The Basics of Web Design

Image courtesy of dullhunk

As you probably already know, a blog theme is just another website template. Pages of code that sit on web servers and tell browsers what to put on their pages, these themes are nothing but plain old websites. Learning about web design is leaning about blog theme design. So here are a few tips about what a solid site should do to make the most of its online real estate.

Framework:

First and foremost, a website design is just a kind of framework for the content it presents in its boundaries. From the header where the logo/title sits, to the navigation bar that is attached in some way, shape or form to any sidebars, feature sections and the final footer to close the circuit. All of this, surrounding the main content area where you’re focused voice is present. This framework is the glue that holds your website together.

Starting with the header: An effective header is one that is just the right size to make visible your name-brand, but not too much to burst your readers personal bubble. It should fallow the theme of the rest of the site, but carry just enough difference that it stands out and draws those new eyes into itself. You want a new visitor to be drawn to it, but not so much that they can’t look away.

The navigation bar: I personally believe that this is the most important part of the framework. Acting as a kind of anchor, the navigation bar (or navbar for short) becomes the boundary between your header and the rest of your content (this assumes it’s on top and not on the side, but that’s an assumption I’m going to make in this handbook). It holds the keys to each page on your website and allows instant access, no matter where you go. The header is important, but without the navbar, it would feel naked and out of place.

The key to an effective navbar is simple. Use JUST the necessary amount of pages to it and it will do its job. Too many and they become lost in themselves, doing nothing more than confusing your short attention spanned reader.

Sidebar: The sidebar is your sub-content area. Kind of a mix between the navbar and your main content area, the sidebar both caries access to other locations as well as house content you want readily available with just the slightest glance.

A solid sidebar is one that is JUST big enough to house your necessary links, buttons, forms and images. Keep it simple, but not bland. You want to draw your readers eye, but not distract from your main content.

Speaking of your main content area: This should be the largest piece of land on your website, housing the focus and point of your pages. White or light background is ideal, with dark colored text. Clean is always good and the rest is up to your own grammatical skills.

The footer: The final piece to the puzzle, the footer closes the loop to keep the circuit circling. There are two kinds of effective footers and both are about as opposite as they come…

One is the simple cut off point. This should be almost invisible, but just enough to house the credits and bounce your readers eye back up to the top. The second kind is one that houses much more than the credits. Used as a feature section, this kind of footer is almost a kind of bottom sidebar. A great place to put some ‘bonus’ links for your readers to feast on, this can be a solid way to extent your website just a bit further. Just be careful not to over do it. Too much clutter in the basement of your site and you’ll lose your visitors in the mess of pictures, links and who knows what else.

So keep it clean either way and try and stick to the JUST ENOUGH rule.

Feel:

The feel of your website should be just what it needs to be to draw your reader in. If it’s a news site, it should fee informational. If it’s about art, it should feel creative. Whatever your content is trying to convey, your website should back this up with the right layout.

But don’t mix this up with the idea that the framework should be decked out. The fact is, what you put INSIDE your layout should determine the look and feel, not so much everything else. I mean sure, it doesn’t hurt to have a unique, attractive custom logo and the colors DO make a difference, but the words and images that fill the insides, those are what will solidify your message. The framework should be just that…a FRAME. Just like too much picture frame can take away from the picture, so too can your over-the-top web design distract from the content inside.

Keeping people coming back:

The fact is, a new visitor isn’t your bread and butter. It’s only when that person re-appears at a later time that you know you’ve done something right. No amount of theme customization will be enough to ensure the masses will come back, time and time again. It’s up to YOU to fill the walls of your website with words and images that inspire a return. Successful online activity may start with a solid frame, but this quickly transitions to its rightful place, in the hands of your voice.

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