Web Designer Local Jacksonville: Crafting Digital Experiences That Are Visually Appealing And User-Friendly Is Vital For Online Success

Web Style Concepts and Elements

Ever seem like you're screaming into the space with your website? You've put your heart and soul into your content, but it's just not resonating. It's a typical snag: crafting a website that not just looks excellent however likewise speaks directly to your audience. This is where understanding the core concepts and elements of web style becomes crucial. Are you focusing on visual appeal over usability, or vice versa? Striking the right balance is the key.

The Foundation

• Color Theory: More than simply visual appeal, color evokes feeling and guides the eye. Think about your brand name's personality-- does it shout vibrant and energetic, or calm and advanced?
• Typography: Legibility is king! Pick fonts that are easy to read throughout devices which complement your total style. A trendy typeface is useless if no one can decipher it.
• Images: Premium photos and graphics can elevate your site. However beware of stock images that feel generic. Credibility matters!
• Design: An efficient layout guarantees a smooth user experience. Focus on essential details and guide visitors through your material with clear visual cues.

Principles in Action

Consider the principle of "hierarchy." Are you directing your users' eyes to the most essential aspects first? Or is whatever contending for attention, resulting in a confusing mess? Excellent hierarchy utilizes size, color, and positioning to produce a clear path for the user.

Another crucial principle is "balance." A balanced design feels stable and unified - Fisher Agency. This does not necessarily imply best symmetry, but rather a circulation of visual weight that develops a sense of equilibrium. Imagine a seesaw-- you want both sides to feel grounded

Common Problems and Solutions

One frequent mistake is ignoring mobile responsiveness. In today's mobile-first world, a site that does not adapt to different screen sizes is practically worthless. Users will merely bounce if they need to pinch and zoom to navigate your site (Fisher Agency). Furthermore, the online search engine punish sites that are not mobile friendly

This is where the Fisher Agency truly shines. They comprehend the value of a smooth user experience throughout all gadgets. They craft websites that are not only aesthetically stunning but likewise exceptionally intuitive and user-friendly. They carefully consider the mobile experience, making sure that your site looks and functions flawlessly on any device. They work to develop a site that looks excellent but also serves as a high performing list building tool.

In addition, a sluggish packing speed is a death sentence for any site. Users are restless, and they won't linger for your site to load. Optimize your images, lessen your code, and utilize web browser caching to improve your website's performance. A quicker site not just enhances user experience but likewise improves your search engine rankings.

The Fisher Agency focuses on speed and efficiency, ensuring that your site loads quickly and effectively. They use advanced website design strategies and innovations to enhance your site for optimal speed and efficiency. They also understand the value of keeping the technical financial obligation low, so you don't end up with an improperly coded site that is difficult to update in the future.

Website Design Software Application and Technologies

Ever seemed like you're battling a digital octopus when attempting to produce a site? You're juggling design concepts, user experience (UX), and the ever-evolving landscape of web technologies. It's not practically making a website appearance quite; it's about crafting an experience that guides visitors, transforms leads, and leaves an enduring impression. How do you even start to navigate this complicated world?

Let's discuss the elephant in the space: that sinking feeling when you understand your design isn't responsive. It looks great on your desktop, however shrinks into an unreadable mess on a smart device. Or even worse, the mobile navigation is utterly broken. What excellent is a beautiful website if nobody can really utilize it on their phones? You are losing out on a big audience. Did you know that mobile represent around half of all web traffic worldwide?

The Fisher Agency's Approach

The Fisher Agency understands this aggravation intimately. They have a core viewpoint that focuses on mobile-first website design. They construct with the tiniest screens in mind, guaranteeing a smooth experience for mobile users firstly. This isn't just an afterthought; it's baked into their entire style process. They use advanced techniques like progressive enhancement, which suggests the core performance of the website deals with older web browsers and devices, while more recent technologies add additional flair and functions for those with contemporary setups.

They are likewise skilled at making sure the site satisfies the most recent availability requirements, making it easier for people with impairments to utilize. This not only broadens your audience however also enhances the overall user experience for everybody. A site that's simple to browse and comprehend is a website that transforms.

Secret Factors to consider

Choosing the right tools and innovations is vital. Here are a couple of things to remember:

• Content Management System (CMS): Select a CMS that's user-friendly and enables simple content updates. WordPress remains a popular option, but check out options like Drupal or Web Style for specific needs.
• Front-End Frameworks: Frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js can streamline advancement and develop vibrant user interfaces. Weigh the intricacy versus your project's requirements.
• Responsive Design Frameworks: Bootstrap and Structure use pre-built parts and grids for producing responsive layouts quickly.

