Building a Website

GUIDES

Tutorials, Guides and How Tos

• HTML Goodies: The Ultimate HTML Resource - http://www.htmlgoodies.com/

Choosing Between Subdomains Vs Multiple Domains

Articles

• Subdomains and Subdirectories - https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/subdomains-and-subdirectories/
• The Purposes and Benefits of Using Subdomains - http://www.scribewise.com/blog/bid/377702/SEO-Insight-The-Purposes-and-Benefits-of-Using-Subdomains

Website Design Considerations

• Aims and Goals
• People Involved:
  • Producers and Project Managers
  • Information Architect
  • Visual Designers
  • Content Developers
  • Content Strategist
  • Copy Writer
  • Media Specialists
  • Web Developers
  • Programmers
• Project Management: Work Breakdown Schedule
• Information Architecture: Sitemap and Wireframes
• Getting Experience
  • Help out a friend
  • Partner with other Web Professionals
  • Create a Portfolio
  • Learn from other Sites

The 5 Phase Website Creation Process

Phase 1: Planning and Definition

Phase 2: Design

Phase 3: Building and Development

Phase 4: Deployment and Testing

Phase 5: Promotion and Maintenance

Choosing Between Vertical Vs Horizontal Navigation Bars

Articles

• Hard to Decide Vertical Vs Horizontal Websites - http://www.lyntonweb.com/blog/bid/55195/Hard-to-De-Side-Vertical-vs-Horizontal-Website
• The Case Against Vertical Navigation by Smashing Magazine http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/11/the-case-against-vertical-navigation/
• In Defence of Vertical Navigation - http://astheria.com/design/in-defense-of-vertical-navigation

OUTLINES

The Case Against Vertical Navigation by Smashing Magazine

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/11/the-case-against-vertical-navigation/

• It Discourages Information Architecture --> DESIGN SHOULD BE BASED ON CAREFUL CONTENT ANALYSIS
• It Wastes Prime Screen Real Estate --> RECOGNIZING ITS LIMITATIONS
• It Doesn’t Conform to Real-Life Reading --> READERS AREN’T USED TO A LEFT-SIDE MENU
• Fly-Outs Aren’t as Usable as Drop-Downs --> DROP-DOWN AND FLY-OUT INDICATORS
• It’s Not as Successful, According to Studies --> LEFT-SIDE NAVIGATION VIRTUALLY IGNORED
• The Few Benefits Are Negligible
• Exceptions to the Rule
  • An information-heavy site that will often require changes to the primary links
  • A site whose primary links must have long names
  • A site that uses both horizontal and vertical navigation
  • An e-commerce site with a vertical display of product categories and sub-categories
  • A minimalist design
  • A client who insists on it
• Effective Use of Vertical Navigation

Horizontal Navigation Trends, Patterns and Best Practices by Smashing Magazine

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/07/horizontal-navigation-menus-trends-patterns-and-best-practices/

• Use Familiar Names For Links
• Clearly Distinguish Primary And Secondary Sections
• Put “Action” Links On Right
• INCLUDE A SEARCH BOX
• Avoid “Surprise” Drop-Down Menus
• Various Trends And Styles
  • TABBED HORIZONTAL NAVIGATION
  • HORIZONTAL NAVIGATION WITHOUT BAR
  • HORIZONTAL NAVIGATION BELOW PRIMARY PAGE HEADER
  • HORIZONTAL NAVIGATION WITH ICONS AND TEXT
  • HORIZONTAL NAVIGATION WITH NUMBERED LINKS

Web Design on Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_design

• Tools and Technologies
• Skills and Techniques
  • Marketing and Communication Design
  • User Experience Design and Interactive Design
  • Page Layout
  • Typography
  • Motion Graphics
  • Quality of Code
• Homepage Design