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