General Guidelines for Web Designers

The following are some useful guidelines for any web designer.

Use pictures sparingly

Pictures enhance the appearance of a page. However, it is not wise to fill your web pages with too many images. Most images have a large file size and would therefore make pages take much longer to load. Since many web users are not patient, they are likely to click away from the page. As a general rule, it is advisable to keep page sizes under 30 kilobytes.

Remember to include alt tags on every image you use. Such tags can be very helpful to users as well as search engines.

Functionality and navigability

Before you consider the artistic excellence of your site, you need to think about its functionality and navigability. There is no point of making your site flashy and attractive if visitors can’t navigate around it.

Browser

Be sure to avoid browser-specific functions. Some functions are supported by one browser only and not others. When you have to use such functions, make sure they don’t hinder the appearance of your pages on different browsers.

Fonts

Avoid using many hard-to-find and fancy fonts. It is advisable to use common fonts such as Verdana, Arial, Courier and Tahoma. If you must use fancy fonts, have them in form of an image.

Java

This is a technology which is often misused. Java has been known to slow down the loading of web pages, and crash certain browsers. Therefore, it needs to be used with discretion. Java should be used primarily for programming rather than creating images and photos.

Meta tags

Meta tags are important for directing traffic to your site. Having keywords in your meta tags will result in a high ranking for your web pages. However, there is need for discretion. Avoid having too many keywords on the same page because you may end up being penalized by search engines for stuffing.

Browser windows

Only the user should have the authority of opening a new browser window. Avoid cluttering the user’s screen with popup windows.

10 Common Colors and Their Meanings

1. Brown ? Brown indicates nature and woodiness. It’s commonly used in legal and construction logos because it’s simple and neutral.
2. White ? White is the universal symbol of peace. It’s known to represent simplicity, purity, sterility, and radiance.
3. Purple ? Purple is often used in luxury products and education-related logos. It has both cool and warm properties, and implies sophistication, royalty, and mystery. However, because it’s rare in nature, many designers shy away from using it in logos.
4. Blue ? Blue is often used in medical, government, and Fortune 500 companies to represent a sense of authority and security.
5. Green ? This color is often used to represent renewal and life. The soothing tone can evoke a sense of tranquility, but also jealousy and inexperience. It’s often used in logos for eco-friendly companies.
6. Yellow ? Yellow is a tricky one because it can evoke two very different messages ? caution and cowardice or happiness. It’s often used to grab attention and create a sense of warmth. However, it’s also the most difficult color for the eye to process, so overuse can be overpowering to the viewer.
7. Orange ? Orange combines attributes of both red and yellow, and is commonly used to create a sense of playfulness, and to stimulate appetites and emotion.
8. Red ? Red is the most intense color, most often used to grab attention. It’s also used to influence hunger, stimulate quick breathing, and raise a person’s blood pressure.
9. Pink ? This color helps create a feeling of innocence. It’s associated with fun, playfulness, and delicateness. It’s often used to add a feminine flair to a logo.
10. Black ? Technically the absence of color, black is powerful and authoritative. It’s often used in logos to imply elegance and tradition, as well as simplicity.

some of the most common emotions and the colors you can use to create them:

• Action and adventure ? Red
• Affordability ? Orange
• Aggressiveness ? Red
• Appreciation – Pink
• Attention ? Red, yellow
• Authority ? Black, blue, purple
• Calmness ? Blue, brown, pink, green
• Caution ? Yellow
• Confidence ? Blue
• Creativity ? Orange
• Curiosity ? Yellow
• Dignity ? Blue
• Drive and energy ? Orange, red
• Enthusiasm ? Orange
• Femininity ? Pink, purple
• Fun ? Orange
• Gentle ? Pink
• Gratitude ? Pink
• High-spirited ? Orange
• Happiness ? Pink, yellow, red
• Harmony – Green
• Health and healing – Green
• Innocence ? Pink
• Love ? Red, pink
• Luxury and wealth ? Purple, green
• Mystery ? Purple, black
• Nature ? Green, brown
• Passion ? Red
• Positivity ? Yellow
• Playful ? Yellow, pink
• Romance ? Pink, purple
• Royalty ? Purple
• Simplicity ? Brown, black, white
• Sophistication ? Purple
• Spirituality ? Purple
• Strength ? Red
• Success ? Blue
• Tradition – Black
• Tranquil ? Pink, green, blue, white
• Trustworthy – Blue
• Warmth ? Yellow
• Youthful ? Pink, orange

Dotted-Style Logo Designs - Collection of creative works - webneel

Dotted-Style Logo Designs - Collection of creative works - webneel

2012 Web Design Trends That Will Keep You on Your Toes

2012 Web Design Trends That Will Keep You on Your Toes

jqPagination: A jQuery Pagination Plugin

jqPagination: A jQuery Pagination Plugin

Typography Effects with CSS3 and jQuery by Codrops

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