You don’t have to be an extreme web user to notice that most “newbies†to website creation tend to create webpages that look like MySpace Profiles. Flashing text, bright colors, tiled image backgrounds, visible tables, etc. So, I’m here to guide all you newbs to create pages that do not cause viewers to have siezures.
1. The “background†property is not for images!
Ok, not entirely true. You can use it for simple images, maybe a pattern, or something. But mostly this property should just be colors, and very dull, pale colors at that. Finally, avoid this property if you can, and use CSS to set backgrounds instead.
2. No one, and I mean no one wants to look at your tables!
This is a one hundred percent no-no. Never make your tables visible. It’s ugly and lazy. If you must, change the table style in the code itself, but better yet, use CSS to do it, or even better, don’t use tables!
3. Inline JavaScript is ugly!
Just don’t do it. Don’t use any inline javascript. Preferably, you keep all the JavaScript in a separate file and use Behaviour to control OnClick Events.
4. Flashy does not equal cool!
No. Siezureiffic websites are not cool. Do not use the “Marquee†effect, the “blinky†effect, and PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, keep most of the text white, the background one uniform light color!
5. Pictures are god, but…
Don’t overload the homepage with images! We want two, maybe three images in the body of the homepage. Any more than that, and it’ll look cluttered and turn visitors off.
6. You can have multiple pages!
Seems obvious, but many people seem to want to cram everything into the homepage. Maybe this is from the MySpace culture, who knows. Anyway, have multiple pages. Relating back to #5, maybe you have a lot of pictures, but they would clutter up the page? Have a “Photos†page! It’s really that easy: Don’t put everything on one page!
7. Background music on websites is really annoying.
What if we don’t want to hear your little brother’s rendition of American Idiot while we’re trying to read! Seriuosly, background music is just annoying. I’ve heard it all, from celtic people singing to “Boulevard of Broken Dreams†on an organ. It’s annoying. Just don’t do it.
8. Use a fairly uniform color scheme,
because no one likes purple text with a green background. Try to keep all the colors near one end of the spectrum. White, pale blue and black go together. Florescent green, bright purple and yellow don’t.
9. Keep the text the same size!
Unless it’s a header. Headers can be slightly larger, but hopefully not too much. Other than that, all the text should close to the same size.
10. DON’T use .gif animations!
They are low quality, ugly and since they can have a few frames, for the most part they are useless. The can be used well, but it’s hard. Just avoid them for now.
Well, that’s it folks! I hope this guide’ll help newbs to the web make websites that don’t make me wanna throw up. If you follow these guidelines, add a comment with a link to your page!
11. Look at Google.
If your thinking right now: This guy’s stupid! Without my flashy text headers my site won’t look cool, and people won’t want to look at it!, you’re wrong. First of all, flashy, etc., as I have explained, is NOT cool. Second, look at Google. They seem to have gotten by ok with black text on a white background with blue links. Pretty simple, no? No blinky, siezure effects, right?
), Watching The Office, etc.