean to challenge what you said about "ultimately, a site’s look isn’t hugely important", I wrote the reply before I had read the last paragraph. I was agreing with "Now it’s time for the good stuff!" When I design a layout and I've designed a few although not many have made it online yet, I try to keep it as simple as possible. Black letters on white background and plenty of empty space. Computer users are likely to lead a cluttered life to begin with and don't need the grief of sorting through clutter on a new website before finding what they need. Steve, I started out coding a site the old school way or by hand, never was very good at it and rather than learn what each tag did I would copy them or lines of code from a cheat sheat. Now I leaning more towards open source CMS's (content management systems) like websitebaker. The advantage is that one does not nead to know any xhtml to get started, only pick up enough css to give a new site it's unique look. The disadvantage is that if something does break down or not work proberly one needs to push ones programming knowledge to a new level and start fiddling with php. Didn’t mean to challenge what you said about “ultimately, a site’s look isn’t hugely important”, I wrote the reply before I had read the last paragraph. I was agreing with “Now it’s time for the good stuff!”

When I design a layout and I’ve designed a few although not many have made it online yet, I try to keep it as simple as possible. Black letters on white background and plenty of empty space. Computer users are likely to lead a cluttered life to begin with and don’t need the grief of sorting through clutter on a new website before finding what they need.

Steve, I started out coding a site the old school way or by hand, never was very good at it and rather than learn what each tag did I would copy them or lines of code from a cheat sheat. Now I leaning more towards open source CMS’s (content management systems) like websitebaker.

The advantage is that one does not nead to know any xhtml to get started, only pick up enough css to give a new site it’s unique look. The disadvantage is that if something does break down or not work proberly one needs to push ones programming knowledge to a new level and start fiddling with php.

]]> by: Kirsty http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/#comment-122 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:25:20 +0000 http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/#comment-122 WJM that looks like a really interesting site, I'll have to have a closer look at it tomorrow. It's actually a great example of how design isn't everything. I agree that you need to catch people's eye but if someone is looking for specific content and the site doesn't drive them away with a terrible design then they'll stay and read even if it's not super slick. Steve address the building bit in tomorrow's post. As for ads, I agree that they can detract from a site's look but I've learned to take them into consideration when I do the initial layout so I can minimise their ugliness. WJM that looks like a really interesting site, I’ll have to have a closer look at it tomorrow. It’s actually a great example of how design isn’t everything. I agree that you need to catch people’s eye but if someone is looking for specific content and the site doesn’t drive them away with a terrible design then they’ll stay and read even if it’s not super slick.

Steve address the building bit in tomorrow’s post. As for ads, I agree that they can detract from a site’s look but I’ve learned to take them into consideration when I do the initial layout so I can minimise their ugliness.

]]> by: Steve http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/#comment-120 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:46:15 +0000 http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/#comment-120 Good advice webjourneyman - I need to check out that site you noted. Sort of a related question about all of this...do most people use some kind of website development software package or do people build their sites from scratch using notepad/Word for example? Do any of the various website design software packages address these layout/design issues at all? Like a lot of things, it seems the simpler the better. I would also add that lots of ads that detract from the visual design (i.e. distract the visitor) on a website may be a turn off for lots of folks. Good advice webjourneyman - I need to check out that site you noted.

Sort of a related question about all of this…do most people use some kind of website development software package or do people build their sites from scratch using notepad/Word for example?

Do any of the various website design software packages address these layout/design issues at all?

Like a lot of things, it seems the simpler the better. I would also add that lots of ads that detract from the visual design (i.e. distract the visitor) on a website may be a turn off for lots of folks.

]]> by: Webjourneyman http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/#comment-118 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:08:17 +0000 http://www.nerdynomad.com/2007/09/18/the-methods-to-my-maddness-design-navigation-and-layout/#comment-118 I think design, or the "look" of the site is extremely important. Surfers move fast, often stopping less than 2 seconds on a new website. A good layout adds precious seconds to how long a potentual new reader stops by. An ugly layout can block a new reader from ever discovering you. Navigation, or usability is also very important and also because of speed. The faster somebody can figure out how to move about your site the more comfortable they feel and the longer they stay. Can reccomend, useit.com for some great usability articles, it's mostly aimed ad big company websites but there are bits that can be used anywhere. Like taking a poll on where the 10 most popular websites put their navigation buttons (home, about, search, contact etc.) to find out what the industry standard is, where most surfers will expect those buttons to be. I think design, or the “look” of the site is extremely important. Surfers move fast, often stopping less than 2 seconds on a new website. A good layout adds precious seconds to how long a potentual new reader stops by. An ugly layout can block a new reader from ever discovering you.

Navigation, or usability is also very important and also because of speed. The faster somebody can figure out how to move about your site the more comfortable they feel and the longer they stay.

Can reccomend, useit.com for some great usability articles, it’s mostly aimed ad big company websites but there are bits that can be used anywhere. Like taking a poll on where the 10 most popular websites put their navigation buttons (home, about, search, contact etc.) to find out what the industry standard is, where most surfers will expect those buttons to be.

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