In web design it is very important to create a page that people just “have” to visit. That said let’s look at some of the criteria of web design that will make your site just that.

There are seven basic criteria that, if followed, will help your site be visited over and over again and maybe win an award for the best web design.

The first of said criteria is “Just because you can, does not mean you should.” Increasing web technology is offering more and more options and tools to design web sites with; however, just because the technology is there does not mean as a designer you should use ALL that technology just for the sake of using it. Many times, adding ‘perks’ to your site can impede the performance of a site and/or irritate users enough to leave the site.

The second criterion is “There is almost always an exception.” There are rarely absolutes in web design. A designer therefore should be careful of ruling out a technology or design method just because it did not work for another site. So the designer should be careful to approach each new web design project with an open mind and be ready to experiment to achieve the best use of technology for that project.

Remember that the “Users are the ultimate judge” and you will be following the third criteria of web design. An experienced designer may think a site should function or appear a certain way, but the designer’s boss or client may think differently. The bottom line is that the users are the bottom line. If they do no like or understand a certain aspect of a site, they are the ones the site should satisfy.

Professional web designers should try to understand and use the best of all possible worlds in their designs, regardless of how they relate to technical or aesthetic beliefs and standards of how a site should be designed. Whatever the issue may be, a designer benefits from understanding as many technical aspects as possible when designing. This is what I mean in the fourth criteria when I say “Crossover experience is something a designer should always strive for.” For example when a designer only previews their site in Microsoft Internet Explorer and does not take into account the crossover of Netscape or Apple’s Safari when designing and therefore possibly loses those users.

The fifth criteria that, if followed, when designing is: “Modesty is the best approach.” Why modesty? Because web design contains so many intricacies, there are always going to be designers with more attractive sites with newer technology, or designers who use technology in a more creative way. If a designer doesn’t let pride get in their way, learning from other will strengthen their web design skills.

A smart web designer knows that “It is impossible to please everybody.” Whether it is the million of web user’s world wide or the ten people in the office, a design is not going to make everybody happy. Everybody has an opinion and it is important to listen to opinions as good ideas can spring from them, but there is a fine line between making the majority happy and attempting to please everyone. If you try to please everyone you will have violated the sixth criteria.

The final of our seven criteria is “Try to stay on top of specifications and standards.” Web design specifications and standards are constantly changing and will continue to change.

So if you follow these seven criteria you will design a site that everyone will have to visit

Josh Pigford
http://fleckspot.com/