A tremendous amount of effort goes into designing the
look of many sites on the Web. Some of this effort, in my opinion, is
wasted, not because the sites don't look good (although a surprising
percentage don't), but because the visual design interferes with other
important characteristics of a site, such as its usability.
Most of us who create Web sites are not graphic designers. And we do
not have the money to hire one, either. We want to get a site up that is
useful to our visitors, that can be navigated with some ease, and that,
finally, doesn't look too bad.
To do this we should keep a few simple things in mind: First, do not
overload people with information and choices. Similarly, do not
overwhelm them with semi-clever visual elements at the expense of real
information.
Next,
don't be afraid to use some white space on a page to let the
actual content be more prominent. You do not have to fill up every
square millimeter of the screen with pictures and links. Also, try to
group things together when they belong together. Use lines, pictures,
tables, and white space to help do this.