The five components of Web Development
3. Visual Design
Visual Design encompasses the characteristics that make a web site usable, engaging, and memorable to the visitor.
Web design is a complex multi-disciplined group of tasks which range from technical considerations (such as choice of coding in which to implement a site), through the organizational requirements of a business (encompassing security and file access issues for instance) and on to the aesthetic requirements (such as the need to follow a set of style guides).
In implementing a successful website then we have a whole host of considerations to take on board. As freelance developers we need to wear many hats in succession
So it is too with visual design Visual design. This also has many facets and I have brought together some of the major one's below. One again this list is just small a sample of visual component considerations within a web site. I think I have though targeted the 'big players' and given a flavour of the whole process.
Company/Owner/Site Analysis
- Clarify the Owner/Organisation's Goals
- Identify the Target Audience
- Identify Target Audience Goals
- Requirements Gathering from the client
- Determine Site Constraints
- Determine Site Content
- Define Site Architecture
Page Layout
- Technical Considerations
- Usability Considerations
- Aesthetic Issues
- Storyboarding: Sketching the Layout
- Page Layout and Accessibility
- User Interface Evaluation
Color
- Color Theory
- Defining Colors for the Web
- Choosing a Color Scheme
- Color and Accessibility
Graphics
- Principles and Terminology
- Image Formats for the Web
- Acquiring Images
- Creating and Editing Images
- Background Images
- Hints on Working with Graphics
- Animation
- Graphics and Accessibility
Typography
- Typography Basics
- HTML / XHTML Text
- Graphic Text
- Text and Accessibility
