Layout Tips

I decided to remove my old 'layout tips' article and to start from scratch. What I wrote on my old article was unhelpful and very unoriginal, I wrote general things that everyone knows like 'match your colours...'. I decided instead to get a piece of paper and write a list of things I do when I start creating a new layout. Please note I'm not some kind of layout guru, these are just my personal tips and ideas.

Plan!

Before I start making a layout, I plan. There are different ways in which I plan:

• I lie down, close my eyes and let a layout draw itself into my head.
  
• I get a piece of paper and start doodling.
  
• I open up MS paint - yes, MS paint - and start doodling.
  

Wanna see what some of my layouts looked like before they were complete?

(Became this)

(Became this)

Take your time: One element at a time

What's the rush? Nothing great happens quickly - it's best to take your time. This all ties in with 'one element' at a time. Sometimes I spend a good two hours just trying to find and edit the right background. I also take my time looking for the right fonts: all of my layouts can be found with a .txt file titled 'fonts'. Try and stick to a errr... 'font scheme'... you don't need 100 different fonts. I'm pretty sure I sound like the biggest nerd right now, but this is how I make my layouts, your layout is the first thing people see when they go on your site. If it's boring (which doesn't mean "simple", 'cos it can be simple and effective), then I usually just close the site.

Another way I do 'one element at a time', is on the layout itself. One day will be dedicated to the header, another to the footer, another purely to the colours and CSS; trying to get it perfect. One thing I do quite often is see how different sites have done different things, for example, when I may just be completely bored out of my head and in the process of making a layout - I will browse sites and see how they have displayed their comments data, sometimes sparking sudden inspiration.

Do what you want to do

I used to never want to be original with my layouts. If everyone else was just putting their name on the header with two frames then I'd do the same. Web design however, isn't about fitting in; nothing is about fitting in 'cos if you want to get noticed you have to stand out. When I was still breaking out of that silly 'fitting in' era, one hard decision for me was not using a regular circled bullet on my portfolio page. I know, how sad is that? But that's how bad I used to be. Just do what you wanna do, be creative - let your idea's flow; never think... "no one else has done that before".

Layout Compatibility

Web design can be pretty hard sometimes because of all the different screen resolutions and all the different browsers. So just try your best to make it 'compatible'. Do some browser testing (Browsershotsorg) make sure your layout isn't too big or too tiny.

Then there's the centering thing. It's best to center your layout because it makes it easier for those with different screen resolutions. But, it's not a necessity. There are many amazing sites without centered layouts, for example: The Seven Five and A White Box.

Good luck. ♥