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Page DesignMost Web pages are currently written in HTML (HyperText Markup Language). As the name implies, the language was originally developed to "mark up" documents in much the same way as proof readers indicate bold, italic, paragraph breaks and so forth in paper manuscripts.HTML specifications are formulated by the World Wide Web Consortium, which relies on the goodwill of browser manufacturers to adopt them as standard elements of the language. It is only relatively recently that HTML has been used as a design and layout tool in page design, and that the language has been extended to accommodate these aspects. A number of factors influence the rendering of your page on an individual user's screen. Amongst the major ones are: This means that, as a site operator, you have
virtually no influence over how your pages appear to a user. So what looks
terrific on your designer's 21" monitor set to "millions of
colors", and driven by a Power Mac with a dedicated, high-speed connection
to the 'Net may look abysmal to someone accessing the Web through a 14.4kbps
modem via America Online on a 14" monitor.
Monitor ResolutionWhile medium resolution monitors (800 x 600 pixels) are becoming the norm, there remains a considerable body of users who are still using monitors with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels.This means that they see "larger" text and graphics. The implication of this is that less fits on to a screen, which, in turn, requires such users to scroll down more often. Recent research indicates that users are more willing to scroll than previously believed. Nonetheless, your pages should not occupy more than two or three screens. Copy needs to be tight and clear - write no more than 50% of the text you would use in a hardcopy publication. Write for scannability - users simply don't read on the screen, they scan. Use internal links to break up long chunks of information into multiple pages. Graphical elements should conform to the 216 colors which render accurately across browsers and platforms. PlatformThe two major platforms are Mac and PC-compatible. This latter includes DOS-based systems, Windows 3.x, NT and 95.Both platforms render HTML slightly differently,
depending upon the precise configuration of the user's hardware.
Type and Version of BrowserThe two major browsers are Netscape Navigator ("Navigator") and Microsoft Internet Explorer ("IE"), with approximately 50% and 45% market share respectively. The remaining 5% comprise a variety of proprietary browsers of which the most significant are Lynx and Opera. (Lynx, incidentally, is a text-only browser, and does not display images.)Both Navigator and IE are currently in version 4.x. However, this does not mean that all visitors to your site are sporting the latest and greatest version of their browser of choice. Indeed, most will be using the browser supplied by their Internet Service Provider, or the one which came bundled with their machine. This is significant insofar as different browsers - and different versions of the same browser - not only recognize new, proprietary "tags" (HTML "commands"), which are devised by Netscape and Microsoft to be readable only by their browsers, but also render older tags in different ways. There is a need, therefore, to test your site
design across a variety of browsers and platforms. This should be carried out at
the prototype stage.
Speed of AccessNo matter how fast a user's modem, speed of access to any given URL is only as good as the weakest link between the page's server and the user's screen.Data travels across the Web in "packets" of 20 kilobytes. It behaves like water - it follows the path of least resistance. This means that between any two points, a "packet" may pass through as many as twenty or more network routers. It is reasonable to assume that most users of your site will be accessing the Web at modem speeds of 28.8 kbps or less. This means that the larger your page and its associated graphics, the longer your user will wait for it to load. In reality, most users will wait between five and ten seconds for a page to load. If they have to wait longer than that, they will probably hit the "back" button and be lost to you. Think in terms of the worst case scenario. Your
site should load quickly on an older machine with a 14.4 kbps modem. When
working with a designer, make certain that you are inspecting a site which has
been loaded on to a remote server, not one which is loading from your designer's
hard drive.
User PreferencesThe two major browsers allow users to set their own preferences in terms of font, font size, background, text and link colors, image and Java recognition. You have no control over these elements.And remember that a large number of people have impairments of one form or another. Some will be browsing using Braille readers, or speech synthesizers. Others will use screen readers. There are, however, ways of minimizing the
effects of the elements of a user's experience over which you have no control.
HTMLGiven that a large number of users (if not the majority) will not have the latest version of their browser of choice, use an HTML specification which is recognized by most browsers on most platforms.Your designer should be encouraged to validate her HTML to HTML 3.2 specifications through a service such as "A Kinder, Gentler HTML Validator". This will ensure that the HTML used on your site
will be comprehensible to the vast majority of browsers currently in use.
Java"Java" is a cross-platform programming language devised by Sun Microsystems. Its use on the Web has not been fully realized as yet.There are two phenomena to be aware of if you are contemplating the use of Java on your site. On older machines and with particular configurations of software and hardware, Java may cause the user's browser to crash or freeze up. It is extremely unlikely that a user to whom this happens will return to your siteÖ A significant number of users surf with Java disabled. For the time being, it is advisable to eschew the
use of Java on your site.
Frames"Frames" allow you to keep one or more elements constantly in the browser window - for example, a navigation bar.Unfortunately, frames are not recognized by older browsers, and the frame scroll bars take up an unacceptable amount of screen "real estate" on smaller, lower-resolution monitors. They can be useful if deployed judiciously, but
are best avoided.
GraphicsThe Web is littered with sites which use "LUGs" (Large Unacceptable Graphics). "LUGs" are the greatest and most avoidable source of excessive download times.Graphical elements should be used sparingly and reduced in size as much as possible. This means reducing the number of "bits per pixel", and restricting colors to the 216 in the "Netscape Color Cube". For the benefit of users who have images turned off and those with disabilities, ensure that your images always contain "ALT" tags, which describe the content of the image or graphic.
795 Mammoth Road "Less is always more."
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