Layout

The layout is another important step when creating a website so it is key that know the basics when it comes the layout then the rest is up to me.

The Golden Rules
we always read from top to bottom from left to right, therefore the most important things go at the top, larger and stood out from anything else (like a banner on a newspaper). the second important things underneath, smaller but still big enough to attract attention e.g. links, menus and navigation. information should never be stacked from top to bottom.

The Classic Inverted L Shape Layout
within this layout the top and side bars are the most important; this area is used for navigation and logo. this layout is good for corporate sites to appeal to a larger audience.

Top Header
this layout has everything important at the top leaving the rest of the page free for the rest of the content. this layout makes the site look clean simple and organised. this layout is used for drop down navigation

Side Navigation
this layout has no top bar for navigation, it looks clean, organised and simple to use for this reason it is frequently used.

Box Shape
with this layout all the information and content is in the middle of the page inside a square or rectangle. sometimes small elements are on the outside but usually all the interface is inside a box. this layout is very user friendly as it gives your eyes a rest as your focus is drawn to the center. this layout is therefore effective and popular.

Classic Header, Center Footer
this stacks everything neatly from top to bottom, logo, content, footer. links can be at the top with the logo or at the bottom with the footer. the footer can contain copyright information, links and corporate information. this layout is a very basic style design. this is also a good layout you to organize information by importance.

Left Justified
this layout does what says on the tin it aligns all of the interface and content to the left and is designed for a number of monitor and screen resolutions. this layout ensures minimal white space.

Right Justified
just like the one above this layout also does what it says on the tin all the interface and content is aligned to the right, no matter now much you stretch it

No Interface, Just White Space
this layout when done correctly can look beautiful and clean with no drawn borders or dividing lines this can look elegant. it can be any colour. the space is used for navigation space.

Full Design, No White Space
this layout has no interface design and covers the whole of the browser window, this layout can be eye-catching but very busy, it can also give a site a very modern futuristic look. the disadvantages of this are that the audience maybe overwhelmed and it can be very complicated to use. therefore this layout should be handled with care.

Middle Interface
Within this layout all the content is based in the center of the page leaving the top and bottom of the page empty, therefore this has a similar look to the box design. the only difference is that it isn’t contained within a box it stretches to each side of the page.

The Classic Black Site with Red or Green Text
this colour combination isn’t good for creating business web pages; it is used a lot for rock bands, gothic sites, sci-fi and video games.

3D Design
within this layout elements are made using 3D software. this is becoming more and more popular on the web and is used by a wide audience. the main disadvantage of using 3D on the web is the download speeds. it can take a long time to download therefore the user may get board and go elsewhere.

Horizontal Scrolling
this layout is used a lot by photographers, artists and online stores as they use it to showcase there work or products. the page scrolls from left to right; this provides a change from top to bottom. however most people don’t like scrolling therefore there are limited number of people that will visit sites using this design.

Unconventional Styles
websites that come under this category have no particular style. however do have a clear specific layout. this style of design is used by many art students, design firms, rock bands and fashion designers. it got its inspiration from print designs and allows total freedom to create what you like where you like. be careful though as this design has a lot of impunity to fail as you do not know how the audience will react to a website created like this. so there maybe the freedom to do what you like you then looses the stability of knowing what the audience will think. however if the navigation is clear it can be very effective. So the key thing to remember when creating a site like this is to make sure your audience will accept your unconventional site.