Web Design and Graphics

What is Web 2.0 ? It is something of a keyword among those who enjoy newer things. I will attempt to distill it into some bite-size chunks of information for you. Hopefully when you are through it will be clear that the answer to the question is simple !

The topic of Web 2.0 is literally churning on the web. What will the future hold
for Web 2.0 as a whole ? Read on as I predict the future of the premier
change in the way computing is done soon, and continuing into the next
few years.

Twitter.com. A relative newcomer to the Web 2.0 foray is starting something
of a “cell-phone-myspace” type of service. You and your friends can be joined
through the use of text messages, using Twitter.com. Twitter is using the Web
2.0 model in a very unique way, and one I like in particular because it is
using mobile technology.

Web 2.0 will be fueled by mobile technology. If you have ever heard of “the mobile
web”, then you no doubt have also heard of mobile browsers, smart handheld
computers, and the like. As these devices become commonplace, other devices
will also be joined to the web using the Web 2.0 model. What type ? Well,
microwaves, refrigerators, fax machines and so forth. Web 2.0 will more
than likely be called something different by the time all electronic
items become connected to the ever growing World Wide Web.

One of the most promising developments of the Web 2.0 change will be the
way people work. The change will be subtle at first, and then more robust
soon afterward. One example that people have already been using has
not been classified under the Web 2.0 model but is nevertheless included ;
internet based email. Yahoo! says theirs is best. MSN started with hotmail.
Google joined in with their G-mail. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Soon, when a person wants to open up something similar to a Word or Excel document, they
will not open up a program on their computer. As Web 2.0 unfolds, a person will
open up a website, and start their work there, and save it. It will be opened,
worked, and saved 100 % online. It becomes immediately available to all
on the “network”. The “network” will of course be the world wide web.

Security issues will arise with the advent of the Web 2.0 model. Having
all work done online instead of inside a traditional setting will mean more
jobs for internet security managers. A “local intranet” will not be nearly
as “local” as it is today. As negative as it may sound, the Web 2.0 security
issues will probably be addressed by governments, as the WWW becomes
a “governed” institution.

Web 2.0 will more than likely be led by an international group, instead of
just having Western influences. Currently those on the technological edge
of all technology are in Europe and Asia. I see this trend continuing.

Here are some essential web design tips that every web site should follow. Design your web site by following these tips and I guarantee that visitors will have a great first impression of your site.

1. Fast Loading web site designs - This is the number 1 tip that every web designer should follow. You might design a web site that looks fantastic but few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load. Your designs should be optimized for the web and should not take more than 15 seconds to load. Remember, you might have a great design but very few people are going to see it if it takes a long time to load.
2. Clear Navigation - Once a visitor has come to your site you need to make them go through your site. To do this you need to have clear navigation. Make sure all your important links are at prominent places. Preferably right on top – that’s usually where a visitor first looks. Make use of menus on the right and the left. Try to link to as many pages of your site. Let your information be accessible from all parts of the site. You never know what a visitor may be interested in. Try to also use the footer for your important links.
3. All Resolutions - Today, there are computers with all kinds of resolution. They range from 640 x 480 to 1024 x 768 and go even higher. Your job is to design your site for all these resolutions. The best way to do this is to design your site in terms of percentage and not pixels.
4. Browser Compatibility - Make sure your site is browser compatible. Your web site should look good in Netscape as well as in Internet Explorer. Don’t stop designing your site as soon as you find that it looks great on IE. Usually Netscape gives some problems, especially when you try doing complicated HTML designs. But don’t give up too soon, usually with patience these problems can be easily fixed.
5. Readable and professional looking fonts - Don’t ask me how many times I’ve clicked out of a site just because the font is in Comic Sans and the color is a bright pink or green. Just by looking at the font you feel that the site is not a professional site. Don’t use Comic Sans and other fancy fonts that may not be available on most computers. If the font you use is not available in a visitors computer the web site will use the default font of your computer which is much worse. So try to keep to common and professional web fonts. The fonts that I always stick to are Arial and Verdana.
6. Minimize the use of images - I believe that sometimes simple designs are the most effective for the web. Keep your site simple but neat. Don’t clutter your page with big, bulky images that take ages to load. Instead use tables creatively and design eye – catching icons that will draw a visitor’s attention to a particular section of your site. Tip – Visitors are usually more interested in content than in design.
7. Use of white space - Try not to clutter up your page with too many images, backgrounds and colorful fonts. Again use the Keep It Simple principle by minimizing the use of graphics and using a lot of white space. White space gives a sense of spaciousness and overall neatness to a site. Notice the white space in our site.
8. Check for broken links - Always check for broken links within a site before uploading it to your web server. In Dreamweaver you can check for broken links by right clicking on any file in the Site Files Window and then clicking on Check links – Entire Site. If you don’t have this facility you need to upload your site and then check it using online tools like Net Mechanic.