subject: Web Design In A Nutshell [print this page] Web design, while an idea that many people are familiar with, has a relatively short history compared with that of the computer, spanning only two decades. It is widely acknowledged that the first 'website' became operative in August 1991, just a year after the internet as we know it now was first developed. However in this incredibly short time span, web design has become an art in itself, with many prestigious universities such as Manchester and York Universities offering courses in Web Design, often leading graduates into lucrative careers.
The world wide web operates largely using HTML, or Hyper-Text Markup Language. This gives commands that means information is displayed in a certain way to the user. Early versions of HTML meant that websites were very simple and were only as sophisticated as using paragraphs, headers and hyperlinks, very unlike the much more impressive creations commonplace today. However, as HTML developed, so did web design as an industry on its own.
Web designers go through a process of planning, designing and arranging before they can come up with a finished product. This process is particularly important as web pages should be user-friendly and, crucially, easy to navigate. As ideas like online banking were put into place, the web became the perfect place to sell, and the sites that represent them have to reflect this in high standards of audience-driven web design. In this way, web design can offer one style to an information site, and another to a clothing retailer, much the way a library and a clothes shop would not be the same in real life.
There are two types of sites designed for the web. One is a static site which does not really make use of web design as the information is not affected by user interaction and does not change; it is stored in the web server's file system. These are much less flexible and hold less possibilities for a designer than a dynamic page, which can use HTML to make them as interactive and sophisticated as possible - advanced codes such as JavaScript are also used on dynamic pages to enhance user experience.
Web designers generally tend to adhere to four guidelines to make web sites user-friendly. Content is important, just as in print publishing, because users want to see relevant information when they visit a page. Usability is key to make sure that the users can access this content and navigate their way around the site. The appearance of the site is another crucial element; a well-presented site with consistent style or themes running through is attractive to users. Finally, visibility of the site is important; regardless of the style or content of a site, if it is not easily found on a search engine or advertisements they are irrelevant.
