Designing Professional Educator Websites

Learning, Technology and Educational Transformation
Building and Evaluating Websites - Design Issues

8 Recommended Steps to designing a Website

1. Decide on what your purpose is and who your audience is

2. Draw a flow chart of how the site will be organized

3. Design the interface - screen size, background, menus and titles

4. Decide on text styles and size

5. Select visual theme and graphic elements

6. Create text and put all elements in place

7. Check your spelling and all links

8. Test on all browsers

General Design Suggestions

1. Keep things simple

2. Don't create dead end pages

3. Pages should take no more than 3-5 seconds to load.

4. Make your graphic design match your site and page purposes

5. Be aware of visual design elements

   • 1. What is the focal element on each page?

     2. Contrast is good, in moderation.

     3. Are the text, graphics and other elements arranged systematically on each page?

     4. Repetition is comforting, repetition can tie together a site.

6. Be aware of usability design elements

   • 1. Are there means of navigation on each page that link you to other site pages?

     2. Keep regular alignment.

     3. Utilize appropriate proximity.

     4. List URL, Dates of updates, webmaster email on each page

Designing Individual Pages (Krug)

1. Create a clear visual hierarchy on each page

2. Take advantage of conventions

3. Break pages up into clearly defined areas

4. Make it obvious what is clickable

5. Minimize noise
   
   A good overall design has the following three traits:

1. It has unity and variety.

2. It supports, but does not overpower, the message.

3. It is appropriate to the particular message being conveyed.
   
   

Six Keys to Successful Web Design - (Roger Parker)

1. Smaller is always better - faster loading, more space for other elements

2. Strive for Simplicity - graphic, text and layouts

3. Build Visual Contrast into every page - create zones of interest, break up text

4. Provide a meaningful hierarchy of content - more important = more obvious

5. Choose a limited color palette - be reserved in color selections and combinations

6. Make Navigation intuitive, obvious, and fast.

        - Where am I, Where have I been, Where can I go Next, Where is the Home page?

Building School Web sites 

1. Gather Information

2. Determine the Intended Audience

3. Create a Storyboard

4. Plan Your Navigational Tools

5. Create an Aesthetically Appealing Web page

6. Establish Credibility
   
   Top ten signs you have an Amateur web site 

1. Busy backgrounds

2. Busy graphics

3. Poorly Designed Navigation Bar

4. Awkward frames

5. The linear look

6. Hit counters

7. Under construction signs

8. Endorsement of a particular Browser

9. Free ads and other visual clutter