Before finally putting up a web page and making it available to Internet users, one must ask the intent of the web page to be put up. More than a source of information, a website can solicit interest, intrigue, and admiration from viewers. So it is of utmost priority that one must consider the following in designing a web page.



What is it about?

Obviously, there will be no web page without anything to put into it. Web pages are classified into two according to their use. First is the business website, created mainly to inform visitors of a company's products and services or an establishment's events or special offers.

Designing a company website requires strict adherence to a company's ideals and orders as approved by the department handling it. Company web sites are usually aimed at product and service marketing and client servicing. In addition, company web sites are made to present company profile, news, announcements, etc.

The same applies to designing a website for specific establishments. For example, a web design for a music venue must be well in tune to the music that particular venue supports. A web design for a cafe must apply the same look and feel of the cafe to the web site.

Personal web sites, on the other hand, allow more for artistic expression of the owner. Since it is used more for showcasing visual and literary works and communicating with friends and acquaintances, web designs for personal sites are allowed to more innovative, creative, and unconventional.

Who is it for?

It is important in the design of a web page to consider who it is being designed for. A web design, like any other form of art, tries to reach out to a particular audience and must, in all aspects, agree with what its chosen audience is appreciative of.

Children are more responsive to a design that is heavier in graphics and images than in text. They are visual learners and are interested more in that they see and what they hear.

The challenge in having children as the main audience is to keep their interest. Children generally have very short a very short attention span, averaging at less than three minutes. It is then necessary to keep their interest and enthusiasm alive.

Children are inclined to be fond of web sites that are interactive. Not only are they given the chance to participate in the game or task on the web site, they are also kept excited and energized.

On the other hand, adults are responsive to a text-heavy web design than to an image-heavy web design. This is so because adults mainly use the Internet for academics or work and are more interested in the information they need to get rather than on the entertainment it will provide them.

With more focused steams of thought, adults as an audience does not require having their interest constantly refreshed. Creating a more formal and sophisticated web design for them becomes the challenge.