No matter how well you have written your content or how stunning your graphics may be your efforts will have been in vain if the webpage that you are designing lacks balance. By balance I am referring to the overall impression one gets when first viewing a webpage.

The human brain, when observing something like a webpage, seeks a sense of order to enable it to understand its content. In this way we can quickly evaluate the contents of a document and decide if it is relevant to our interests. Therefore, in order to provide our visitors with a clear idea of what we are trying to say, it is necessary to balance the webpage layout.

Example of a balanced webpage with uniformly justified text

fig.2 - Example of uniformly justified text

Uniformly justified text

On this page all of the webpage elements are left-justified regardless of where they are positioned. This gives a clean professional appearance, it is not cluttered and is the style most commonly used for internet webpages.

Balancing a webpage

There are three main principles of composition to consider when balancing a webpage. They are;

Focal point: On a webpage this would be the center of interest or focal point. It should be the dominant area on any website document. Here is where your main subject is presented.
Unity: If nothing distracts your visitor from the main subject of your webpage you have unity. Unity is the tying together of all the elements of a page, during webpage construction, into a framework which supports your main theme.
Contrast: The visual impact of a webpage can be enhanced by the use of contrast. White space, colors and graphics are tools that can be used to create contrast.

Consistency and website balance

Remember, no matter which alignment style you are using, keep it consistent. If you want your website to have a professional appearance all of your pages should use the same rules of alignment. This will enable your visitors to easily identify the main areas of each page at a glance.

Text is not the only element of a website that should remain consistent. Colors, headers, footers and styles of graphics should reflect a uniformity to your visitors as they navigate through your website. This is where the pros shine! Nothing gives that sense of quality to a website like balance.

Designing Web Pages

Designing Web Pages

Designing good webpages begins with good webpage layout. So what do you want on this most important first screen?

Professional Webpage Layout

Examining the methods of professional webpage layout. The individual pages in your website must have a layout that allows the visitor to find out as much as possible about your webpage at a glance.

All About Design Principles and Elements

Basic website design elements to consider. A truly shocking number of web designers are unfamiliar with the basic principles and elements of design.

Designing your Homepage

Believe me, you want your visitors to stay as long as possible. This is the only way your site is going to succeed. Your site must be interesting, persuading, and easy to navigate.

The Best Page Layout and Design for Content Websites

To understand which layouts work you only need to look at the industry gorillas. These are the online content publishers who have been around for years, and who have tested just about every layout combination.

Writing for the Web

Writing for the Web is very different from traditional writing. The way website visitors read Web copy is unique and you must adjust your writing style to be effective.

An Easy Way to Choose Attractive Color Combinations

Lots of people struggle to come up with attractive color combinations when designing logos, banners or web sites. So, here's an easy technique that only takes a few minutes.

Professional Graphics

Graphic design is an intimidating subject for many Internet entrepreneurs. However, most of us must learn some basic design techniques to avoid the high costs of hiring a professional graphics designer.

9 Ways to Make Your Web Site Look Great

Learn how to design a website that gets attention every time. Avoid the mistakes most people making when creating their first web site. Take home some tricks that even the most advanced designers will enjoy.

Selection of Web Templates

An important part of website designing is selection of web templates. Here are a few points which will help you select the best web template for your website.

Creating a Basic Web Design Template

A "template" is simply a design format which you can apply to all (or most) of the pages in your web site.