Introduction
Users of Web documents don’t just look at information,
they interact with it in novel ways that have no precedents in paper document
design. The graphic user interface (GUI) of a computer system comprises
the interaction metaphors, images, and concepts used to convey function
and meaning on the computer screen. It also includes the detailed visual
characteristics of every component of the graphic interface and the functional
sequence of interactions over time that produce the characteristic look
and feel of Web pages and hypertext linked relations. Graphic design and
visual “signature” graphics are not used simply to enliven Web pages —
graphics are integral to the user’s experience with your site. In interactive
documents graphic design cannot be separated from issues of interface design.
This short Guide introduces some basic principles for creating
Web sites used in an academic setting.
Most of the material on this site, including the basic page
grid, was borrowed from the Web Style Guide: Basic
Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, Patrick Lynch
and Sarah Horton, 2002, Yale University Press.
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