Web Design
- 1. Web Design Year 10 Multimedia
- 2. Web Sites Ê A website (or web site) is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name. Ê Within the website, each screen of information is called a page. Pages may contain text, graphic images, sound and video. Ê A main feature are the "links" embedded within a page that can be clicked. These transfer viewers to other pages.
- 3. Web Sites (continued) Ê A normal information brochure would normally open at the front or the back and browse forwards or backwards a page at a time. With a website, the user decides the order they want to see the pages in by clicking the links that interest them. Ê This interactivity generates a sense of ownership and participation in the user, binding them to the information much more tightly than a traditional brochure.
- 4. Web Sites (continued) Ê A web site is a collection of folders and files. The files can be documents, graphics, multimedia and hypertext markup language (html). Ê Three pieces of software are mainly used when building web sites. Ê An HTML editor, e.g. Dreamweaver, for creating and editing. Ê An image editor, e.g. Photoshop, for creating and editing graphics. Ê A browser, e.g. Internet Explorer or Firefox for viewing. Ê Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) Web sites are built using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). This code is the language of the Internet. All HTML code is created in the background.
- 5. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) Ê Web sites are built using Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). This code is the language of the Internet for creating web pages and other information that can be displayed in a web browser. Ê The purpose of a web browser is to read HTML documents and compose them into visible or audible web pages. Ê HTML is written in the form of HTML elements consisting of tags enclosed in angle brackets (like <html>), within the web page content. Ê HTML tags most commonly come in pairs like <h1> and </h1>, although some tags, known as empty elements, are unpaired, for example <img>. The first tag in a pair is the start tag, the second tag is the end tag (they are also called opening tags and closing tags). In between these tags web designers can add text, tags, comments and other types of text-‐based content.
- 6. Common HTML Tags <a> Defines a hyperlink <b> or <strong> Defines bold text <body> Defines the document's body <br> Defines a single line break <em> Defines emphasized text (italics) <h1 > to <h6> Defines HTML headings <head> Defines information about the document <img> Defines an image <p> Defines a paragraph <table> Defines a table <td> Defines a cell in a table <title> Defines a title for the document <tr> Defines a row in a table
- 7. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) Ê CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets Ê Styles define how to display HTML elements. Ê External Style Sheets can save a lot of work. Styles are normally saved in external .css files. External style sheets enable you to change the appearance and layout of all the pages in a Web site, just by editing one single file!
- 8. Good vs. Bad Web Design In this day and age, we’re all so used to using the internet that a website needs to do more than just look pretty. Websites need to be: Ê Usable Ê Functional Ê Appealing Ê Meet audience expectations Unfortunately not all web designers get it right. Surprisingly even some of the most high-‐profile websites aren’t able to fulfil these core aims.
- 9. Good Web Design The key purpose of any site is to provide information. Good websites should provide information in an efficient and easy-‐to-‐find manner. Users should have everything they need at their fingertips without needing to hunt around for too long. Effective navigation is vital. A core part of the design process should be deciding what users will expect to find and delivering it in a clean and organised way. A good website needs to be engaging with just the right balance of visual appeal and operational efficiency.
- 10. Bad Web Design Bad websites tend to prioritise style over substance with high-‐flying animations often being seen. Although you might be left with great visuals, you’ll have very slow speeds and users will often find it difficult to access the required information. Bad websites haven’t thought about navigation and often won’t think about the end user either Bad websites use sophisticated technologies that won’t work well on older machines or even smartphones, meaning users won’t get the experience they need. Users should not have to look through page after page of information and not be able to find what they are looking for. Poor web design can be inconvenient and annoying and visitors may deciding to look elsewhere.
- 11. Web Designers Web designers design, create, produce and maintain web pages. They generally work on the layout and visual appearance of websites and online marketing material. Web designers focus on: Ê the visual appeal of a web site’s design Ê the colour palette Ê imagery Ê font selection Ê content layout Ê use of interactive content such as flash Ê how all of these elements combine to produce an effective and attractive website.
- 12. Web Designers (continued) Web designers also perform the following tasks: Ê talk with clients, and discuss ideas to get a clear understanding of their requirements Ê develop custom programs to extend the functionality of websites Ê talk with writers, designers, system administrators and other IT staff to make sure the website will fulfil its purpose Ê maintain or update the website once it is completed by adding new content, illustrations or features Ê coordinate other people, such as designers and writers, to help maintain the website.