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panic15
I've recently made a layout for my mate and just thought i'd share some design tips that can be used when designing web templates on any program even paint (although not advised - for obvious reasons)

1. be simple. - people need to be able read your site, simple things appeal to people more.

2. Use colours from a pallete applies more to photoshop but use a pallete of the same colour- different shades. when using another colour make sure its about the same brightness w/e as a subtle colour won't blend in with a bright colour.

3. Make use of css and therefore gain space/loading times. - if ur just running a simple blog then you could just have a 1pixel body and a header use repeater code.

4. Make it original... - don't replicate themes off major sites or logos or products or just don't go OTT. (eg. popular unofficial xbox sites might use stuff like the guide button or the ring of light but they don't use the 360 logo as there banner and just change the text)

5. Don't be afraid to make use of other peoples themes on cms systems or blog software most of the theme css or code is open source and come packed with comments and stuff to help you learn and change code no css is the same for any site system or blog so if your stuck on coding your layout don't be afraid to use other peoples layouts to help you!

Happy designing, love panic!
Wink
Dragate
Good tips, although very generic. In a more deeper look...
panic15 wrote:
1. be simple. - people need to be able read your site, simple things appeal to people more.


As all things that ever stated like this, which isn't definiate. In most cases, for ppl who are just begginners at web design, simple is good to start off. But, complicated doesn't hurt. Not complicated as in messy, keep it clean. There's a difference.

Check out my site? It's a forum, it's closed due to lack of management and exams for me and everybody in that forum seemed to give up due to lack of advertisement and interest. But look at my banner, it's very complicated, but is it bad? Nope. Keep it clean. Simple at first, but it should be clean in other words.

panic15 wrote:
2. Use colours from a pallete applies more to photoshop but use a pallete of the same colour- different shades. when using another colour make sure its about the same brightness w/e as a subtle colour won't blend in with a bright colour.


Not always. Contrasting colours don't work that well either. I don't really know how this works, but sometimes things just work out with different colours of different hues. Play around. But for starters, try to get everythign under the same hue, THEN play.

panic15 wrote:
3. Make use of css and therefore gain space/loading times. - if ur just running a simple blog then you could just have a 1pixel body and a header use repeater code.


This isn't that big of a deal for some ppl with faster internet, because most sites won't take too long to load unless you have a bad server or your site is constantly changing and very messy. (new images and stuff to load all the time) Most things are stored in the cache and just loads from there. But css is good for the coder. Saves you a lot of codes. Instead of using the code for a font over and over again, you could just go <p class="redunderline"> then type your text and you have already set it as red underline somewhere else with maybe even effects. This saves you code in the HTML section.

panic15 wrote:
4. Make it original... - don't replicate themes off major sites or logos or products or just don't go OTT. (eg. popular unofficial xbox sites might use stuff like the guide button or the ring of light but they don't use the 360 logo as there banner and just change the text)


Don't replicate, but learn. Look at how successful websites of succesful companies do it. Learn.

panic15 wrote:
5. Don't be afraid to make use of other peoples themes on cms systems or blog software most of the theme css or code is open source and come packed with comments and stuff to help you learn and change code no css is the same for any site system or blog so if your stuck on coding your layout don't be afraid to use other peoples layouts to help you!


Very true. Play around with their layouts, personalize it, image edit everything. You'll probabaly be tempted to make your own after that.

~~~~~~

Nice tips.

Everybody have fun.
cavey
What is an 1pixel body?

Anyway. The reason for using css is because the site will be more compatible with other browsers and platforms (f.eks. mobile, TV, browsers for blind people etc). It also saves a lot of coding AND loading time IF (and only if) you put the CSS-stuff in an external file. Then the CSS-file will be cached. If you use inline CSS or put the CSS in top of every html-document it doesnt help with the loading time. The CSS will be read and interpreted all over again for each pages you visit, even though the CSS is all the same on all pages.

Remember to use semantic HTML and check if the webpage is readable and logic before you decorate it with CSS.
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