Hi there..
In a simple way l would like to know what setting (ie: in 800 X 600 or 1024
X 768 format) you normally set when you design a website?
As a frontpage user, l use the setting of 1024 x 768 but many of my friends
feedback that when they viewed my site, they saw :-
- words "being covered" by pictures
- words "didnt wrap at the edge" of the window
- pictures out of alignment (supposed to be left-aligned, but become
right-aligned")
Symptoms mentioned are found on browser set in 800 x 600 setting, thus l'm
not sure if it's because of setting problem as l've not such problem in my
browser using 1024 X 768.
Please kindly enlight, thanks
BT (pls reply via groups, as email no valid, thanks)
This question comes up a lot, it seems. You will get a lot of answers
dictating "fluid design" in this newsgroup, but, strictly speaking, fluid
design is not a requirement. In all things, there are good designs and
bad designs, but fundamentally, even textbook examples of either come down
to subjective preference in many respects.
Anyways, I say aim for a fluid design. A design that allows the user to
resize her browser from relatively small/narrow to relatively big/wide and
still be able to use the site comfortably without overlapping elements
or a horizontal scrollbar. You can have *some* elements that are fixed in
width.
That said, I have seen many fixed-widht designs that I think work quite
well. But I really think a maximum widht of around 760 pixels is what you
should go for if you aim for fixed width. 1000 pixels wide is just too
wide. and definitely *not* 1024 pixels as it does not allow room for
browser window decorations and scrollbars.
Personally, I have my screen set at 1600x1200 pixel resolution. However I
almost never use a full-screen browser window (what's the point? I use
such high resolotion so I can fit multiple windows on the screen!)
Typically, my browser window ends up being around 900 pixels wide -- it is
just a comfortable browsing width for me.
Of course, there are also other considerations: Who is your audience? What
is your subject matter? Do you need your site to be "accessible"? Have you
accounted for other browsers? What about text-only browsers? (Yes, some
people really do use text-only browsers! More than you think!) What about
portable devices? And more... All of these things should affect your
layout and design choices. Or not, if they are not relevant.
And so on...
<diatribe>
I don't think people really understand how much
effort goes into a well designed website or a detailed and complex web
application (which is more what I do). I get shit all the time, "could you
just change this thing a little bit more like this?" or "Would it be
easy for you to just redesign the database to take this new thing into
account? Sorry I didn't mention it earlier!" or "how long will it take to
make this [really huge, complicated, and detailed] website? Can I have it
tomorrow?" No! You can't friggin have it tomorrow! Sheesh. Maybe if you
had brought those topics up in the months we spent discussing the details
of what this website needs!
But, of course, I have no idea what it takes to, say, put a new head
gasket in my car or organize a political rally or create a radio talk
show. Its just that it seems like, since everyone these days *has* a
computer and *has* FrontPage, well, then everyone is a friggin web
designer. Well you're not! Stop trying to think you are! And mister
Manager, please stop giving your complex web project to your secretary who
can barely figure out how to turn the computer *on* let alone navigate the
directory hiearchy in [insert favorite file manager here -- I use Linux so
I have a choice! In windows, you're stuck with Windows Explorer, (not that
Windows Explorer is really all taht horrible)] or figure out how to
*really* use FrontPage!! Of course, the *real* way to use FrontPage is TO
DELETE IT FROM YOUR COMPUTER IMMEDIATELY!! Then take the cd and
stick it in the microwave for about 4 seconds. It came on your
MS Office cd set? Boo hoo. get rid of that, too. (Actually, I
happen to like Word and Excel) Then get a *real* HTML/PHP/ASP editor like,
say, Vim. Or one of the many other thousand billion code editors out
there. Even DreamWeaver for butt's sake. But not FrontPage!!
</diatribe>
Ooops! I haven't had any coffee yet today. I'll have to remedy that.
Later...