Here's a professional suggestion: don't get captured up in the hype of the cutting edge. Concentrate on selecting tools that fix your particular problems and fit your team's ability. A well-executed site utilizing older technologies will constantly exceed an improperly executed website utilizing the most current and biggest.

The Fisher Agency utilizes a thoroughly curated stack of innovations that are customized to each customer's needs. They focus on maintainability and scalability, guaranteeing that your website can grow and adapt as your company develops.

Jacksonville, FL: Premier Web Style Solutions

Jacksonville, Florida, a lively city on the First Coast, boasts a population going beyond 900,000, making it the most populous city in the state. Known for its beautiful beaches, extensive park system, and prospering business environment, Jacksonville uses an unique mix of metropolitan facilities and natural beauty. The city's varied economy covers markets from finance and health care to logistics and advanced production, cultivating a vibrant and innovative atmosphere.

If you're seeking to raise your online existence, Fisher Agency can help. Contact them today for a totally free assessment and specialist advice on Web Design to boost your digital method.

1. Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens: The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens showcases a varied collection of art covering multiple eras and cultures. Visitors can also explore beautiful formal gardens that look out over the St. Johns River in Jacksonville FL.
2. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens: Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens displays a diverse assortment of creatures and plants from across the globe. It provides interesting displays, educational programs, and conservation efforts for guests of all ages. Jacksonville FL
3. Museum of Science and History: This Museum of Science & History in Jacksonville FL showcases interactive exhibits and a planetarium suitable for all ages. Guests can discover science, history, and culture through engaging displays and informative programs.
4. Kingsley Plantation: Kingsley Plantation is a historic site that offers a glimpse into Florida plantation history, including the lives of enslaved people and the planter family. Visitors can tour the grounds, such as the slave quarters, plantation house, and barn. Jacksonville FL
5. Fort Caroline National Memorial: Fort Caroline National Memorial remembers the 16th-century French effort to create a colony in Florida. It provides displays and paths investigating the history and natural environment of the area in Jacksonville FL.
6. Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve: Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve protects one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast. It preserves the history of the Timucuan Indians, European explorers, and plantation owners.
7. Friendship Fountain: Friendship Fountain is a big, well-known water fountain in Jacksonville FL. It features striking water displays and lights, making it a well-liked site and place to gather.
8. Riverside Arts Market: Riverside Arts Market in Jacksonville FL, is a lively week-to-week arts and crafts marketplace under the Fuller Warren Bridge. It features local artisans, on-stage music, food sellers, and a gorgeous scene of the St. Johns River.
9. San Marco Square: San Marco Square is a lovely shopping and dining district with a European-style ambiance. It is famous for its upscale boutiques, eateries, and the iconic fountain featuring lions. Jacksonville FL
10. St Johns Town Center: St. Johns Town Center is an high-end outdoor retail center in Jacksonville FL, featuring a selection of luxury retailers, popular labels, and eateries. It's a top spot for purchasing, dining, and entertainment in Northeast Florida.
11. Avondale Historic District: Avondale Historic District displays delightful early 20th-century architecture and boutique shops. It's a dynamic neighborhood known for its nearby restaurants and historic character. Jacksonville FL
12. Treaty Oak Park: Treaty Oak Park is a gorgeous park in Jacksonville FL, home to a huge, centuries-old oak tree. The park offers a calm retreat with walking paths and breathtaking views of the St. Johns River.
13. Little Talbot Island State Park: Little Talbot Island State Park in Jacksonville FL provides pristine shores and varied habitats. Guests can partake in recreation such as hiking, camping, and observing wildlife in this natural coastal setting.
14. Big Talbot Island State Park: Big Talbot Island State Park in Jacksonville FL, provides breathtaking shoreline scenery and diverse ecosystems for outdoor lovers. Explore the one-of-a-kind boneyard beach, walk scenic trails, and observe plentiful wildlife in this beautiful natural preserve.
15. Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park: Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park in Jacksonville FL, provides a beautiful beach, forested trails, and a 60-acre freshwater lake for leisure. It's a popular spot for camping, surfing, kayaking, and biking.
16. Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens: Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens provides a lovely natural getaway with diverse paths and themed gardens. Guests can explore a range of plant life and enjoy serene outdoor recreation.
17. Memorial Park: Memorial Park is a 5.25-acre park that serves as a homage to the over 1,200 Floridians who lost their lives in World War I. The area includes a statue, pool, and gardens, providing a space for remembrance and reflection. Jacksonville FL
18. Hemming Park: Hemming Park is Jacksonville FL's most ancient park, a historic open square holding events, bazaars, and community gatherings. It provides a green space in the center of downtown with art installations and a vibrant ambiance.
19. Metropolitan Park: Metropolitan Park in Jacksonville FL offers a beautiful waterfront setting for events and leisure. With playgrounds, a music stage, and picturesque views, it is a popular destination for locals and tourists as well.
20. Confederate Park: Confederate Park in Jacksonville FL, was originally named to honor rebel soldiers and sailors. It has since been renamed and re-purposed as a space for community events and recreation.
21. Beaches Museum and History Park: Beaches Museum & History Park preserves and shares the distinct history of Jacksonville's beaches. Investigate exhibits on community life-saving, surfing, and original beach communities.
22. Atlantic Beach: The city of Atlantic Beach offers a charming coastal community with beautiful beaches and a relaxed atmosphere. Guests can experience surfing, swimming, and discovering local shops and restaurants in Jacksonville FL.
23. Neptune Beach: The city of Neptune Beach offers a traditional Florida beach town experience with its grainy shores and relaxed atmosphere. People can partake in surfing, swimming, and discovering nearby shops and restaurants near Jacksonville FL.
24. Jacksonville Beach: Jacksonville Beach is a dynamic shoreline city well-known because of its grainy beaches and surfing scene. It offers a mix of recreational activities, restaurants, and nightlife along the Atlantic Ocean.
25. Huguenot Memorial Park: This park provides a beautiful beachfront location with options for campgrounds, fishing, and birdwatching. Visitors can savor the natural charm of the region with its diverse wildlife and scenic coastal views in Jacksonville FL.
26. Castaway Island Preserve: Castaway Island Preserve in Jacksonville FL, provides scenic trails and walkways through varied habitats. Guests can relish nature walks, birdwatching, and exploring the beauty of the coastal environment.
27. Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park: Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park in Jacksonville FL preserves the dirt remains of a Civil War Confederate fort. Guests can explore the historic location and discover about its significance through interpretive exhibits.
28. Mandarin Museum & Historical Society: The Mandarin Museum & Historical Society protects the history of the Mandarin within Jacksonville FL. Guests are able to discover displays and relics that display the location's special history.
29. Museum of Southern History: This Museum of Southern History exhibits artifacts and displays related to the history and culture of the Southern United States. Visitors can delve into a range of topics, such as the Civil War, slavery, and Southern art and literature. Jacksonville FL
30. The Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary: The Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jacksonville FL, provides guided foot tours to see rescued big cats and other uncommon animals. It's a non-profit organization committed to providing a secure, caring, forever home for these animals.

