Web Design

Some random thoughts for you budding web designers:

• Validate your web sites against HTML standards, so every browser can see your site.


• Don't waste your time on a "splash screen" to start the site. Look at the big sites (Yahoo, CNN, etc) - Nobody visits them for their intro screen. Most people will either blow your site off because of it or bookmark your real index page.


• Your site is not best viewed in any particular browser. Don't tell visitors what to use, some don't have a choice.


• Consider heading over to Bobby to check your site for accessibility issues. It's a requirement for .gov sites, but a good idea for anyone. You don't want to block some of your visitors, do you?


• Don't use the following:
  
  1. Poorly contrasting colors
  
  
  2. Tiny fonts
  
  
  3. Fixed size fonts. Those 8-pixel high things look like dots on a high-res monitor.
  
  
  4. Flash as your only means of navigation. Ever hear of Lynx?

Just my pet peeves of the day. I've been surfing some "personal" sites today, made by folks who think they're Picasso with a mouse or something. Ick. Not everyone has DSL...