Making it look good
Here are a few quick notes on how to make your site look more visually pleasing. The template will do a lot of the work for you, but you still need to pay attention to the content of you site if you want readers to be able to use it, and come back again.
- Vary the pictures from page to page. The same picture on the right side of the page becomes monotonous. Users will soon learn to ignore the right-hand column completely, defeating the purpose of essential links.
- Make images appropriate to the subject matter of the page if possible. For example, a page about faculty members should show a picture of a professor, not a picture of the Clock Tower.
- Use high-quality images. 72 dpi is the standard resolution you should use. Any higher than 96 dpi will only make a difference when printing the image. Compression can also affect the look of your pictures. Keeping the file size down is important, but don't sacrifice the quality of the image, making it pixilated.
- Use headings to break up information. The Heading Style uses the
font tag. The
tag should only be used once on a page, and that is at the beginning of the page. In Site Builder, this is the Page Title.
- Place small images on your page. This can break up the monotony of an all-text document. These images can be actual photographs, or even small clipart style squares or shapes. But, avoid this practice on official documents, letters, and serious subject matter.
- Use your logo. If your department has a logo, there are some standards you need to follow.
- The left-hand menu is good for about 6 or 7 links. Keep the link names short, around 2 or 3 words. If the names are too long, or there are too many items, they will get lost in the clutter, so be aware of this.