Fisher Agency

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4540 Southside Blvd Bldg #902 floor 2, Jacksonville, FL 32216, United States

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fisherdesignandadvertising.com

fisherdesignandadvertising.com

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Big things are happening at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ)—and we’re proud to have been part of the journey! 🎉 We teamed up with FSCJ to craft a visually impactful brochure and branding system to support the launch of their brand-new bachelor’s degree programs. From clean design elements that speak to academic excellence to powerful copy that tells a story of growth, opportunity, and accessibility—this project showcases what happens when design meets purpose. Ready to explore how thoughtful branding can drive engagement for your next big initiative? Let’s talk:

May 19, 2025

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"What a great service run by incredible people."

"Highly professional, know their stuff, easy to work with."

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Alison Ridenhour

2 reviews

a month ago

Erin and her team have helped our small business with refreshing our branding strategy and website. Our sales have increased significantly since Erin and her team recommended a strong digital ad campaign. We feel like Fisher Agency is … More

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Response from the owner a month ago

Thank you for your wonderful review, Alison! We’re thrilled to hear that Erin and the team have made a positive impact on your business. Keeping your brand fresh while sticking to your budget is what we strive for. Your recommendation means a lot to us! We look forward to continuing to support your growth.

L Woods

Local Guide · 23 reviews · 8 photos

2 months ago

I cannot say enough good things about the team here! Erin is wonderful and incredibly knowledgeable. She walked me through everything I needed to know and helped explain the process. I couldn’t be more thankful for such a wonderful and honest company. Great team and very professional.

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Response from the owner 2 months ago

Thank you for your wonderful review, L! We're thrilled to hear that Erin and the team provided you with such a positive experience. Your kind words motivate us to continue delivering honest and professional service. We appreciate your support!

Beth Rener

5 reviews

2 months ago

I am absolutely thrilled with the partnership we've had with SavvyFish! From the very beginning, their team demonstrated exceptional professionalism, expertise, and commitment to our goals. They took the time to truly understand our … More

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Response from the owner 2 months ago

Thank you for your wonderful review, Beth! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience with SavvyFish. Your satisfaction is our priority, and it’s great to know our team met your expectations. We appreciate your kind words and look forward to continuing our partnership!

