CCP 09-18-2000 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

P ?J/If FF E C :TI V EWE B . SIT E S . -~'.' ~ - DESIGN & GRAPHICS . Good web sites clearly communicate valuable information. But strong information alone, even if it's well written, doesn't guarantee success. A site's design can help or hinder visitors' access to information. So Web success is more likely if you Carefully balance your message with a pleasing design. DESIGN TI PS: . Emphasize fresh, new content. . Keep "low-tech" visitors in mind. . Make pages visually consistent. . Check links and graphics to make sure they work. . Use readable font and type size. . Limit text and background colors to tbe palette of colors most monitors can create. . Make background light or non-patterned. . Use design that communicates information quickly and in an interesting manner. GRAPHIC IMAGETIPS: . Design the visual elements of your site for speed so they appear quickly. . Maximize image quality with minimum file size; keep graphic files as small as possible. . Save images at the right resolutions. . Choose the right format for images (GIF for illustrations or JPEG for photographs). . Add motion to your site sparingly . Offer a text.only version of your site. . Limit the number of images used solely for visual appeal. . Keep total size of all images used on a page to less than 30K. INTERACTION & FEEDBACK Web sites can be effective tools to build connections and involvement between a community and ils city government. Web sites can also be one more tool cities can use to meet increasing citizen expectations for prompt service. INTERACTION TIPS: . Site should supplement, not replace, other communication tools and avenues for interaction and involvement in city government. . Be sure to respond to inquiries and comments generated by your site. . Build a site that fosters an online community. FEEDBACK TIPS: . Find ways to involve site visitors in city government. . Ask visitors for comments and input about site revisions, additions, elements, and features. .