Leadership Viewpoint

Once we had downloaded the FREE trial of the Webstudio 4 software, the first decision that we had to make was to determine the screen resolution that we wanted to design for. To aid in this decision, I presented data from the last 30 days of the Advanced Leadership Group website:

• 1024×768 54.35%

• 800×600 12.21%

• 1280×1024 11.97%

As larger and more precise LCD screens have replaced the older and fuzzier CRT’s, the 1024 x 768 resolution has grown in usage to over 54% of the user population. The challenge for website designers is that there are still 12% of users with the 800 x 600 resolution. This means that if you design to the sharper, 1024 x 768 specification, that 12% of users will be inconvenienced, needing to scroll back and forth to see a full screen of your website information. Ultimately, it is very helpful to know more about your target users, whether they are more or less likely to have the newer screens and higher resolution. Each business needs to make this call for itself.

After you lock in a screen resolution, it’s time to get down to deciding on the graphic design for the site. Start with your logo and colors. In general, it’s wise to keep your graphics simple and readable. For our business, we designed to coordinate well with our corporate brochure, reinforcing and building upon our company image. For startups and businesses that are solely online, consider the colors that are generally representative of your industry. Soft colors may be appropriate for a yoga studio, for instance, but may not convey enough strength for a war games site. Here’s a nice online resource if colors are challenging for you.

This first page is the foundation that the rest of the website will build upon, so take your time and work with it until you are really happy with it. The navigation buttons should be placed either along the top or on the left side. While another set may be added on the bottom, that is not sufficient for the primary site navigation — people simply don’t look there for them. As you design buttons, a nice rollover feature is a simple way to add life to the site; it also makes it clear to your visitors that they are hovering over a link, which is an aid to usage. Be certain to plan a button for each major category of information that you will put online. It’s smart to look around at other sites and critically assess their categories of information. Customize your own site accordingly.

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