Web Sites: Design Issues

Duration: 1 Day

Objectives

This course enables users to:
Understand the issues surrounding web design
Evaluate good design practices
Manage the development of design effectively

The Available Software
Comparing Web page creation software: FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Homesite and the rest
Overview of other important software: Flash, Photoshop, Fireworks

Initial Concepts
The difference between print media and publishing to the web
Controlling user experience - how can it be done?
Comparing static and dynamic content: in what ways are the newer sites better than traditional ones?
A look at real sites to decide what adds value and what is a waste of resources.

Compatibility Issues
Understanding the problems when publishing for public consumption: different computers, different browsers, and different user expectations
Current and up-coming standards with web browsers - HTML, CSS
What can go wrong with the look of a site, and how to work around problems

Images for the Web
Creating and splicing for the web
Animated gifs v flash
Interlaced v non-interlaced
Compression issues
Reusing images
Spacers

Management Issues
Templates
Code snippets
Assets
Style Sheets

General Considerations
Functionality and accessibility
Colour - websafe or not?
Fonts- webfonts
Splash screens
Frames
Fashions - do my web pages have to look like that?
Corporate image
How do they do that? Some clever examples

Recommended Reading:
The Complete Reference: Web Design published by Osborne, available from IPS at £25.99 (plus £2.95 post & packing). Discounts available for book orders of over £100.