You can not hope to specialize if you don’t have your basics right. After all what you build on a shaky base is doomed to shatter. Let me illustrate three very basic, but often undermined principles of web design. It will give you an idea what to look for when browsing templates or portfolios and will help you distinguish between good and bad work.
Contrast
The most important tool to highlight areas of
the site is contrast. Without the correct application of contrast a
site often appears haphazard and difficult to read. By using the
correct amount of contrast in your fonts, backgrounds, objects and
styles you will incorporate a much more professional looking design.
Despite what most people think contrast is more about difference than
it is about colors. Use whatever tools you have to make text contrast
including text tricks like bold, caps and underline where necessary so
that your page has obvious "hot spots" for people to review. A great
example of this is hyperlinks inside text. Always set your style to
underline and change the color of hyperlinks (preferably the default
blue) so that people’s eyes are drawn to them inside blocks of text.
Use color contrast between menus, logos and the main part of the page
so that people can easily break these components up inside their minds.
Be careful not to over do it though! High contrast pages are difficult
to read (white text on a black background or purple and green are
complete non no) so remember to consider practicality before creative
expression.
Balance
The most important factor in a website design is
the way the elements of a design are balanced on a page. The abstract
layout will instantly convey a basic message about your site.
Symmetrical or simply balanced sites will create a calming tone while
asymmetrical or complex designs will create an excited feeling. A
website is a dynamic entity, so maintaining the balance becomes all the
more difficult. Your screen may view it perfectly balanced in 1280x1024
but someone’s 800x600 screens may throw it totally off. It is always a
good idea to use a tool or plug-in to view your design in different
resolutions before you purchase or deploy the site. Common solutions to
help you overcome balancing a site including using the "float"
attribute and centering text or objects. If you want to achieve a
symmetrical look be careful not to just center all elements. You will
end up with a boring or flat design that they are not eye-catching and
look extremely amateurish. If you are attempting to create an
asymmetrical design then remember that it’s into just about piling
everything onto one side, you must still create a feel of balance
despite the fact your site is not symmetrical. You can do this either
by placing smaller items opposite large items or even by pitting images
against text or solid, dark colors against transparent or light objects.
Rhythm
Rhythm is sometimes called repetition and is a
vital part of constructing a website as it helps your website flow
between pages. It gives your visitors an easier and more fulfilling
browsing experience as the brain will recognize the repetition in the
template and focus on the new parts of a page. This is very important
as if you keep disorientating the visitor they will quickly become
fatigued and are likely to leave the site. Moreover, if your have
successfully associated the website appearance with a brand then
marketing have a whole new area to explore. It also means a redesign
will have a big impact on the site in the future, a service that will
likely swing back round to you if you did a good job in the first place.