Web Design Principles outlines key elements of effective web design including layout, color, graphics, fonts, content, navigation, multimedia, compatibility, interactivity, and basic principles. The document discusses website vs web pages, creating user-friendly design, planning process, and five golden rules of web design such as avoiding splash pages, having simple navigation, indicating where users are, limiting banner ads, and avoiding unnecessary audio.

1. Web Design Principles

2. Contents
1.1 Intro. To web design
1.2 Elements of Web Design
1.3 Website and Web pages
1.4 Creating User-Friendly Web Design
1.5 Basic principles involved in developing a web site
1.6 Planning process
1.7 Five golden rules of web design
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3. 1.1 Introduction to web design
Design is the process of collecting ideas, and aesthetically arranging
and implementing them, guided by certain principles for a specific
purpose. Web design is a similar process of creation, with the
intention of presenting the content on electronic web pages, which
the end-users can access through the internet with the help of a web
browser.

4. 1.2 Elements of web design
Web design uses many of the same key visual elements as all types of
design such as:
Layout: This is the way the graphics, ads and text are arranged. In the web
world, a key goal is to help the view find the information they seek at a
glance. This includes maintaining the balance, consistency, and integrity of
the design.
Color: The choice of colors depends on the purpose and clientele; it could
be simple black-and-white to multi-colored design, conveying the
personality of a person or the brand of an organization, using web-safe
colors.

5. Graphics: Graphics can include logos, photos, clipart or icons, all of which
enhance the web design. For user friendliness, these need to be placed
appropriately, working with the color and content of the web page, while not
making it too congested or slow to load.
Fonts: The use of various fonts can enhance a website design. Most web
browsers can only read a select number of fonts, known as "web-safe fonts",
so your designer will generally work within this widely accepted group.
Content: Content and design can work together to enhance the message of
the site through visuals and text. Written text should always be relevant and
useful, so as not to confuse the reader and to give them what they want so
they will remain on the site. Content should be optimized for search engines
and be of a suitable length, incorporating relevant keywords.

6. 1.3 Website vs. Web page
Websites
A website is a collection of webpages that are under 1 domain (such as
coolwebsite.com). For example if there is a company that owns abccompany.com then
this website will have several Webpages like Home, About Us, Contact Us,
Testimonials, Products, Services, FAQ’s, and others. All of these pages together make
up a Website.
Web Pages
A webpage is an independent page of a Website. For example a webpage would be the
testimonials page. A web page can be accessed by typically one URL in a browser and
that page can be copied and or send to a friend for review whereas websites are
collections of multiple page that must be navigated to view other content.
Or we can say that web page is an independent page, including graphics, multimedia,
text and etc.

7. 1.4 Creating User-Friendly Web Design
Besides the basic elements of web design that make a site beautiful and
visually compelling, a website must also always consider the end user.
User-friendliness can be achieved by paying attention to the following
factors.
Navigation: Site architecture, menus and other navigation tools in the web
design must be created with consideration of how users browse and search.
The goal is to help the user to move around the site with ease, efficiently
finding the information they require.
Multimedia: Relevant video and audio stimuli in the design can help users
to grasp the information, developing understanding in an easy and quick
manner. This can encourage visitors to spend more time on the webpage.

8. Compatibility: Design the webpage, to perform equally well on
different browsers and operating systems, to increase its viewing.
Technology: Advancements in technology give designers the freedom
to add movement and innovation, allowing for web design that is
always fresh, dynamic and professional.
Interactive: Increase active user participation and involvement, by
adding comment boxes and opinion polls in the design. Convert users
from visitors to clients with email forms and newsletter sign-ups.

9. 1.5 Basic principles involved in developing a web site
1. Homepage should illustrate top priorities and variety. The
primary goal of your homepage is to highlight new information and
top priorities. Take care to ensure that your homepage has a clear
hierarchy: visitors know what is most important but also have
enough variety to find what they’re looking for.
2. Design for the reader. The vast majority of visitors to your
website will want to find specific information quickly and easily.
Organize and label sections of your site that facilitate their task-
oriented needs.

