What makes good web design?

[dnraikes]

Hi all,
I put up a site about 2 months ago:
http://pcpro.draikes.com

Earlier this week, i asked on the "critique my site" forum for some feedback.
I was told my site didn't have very good design.

As a blind person, I see the links and the text on the page.
I know basically how they are oriented.

My question is, what makes for a good web design?
What makes a page visually appealing and makes a visitor want to stay and read the page or dig deeper?

I have a lot of site ideas, so I really want to know what I can do to make things exciting on these sites.

Any help gratefully accepted and appreciated.

[Teli]

Hi Don,
In a nutshell, there are a variety of factors which make up good design. Generally speaking, one should take into consideration color, page directional flow, and organization. A long while ago I wrote a guide on CSS/XHTML for beginners however it does touch a little on some basic principles of design.

The ebook is called Learn the Basics: Practical Design, XHTML & CSS (http://www.buniek.com/resources/css-xhtml/cssxhtmlbasics.pdf) (PDF) and is available for free. There is also an online version (http://www.buniek.com/resources/css-xhtml/) if you don't want to download the PDF.

Looking over the site you've linked to, I believe you received those reviews because the site lacks color, form, and continuity. Also, in Firefox there is a horizontal scroll bar and the page does not lay out properly.

The font you're using on the page (I believe is "century gothic"?) is not really a "content" font and is generally used more for headings. I'm sure you could pull it off with a little pre-planning and customization of the letter spacing and line-heights.

I hope that helps :)

~Teli

[dnraikes]

Teli, Thanks!
I will read through your ebook. Can I have you review my site once I make a few changes?

Please send me a pm about this.

[Chuck Brown]

Also, Don...consider this:

I find that there are things I do well, and things I don't do well.

Forgive me for being blunt, but if you're blind, the chances are that visual design is not going to be your strong suit.

What I've found is that it can be a really good idea to partner up with others who have skills that you don't.

You might consider seeking a partner (maybe someone on this forum) who has web design skills and who is willing to help you bring some of your ideas to life.

I personally have teamed up with a handful of friends on different projects like this. I bring what I bring, they bring what they bring...and we split whatever the site makes in terms of Adsense dollars.

And since two heads are generally better than one anyway (I should know... I personally HAVE two heads! :) ), you'll probably find that the site turns out not just to be more visually appealing, but stronger overall because of the involvement of a partner.

I hope you find this idea helpful.

c-