The Fold On Every Screen

The Fold On Every Screen

On a newspaper, the fold is always in the same place. On the web, it moves. Where your fold falls depends on the device, the screen size, and even the browser’s toolbars. That’s why responsive design matters so much. A short history of small screens. The...
Anatomy of a Well-Planned Homepage

Anatomy of a Well-Planned Homepage

It helps to picture a homepage as a set of zones, each with its own job. Designers often sketch this as a simple wireframe before thinking about colors or photos. Here’s a classic layout, from top to bottom, and what each zone should do. The header. At the top...
What Good and Poor Homepages Teach Us

What Good and Poor Homepages Teach Us

Principles are easier to understand when you see them in action. Here are three homepages I’ve reviewed over the years, described without names, and what each one teaches. The underwhelming homepage. The first was a marketing agency’s site, built in simple...
Why 16px Is the Minimum for Body Text

Why 16px Is the Minimum for Body Text

One of the most common problems I see when reviewing websites is text that’s simply too small. Designers love the delicate look of tiny type, but visitors don’t. If people have to squint, they leave. The 16-pixel rule. With few exceptions, most...
Choosing Fonts for Your Website

Choosing Fonts for Your Website

Size is only half of good web typography. The typeface you choose shapes how your whole site feels, and how long people are willing to keep reading. Readability comes first. Some fonts are lovely in a logo but tiring over a full page. Reading an entire website set in...
The Slideshow That Cost a Page-One Ranking

The Slideshow That Cost a Page-One Ranking

Some years ago, we worked with a client whose website was in good shape. It was well optimized for search, with solid, useful text on the homepage. Then their sales slowed, and they hired a new sales executive. He was convinced that his customers didn’t read at...