Web site design

It is imperative for web designers to think critically about the structure of content and navigation on websites, especially in the African context, and in light of the various current technology convergences. A cleaner, more user-friendly layout increases clarity and comprehendability. As mentioned in my previous blog on accessibility, many people in South Africa have poor computer literacy. Therefore information on web pages may be harder for them to find and use. However, if information is arranged on a page in a clear, logical structure (which is easy to navigate), people with less computer literacy are more likely to be able to access the information that they need. A clearer structure improves the flow of information in a webpage, so that information is easier to comprehend for people who may be second or third language speakers of English. Virginia de Bolt also points out that due to the convergence of technologies (such as the use of internet/WAP on PDA’s, cell phones and aural screen readers), pages should be structured in such a way that they can be “CSS ready”. This entails “first….thinking about the semantic meaning and structure of the content your page will hold.” This will enable your page to be easily changed to incorporate cascading style sheets.