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Fisher Agency ✔️

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4540 Southside Blvd Bldg #902 floor 2,Jacksonville, FL 32216,United States

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Are you looking to grow your business through lead generation? Maybe you need a fresh new brand to increase leads. At Fisher Agency, a top marketing and design agency based in Jacksonville, FL, we have some of the best marketing strategies that will help you hook new clients. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Fortune 500 company or a small business; we can find the marketing angle that works best for you. If you are looking for web design, we do that. If you are looking for branding and logo design, we do that. And, if you are looking for digital marketing, we do that, too. In fact, we can put together a comprehensive marketing plan to determine the most cost-effective advertising strategies for you.

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When it comes to being successful in marketing in Jacksonville, Florida, brand awareness is a key component. Our team of marketing and web design experts is here to help build your brand and brand strategy to make sure it is cohesive across all of your platforms whether online, in-store, or elsewhere. We are here to create a brand strategy that best fits you and your business. We will walk you through everything the brand strategy and how we got it to where it is after we are finished with it. Knowing your brand strategy will set you up for success in the long haul.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Website Design)

Web design encompasses many different skills and disciplines in the production and maintenance of websites. The different areas of web design include web graphic design; user interface design (UI design); authoring, including standardised code and proprietary software; user experience design (UX design); and search engine optimization. Often many individuals will work in teams covering different aspects of the design process, although some designers will cover them all.^[1] The term "web design" is normally used to describe the design process relating to the front-end (client side) design of a website including writing markup. Web design partially overlaps web engineering in the broader scope of web development. Web designers are expected to have an awareness of usability and be up to date with web accessibility guidelines.

History

See also: History of the World Wide Web

1988–2001

Although web design has a fairly recent history, it can be linked to other areas such as graphic design, user experience, and multimedia arts, but is more aptly seen from a technological standpoint. It has become a large part of people's everyday lives. It is hard to imagine the Internet without animated graphics, different styles of typography, backgrounds, videos and music. The web was announced on August 6, 1991; in November 1992, CERN was the first website to go live on the World Wide Web. During this period, websites were structured by using the

tag which created numbers on the website. Eventually, web designers were able to find their way around it to create more structures and formats. In early history, the structure of the websites was fragile and hard to contain, so it became very difficult to use them. In November 1993, ALIWEB was the first ever search engine to be created (Archie Like Indexing for the WEB).^[2]

The start of the web and web design

In 1989, whilst working at CERN in Switzerland, British scientist Tim Berners-Lee proposed to create a global hypertext project, which later became known as the World Wide Web. From 1991 to 1993 the World Wide Web was born. Text-only HTML pages could be viewed using a simple line-mode web browser.^[3] In 1993 Marc Andreessen and Eric Bina, created the Mosaic browser. At the time there were multiple browsers, however the majority of them were Unix-based and naturally text-heavy. There had been no integrated approach to graphic design elements such as images or sounds. The Mosaic browser broke this mould.^[4] The W3C was created in October 1994 to "lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability."^[5] This discouraged any one company from monopolizing a proprietary browser and programming language, which could have altered the effect of the World Wide Web as a whole. The W3C continues to set standards, which can today be seen with JavaScript and other languages. In 1994 Andreessen formed Mosaic Communications Corp. that later became known as Netscape Communications, the Netscape 0.9 browser. Netscape created its HTML tags without regard to the traditional standards process. For example, Netscape 1.1 included tags for changing background colours and formatting text with tables on web pages. From 1996 to 1999 the browser wars began, as Microsoft and Netscape fought for ultimate browser dominance. During this time there were many new technologies in the field, notably Cascading Style Sheets, JavaScript, and Dynamic HTML. On the whole, the browser competition did lead to many positive creations and helped web design evolve at a rapid pace.^[6]

Evolution of web design

In 1996, Microsoft released its first competitive browser, which was complete with its features and HTML tags. It was also the first browser to support style sheets, which at the time was seen as an obscure authoring technique and is today an important aspect of web design.^[6] The HTML markup for tables was originally intended for displaying tabular data. However, designers quickly realized the potential of using HTML tables for creating complex, multi-column layouts that were otherwise not possible. At this time, as design and good aesthetics seemed to take precedence over good markup structure, little attention was paid to semantics and web accessibility. HTML sites were limited in their design options, even more so with earlier versions of HTML. To create complex designs, many web designers had to use complicated table structures or even use blank spacer .GIF images to stop empty table cells from collapsing.^[7] CSS was introduced in December 1996 by the W3C to support presentation and layout. This allowed HTML code to be semantic rather than both semantic and presentational and improved web accessibility, see tableless web design.

