Web design articles

All of the articles below are from the archive of Kianta's newsletter, Passing Notes. While the newsletter is no longer being published, these articles are made available for free, and may be freely reprinted in your own newsletter.

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The details rule in web design - May 19, 2004
When it comes to websites, the details matter. Review this short checklist to make sure your site isn't losing customers to small errors.

Case study: Mini site review of Carfax.com - May 4, 2004
Interested in seeing a designer's evaluation of a real web site? Learn what this company did right--and wrong--and apply that knowledge to your own site.

Top 5 tips for choosing a web designer - April 20, 2004
Getting ready to hire a web designer for your new site? Here are 5 top tips to keep in mind when evaluating your options.

5 tips to make your site research-friendly - April 6, 2004
Before customers make a decision to buy, they often want to research their options in order to make the best choice. Does your site give them the information they need to make good decisions?

4 tips for creating great page layouts - March 22, 2004
Struggling with how to lay out your pages? Can't figure out which elements to put where? Follow these recommendations for how to create layouts that will be effective and user-friendly.

Top 3 tips for planning a redesign - March 5, 2004
Thinking about redesigning your site? Here are some questions to ask yourself, along with some tips for making your redesign a success.

4 tips for effectively improving your site - February 6, 2004
This article focuses on the concept of "scope creep." If you're the kind of site owner who is continually revising, expanding, and improving your website, this is definitely a term to learn.

3 quick tips to improve your home page - January 23, 2004
Is your home page not as effective as it could be? Here are three easy ways to improve it.

Top 7 things I wish I'd known about web design - January 9, 2004
After four years running a web design business, it's time for a little reflecting. Here are the top 7 things I wish I had known about being a web designer before I got started.

4 tips for evaluating expert opinions? - December 12, 2003
There are lots of web design experts, but their opinions often contradict. How do you evaluate the opinions of the experts and figure out who's really right?

Is it wrong to have a goal-oriented home page? - November 26, 2003
All good site owners know that their home page needs to revolve around the visitor's needs, wants and desires. Does that mean you shouldn't define specific goals for what you want your visitors to do? Definitely not.

Can visitors figure out what your product is? - October 31, 2003
On many websites, it's very difficult to tell exactly what kind of product or service is being sold. You may think you have engaging, informative copy, but visitors might think differently. Can they figure out exactly what your product is?

3 case studies on using color for organization - October 17, 2003
This article examines three websites to illustrate basic principles of how to use color to effectively organize a web page.

"Help! My site isn't selling anything!" - October 3, 2003
Your website is up and running, and you're ready for the orders to come in. But what do you do if your site isn't making sales? Here are tips for what to do if you're getting traffic, but no one is buying.

Anticipating visitors' needs

1. Do they know what they need? - August 8, 2003
2. Anticipate how visitors search and evaluate - August 22, 2003
3. 26 tips to prevent "stuckitis" - September 18, 2003

Know thy audience! - July 24, 2003
If you don't know your audience, it's easy to make embarrasing blunders, alienate your customers, and waste time and money. On the other hand, when you study your audience carefully, you'll gain several key benefits.

What's your most-desired action? - June 27, 2003
If your website is going to be successful, you must define your goals. The first step is in figuring out exactly what you want visitors to do on your site. Here are several tips on how to do define your most-desired action.

4 tips to get visitors to click - June 13, 2003
Many sites offer several related, but separate, services. Visitors must choose one from the home page, and that first click is of high importance. So you do you get them to click?

Give your site a definition! - May 30, 2003
Odds are high that your visitors won't automatically know what you do or what your site is all about the first time they come to your site. It's up to you to sum things up for your visitors so they can immediately understand your basic focus.

Details: Important or not? - May 16, 2003
When it comes to web development, there is a fine line between worrying too much about details and not worrying about them enough. Here are practical tips on how to know when you're just obsessing and when the details truly are important.

3 reasons not to use uppercase - May 2, 2003
A lot of people put words or phrases in all caps. But is that a good idea? Here are three reasons to avoid using caps.

Drop-downs: They aren't user-friendly - April 18, 2003
On many sites, drop-down menus aren't a significant part of the design. However, they appear often enough that they deserve some attention. So exactly how should they be used? Here are several reasons why they should be avoided.

Hide and seek is a no-no! - April 4, 2003
Are you giving your visitors direction as they go through your site, or are you leaving them on their own to try to find what they are looking for? This article explains how to clearly compel visitors to move in a specific direction, rather than making them try to figure out what to do on their own.

Key principles of effective graphic design

1. Proximity - February 6, 2003
2. The power of lines - February 21, 2003
3. Conscious consistency - March 6, 2003
4. 3 tips on using contrast - March 20, 2003

The 5 immutable laws of effective navigation

1. Make it readily available - November 15, 2002
2. Let it stand out - November 27, 2002
3. Keep it simple - December 12, 2002
4. Be consistent - January 9, 2003
5. Organize - January 23, 2003

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? - October 31, 2002
The great debate: how much copy you should have on your site, particularly on the home page? Find out whether your main page should focus on text or images.

Why choosing form over function kills your site - October 17, 2002
A list of top mistakes that put form over function, plus reasons why they bring negative results.

Leave those links blue! - September 19, 2002
Is it really important to leave text links blue and underlined? Yes--and here's why.

6 reasons why a website is crucial to your business - September 5, 2002
If you have a business, you should have a website. Here are the top 6 ways a website benefits your company.

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