Chapter 23: Using Templates

Overview

Whether you consider yourself a web developer or a web designer, page layout is one of the most important aspects of your job. How many times have you abandoned a site you were visiting because it was hard to use or just too confusing or busy? If you're like most of us, you probably don't spend too much of your valuable time trying to unlock a site's biggest mysteries-there should be no mystery. The site's purpose should be clear, and the functionality should be simple to discern and implement, from page to page.

You're not creating great works of art (well, most of you aren't)-you simply want each page to quickly tell its story and grab the visitor's interest before they leave without exploring the really good stuff. That sounds like a lot of work, but it doesn't have to be. One way to reduce wear and tear on yourself and get your site up and running quickly is to make the Dreamweaver MX template your new best friend. Doing so will reduce your work load by quickly reproducing your design from page to page. In this chapter, you'll learn how to put templates to work for you.