In 1996, Flash (originally known as FutureSplash) was developed. At the time, the Flash content development tool was relatively simple compared to now, using basic layout and drawing tools, a limited precursor to ActionScript, and a timeline, but it enabled web designers to go beyond the point of HTML, animated GIFs and JavaScript. However, because Flash required a plug-in, many web developers avoided using it for fear of limiting their market share due to lack of compatibility. Instead, designers reverted to GIF animations (if they did not forego using motion graphics altogether) and JavaScript for widgets. But the benefits of Flash made it popular enough among specific target markets to eventually work its way to the vast majority of browsers, and powerful enough to be used to develop entire sites.^[7]

End of the first browser wars

Further information: Browser wars § First Browser War (1995–2001)

In 1998, Netscape released Netscape Communicator code under an open-source licence, enabling thousands of developers to participate in improving the software. However, these developers decided to start a standard for the web from scratch, which guided the development of the open-source browser and soon expanded to a complete application platform.^[6] The Web Standards Project was formed and promoted browser compliance with HTML and CSS standards. Programs like Acid1, Acid2, and Acid3 were created in order to test browsers for compliance with web standards. In 2000, Internet Explorer was released for Mac, which was the first browser that fully supported HTML 4.01 and CSS 1. It was also the first browser to fully support the PNG image format.^[6] By 2001, after a campaign by Microsoft to popularize Internet Explorer, Internet Explorer had reached 96% of web browser usage share, which signified the end of the first browser wars as Internet Explorer had no real competition.^[8]

2001–2012

Since the start of the 21st century, the web has become more and more integrated into people's lives. As this has happened, the technology of the web has also continued to evolve. There have also been significant changes in the way people use and access the web, and this has changed how sites are designed.

Since the end of the browsers wars^[when?] new browsers have been released. Many of these are open source, meaning that they tend to have faster development and are more supportive of new standards. The new options are considered by many^{[weasel words]} to be better than Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

The W3C has released new standards for HTML (HTML5) and CSS (CSS3), as well as new JavaScript APIs, each as a new but individual standard.^[when?] While the term HTML5 is only used to refer to the new version of HTML and some of the JavaScript APIs, it has become common to use it to refer to the entire suite of new standards (HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript).

2012 and later

With the advancements in 3G and LTE internet coverage, a significant portion of website traffic shifted to mobile devices. This shift influenced the web design industry, steering it towards a minimalist, lighter, and simpler style. The "mobile first" approach emerged as a result, emphasizing the creation of website designs that prioritize mobile-oriented layouts first, before adapting them to larger screen dimensions.

Tools and technologies

Web designers use a variety of different tools depending on what part of the production process they are involved in. These tools are updated over time by newer standards and software but the principles behind them remain the same. Web designers use both vector and raster graphics editors to create web-formatted imagery or design prototypes. A website can be created using WYSIWYG website builder software or a content management system, or the individual web pages can be hand-coded in just the same manner as the first web pages were created. Other tools web designers might use include markup validators^[9] and other testing tools for usability and accessibility to ensure their websites meet web accessibility guidelines.^[10]

UX Design

One popular tool in web design is UX Design. A popular modality of modern web design art, it features a user-friendly interface and appropriate presentation.^[11]

Skills and techniques

Marketing and communication design

Marketing and communication design on a website may identify what works for its target market. This can be an age group or particular strand of culture; thus the designer may understand the trends of its audience. Designers may also understand the type of website they are designing, meaning, for example, that business-to-business (B2B) website design considerations might differ greatly from a consumer-targeted website such as a retail or entertainment website. Careful consideration might be made to ensure that the aesthetics or overall design of a site do not clash with the clarity and accuracy of the content or the ease of web navigation,^[12] especially on a B2B website. Designers may also consider the reputation of the owner or business the site is representing to make sure they are portrayed favorably. Web designers normally oversee the development of sites with respect to their functioning, often initiating changes as business needs require. They may change elements including text, photos, graphics, and layout. Before beginning work on a website, web designers normally set an appointment with their clients to discuss layout, colour, graphics, and design. Web designers spend the majority of their time designing sites and ensuring their satisfactory performance. They typically engage in testing and communication with other designers about marketing issues and the layout and composition of websites.^[13]

User experience design and interactive design

User understanding of the content of a website often depends on user understanding of how the website works. This is part of the user experience design. User experience is related to layout, clear instructions, and labeling on a website. How well a user understands how they can interact on a site may also depend on the interactive design of the site. If a user perceives the usefulness of the website, they are more likely to continue using it. Users who are skilled and well versed in website use may find a more distinctive, yet less intuitive or less user-friendly website interface useful nonetheless. However, users with less experience are less likely to see the advantages or usefulness of a less intuitive website interface. This drives the trend for a more universal user experience and ease of access to accommodate as many users as possible regardless of user skill.^[14] Much of the user experience design and interactive design are considered in the user interface design.

