should my content be resizable ?

[Mel]

i see a lot of sites with fixed width and height and on my GIANT screen,
they all look "kinda" oweful

why not resizable, so people with large kahuna's can see more ????

 

[Matthew Superstar Swass]

This is where the coders the the photoshoppers will butt heads.

You take the detailed layouts away, and this is a breeze. But this isn't 1997
anymore, and many designers create their works of art first and then worry
about usability across various resolutions as a second thought.

A couple interesting topics are using JS redirection based on screen res, and
image size correlation with text size.

Both have their upsides and downsides depending on your specific situation.

The only way to really tackle this issue though is to dummy your designs up,
but that too comes at a price.

 

[Karl Core]

This is where the coders the the photoshoppers will butt heads.

You take the detailed layouts away, and this is a breeze. But this isn't
1997
anymore, and many designers create their works of art first and then worry
about usability across various resolutions as a second thought.

Many people shoot heroin for fun. That doesn't make it a good idea.
While there are certainly a lot of other contributing factors to a site's
usability, all things being equal, the flexible site will do better in a
usability test.

A couple interesting topics are using JS redirection based on screen res,

screen resolution != browser window size.
My monitor is 1680 pixels wide. What size window do you think I browse the
web with?

 

[nice.guy.nige]

While the city slept, Karl Core ([email protected]) feverishly
typed...

screen resolution != browser window size.
My monitor is 1680 pixels wide. What size window do you think I
browse the web with?

4! ..... no... 9!

..... oh go on then, I give up. ;-)

Cheers,
Nige

 

[Travis Newbury]

i see a lot of sites with fixed width and height and on my GIANT screen,
they all look "kinda" oweful
why not resizable, so people with large kahuna's can see more ????

Re sizable does not allow for a fixed graphics look. Some people like
that look.

 

[Travis Newbury]

Many people shoot heroin for fun. That doesn't make it a good idea.

<rolling eyes>
Great analogy.

While there are certainly a lot of other contributing factors to a site's
usability, all things being equal, the flexible site will do better in a
usability test.

Well that only makes sense. With a flexible layout you lose the
detailed layout look. So you lose some individuality to gain usability.
It's a trade off.

 

[Neal]

Travis Newbury:

Well that only makes sense. With a flexible layout you lose the
detailed layout look. So you lose some individuality to gain usability.
It's a trade off.

So, you're saying that a flexible layout cannot be designed which has
individuality?

Are you on dope?

 

[Nik Coughin]

Travis Newbury:


So, you're saying that a flexible layout cannot be designed which has
individuality?

Are you on dope?

No, crack.

I translate fixed width designs from graphic designers into fluid layouts
all the time.

 

[rf]

Karl Core wrote:

Are you on dope?

Heroin surely.

 

[Leif K-Brooks]

Re sizable does not allow for a fixed graphics look. Some people like
that look.

Some people like the look of mold. That's not a good reason to eat moldy
food.

 

[Nick Theodorakis]

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004 21:09:26 -0000, "nice.guy.nige"


[..]

4! ..... no... 9!

This one goes to 11!

Nick

 

[rf]

Re sizable does not allow for a fixed graphics look. Some people like
that look.

Could you cite some references where studies have been done on this?

 

[Travis Newbury]

So, you're saying that a flexible layout cannot be designed which has
individuality?

Not at all. I am saying the more complex, or detailed a site gets, the
lower the usability. Technology is a tradeoff.

Are you on dope?

Yes, but that has nothing to do with the fact above.

 

[Travis Newbury]

Some people like the look of mold. That's not a good reason to eat moldy
food.

Man, analogy city in this thread. What does that have to do with the
fact that some people like that look? I did not say it was better.

 

[Neal]

Man, analogy city in this thread. What does that have to do with the
fact that some people like that look? I did not say it was better.

Wisely too, because it is not better. Most would say it was worse than
fluid if asked.

You said that some people prefer the fixed look. We're saying that 1)
fixed is problematic at many viewport widths 2) fluid will be preferred
over fixed in usability tests and 3) if you still disagree, show us these
people who prefer fixed over fluid in a random sampling of actual users.

You've made the claim which runs contrary to usability studies. Now back
up your claim with some fact.

 

[Travis Newbury]

Could you cite some references where studies have been done on this?

Nope I can't. But almost every detailed usability study I have ever
read (via a link from this group) showed a percentage of people that
browse like that kind of look for a webpage. I guess anyone that likes
a flash site would fall into that category.

Doesn't mean it's better. Only that that group of people exist, and
thats why some people make a site like that.

People that make all flash sites, or sites heavy into detailed graphic
design and fancy "DHTML" make them because they like them. Usability
usually does not come into play.

I am not saying it is right, I am explaining why people make them.

 

[Neal]

Travis

Neal
Not at all. I am saying the more complex, or detailed a site gets, the
lower the usability. Technology is a tradeoff.

This has nothing to do with the preceding statement.

Fluid layout is no more complex, detailed, or technical than fixed. It's
simply a matter of doing things a different way.

The only thing complex about it is that you don't know how. Stop
projecting your own failings as an author on the whole field of web
authoring by saying that fixed is too complex. It sure isn't too complex
for the rest of us.

 

[Neal]

Nick:

This one goes to 11!

Why not just make the screen wider, and have it go up to 10?

 

[Nick Theodorakis]

Some people like the look of mold. That's not a good reason to eat moldy
food.

Unless it's a good Stilton or Gorgonzola.

Nick

 

[tm]

(e-mail address removed) says...

Man, analogy city in this thread. What does that have to do with the
fact that some people like that look? I did not say it was better.

Some people say preferable, that doesn't mean better is worthier.