Multimedia & The World Wide Web
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
What is important in web design?
• Color• Layout• Content• Text – Important to know that the font you
intend may not be fonts in user’s browsers.
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Layout
• Layout and design are a very subjective topic, but the important thing is to make sure that there is a layout.
• As opposed to just putting information up, make an effort to display it aesthetically.
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Layout…
• The web makes it possible to control how your information is presented, there's no reason not to do it.
If two companies are selling the same product, and one puts a photocopied flyer under your windshield, while the other hands you a full-color kit while wearing a business suit...which one are you likely to remember?
• The stylish side of a web site is very subjective, and everybody will have their own idea of what looks good. Just make sure that you don't minimize the importance of layout and design...
• First impressions are hard to erase.
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
1. Create a clear visual hierarchy2. Split your information into logical sections 3. Make sure your starting page is attractive and
well laid out 4. Try to have a consistent theme throughout the
entire site 5. Try to use colors, styles and fonts that
complement each other 6. Make it obvious what's clickable
Don't Make Me Think!
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Visual hierarchy
• The more important something is, the more prominent it is.
• Things that are related logically are also related visually.
• Things are "nested" visually to show what's part of what. (visual hierarchies prevent slower scanning)
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Break up pages into clearly defined areas
• Web users know what they are looking for when scanning. If they find it, they react to the remainder of the web site as if it were not there.
• This helps users to make quicker decisions
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Make it obvious what's clickable
• Blue, underlined text means that something is clickable.
• If buttons are meant to be clicked on, there should be some intuitive indication that they should be clicked on.
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Balance
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Direction
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Unity
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Gestalt Theory
• Gestalt psychology was founded in 1910 by three German psychologists, Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Köhler
• Utilizes humans perceptual tendencies
• We don’t see things in isolation, but as parts of some larger whole
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Gestalt Theory
• Proximity• Similarity• Symmetry• Continuity• Closure
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Proximity
• Describes the process of using distance or location to create groups
• Things which are closer together will be seen as belonging together
• EXAMPLE: text
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Similarity
• Grouping by like kind or like type• Things which share visual characteristics such as
shape, size, color, texture, value or orientation will be seen as belonging together
• Repetition of forms in a visual composition is pleasing in much the same way rhythm is pleasing in music
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Symmetry
• The whole of a figure is perceived rather than the parts that make it up
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Continuity
• Predicts the preference for continuous figures • Groupings are created by the flow of lines or by
alignment
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Closure
• The process by which we perceive shapes that, in a certain sense, aren’t really there
• We mentally complete the shape in our heads• It is a way that our minds impose order and
meaning on an incomplete set of data
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Similarity
• Top buttons – Different sizes
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Similarity
• Much Better!
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Similarity
• Tie it all together
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Continuity
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Continuity
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Remember…
• As designers, be conscious of these principles and use them to your advantage
• It is not enough to say that a design is “good”.
• Know why it is good.
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Page Design Guidelines
• The name/logo of the site or sponsor should appear on every page
• Avoid busy or distracting backgrounds • Prioritize your content. Call attention to your
most exciting content with size, color, and/or screen position.
• Minimize less important content
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Page Design Guidelines
• Organize information into clearly distinguishable areas.
• Chunk related elements into visual groups through the use of space, graphics, or similarities in color, lightness, texture, or orientation
• 50-80% of space on a page should be used for content of interest to the user, not navigation or advertising
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Page Design Guidelines
• White space is not useless. It can guide the eye and help users understand the grouping of information.
• Keep pages simple. Review all of your design elements and remove them one at time. If the design works just as well without an element, kill it.
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Page Design Guidelines
• Use consistent – fonts, color palette, graphical elements, – navigation options, – placement of elements on the page
• In general, use more short pages instead of fewer long pages.
• However, content pages should contain one conceptual unit of content.
• In general, people prefer to scroll to continue a single unit of content, such as an article, rather than click from page to page.
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www
Page Design Guidelines
• Never make the user scroll to locate important navigation options or the focal point of the page, such as "Buy Now"
• Always use highly visible page titles to provide location feedback and help users remain oriented
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HCI 201 Multimedia and the www