Advanced interactive functions may require plug-ins if not advanced coding language skills. Choosing whether or not to use interactivity that requires plug-ins is a critical decision in user experience design. If the plug-in doesn't come pre-installed with most browsers, there's a risk that the user will have neither the know-how nor the patience to install a plug-in just to access the content. If the function requires advanced coding language skills, it may be too costly in either time or money to code compared to the amount of enhancement the function will add to the user experience. There's also a risk that advanced interactivity may be incompatible with older browsers or hardware configurations. Publishing a function that doesn't work reliably is potentially worse for the user experience than making no attempt. It depends on the target audience if it's likely to be needed or worth any risks.

Progressive enhancement

Main article: Progressive enhancement

Progressive enhancement is a strategy in web design that puts emphasis on web content first, allowing everyone to access the basic content and functionality of a web page, whilst users with additional browser features or faster Internet access receive the enhanced version instead.

In practice, this means serving content through HTML and applying styling and animation through CSS to the technically possible extent, then applying further enhancements through JavaScript. Pages' text is loaded immediately through the HTML source code rather than having to wait for JavaScript to initiate and load the content subsequently, which allows content to be readable with minimum loading time and bandwidth, and through text-based browsers, and maximizes backwards compatibility.^[15]

As an example, MediaWiki-based sites including Wikipedia use progressive enhancement, as they remain usable while JavaScript and even CSS is deactivated, as pages' content is included in the page's HTML source code, whereas counter-example Everipedia relies on JavaScript to load pages' content subsequently; a blank page appears with JavaScript deactivated.

Page layout

Part of the user interface design is affected by the quality of the page layout. For example, a designer may consider whether the site's page layout should remain consistent on different pages when designing the layout. Page pixel width may also be considered vital for aligning objects in the layout design. The most popular fixed-width websites generally have the same set width to match the current most popular browser window, at the current most popular screen resolution, on the current most popular monitor size. Most pages are also center-aligned for concerns of aesthetics on larger screens.

Fluid layouts increased in popularity around 2000 to allow the browser to make user-specific layout adjustments to fluid layouts based on the details of the reader's screen (window size, font size relative to window, etc.). They grew as an alternative to HTML-table-based layouts and grid-based design in both page layout design principles and in coding technique but were very slow to be adopted.^{[note 1]} This was due to considerations of screen reading devices and varying window sizes which designers have no control over. Accordingly, a design may be broken down into units (sidebars, content blocks, embedded advertising areas, navigation areas) that are sent to the browser and which will be fitted into the display window by the browser, as best it can. Although such a display may often change the relative position of major content units, sidebars may be displaced below body text rather than to the side of it. This is a more flexible display than a hard-coded grid-based layout that doesn't fit the device window. In particular, the relative position of content blocks may change while leaving the content within the block unaffected. This also minimizes the user's need to horizontally scroll the page.

Responsive web design is a newer approach, based on CSS3, and a deeper level of per-device specification within the page's style sheet through an enhanced use of the CSS @media rule. In March 2018 Google announced they would be rolling out mobile-first indexing.^[16] Sites using responsive design are well placed to ensure they meet this new approach.

Typography

Main article: typography

Web designers may choose to limit the variety of website typefaces to only a few which are of a similar style, instead of using a wide range of typefaces or type styles. Most browsers recognize a specific number of safe fonts, which designers mainly use in order to avoid complications.

Font downloading was later included in the CSS3 fonts module and has since been implemented in Safari 3.1, Opera 10, and Mozilla Firefox 3.5. This has subsequently increased interest in web typography, as well as the usage of font downloading.

Most site layouts incorporate negative space to break the text up into paragraphs and also avoid center-aligned text.^[17]

Motion graphics

The page layout and user interface may also be affected by the use of motion graphics. The choice of whether or not to use motion graphics may depend on the target market for the website. Motion graphics may be expected or at least better received with an entertainment-oriented website. However, a website target audience with a more serious or formal interest (such as business, community, or government) might find animations unnecessary and distracting if only for entertainment or decoration purposes. This doesn't mean that more serious content couldn't be enhanced with animated or video presentations that is relevant to the content. In either case, motion graphic design may make the difference between more effective visuals or distracting visuals.

Motion graphics that are not initiated by the site visitor can produce accessibility issues. The World Wide Web consortium accessibility standards require that site visitors be able to disable the animations.^[18]

Quality of code

Website designers may consider it to be good practice to conform to standards. This is usually done via a description specifying what the element is doing. Failure to conform to standards may not make a website unusable or error-prone, but standards can relate to the correct layout of pages for readability as well as making sure coded elements are closed appropriately. This includes errors in code, a more organized layout for code, and making sure IDs and classes are identified properly. Poorly coded pages are sometimes colloquially called tag soup. Validating via W3C^[9] can only be done when a correct DOCTYPE declaration is made, which is used to highlight errors in code. The system identifies the errors and areas that do not conform to web design standards. This information can then be corrected by the user.^[19]

Generated content

There are two ways websites are generated: statically or dynamically.

