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Balanced Webpage Layout
Designing web pages that provide a sense of order
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Impressions of a balanced web pageNo matter how well you have written your content or how stunning your graphics may be your efforts will have been in vain if the web page that you are designing lacks balance. By balance I am referring to the overall impression one gets when first viewing a web page. |
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Order enhances your contentThe human brain, when observing something like a web page, 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 web page layout.
Example of a balanced web page with uniformly justified text
Example of uniformly justified text
Uniformly justified textOn this page all of the web page 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 web pages.3 main principles of composition to observe when balancing a web pageThere are three main principles of composition to consider when balancing a web page. They are;
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Focal point:On a web page 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.
See: Focal Point - Every page on your website should have an eye catching central theme
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Unity:If nothing distracts your visitor from the main subject of your web page you have unity. Unity is the tying together of all the elements of a page, during web page construction, into a framework which supports your main theme.
See: Website Theme - Creating an overall look and feel for your website.
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Contrast:The visual impact of a web page can be enhanced by the use of contrast. White space, colors and graphics are tools that can be used to create contrast.
See: White Space - How to use white space for contrast on your webpages.
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Consistency and website balanceRemember, 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.Colors, headers, footers and graphicsText 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.
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