communicating, compatibility, and original
design
DoubleRich Design balances forward-thinking with backward
compatibility. IE, websites must be compatible with upcoming
technologies and features while still usable with a user's
older system, yet a fresh design. This approach is painstaking
and time-consuming but essential in creating interesting,
user-friendly sites.
DoubleRich Design creates clean, appealing designs while
maintaining user familiarity for ease of use.
the internet is a communication device
...
whether to tell a story, relate ideas, or sell a product;
the internet does everything via communicating.
While this may seem obvious, the ramifications of accomplishing
this, with users from all over the world using grossly varying
computers and software, are too easily overlooked. Few people
realize how complex and challenging it is to accomplish and
that it requires years of experience to understand.
There are several factors with lots of specifics that DoubleRich
Design addresses in order to accomplish these goals. Let's
review some major issues, summarized in the tables below:
hardware
| Issue |
Achievement |
Design Impact |
| Connection speed |
56k or above |
Combined "weight" of all files used by any
page, including images and scripts, must display reasonably
quickly |
| Screen type |
CRT, LCD (flat) |
Color, saturation, and rendering variations |
| Monitor variations |
Various qualities |
Monitors vary noticeably from brand-to-brand and model-to-model
but the page must still "work" and be pleasing |
| Monitor settings |
Various settings |
Monitors' various color balance and other settings must
be anticipated while designing a site |
| Computer "type" |
PC, Mac, Unix |
Very limited fonts for text since these must already
be installed on the user's computer; filename restrictions |
software
| Issue |
Achievement |
Design
Impact |
| New designs |
Ease of use |
Although all DRD designs are new from the ground up,
users can quickly get used to the site and know how to
use it |
| Clear images |
Beautiful pages |
Must use advanced skills and tools (EG PhotoShop, Fireworks,
etc.) yet page must load quickly |
| Various browsers |
Firefox, MSIE, Netscape, Opera |
Different browsers may display the same page very differently
but the site must still hold its integrity |
| Browser versions |
Last 4 years |
Careful choice of web designing features |
| Screen "Resolution" |
800x600, up |
Must be able to access all parts of the page at low
settings and look good at high settings |
| Search Engine friendly |
High SE rankings |
Site must not only have information for SEs to catalog,
it must be navigable by them as well as humans |
| Security friendly |
No special settings |
User is not required to have any special setting or
feature (EG, Java or ActiveX) to use the site |
| Software requirements |
No additional |
User does not need any plugin (EG, Flash) to use the
site (whether a plugin is used by the page or not) |
| Text-size setting |
Smallest - largest |
Layout will vary by user's preference in browser --
must maintain readability |
| Accessibility |
Widely accessible |
Anyone can use and understand the site regardless of
impairment |
| "Maintainability" |
Easily updated |
Use best tools available, EG, Dreamweaver |
|
