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Who is the design for and who is actually using the site
Planning
The initial plan for the site should be created long before the initial site work begins. Too often the site is designed around a logo, graphic, or color scheme before the actual use of the site is fully explored and planned.Research
Research into similar sites and the use of these design elements should always be done. This may result in both positive and negative inspiration. The use of techniques that inspire you and the avoidance of techniques that frighten, confuse or disgust you will clearly improve your site’s design and, therefore, its effectiveness.What does the site do
Proclaim
If the purpose of the site is simply to state a personal or company viewpoint, you do not need feedback from the user or links to similar sites. This “take it or leave it” approach is often used on the web to state a social, political or religious conviction to which no response is required. If this is your plan, you may find it more rewarding to don a “sandwich” sign and walk the street in front of City Hall.Inform
To inform a user, you will almost always require one, or more, links to similar sites to convince the user that you are not the only person, or organization, in the universe with this thought. Links to other sites provide credibility and persuasiveness to your concept. Avoid links to your direct competitors unless you are quite sure that your product, or opinion, is obviously superior.Communicate
All business sites and almost all opinion-oriented sites need the ability to communicate with (get feedback from) the user. Feedback can be in many forms. Increased sales at your brick-and-mortar site, sales placed directly through the site, or inquiries (by phone, fax or email) can all be indicators of site effectiveness. Because the web is a 24 hour/day, 7 day/week, global telecommunication medium, all sites should have the ability to receive feedback through the site, even though the response may come during conventional business hours.Resources
"useit.com" is Jakob Nielsen's site of good design practices. Nielsen's biweekly newsletter is here.Why should features of good site design be used
Clarity
The purpose of the site must be clear to the user. Distracting elements can obscure, or even defeat, the site’s purpose.Brevity
The site must “get to the point” quickly. The attention span of a typical internet user is measured in seconds. If the user must go through multiple pages to reach a conclusion, they might “surf” to another site instead.Impact
Web sites do not represent a “new” business, they are simply an “other” business. As long known in conventional marketing, the use of gaudy graphics can attract attention, but clear and compelling text (or audio) is necessary to “close the deal”.Results
The end result of any site always involves action on the part of the user. Any site feature that facilitates this action is desirable, but any site feature that is unrelated (or even hinders) this user action should be reworked or eliminated.Resources
"www.wilsonweb.com" is a site with emphasis on business design issues.Jakob Nielsen, former Sun Microsystems webmaster and international consultant has a list of links to design issue sites.
Technical resources for site program and design
HTML design
Technical sites that address the programming issues of how to accomplish a specific appearance or behavior of the site are available at many places on the web. In addition, they almost always refer to other sites, making the list endless.Graphical design
Many graphical design sites are of the “negative” variety, pointing out bad practices in use at current sites. There are also sites that address technical issues like the use of frames and navigation techniques from the graphic designer’s perspective.Resources
Web Design Group is a very comprehensive set of HTML standards, with a lot of practical design tips for good HTML use."web pages that suck" is a site full of BAD examples. It features current sites with poor design.
"usableweb.com" is a page of links to technical, design related sites. It also features technical tools for web design and analysis.
Builder.Com has a section for developers that has lots of articles and links to tools and techniques.
Color Wheel Pro - a program that allows you to create color schemes and preview them on real examples.