What makes a good site?

[peter77]

I think the key word there was "rely"!
This would really only apply to you if you were to create a website totally reliant on the user having client side extensions to be able to view your site.

[karinne]

How can we imagine a site without atleast one of these things ? .

Most of the site I do use none of those, apart from the counter thing that usues Javascript but that does nothing for the content or display of my pages. :ermm:

[straight_up]

Your site should always work without Flash and Javascript! Use those to enhance the experience.

The exception is when it's central to your website, and the whole point is the ajaxiness of it, for example. But always try to include everybody.
http://www.ghscc.com/about/website/js/ has a link or two that you may find interesting.

[Pope]

"ABSOLUTELY NEVER use a light-on-dark color scheme...it's murder to view on some monitors and with some vision impediments."

I keep hearing this preached over, and over again in web design tips and guidelines, but I just cannot bring myself to agree. The most easily readable, least irritating sites I have ever been on have used a light-on-dark color scheme. Think about it. The computer monitor is not a sheet of paper, it is more of a light bulb. If I am at a computer for a few hours at a time staring at a white background I start getting horribly agitated. It even worse when the lights are off; the screen is almost blinding. If I am viewing a dark-background, light-text setup, it allows my eyes to relax, my pupils to widen, and the text to become MUCH easier to read. I know many other people who have experienced this to be true, and I have found one of the most noticeable habits of mine is that I am constantly selecting the text I want to read on web pages in order to get that light-on-dark contrast.

This brings me to the one point that could either strongly support, or completely shatter my argument: Above, it was stated "...with some vision impediments."

I have what is known as Optic Atrophy. It is an optic nerve disease, causing me to have severely impaired vision (not severely so that it's too noticeable to those who don't know I have it, just enough so that I can't acquire a driver's license or read many fast-food menus) I am in the visually impaired demographic, and I strongly support light-on-dark color schemes, as It makes things much easier on me. However, the word "some" was used as a prefix, and it is entirely possible that my specific case is actually due to my particular visual impairment. Nonetheless, I'm sticking with the forbidden color-scheme until I find more conclusive evidence to change it (other than reiteration).

[straight_up]

I have to agree with Pope, to a certain extent.

I also find light-on-dark very easy to read, especially at night. In fact, this is so true for me that I created (or rather, modified) a favelet/bookmarklet that, with one click, changes the current page (be it a news article or SparkNotes page) to a white-on-dark-green color scheme.

However, black-on-white is the accepted standard, and perhaps adds a professional touch.

[alexmos]

:lick: In my opinion... when it comes to color scheme is better not to use more than 2 colors... for example use red and blue with black white and gray... the best templates I made were one single color with white, black and grey... If you try to use more than 2 colors you could end up with a circus website...

[stargate3216]

"ABSOLUTELY NEVER use a light-on-dark color scheme...it's murder to view on some monitors and with some vision impediments."

I keep hearing this preached over, and over again in web design tips and guidelines, but I just cannot bring myself to agree. The most easily readable, least irritating sites I have ever been on have used a light-on-dark color scheme. Think about it. The computer monitor is not a sheet of paper, it is more of a light bulb. If I am at a computer for a few hours at a time staring at a white background I start getting horribly agitated. It even worse when the lights are off; the screen is almost blinding. If I am viewing a dark-background, light-text setup, it allows my eyes to relax, my pupils to widen, and the text to become MUCH easier to read. I know many other people who have experienced this to be true, and I have found one of the most noticeable habits of mine is that I am constantly selecting the text I want to read on web pages in order to get that light-on-dark contrast.

This brings me to the one point that could either strongly support, or completely shatter my argument: Above, it was stated "...with some vision impediments."

I have what is known as Optic Atrophy. It is an optic nerve disease, causing me to have severely impaired vision (not severely so that it's too noticeable to those who don't know I have it, just enough so that I can't acquire a driver's license or read many fast-food menus) I am in the visually impaired demographic, and I strongly support light-on-dark color schemes, as It makes things much easier on me. However, the word "some" was used as a prefix, and it is entirely possible that my specific case is actually due to my particular visual impairment. Nonetheless, I'm sticking with the forbidden color-scheme until I find more conclusive evidence to change it (other than reiteration).

I agree with all your points. My vision is very, very bad (20/400) and I think that light on dark websites are easier to read and easier on my eyes.
I also like them because all the stuff that may have accumulated on my glasses in the couple hours doesn't show up as much against a dark screen.

[Arkette]

The first question a designer should always ask at the begining of any project is who am I designing this for. Unfortuneatly many so called website designers only try to please themselves.

[speedy0307]

I understand the "accessibility" & "simplicity" of look and feel arguments, but when did interactive, visually enticing sites become the anit-christ!?

A lil flash never killed anyone either...

And i mean broadband penetration worldwide is increasing every day, so uh load times aren't exactly what they used to be with trusty ol' dial-up... :classic:

[solidgold]

An absolute must when designing a website is to focus on assesibility, what use is a website if half the people visiting it cant even read it?

An good page containing info about this is; the ever useful w3.org