Ten steps to a better DIY web design

Even though I hate to admit it, there are times when people can’t or don’t want to get a professional for a website (only joking). They may not have the money or the availability, they may just fancy dabbling in a bit of web DIY themselves. Just like with household DIY there are some common mistakes far to frequently made. In-fact you could easily make several series for prime time TV out of it. So, I thought I would take a look at a few simple and common disasters that are often the cause of more than one blot on the web. I’ve picked 10 most common ones that I feel if taken into consideration by even the most basic beginner can help their design.

1. Colour clash
   There are rules with colours, you don’t need to know these by memory to make a design, but knowing them a little really helps you when you are attempting to create something that doesn’t make people get migraines when they view it. A simple rule is to choose 3 colours. This would mean one main colour (highlighter) and 2 others to compliment. For instance, green could be your highlight and then you choose either another colour to compliment this and a base colour for your site. White and black are not in-fact colours and are tones – use tones as they are your friend and great bases for any design. A really simple way to produce a harmonious design is to pick a colour and use the tones in that colour. If it’s a warm based colour use black with it or a cool colour use white as the main colour. Hues are also your friend – using cold and warm hues together really can easily create a unified design.
2. Whack it on thick and it’s better
   Just putting everything onto your site isn’t going to instantly make it better. The best sites are the ones that use every element sparingly. Putting all your eggs into one basket and using every technique, design element you’ve ever heard about on one page isn’t the way to go. Some people do this just like it’s the one and only website they will ever do so they better use everything. If you want to have something animated on your site then work in into the design don’t just slap on anywhere. The key here is planning the site and selecting elements to make this design work. Some of the worst designs are so called ‘themed’ ones, having a concept is fine but use it loosely not literally.
3. MDF looks just like wood
   If you want a wood effect background don’t pick a 1990′s web background effect, be more mature in the picking of your background. Users have grown more sophisticated since the start of the web. When used carefully and in a sophisticated manner backgrounds and ‘realistic’ effects work well. Trust your eye – even if you aren’t trained if it doesn’t look like the real effect to you then just don’t use it. Some of the worst designs are those that use fake real elements to attempt to look like something other than a website. You are making a website so use the medium, your viewers aren’t stupid and if you aren’t fooled then they are hardly going to be. Using real life elements can work great but it’s not about fooling the eye to thinking your website is a 1940s notebook or the background is a lawn – it’s about working with the medium.
4. Tiling grout images
   Images should be used sparingly and think about the styling you do with them. If you want to make them more than just slapped on think about bordering, shading and making them an integral part of the design. A nice banner image works well but only if tied in both with the colour of the site and the look. Simple is often better when it comes to images. Make the images clean, nice and don’t just slap them on to fill in the places you feel are sparse on your site. Images should have a meaning rather than just to be a filler.
5. Not checking the wallpaper is straight
   A balanced website is always viewed as better. Think about the balance between text, images and space on your site. Have a look at where your eye is taken on the site and use this to be a guide – think about where you want people to go and use this to.
6. If in doubt hit it with a sledge hammer
   What is the point in overkill on a site, it only serves to off put the user and make that back button be hit quicker than a paint stripper. Think about it and use the right tools and only as much as is needed. If you are creating a simple page for advertising your company then think about what you want to get across and use the technology to do just that – don’t put things on just because they look cool. Bare this in mind also with the technology you use. Picking the right tool and nothing more is a great way to make sure you get off to the right start.
7. Happy clappy text patchwork
   Text should be an integral part of the site and relevancy is key here. Keeping both the styling and format of the text consistent is also a great way of tying in elements of your design. If things are headers make sure they are all treated the same way, do this for links also.
8. Animated distraction
   Just by putting a javascript scroller or animated contact us @ symbol doesn’t make your website better. If you are using animated elements then make sure they have a purpose – not just because you think it looks cool. Don’t have animated navigation without offering non-animated ones – what if they don’t have that technology turned on and are unable to do anything or get anywhere on your site? It’s all well and good to have moving elements but the key is that everything on your site should either have a real purpose or a design purpose. Just slapping it on thinking it will make your site better is a key to disaster – it makes you look like an amateur and does the exact opposite of your intention.
9. Inconsistent consistency
   The golden rule is consistency which really runs throughout these 10 simple rules. What you do on your site should be to treat it as a whole not as a collection of non-related elements. Think about the big picture not the small. Don’t put everything you’ve ever seen done on a site into one – it’s not like you can never make another page again. Be selective about what you do and think about every component and if it’s truly needed and fits into the design as a whole.
10. Everyone uses their room like me
    Websites use browsers to be viewed, all of these treat the technologies differently. Add to this the fact that everyone has different screens, resolutions and graphic cards – mix in the fact of the range of operating systems. You end up with a nice random prediction as to what technology someone is using. Everyone views your websites differently using these elements. The main aim you should be trying to do is to reach as many people as possible. Thinking about the range and hitting as many as possible is the key. Don’t just create something and assume it will look the same to all.

These are not hard fast rules, they are meant as a starter guide to avoid some of the basic pitfalls I’ve seen made by many people when they are trying to create websites. If you are realistic about your skills and work within them to gradually build them then you will find your designs come on. Even the top web designers are always learning – that is the point of this medium. You are never done learning or growing. Learning more is the fun bit of web design. Don’t look at the galleries online and aim for those designs at the beginning, work in the skills you have and add to them as you grow is the key.