I have been a professional website designer since May, 2000, working for an excellent company in the Glenwood Springs, Colorado area.  They place high demand on the quality of sites designed for them.  

My personal philosophy of web design is:  "Less is More".  I don't believe in crowding as much information as possible into a page.  I like to have "space" around the elements.  I try to develop a design that enhances the site, but doesn't dominate it.  Web sites should be simple for types of viewers to use, very easy to navigate, and allow the user to find information and products they are looking for quickly.

A good web design should focus on usability.  I strive to create designs that are clean, elegant, timeless, yet catch the viewer's attention.  Web design must stay abreast of all the latest tools and information.  However, all the new "toys" shouldn't be allowed to overwhelm a good design or hinder the viewer's ability to travel through your site.

I suggest avoiding the fads that quickly go out of style and focus on what matters most to the customer.  Many viewers dislike the use of Flash introductions on web sites.  The most used button on the internet is the "Skip" button.  Remember, just because you can do a new, catchy feature on your site, doesn't always mean you should.

COLOR

Color is a huge factor in designing the perfect website.  Color project moods and thought even before the eyes focus on the text.  (For additional information on color and color combinations, click here.)

Neutral Colors

Black, Brown, White and Grey are neutral colors.

Black means power, elegance and sophistication.

Brown means stability, earth, hearth and home.  It can also be considered a warm color.

White is for purity and cleanliness.

Grey is conservative.  It symbolizes security, reliability, and maturity.

Warm Colors

Red, Yellow, and Orange are warm colors.  

Red implies power and gets attention.  Red is the symbol for passion and fire.

Yellow means warmth and bright sunshine.  However, Yellow is the hardest color on the eyes.  I try to only use it as an accent color.

Orange conjures up visions of Halloween, fall, Thanksgiving, pumpkins, creativity, as well as trust.

Cool Colors

Purple, Blue and Green are cool colors.

Dark Purple is generally associated with royalty, and lavender with romance.  A combination of red and purple symbolizes creativity.

Blue is calming, bring up images of the sea and sky.  It signifies intelligence and trust.

Color Combinations

Be careful when selecting color combinations.  The wrong colors can confuse the eye and make your site unappealing.  Such as bright blue with hot pink text.  Can you read the line below?

This is very difficult to read.

Or, you can find that other color combinations are quite easy on the eyes.

While this combination is not so bad.

FEATURES

Most websites built today have some sort of enhancements on them.  Flash, animation, moving text, music, slideshows, blinking text or lights, rollover navigation (changes color or form), etc.   While a little animation can enhance a site, a lot it will make site a total disaster!

Flash is smoother than the average slideshow, and can easily be adapted to any site.  The quality of Flash when using text is generally better than when include text on photos, due to the methods of optimizing photos for the web.  It becomes a question of need vs. budget.  Flash is generally a more expensive item than a basic slideshow.

Blinking, Moving, Flashing Animation

While many sites today have some part of them animated, remember that motion attracts the eye.  Do you want your viewers to watch your animation or read what you have to say? I have placed a very simple flash header on my home page, as an example of my ability with Flash. You will notice however, it only appears on the home page and not the subsequent pages of this site - where it would be redundant. 

 

Please contact me so that we can schedule your design.

Website Design, Freelance Websites, Profession Web Design, KMB Designs
   

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kathy@kmb-designs.com     -     An Affordable Freelance Web Designer
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