Web Page Ideas
EDTECH Editor-Jones
hi
I'm designing a web page for a grad class I'm
currently in. I just wanted to ask those of you out
there, who have more experience with web development
than I have, what are some things that make one web
page easier to use/better/more successful than other
pages?
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanx
vic.
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SIGNOFF EDTECH
EDTECH Editor-Jones
> . . . what are some things that make one web
> page easier to use/better/more successful than other
> pages?
>
The most important thing to consider when creating a web page/site is
who your audience is. If you are creating a web page for a grade, then
pin down the prof for a rubric and use content that supports the purpose
you were given in the assignment. If you are creating the page to be
useful for other students, try to restrict your content to that which
serves students. Create a user interface that easily facilitates your
web visitors finding what they need. Leave out any content which does
not support your intended audience.
If you want to serve multiple audiences - which most educational web
sites try to do - organize it so that each audience type can find what
they need. This is REALLY hard because content areas usually have some
over lap between users. In school web sites, parents, students,
teachers and outside community all need to be addressed - if time and
sanity permits, but many areas of interest to one group will also be of
interest to others.
So for the design of an "overall" look, one usually has a major dilema
and ends up creating "busy" looking front pages instead of clean
categories like "click here if you are a parent," "click here if you are
a student" and so forth. It's an issue I've grabbled with in our
student web club all year, and to no avail, I might add. We had some
loud arguments over this issue. <g> I've allowed significant student
input on the overall look and organization of our school web site, and
to me is a jumble of kaleidoscope confusion. However, because of the
complexity of who we are serving, I'm not sure how I would reorganize it
to be better and I have no intention of overrulling my web club
students. Our school site is doing a really good job of serving multiple
audiences, even though I always have a nagging feeling we could do
better.
The bottom line when you finish your site is to be prepared to work
constantly. Your web site is a living and breathing tool for your
audiences, if it is to be useful. Anything which sits and stagnates
will not be useful. In my case, I update something multiple times daily
on our site, and I have the stats to prove its usefulness. 2000
accesses daily (representing 7000 hits daily.) That's a lot of people
looking at something. Sports coaches, clubs, parents, teachers, alumni,
special announcements and activities are all sources of info to be
added, deleted or created. New content is already planned for next year
that's not up or not started. Students are planning new looks for
various sections and will work with me during the summer.
Nothing can stand still for a useful web site.
Oh yes, color and graphics are NOT more important than content. Keep
them in line, and play with them often if you feel creative. There are
good reasons to have picture galleries, though, but keep the photos from
destroying organization. We have LOTS of photos and video clips in our
club and sports sections, but they do NOT interfere with finding
information.
gail
--
Mrs. Gail Watson, Technology Specialist
Gar-Field High School
14000 Smoketown Road
Woodbridge, Virginia 22192
http://www.gar-field.org/
Swimming, Scouting and Music Mom
email: gwa...@starpower.net
EDTECH Editor-Jones
> . . . what are some things that make one web
> page easier to use/better/more successful than other
> pages?
1) Original content. Updated regularly.
2) Concise text.
3) Logical navigation structure.
4) Attention paid to accessibility issues.
5) Yes, I'm well aware that I constantly break these rules ;->
--
David Hellam - da...@hellam.net - Kuwait
Interactivities Forum - http://www.interactivestuff.org
EDTECH Editor-Jones
First of all, I would use dreamweaver, it is very easy. Just be creative
and specific with what you want to put on your web page. Make it easy to
navigate and easy to get from the top to the bottom of your web page.
Finnally, have fun with it. Make it colorful......
Bill Doyle
EDTECH Editor-Jones
>. . . what are some things that make one web
>page easier to use/better/more successful than other
>pages?
I have an article I recently wrote for a tech newsletter, that might have
some helpful hints for you. If you would like it I can mail it to you.
Jane Aitken
jai...@lowell.k12.ma.us
*************************************
http://www.greenhalgeschool.org/
*************************************
Macintosh OS 7-9.x
*************************************
EDTECH Editor-Jones
Hello Victor and everyone
I am a webmaster and run workshops on how to design
web pages and here are some tips I give students:
1 Keep the audience in mind. Who is your audience?
What do they want: to be entertained, amused,
informed, educated etc? What is their expected level
of computer sophistication? Design for the lowest
common denominator
2 Usability usability usability. You can have the best
designed site in the world, but if users can't use it,
it's no good. Check out wwww.useit.com - Jakob
Neilsen's site. Ask some people to check out your site
- ask them to wander around the site and also to look
for a specific piece of information. Watch how they do
this. *Sit on your hand and don't say a word*. You are
there to watch and learn. If they have problems
navigating, re-design your site
3 Accessibility - make sure that your site is
accessible by everyone - those with visual or mobility
handicaps or any kind of issue
4 Functionality - make sure that your links work and
that your pages are organised in a sensible fashion.
Watch file sizes - pages that are too big take too
long to download. If people have to wait more than
about, say, 10 seconds you'll lose them. Probably
forever
5 Don't have more than one animation on any one page.
If you *must* have an animation, loop it a few times
and then have it stop. Animations are distracting. I
always tell my students this while waving my hand in
the air - they get the point!