10. 3. Provide consistent navigation. Once you have settled on the main
sections and labels for you site, keep them consistent throughout the site:
the colors, labels and location of the site’s navigation should remain
exactly the same on each and every page of your site.
4. Orient visitors in the site. Visitors don’t want to feel lost. Let them
know where they are, where they’ve been and where they should go next.
Providing consistent navigation is a good start. Providing highly visible
sub-navigation and page titles is also a must.
5. Site visitors don’t read; they scan. Make liberal use of sub-headings,
bold text, and bullet items to facilitate scanning.

11. 6. Page titles should be simple, descriptive and unique. Visitors
don’t want to be surprised or confused about an article’s contents. A
strong page title tells the exactly what they’re going to get — and
will help them decide if they should read more or move on.
7. Follow web conventions. Over time, web users come to expect
certain conventions — for example, that key navigation is either at
the top of the page or on the left side. Do not avoid these conventions
just to be different or unique. Instead, follow these conventions.
Predictability will help ensure that your visitors find what they’re
looking for quickly and easily.

12. 8. Keep graphics simple. Great design doesn’t need fancy graphics.
Visitors come to your site to find information, not to admire the
design. Graphics should facilitate task completion, not obscure it or
detract from it.
9. Use images of real members. Pictures — whether for you website
or your e-newsletter — should illustrate and enhance the story or
message. Real people, and not models in stock photos, will help
readers understand and connect with your message.
10. Include a Contact Us page. Include a link (usually) in the site’s
footer to a Contact Us page, which provides multiple ways for site
users to contact you: via snail mail, email and phone.

13. 1.6 Planning process

14. 1.7 Five golden rules of web design
The most important factor in good web design is to keep your visitor happy. Whilst
it’s impossible to please all of the people all of the time, there are some universal
rules which people generally agree make for a better web experience. When building
your website, close attention should be paid to these rules to make sure the site serves
its purpose and the visitor has the best possible journey along the way. Here are five
of the most important rules to keep in mind if you want to make sure your site
performs well and your visitors come back for more.
1) Don’t use splash pages. A splash page is the first page you see when you land
on a website which, rather than let you begin browsing, displays a beautiful image (or
sometimes an animation) and a message such as “Welcome” or “Click here to enter”.
Users hate these, as they stand in the way of the information they came to find. They
may look pretty but they serve no real purpose (besides making some visitors
instantly click the “back” button!) Give the visitor an informative homepage up front
without the splash page.

15. 2) Have a simple and clear navigation. This should be obvious, but
many sites still fail to offer straightforward navigation around the site.
Users hate getting lost and having to search for the content they came to
read, so create a menu structure that even a young child will be able to
use. Avoid complicated Flash-based menus or dropdown menus with far
too many levels too. If your visitors can’t navigate your site, they will
leave it quickly.
3) Have a clear indication of where the user is. Similar to point 2,
when visitors are browsing your site, they hate to suddenly find
themselves lost in a maze of pages. Use clear navigation – Breadcrumb
trails for example – which allow them to see where they are at any point
and easily click to another section as they require. Don’t confuse your
visitors, because confusion means they’ll bail out and go somewhere
else!

16. 4) Do not use excessive banner advertisements. Banner advertisements go
widely ignored these days, with many internet users installing browser plugins to hide
them altogether. By adding lots of sales banners to your site, you’ll be wasting
valuable real estate which could be used promoting your own business. Instead of
banners, provide more useful content of your own. You can still include sales
opportunities – Simply add relevant affiliate links to your content, and let your
visitors feel that they want to buy rather than being pushed to complete a purchase.
5) Avoid using audio on your site. This is one of the internet’s biggest
bugbears. People generally hate sites which require them to have sound unnecessarily,
or which play sound which is out of their control (for example a video which
automatically plays when the page is opened). If your visitor is going stick around on
your site, you’ll want to ensure they’re not irritated by some audio looping repeatedly
on any page. If you insist on adding sound (for example a video), ensure the visitor
has some control over it, including volume or muting controls