- Design
- Target audience - time sensitive, critical
- Appeal
- Marketing
- Structured
- Load quickly
- Color
- Avoid yellow
- Use complimentary colors - colors on opposite side of color wheel
- Use darker greens for text
- Use color to designate hierarchies
- Use consistent color throughout web site
- Standardize web pages
- Repeat info on each page in same area such as address, phone
- Images
- Scale for web use so they are fast loading - do not make someone wait for something they do not want
- Goal is to keep person on web site for as long as possible in a good way
- Text
- Keep to a minimum, use Read More if necessary
- Use bullets
- Avoid long scrolls
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - searches web site for key words given in header and text, meta tags
- How to Design a website
- Use Z or GT (Golden Triangle) lay out - 1 2
- 3
- other choices are Zig Zag 3 for F 1. - 2.
- 3. - 4.
- Use upper left corner to display logo
- Phone on every page
- Keep navigation high on page
- Use designated space for things like
- Header, logo
- Font and color, use 12 pt so text site adjusts, helvetica, century schoolbook
- Use site standards
- Text made into image is unsearchable - keep text live so it is searchable
- Use Google Analytics
- Tells you what people are doing on your site
- Social Media
- Twitter - target audience 15-30 years
- Facebook - businesses
- Steps in Designing
- Appt
- Identify audience
- Help client identify what they can do for their customers and other critical ideas
- Identify a tag line
- Help optimize web site
- Help identify left navigation
- Who will maintain the web site
- DreamWeaver - more static, low maintenance
- Word Press - self manage
- Consider use of mail list managers
- Change things now and then
- Zones
- Avoid getting users lost or trapped on web site
- Expand on what is liked
- Dynamic - changing daily, hourly
- Open 24/7
- Judge book by its cover
- Consider a mobile site
- Don't list everything
- Hierarchy
- Different formatting
- Immediate
- Design Team
- Client
- Designer
- Copywriter - goals, 400 words max, want know direction, what is competition
- Marketing - identify audience
- Photographer - good images, royalty fees; istockphoto.com, actiongraphicdesign.com
- Project manager - signed consent
- Google Analytics - update site, firm or client
