| > | | | | sure it works in their browsers,that they can |
| Recently I received a short, anonymous entry in | | | | navigate from place to place easily and, if yousell |
| my guestbookon Internet Tips and Secrets. It | | | | something, they can purchase it as easily as |
| simply said "Change yourcolors". Short, to the | | | | possible. Youare indeed creating something that |
| point, and extraordinarily rude. Iquickly deleted the | | | | you would like to beunderstandable to other |
| entry from my guestbook as it was | | | | people, so be sure and make itunderstandable. |
| notappropriate and did not fit well into the | | | | On the other hand, include a bit of individuality in |
| context. I don'tmind an occasional politely negative | | | | your site. |
| but helpful comment, butthose which are stupid | | | | Make it stand out from the norm - otherwise, |
| (as this one was) or blatantly abusiveare not | | | | your site will justblend in with every other site |
| necessary. | | | | and will not be remembered foranything. |
| As I deleted the guestbook entry I thought of | | | | Use whatever color scheme you want, as long as |
| the gall of theperson who left it (besides the | | | | the text can beeasily distinguished from the |
| cowardice of leaving a messagewith no return | | | | background. And guess what, yourpages don't |
| email address). This is my creation, my website - | | | | need to match each other - in fact, you can |
| who has the right to tell me what colors or | | | | makeevery single page different if you want. This |
| navigationscheme or for that matter, anything | | | | is especially truefor personal web sites - don't |
| else (unsolicited). | | | | worry about conforming. |
| I believe that many web sites (especially | | | | Sites don't need to be symmetrical, they don't |
| professional ones)have become exceptionally | | | | need to balanceand they don't need to match |
| boring and uninteresting. Theyare cookie-cut from | | | | anyone else's criteria of "good". |
| a common mold based upon "user testing". | | | | All they need to do is communicate something. |
| Perhaps you've seen these tests, perhaps not. | | | | Most of the time |
| What they say is a person's eye wanders from | | | | (since by far most web sites are personal home |
| the upper leftdown to the center of the screen. | | | | pages of somekind) they are communicating |
| So the most important thingneeds to be in the | | | | something about an individual orgroup. |
| upper left, and the navigation should bedown the | | | | Black text on white backgrounds are for sissies; |
| left. Colors need to be bland and uninteresting - | | | | Try dozens ofdifferent colors until your site looks |
| blackon white is best. And blah blah blah. Ho hum, | | | | exactly like you want. |
| it all looksthe same. | | | | Having a perfectly proportioned navigation system |
| People are not created the same. Every single | | | | exactly thesame on every page is boring. Come |
| one of us is anindividual, with our own unique | | | | up with something that getsyour users from place |
| desires, needs, likes, dislikes,viewpoints, or | | | | to place without being the same aseveryone |
| whatever else you want to call it. Why should | | | | else's system. |
| ourweb sites all be the same? | | | | Use image maps all over the place - these are |
| Perhaps it makes sense in the world of business | | | | great ways tovisually show your user how to get |
| for all websites to look like Amazon or Yahoo, but | | | | around without the same oldboring links. Use |
| if you widen yourhorizons does it really make | | | | graphics as you see fit to make your pagesshine. |
| sense anywhere else? Is your homepage | | | | Yes, you should worry about image size, but don't |
| describing your personal life and your cat any | | | | worrythat much. A few extra seconds of load |
| better ifit looks like someone else's site? Did that | | | | time is fine (just don'tgo overboard); people will |
| make it bettersomehow? | | | | wait if they feel excited about asite. They will not |
| Are web sites really better if they include the | | | | wait if the site is bland and boring. |
| same collectionof links? The same news headlines | | | | Don't even try and add all of those extra |
| and the same guestbook styles? | | | | doo-dads that somany sites seem to be using |
| The same bland colors, the navigation bars in the | | | | these days. Believe me, your sitedoes not need a |
| same place anda few select fonts? Is this good? | | | | news feed - every one else already has one |
| Is this what we really wantfrom the web? | | | | andyou will not attract any new visitors with |
| Even with your standard small business sites, do | | | | them. You don't needto include the cute little |
| you really thinkthat someone wants to surf to | | | | quote-of-the-day buttons or the tickeror the |
| your site to find that it looks justlike all other | | | | weather map. These just tend to make your site |
| sites? Does this make them care about your | | | | look cheap. |
| productany more? | | | | Spend your time writing your content, designing |
| So what should you do when you create a web | | | | your site andworking on your graphics. If you do |
| site? If you want towin most of the awards | | | | include plug-ins,concentrate on those that build a |
| offered by such places as "awardsites.com",then | | | | community such as forms,guestbooks, message |
| you probably want to create a bland site with | | | | boards and even online games. These arethe |
| perfect HTML,excellent navigation, pages that all | | | | things that attract people - being able to |
| match wonderfully andconsistently from page to | | | | communicatewith other people. |
| page. You want to spend your timemaking sure | | | | And a note to those who judge awards - please |
| your site matches the common idea of "good", | | | | take off theblinders. There are many wonderful |
| and ifyou can do that you can win the awards. | | | | sites which communicateexceptionally well which |
| Your site will look likeany other site (bland and | | | | deserve gold 5.0+ awards, even thoughthey do |
| uninteresting), but you will winawards. | | | | not have perfect HTML, even though every page |
| On the other hand, if you are an individual with | | | | does notmatch every other page and in spite of |
| your own brain,your own artistic sense and your | | | | a glaring color scheme. Ihave seen site after site |
| own strength of character andwill, then perhaps | | | | loose major awards simply because somerobot is |
| you want to create something that YOU | | | | sitting in the judges booth, matching the site |
| like,something that your visitors may also enjoy. | | | | againsta fixed set of criteria (a way of turning off |
| Anyone can create asite that wins awards (it's | | | | a judge's brain)instead of really looking at what's |
| actually very easy, just follow theinstructions in | | | | important - is the sitecommunicating effectively? |
| your coloring book and remember to draw | | | | My advice is simple: create a web site which YOU |
| perfectlywithin the lines) - only a true artist or | | | | like and don'tworry about the awards. If your site |
| simply an individual cancreate a site which tells a | | | | communicates something ofvalue to your visitors, |
| story using their own interesting andunique style. | | | | then you have succeeded. If not, thenregardless |
| First and foremost, keep your end user in mind | | | | of how many awards you've won, you've failed. |
| and make it workfor them. In other words, make | | | | |