September 16, 2003 | View Comments (0) | Design
Here is my curriculum for beginning web designers. These sites should be bookmarked and studied. By studied I mean the source should be viewed, the css should be viewed, and the overall design of the site should constantly be analyzed.
Mezzoblue: White is the default color that all designers should consider, but when going for more emotion in your design then the use of colors can not be underestimated. Dave uses blues to separate his site from the rest of the blogs and to show that when he talks about design, HIS design backs it up. Recently updated with a CSS layout which goes to show that tables are not the only hip thing in town anymore.
Negative: Too many different colors may kill the intended effect of your site.
hicksdesign: This site displays a great use of color, but I am more interested in the layout. The compact yet clean site always invites me to come back and visit. What makes it more amazing is the site is done in CSS therefore showing how you can get the frame effect without using nasty frames. The major downside to this design is that it really only works in resolutions of 1024x768 and higher which is a shame because so much of his audience could potentially be cut out.
Beginning designers should aim for readability at a minimum of 800x600 since this is the leading default resolution on computers today. However, with the CSS making strong inroads, proper XTHML layout can allow you to design for many different screen types.
The Sun Report: Liquid design allows the content of your site to fill whatever resolution your readers are using. Sunny does an excellent job of doing this and also has a readable font-size that helps people with larger resolutions view the content. This site also exhibits another great use of color.
Sitepoint: For a sense of what liquid design is on a larger site then look no further than Sitepoint. Their 3 column layout flows with the screen allowing for the largest possible audience to view their content. Very important on commercial sites. There is no reason to shut users out if you are trying to make money.
Negatives: Many argue that the problem with liquid design is that on larger resolutions the content becomes unlegible because line length becomes to long. Everyone opinions differ and it is up to you to make a conscious decision of what you are trying to do. Keep your intended audience in mind when designing.
These are just three basic principles that will get you started on design. From time to time I will post more sites that focus on other design principles.
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