6 'Chunk' text. People read more slowly on screen -
think about - you probably print off web pages to
read, don't you? ;) So, give someone a chunk of text
to read and break it up with lots of white spaces and
headings and sub-headings. Let them escape from the
page without having to scroll
7 Don't 'orphan' pages - ie make sure that if someone
goes to a page, they can go back or on to another
page.
8 Run your site through an HTML validator to check for
broken links. Also, Bobby is a good accessibility
check
Feel free to contact me off-list if you want more
rantings! ;)
Regards
Heather Glyn
EDTECH Editor-Jones
> . . . what are some things that make one web
> page easier to use/better/more successful than other
> pages?
>
Download the Yale Style Manual, 2nd edition at
http://info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual/contents.html. It covers most of the
basics and will not lead you astray.
Bernie :)
Bernard John Poole, MSIS
Associate Professor of Education and Instructional Technology
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Johnstown, PA 15904
Phone: (814) 269-2923
E-mail: po...@pitt.edu
Home Page: http://www.pitt.edu/~poole
EdIndex: http://www.pitt.edu/~poole/edmenu.html
EDTECH Editor-Jones
Hi Vic,
Do a search on Google.com with the keywords: "good web design" and you
will have accessed a TON of information!
Alix Peshette
Technology Coordinator
Emerson Junior High School
Davis, CA
apes...@djusd.k12.ca.us
EDTECH Editor-Jones
This message is in response to the thread started by Victor Willis II on
the above topic.
Hello Victor,
I have thought of three other things that you should consider when
creating a web page. First is color. Your background should not conflict
with the color of your text so that it makes your text hard to read. You
should also maintain consistency in a color theme for the different pages
on a website. In addition, any pages that you think someone would print,
should have a white background.
Second, you should avoid the "under construction" graphics. Every web
page is always under construction to some extent because it is always
evolving. Putting "under construction" graphics on your web page can be
very annoying. If you truly have a great deal of work to do to it yet,
then don't post the site.
Finally, a good web page always has a contact email address so a visitor
can contact someone if they have questions regarding your site. You
should also have a date posted for the last time your site was revised.
Hope this helps you. Good luck!
Jan Strotheide
Assistant Director of Financial Aid
Greenville College
jstro...@greenville.edu
EDTECH Editor-Jones
>>what are some things that make one web page easier to use/better/more
successful than other pages?<<
Great question, Victor!
To give a good, complete answer would take more than an e-mail. However, I
recommend Vincent Flanders' book, Web Pages that Suck. Also, I've written
a book on the subject, The Visual Learner's Guide to Web Projects, that
you're welcome to download for free.
In fact, all EDTECH members are welcome to download a free copy as well.
Got to give back to the list:)
Just let me know off-list that you'd like one, and we'll set you up with a
download.
Chris Charuhas
__________________________
Chris Charuhas / Visibooks
ch...@visibooks.com
804.278.9188 phone
EDTECH Editor-Jones
There have been lots of excellent suggestions on this topic. One I haven't
seen mentioned yet, I think, is the notion that the web is a "harsh
mistress", as Diane Wilson put it
(http://www.firelily.com/opinions/mistress.html).
The larger your site, the truer this notion becomes. All members of the
web page creators' "club" should have to sign, preferably in their own
blood, a pact to commit to their web sites for as long as the web sites are
online. Web page creators should personally visit their sites frequently
to evaluate them, update them as and when necessary, and generally maintain
them with tender loving care.
If you're not prepared to do this, you should do the world a favor and
remove your sites from the web. Unfortunately, this rarely happens. As we
all know, the web is littered with web sites that haven't been maintained
in years. And we all know what we think of such sites.
So, develop web sites only if you are prepared to sacrifice the time
necessary to maintain their value for those for whom your web sites exist.
I speak from bitter experience. My primary website at
http://www.pitt.edu/~poole is something of a monster--close to 500 pages.
I have had to commit to it in ways I never dreamed would be necessary when
I started the wretched thing in the Fall of 1996. But if I neglect it for
even a day or two, it starts to degrade, just like anything in life.
Before I started it, I was relatively laid back and easy-going. Now I'm
grouchy and mean, as my students will attest. But that's the price you
pay...
Bernie :)
EDTECH Editor-Jones
>To give a good, complete answer would take more than an
>e-mail. However, I recommend Vincent Flanders' book,
>web Pages that Suck.
There is a corresponding web site at http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/. I
have gleaned helpful information from it. I have not read the book.
>Also, I've written a book on the subject, The Visual
>Learner's Guide to Web Projects, that you're welcome
>to download for free.
>
>In fact, all EDTECH members are welcome to download a
>free copy as well. Got to give back to the list:)
I've emailed Chris and downloaded the book. Although I haven't read it all
yet this morning, I have decided it will be very helpful as I plan the
'redesign' of the building website where I will be teaching next year.
Email Chris and get his work.
Doug
Douglas Dick
District Technology Coordinator
USD 264
Clearwater, KS
620.584.2091