How to design web sites that simply work
'Web Design from Scratch' is a practical training course in web design for eveyone interested in creating effective web pages.
Web design is a complex discipline that involves a wide range of skills. I notice that some of the most basic skills are lacking in many web site designs.
Those basic skills are quite simple, but can be hard to gain because of a lack of teaching material. That's what WDFS aims to solve!
The way of simplicity
Designing effective web sites requires having a firm understanding of design fundamentals, and applying them with an eye for simplicity. The simple approach doesn't make sites boring or plain! On the contrary, well-designed sites can be beautiful, and fulfilling and enjoyable to use. 'Web Design from Scratch' describes my approach to simple web design.
As well as theory, it's full of practical guidance on the really useful stuff:
- How to think like a successful designer
- What to say on your web site
- How to arrange your content in a way that makes sense
- How to lay out a web page for maximum success
- And how to design a useful and appealing visual layer
Is it a course in usability, or design?
It's a course in good design!
There's been an political "design/usability" argument in the web industry for ages, with people arguing that one is more important than the other. The argument is based on a concept that design and usability are distinct or opposing forces.
I don't recognise this distinction. The purpose of design is to facilitate communication. When designing products that have a communication function, usable design is simply better design, because it makes a product better at its job. Usability is about enabling better communication. There's no either/or and there's no choice if you're serious about design.
It's Free!
The course is made available under the shareware principle. That means it's offered free of charge, and if you find it valuable, you are invited support this work by donating. I particularly encourage you to contribute if you use this as part of an educational or business training programme. Your support will help me develop this resource for everyone.
Approach
WDFS aims to show how to design for effective web communication. The communication between web page and user is influenced by a large variety of factors. Many are common to other media, and some are unique to screen-based or hypertext environments. The course begins by exploring these factors.
Starting from fundamental building blocks of design, we'll develop a set of simple principles that form the framework for a complete how-to web design guide. We'll then start to apply those principles to different problems, and doing so will develop a set of best-practice guidelines.
Topics are illustrated with real-world examples.
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