Once you've found somewhere to host and publish your files,
you're ready to move on to the design stage. Creating your
Web site can be one of the most enjoyable parts of the
project since it's the stage where your visual ideas come
to fruition.
If you've spent many long nights imagining how your Web
business would look, the design stage is where we put these
plans through the mixer and produce an interface.
There are two aspects to the design stage; Web designing
and Web developing.
No, contrary to what you might have believed, they're not
the same thing. A Web designer's job is generally much
different to that of a developer. You don't have to take on
either, but it can save a lot of time and a lot of money if
you have a grasp of at least one of the skills.
Primarily in this topic, we'll be looking at the tasks
faced by a Web designer.
What Makes A Good Web Layout?
Planning a good Web layout has as much to do with knowing
what's going to happen as it does with knowing how to use
PhotoShop and other such fancy software.
Many new designers are drawn into their craft to the point
where they overlook the practicality of Web design in
search of creative touches. It's true, for some Web sites
the layout may need to be particularly appealing on the
eye.
But don't let that cloud your own vision. The fact is that
the majority of successful Web businesses operate on bare
minimal templates. Have a look around the Web. Look at
MySpace, BBC, Amazon and eBay. Are these Web sites
dominated by overly complicated designs?
It may seem so. But don't mistake content with the
components that are actually built in to the Web template.
Most sensible businesses use basic interfaces with subtle
colour schemes and the occasional flash of content imagery
to make things seem more visual than they really are.
Yet new designers (and some experienced ones too) will
overlook this idea. They'll worry if their design doesn't
look exciting enough. Many will throw in ridiculous shapes
and stock images to cover for empty spaces. We'll look at
some bad design practices later in this section, but for
now let's focus on how to follow GOOD design.
