Standard Web Design Page Width
As computer technology and internet browsers change, web designers should adjust their thoughts about what is right or wrong in web design. There is no standard web design page width, yet web developers often have a favorite, and I'm no different. The standard I use for new designs is fixed width at 960 pixels, so some designers would complain that "older" 800x600 pc monitors will have a horizontal scroll bar across the bottom. From checking stats, fewer than 5% of my visitors have 800x600, so that (old) objection to horizontal scrolling because of page widths wider than 800 no longer applies.
Some small business web design clients don't realize that controlling a visitor's experience completely is impossible. For example, in all browsers you can enlarge text size which is an option for vision impaired people. The standard in IE is "medium" text size which should look fine on all computer monitors. I test each of my web design projects in the latest version of all 5 major browsers to make sure the custom web design displays properly.
The enlarged text option can move objects around, so if you allow text resizing which is the right thing to do, you no longer control the visitor's experience. Not discussed, and most web designers either do not know or care about this aspect of design, is accessibility. Many designers create sites with fixed font sizes, so visitors have no choice, yet mine allow disabled persons who need larger text to enjoy reading site content.
While my standard web design page width is 960 pixels, even that number has evolved with year to year changes in technology. There is no one correct answer, so being flexible and offering clients a choice based on their preferences will help keep the majority happy. Don't like a page width standard? Ask, and most web designers will accommodate your needs.
TAGS: advice accessibility standards web design
Some small business web design clients don't realize that controlling a visitor's experience completely is impossible. For example, in all browsers you can enlarge text size which is an option for vision impaired people. The standard in IE is "medium" text size which should look fine on all computer monitors. I test each of my web design projects in the latest version of all 5 major browsers to make sure the custom web design displays properly.
The enlarged text option can move objects around, so if you allow text resizing which is the right thing to do, you no longer control the visitor's experience. Not discussed, and most web designers either do not know or care about this aspect of design, is accessibility. Many designers create sites with fixed font sizes, so visitors have no choice, yet mine allow disabled persons who need larger text to enjoy reading site content.
While my standard web design page width is 960 pixels, even that number has evolved with year to year changes in technology. There is no one correct answer, so being flexible and offering clients a choice based on their preferences will help keep the majority happy. Don't like a page width standard? Ask, and most web designers will accommodate your needs.
TAGS: advice accessibility standards web design
Jim Degerstrom 
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