Summary

Screen and page layout design principles are based on simplicity and clarity. As you develop your site keep the following principles in mind:

1. Keep the site simple. Ensure the information and instruction is clear, concise, and understandable. Do not clutter pages with information - keep each page with a single main idea.

2. Be consistent with the design throughout the entire site - once decided, it should not change. Do not forget the saying that “what looks alike should act alike” - if nothing else sticks with you, this should. Navigation, page layouts, text, line lengths, graphics, color, etc. should be consistent throughout the entire site.

3. Use colors to present cues. The same color should mean the same thing throughout the site.

4. Your instruction should be easily understood. This usually means keeping it simple by using short sentences, avoiding negative words, instructing your students in the first person, and writing at the appropriate reading level.

5. Keep aesthetics in mind as you develop the site- Screens should be balanced and symmetrical. Balancing graphics with text ensures that the information presented is clear, concise, and conveys one main thought.

6. Last, but not least, realize that the design you've developed on your computer system and browser will look different on another. The most prudent strategy to use, is to look at your work on different computers, browsers, and preference settings. This will allow you to get a feel for how your instruction will look on these different systems.