Static websites

Main article: Static web page

A static website stores a unique file for every one of its pages. Each time a page is requested, the same content is returned. This content is created once, during the design of the website. It is usually manually authored, although some sites use an automated creation process, similar to a dynamic website, whose results are stored long-term as completed pages. These automatically created static sites became more popular around 2015, with generators such as Jekyll and Adobe Muse.^[20]

The benefits of a static website are that they were simpler to host, as their server only needed to serve static content, not execute server-side scripts. This required less server administration and had less chance of exposing security holes. They could also serve pages more quickly, on low-cost server hardware. This advantage became less important as cheap web hosting expanded to also offer dynamic features, and virtual servers offered high performance for short intervals at low cost.

Almost all websites have some static content, as supporting assets such as images and style sheets are usually static, even on a website with highly dynamic pages.

Dynamic websites

Main article: Dynamic web page

Dynamic websites are generated on the fly and use server-side technology to generate web pages. They typically extract their content from one or more back-end databases: some are database queries across a relational database to query a catalog or to summarise numeric information, and others may use a document database such as MongoDB or NoSQL to store larger units of content, such as blog posts or wiki articles.

In the design process, dynamic pages are often mocked-up or wireframed using static pages. The skillset needed to develop dynamic web pages is much broader than for a static page, involving server-side and database coding as well as client-side interface design. Even medium-sized dynamic projects are thus almost always a team effort.

When dynamic web pages first developed, they were typically coded directly in languages such as Perl, PHP or ASP. Some of these, notably PHP and ASP, used a 'template' approach where a server-side page resembled the structure of the completed client-side page, and data was inserted into places defined by 'tags'. This was a quicker means of development than coding in a purely procedural coding language such as Perl.

Both of these approaches have now been supplanted for many websites by higher-level application-focused tools such as content management systems. These build on top of general-purpose coding platforms and assume that a website exists to offer content according to one of several well-recognised models, such as a time-sequenced blog, a thematic magazine or news site, a wiki, or a user forum. These tools make the implementation of such a site very easy, and a purely organizational and design-based task, without requiring any coding.

Editing the content itself (as well as the template page) can be done both by means of the site itself and with the use of third-party software. The ability to edit all pages is provided only to a specific category of users (for example, administrators, or registered users). In some cases, anonymous users are allowed to edit certain web content, which is less frequent (for example, on forums – adding messages). An example of a site with an anonymous change is Wikipedia.

Homepage design

Usability experts, including Jakob Nielsen and Kyle Soucy, have often emphasised homepage design for website success and asserted that the homepage is the most important page on a website.^[21]Nielsen, Jakob; Tahir, Marie (October 2001), Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed, New Riders Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7357-1102-0^[22][23] However, practitioners into the 2000s were starting to find that a growing amount of website traffic was bypassing the homepage, going directly to internal content pages through search engines, e-newsletters and RSS feeds.^[24] This led many practitioners to argue that homepages are less important than most people think.^{[25][26][27][28]} Jared Spool argued in 2007 that a site's homepage was actually the least important page on a website.^[29]

In 2012 and 2013, carousels (also called 'sliders' and 'rotating banners') have become an extremely popular design element on homepages, often used to showcase featured or recent content in a confined space.^[30] Many practitioners argue that carousels are an ineffective design element and hurt a website's search engine optimisation and usability.^[30][31][32]

Occupations

There are two primary jobs involved in creating a website: the web designer and web developer, who often work closely together on a website.^[33] The web designers are responsible for the visual aspect, which includes the layout, colouring, and typography of a web page. Web designers will also have a working knowledge of markup languages such as HTML and CSS, although the extent of their knowledge will differ from one web designer to another. Particularly in smaller organizations, one person will need the necessary skills for designing and programming the full web page, while larger organizations may have a web designer responsible for the visual aspect alone.

Further jobs which may become involved in the creation of a website include:

• Graphic designers to create visuals for the site such as logos, layouts, and buttons
• Internet marketing specialists to help maintain web presence through strategic solutions on targeting viewers to the site, by using marketing and promotional techniques on the internet
• SEO writers to research and recommend the correct words to be incorporated into a particular website and make the website more accessible and found on numerous search engines
• Internet copywriter to create the written content of the page to appeal to the targeted viewers of the site^[1]
• User experience (UX) designer incorporates aspects of user-focused design considerations which include information architecture, user-centred design, user testing, interaction design, and occasionally visual design.

