| Don't | Do |
|---|---|
| Use content developed by others without their permission | Ask and gain permission to use content (images, sounds, video, text, etc.). If there is a site that offers free content...be careful, maybe they are passing it on illegally. Be critical and use your best judgment and ask the author if in doubt. |
| Use all or too much CAPITOL letters | Use Capitols only when needed. Vary the font, headers you use this will produce a stimulating visual. |
| Use a lot of images...it will take too long to load your page | Use images only where necessary. Be smart in your design. One image can sometimes say more that ten. |
| Use large images...it takes too long to load. | Use thumbnail images to point to larger sized images. Use jpeg compression file format using low quality unless you need better quality (low really isn't that bad). Use gif format for small images (< 100 x 100 pixels) |
| Use too much color.. can be distracting | Wisely design the colors you use to set a mood or make a statement |
| Use too busy or saturated of a background | Use a simpler background and one that is in contrast to the font colors you use. Thus if you have a light background your black text will show up. If you use a darker background then lighter colored text should be used |
| Warning: Have similar content pages that look radically different. This can make it difficult for a user to get a feel of your web-site and how to navigate around it. | Be consistent in your design and look-and-feel when you can. |
| Start creating a web-page with no plan in hand | To create effective web-pages efficiently always create a design plan document |
| List a lot of unrelated hyper-text links | Organize your links by section, or create an index, describe briefly what they link to. |
| Over-design | If you need to convey a lot of information or critical information, don't make the page to visually distracting. Simple can be the best design policy for these types of pages. |