Renice's Rules: A Quick Tutorial on Web Design

[Created for a presentation 11/17/1996 – content and links have not been updated.]

Advantages

Meet demand as needed (without printing costs and wastes)
Up-date with ease (without printing delays)
Hyperlink to direct your reader
Access readily
- without distribution problems
- using search engines
- designing for search engines

Disadvantages

Control issues
Flexibility needs
- different platforms
- different browsers
- different screen sizes
Unstable links

HTML References

HTML Converters: W3's hyperlinked list of filters

Authoring Programs

Viewing Source

Getting Started

Layout

Simple: University of Illinois Administration Directory
- header & text
- emphasis
- white space (blockquote)
Tables (more control arranging elements)
- Examples
- How to
  - NCSA Tables
  - Netscape Table Sampler
Frames (browser problems)
- Examples
  - AISS's ICON group
  - Web Pages That Suck
- How to
  - Netscape How to
  - Netscape creation of Frames
Acrobat Additions (when complete layout control is necessary)
- Examples
  - The Integrated Circuit
  - AISS Course Directory (registration form link)
- Tips: Adobe

Typography

Color

Theory: Dave White's guide
Value and contrast: Dave White's Seven Contrasts
Harmony and discord
- Dave White's Five Principles
- Gary Quisumbing's intro to color theory
Psychology & physiology: Color Matters by Colorcom
In use: Netscape World article
Hexidecimal codes: Netscape World article sidebar
- encoded text color: NCD examples
- hypertext links as highlighted text (i.e. don't use "CLICK HERE")
- background color

Graphics

More Rules By others

Making up your own

Comments appreciated: renice@uiuc.edu