Section 4.0. Introduction

4.0. Introduction

From the most obvious design choices, such as selecting the appropriate typography and imagery, to those that are often overlooked, such as adjusting leading and color schemes, every decision affects the how the message in a web site is conveyed to the visitor.

This chapter covers page elements that help to Frame a web page like a frame for a painting. Page elements are items that affect the appearance of a web page, but aren't necessarily thought of as comprising a web page's design. For example, the appearance of the scrollbar is a page element.

By manipulating elements such as the margins and borders surrounding the contents of a web page, developers can effectively frame the content of the page without actually styling the content. Such simple changes can affect the page's overall design in a profound way, or they can add a subtle detail that completes the design.