Web Page Anatomy

Figure.1 5:.The.anatomy.of.a.web.page

Even from a non-designer’s standpoint, defining a design that satisfies all of the requirements I outlined above is a simple task. It’s similar to making a phrase on your refrigerator with magnetic poetry words. Although there are millions of ways to arrange the words, only a few arrangements make any sense. The magnetic poetry words are like the components, or blocks, of the web page. Although the number of these necessary blocks depends on the size and subject of the site, most web sites have the following components, as shown in Figure 1.5.

Containing Block

Every web page has a container. This could be in the form of the page’s body tag, an all-containing div tag, or (and I really don’t want to say this, but) a table. Without some sort of container, we would have no place to put the contents of our page. The elements would drift beyond the bounds of our browser window and off into empty space. The width of the container can be liquid, meaning it expands to fill the width of the browser window; or fixed, so that the content is the same width no matter what size the window is.

Logo

When designers refer to an identity, they’re referring to the logo and colors that exist across a company’s various forms of marketing, such as business cards, letterhead, brochures, and so on.5The identity block that appears on the web site should contain the company’s logo or name, and sit at the top of each page of the web site. The identity block increases brand recognition and lets users know that the pages they’re viewing are part of a single site.

Navigation

It’s essential that the site’s navigation system is easy to find and use. Users expect to see navigation right at the top of the page. Whether you plan to use vertical menus down the side of the page, or a horizontal menu along the page’s top, the navigation should be as close to the top of the layout as possible. At the very least, all main navigation items should appear “above the fold.”

Content

Content is king. A typical web site visitor will enter and leave a web site in a matter of seconds. If visitors can’t find what they’ relooking for, they will undoubtedly close the browser or move on to another site. It’s important to keep the main content block as the focal point of a design so that precious seconds aren’t wasted as visitors scan the page for the information they need.

Footer

Located at the bottom of the page, the footer usually contains copyright, contact, and legal information, as well as a few links to the main sections of the site. By separating the end content from the bottom of the browser window, the footer should indicate to users that they’re at the bottom of the page.

Whitespace

The graphic design term whitespace (or negative space) literally refers to any area of a page that’s not covered by type or illustrations. While many novice web designers (and most clients) feel a need to fill every inch of a web page with photos, text, tables, and data, having empty space on a page is every bit as important as having content. Without carefully planned whitespace, a design will feel closed in, like a crowded room. Whitespace helps a design to “breathe” by guiding the user’s eye around a page, but also helps to create balance and unity—two important concepts that we’ll discuss in more detail later in this chapter.

At this point, we’ve had our initial meeting with Mr. Smith, our theoretical client, and it was very helpful. He explained very thoroughly what he does and what he wants the site to achieve. Even though we don’t have actual content yet, we can use the standard blocks of web page anatomy to start developing a layout. Although other site-specific blocks are worked into the designs of many web site layouts, the web page anatomy works to summarize the most common blocks. Now that we have this information, how can we use it to create a foundational layout for Smith’s Services? It’s time for some grid theory.

NOTE above the Fold

The fold, as some usability experts call it, is the end of the content users can see on a page before them Scroll down. This metaphor is derived from the concept of a fold in a newspaper. If you look at the cover of a folded newspaper, most of the headlines and important news will appear on the top half, so that you can see the most important news items at a glance when the newspaper is folded. The location of the fold on a web page depends on the browser dimensions and the user’s screen resolution. At a resolution of 800 × 600 pixels, accounting for browser chrome, the address bar, and a bottom status bar, the fold is usually just over 400 pixels from the top.