Layout, Content, and Navigation


Because people tend to read online text more slowly than paper text, Web site designers use page layout techniques to help make content more readable.

Page Layout

The arrangement of text, graphics, and whitespace on a page.


Whitespace

Refers to the background of a page. Note that this space does not have to be white.


In general, when designing a Web site, you will need to keep the following key tips in mind. Figure 13.1 shows you how some of these layout tricks work to emphasize your content.

  • Keep paragraphs short and include a margin Keep your paragraphs under ten lines and include a margin. If you want viewers to read your text, you'll need to make it easy for them. You learned how to use style sheets to create margins in Lesson 5, "Adding Your Own Style."

  • Break up long sections of text with bullets, tables, and headings Information design research has shown that online readers scan text, rather than read it, until they find what they're looking for. Bullets and headings help users find things more quickly.

  • Don't underline any text unless it is a hyperlink Online viewers expect anything underlined to be clickable. If you use underlining for another purpose, such as formatting your headings, you will confuse your readers.

Figure 13.1. Adding diversity to your page layout helps enhance its readability.


If your Web site contains more than one page, you'll want to include some way for your visitors to find the other pages in your site. A good navigation system is more than a table of contents; it is a defined structure that gives your visitors information about your site. Your navigation system can consist of text links or image links (refer to Lesson 8, "Using Graphics"). Whichever link type you choose, your navigation system should appear on every page of your site to help orient your users.

Tip

Many designers use frames as a navigation tool. A frame is a portion of your HTML document that displays a separate HTML. You learned how to create frames, and use them effectively, in Lesson 10, "Creating Frames."




Sams Teach Yourself HTML in 10 Minutes
Sams Teach Yourself HTML in 10 Minutes (4th Edition)
ISBN: 067232878X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 151
Authors: Deidre Hayes

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