Artificial intelligence and web design

Chat GPT and other AI models are being used to write and code websites, making their creation faster and easier. There are still discussions about the ethical implications of using artificial intelligence for design as the world becomes more familiar with using AI for time-consuming tasks used in design processes.^[34]

See also

• Internet portal

Aesthetics Color theory Composition (visual arts) Cross-browser Design education Drawing Dark pattern European Design Awards First Things First 2000 manifesto

Graphic art software Graphic design occupations Graphics Information graphics List of graphic design institutions List of notable graphic designers Logotype Outline of web design and web development Progressive Enhancement

Style guide Web 2.0 Web colors Web safe fonts Web usability Web application framework Website builder Website wireframe

Related disciplines

Communication design Copywriting Desktop publishing Digital illustration Graphic design Interaction design

Information design Light-on-dark color scheme Marketing communications Motion graphic design New media Search engine optimization (SEO)

Technical Writer Typography User experience User interface design Web development Web animations

Notes

1. ^ -based markup and spacer .GIF images

   References

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   2. ^ CPBI, Ryan Shelley. "The History of Website Design: 30 Years of Building the Web [2022 Update]". smamarketing.net. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
   3. ^ "Longer Biography". Retrieved 2012-03-16.
   4. ^ "Mosaic Browser" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
   5. ^ Zwicky, E.D; Cooper, S; Chapman, D.B. (2000). Building Internet Firewalls. United States: O'Reily & Associates. p. 804. ISBN 1-56592-871-7.
   6. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d} Niederst, Jennifer (2006). Web Design In a Nutshell. United States of America: O'Reilly Media. pp. 12–14. ISBN 0-596-00987-9.
   7. ^ Jump up to:^{a b} Chapman, Cameron, The Evolution of Web Design, Six Revisions, archived from the original on 30 October 2013
   8. ^ "AMO.NET America's Multimedia Online (Internet Explorer 6 PREVIEW)". amo.net. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
   9. ^ Jump up to:^{a b} "W3C Markup Validation Service".
   10. ^ W3C. "Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)".
   11. ^ "What is Web Design?". The Interaction Design Foundation. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
   12. ^ THORLACIUS, LISBETH (2007). "The Role of Aesthetics in Web Design". Nordicom Review. 28 (28): 63–76. doi:10.1515/nor-2017-0201. S2CID 146649056.
   13. ^ "What is a Web Designer? (2022 Guide)". BrainStation®. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
   14. ^ Castañeda, J.A Francisco; Muñoz-Leiva, Teodoro Luque (2007). "Web Acceptance Model (WAM): Moderating effects of user experience". Information & Management. 44 (4): 384–396. doi:10.1016/j.im.2007.02.003.
   15. ^ "Building a resilient frontend using progressive enhancement". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
   16. ^ "Rolling out mobile-first indexing". Official Google Webmaster Central Blog. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
   17. ^ Stone, John (2009-11-16). "20 Do's and Don'ts of Effective Web Typography". Retrieved 2012-03-19.
   18. ^ World Wide Web Consortium: Understanding Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2.2: Pause, Stop, Hide
   19. ^ W3C QA. "My Web site is standard! And yours?". Retrieved 2012-03-21.
   20. ^ Christensen, Mathias Biilmann (2015-11-16). "Static Website Generators Reviewed: Jekyll, Middleman, Roots, Hugo". Smashing Magazine. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
   21. ^ Soucy, Kyle, Is Your Homepage Doing What It Should?, Usable Interface, archived from the original on 8 June 2012
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   23. ^ Knight, Kayla (20 August 2009), Essential Tips for Designing an Effective Homepage, Six Revisions, archived from the original on 21 August 2013
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   25. ^ Chapman, Cameron (15 September 2010), 10 Usability Tips Based on Research Studies, Six Revisions, archived from the original on 2 September 2013
   26. ^ Gócza, Zoltán, Myth #17: The homepage is your most important page, archived from the original on 2 June 2013
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   28. ^ Porter, Joshua (24 April 2006), Prioritizing Design Time: A Long Tail Approach, User Interface Engineering, archived from the original on 14 May 2013
   29. ^ Spool, Jared (6 August 2007), Usability Tools Podcast: Home Page Design, archived from the original on 29 April 2013
   30. ^ Jump up to:^{a b} Messner, Katie (22 April 2013), Image Carousels: Getting Control of the Merry-Go-Round, Usability.gov, archived from the original on 10 October 2013
   31. ^ Jones, Harrison (19 June 2013), Homepage Sliders: Bad For SEO, Bad For Usability, archived from the original on 22 November 2013
   32. ^ Laja, Peep (8 June 2019), Image Carousels and Sliders? Don't Use Them. (Here's why.), CXL, archived from the original on 10 December 2019
   33. ^ Oleksy, Walter (2001). Careers in Web Design. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. pp. 9–11. ISBN 978-0-8239-3191-0.
   34. ^ Visser, Larno, et al. ChatGPT for Web Design : Create Amazing Websites. [First edition]., PACKT Publishing, 2023.

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