Homepage value proposition

Homepage value proposition

The Trouble with “Pretty Photo” Homepages Many website themes today lean toward full-screen, minimal design. You land on a large, beautiful photo with a few words of text and a button, designed to make you click. But how strong does that combination have...
The Ideal Size of Everything Online

The Ideal Size of Everything Online

The Ideal Size of Everything Online So far in this series we’ve talked a lot about layout, eye tracking, and how people read. Now let’s turn to design itself, starting with the size of things. Web design is all about communication. The designer’s...
Line Length, Line Spacing and Your Audience

Line Length, Line Spacing and Your Audience

Font size gets most of the attention, but line length matters just as much. Lines that stretch across a wide screen are tiring to read. Your eyes have to travel too far, and when they jump back to the left, it’s easy to lose your place. The ideal line length....
White Space and Reversed Type

White Space and Reversed Type

Two more typography topics round out our look at readability: the space around your content, and what happens when you put light text on a dark background. Let your content breathe. How much margin and space should surround your text and images? That depends on many...
Color Basics for a Better Website

Color Basics for a Better Website

To create great web pages, a basic grasp of color theory is essential. As a painter, I’ve spent years mixing colors on a palette, and I can tell you that the same principles apply on screen. A designer who understands color has a major advantage. Start with your...
Building a Simple Four-Color Palette

Building a Simple Four-Color Palette

In the last post, we covered why color matters. Now for the practical part: how to choose a palette that works, even if color isn’t your strong point. Start with four colors. There’s no rule saying a website can only use four colors, but four is an...