[thelist] Common Site Mistakes [was: Do you use :visited in CSS?]

[Bob Meetin]

Rigid philosophies are also an issue.  I'm working with a designer whom 
I think is more accustomed to working with hardopy as opposed to 
internet.  She is very tuned into pixel-perfect positioning which is 
great for a brochure but inflexible when working with columns that 
expand and contract like the tide.  Below the fold has surfaced a number 
of times.  It's a moving target based upon numerous variables - font 
size, amount of text in the content area,  screen resolution, monitor, 
etc. Yes I think I understand why but it is sometimes difficult to 
diplomatically communicate why not.  -Bob

Barney Carroll wrote:
> For a proper job to be done as far as information design is concerned,
> I think it's important to have an honest, iterative, back-and-forth
> design process with the client's authority representing the copy
> writer(s) as to what information should be available for any given
> page format on the site and how this should be displayed.
>
> In my experience, both designer and copy writer need to occasionally
> remind each-other of how to form a proper document - and the immediate
> reference points that denote relevance to the user are the first thing
> to go when this isn't done responsibly.
>
> On 06/11/2009, Stephen Rider <evolt_org at striderweb.com> wrote:
>   
>> On Nov 5, 2009, at 8:40 AM, Ron wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> Regarding "mistakes", the number one mistake is not puting dates
>>> at the top of each article. If your content is in anyway time
>>> sensitive it
>>> has to be dated, just like a blog. Since most of my web activity
>>> involves
>>> looking for information about new or changing things, if I don't see
>>> a date, I'm probably not going to waste much time on the site.
>>>       
>> My favorite is local news/newspaper sites that just say WXYZ Channel
>> 5, and not "Boofoo, New York", as though only people local to them are
>> ever going to find their site on the Internet.  Then the article keeps
>> referring to events in Xville, and you have no idea where that is.
>>
>> I saw an article recently and from the town name thought it was in the
>> Middle East.  Turns out it was in upstate Michigan.
>>
>> Stephen
>>
>>
>> --
>> Stephen Rider
>> http://striderweb.com
>>
>>