Just how do we do it right?

If you're baking a cake, you might use a cup of sugar and a pinch of salt, but not likely a teaspoon of cayenne. The same ingredients, however, might be fine in another dish. The key to good cooking is to know what to use and when, and the same is true in Web site design. To showcase your design savvy and gratify the user's eye without upstaging your content, you need to know when to use cutting-edge technologies on your pages and when to go with basic HTML. Here are a few things to consider when designing a site:

• Who is visiting your site?

A business-to-business site might need only basic product and price information. Here, speed is important, and heavy graphics could overwhelm the static content. For an entertainment- or commerce-oriented site, flashy graphics might be appropriate to draw in and keep visitors, but don't make the items or information difficult to reach. Bottom line: Graphics should never overwhelm the content they support.

• Are you limiting your visitors' use of the site?

A graphically intense site designed for a UNIX-oriented visitor, for example, could be frustrating, since many UNIX desktops use the character-based Lynx browser. For Windows and Mac visitors, your content should be as compelling in Microsoft Internet Explorer as it is in Netscape Navigator. If you choose to use a feature available only on a specific browser, provide good alternative views.

• Are you betting that your visitors will have the latest technology, such as a browser that supports style sheets, or some special plug-in?

While the latest HTML 3.2 or even 4.0 tags might allow you to enhance your site, older browsers simply ignore the tags, which can result in missing components from the page. Avoid browser extensions, and do not "design for Netscape Navigator" or any such specific target. Make sure the level of technology you decide to use works with the overall goals of your page. You'll want to make sure your site works well for users with slower modems too.

• Are your graphics equally pleasing on all platforms?

Assuming your visitors have the appropriate browsers and hardware, make sure you create your images so that colors are consistent on all browsers. Stick with "browser-safe" colors (216 total), when possible.

Everyone wants to be flashy, however plain HTML usually is sufficient and easier to navigate. The judicious use of small graphics can certainly enhance a site’s appearance. The key is small, and simple is better. The entire page should be no more than 50kb in size except in rare cases (this does not leave much room for many graphics at all). Introduce the larger graphics on a lead-in page with thumbnail images, including explanation of size and content of the large images to be loaded. A clickable image map may be an appropriate link organization for some users, but remember not all users will be able to view graphics. Some just disable display to minimize download time for all pages.

Too many animated GIFs can detract from the page, turning visitors away rather than drawing them into the content. Avoid Java and other bleeding-edge technologies for some customers, noting that many Web users simply do not have the hardware or software capable of taking advantage of the new code. The number one issue that Webmasters face when enhancing their sites beyond standard HTML is to consider whether the new technologies will work with all browsers. Technologies that look great in the latest release of Communicator or Internet Explorer might look terrible in Lynx or the graphical browser used by some America Online customers.

Knowing your audience is the priority. Since audiences can vary so much, depending on the site topic, the astute designer strives for a balance between design and content on a site-by-site basis. You need to consider the users' expectations, their knowledge of the technology, and their motivation to be on the site.

Today, technology still limits design concepts. While the designer might be able to storyboard a flashy design, the design might well be inappropriate for the site. There must be balance between the technical ability to create the site and the client's need to offer flash when potential visitors' technology just isn't up to the task. Consequently, the architect of a site should consider avoiding Java, JavaScript, proprietary plug-ins and other advanced technologies at this time.

But it is possible to rise above the technical limitations of both the medium and users' hardware and software. Designers need to know what the limitations are and what we're aiming for. But it is important not to be too constrained by perceived limitations at the design stage. If a design concept seems to stretch the bounds of the technology or the audience's capabilities, then the programming staff, or your right brain, must work to solve the problem of implementation.

Designers still do not have the same type of checklist that print designers use. In print, design rules have evolved over the years, and a designer essentially knows what the finished product will look like at the outset; with Web sites, that's just not the case.