General Guidelines

The design will be simple and uncomplicated. Pictures and other visual elements will break up and support the text. There will be no dead-end pages, each page will be able to stand on its own, and there will be minimal vertical scrolling and no horizontal scrolling. This will place the majority of the text above the fold and increasing usability. The text will be divided in a logical format.

Specific Guidelines

Typeface

Type Size
All titles will be roughly the size of Heading One. Subheadings will be one size smaller, Heading Two. Text size should be between 10 and 12.
Typeface
I will use Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif for the typeface for all text on the site.
Alignment
All content will be left justified, which is easier on the readers eye. Headings will also be left justified.
Line Length
To make the site readable and to avoid eyestrain, I want the line length to be roughly three inches wide.
Indented Paragraphs
I will use blank lines between paragraphs and not indented paragraphs.
Emphasis
To emphasis text I will consistently use bolding, spacing, and lists. Italics, underlining, capitalization are all methods of emphasizing, but none are appropriate for this subject matter.
Color
Text color is black: #333300.

Background Color

Background The background color is a light blue: #9999FF.

Page Information

Footers
Footers will be on every page and will include a link, my name, the assignment name, class title, and the date created.
Lists
When appropriate, I will use bulleted and numbered lists. This will help facilitate scanning.
Layout
There will be a navigation bar on the left side of the page containing links to all of the text. The main text will be left justified next to the navigation bar. There will be a divide between the navigation bar and the text box.
Hyperlinks
When creating hyperlinks, I will choose a descriptive word or phrase to act as the link and never use a phrase like “click here for more information” as a hyperlink. All hyperlinks will be displayed as underlined text in the following colors:

Links Links are white: #FFFFFF (not displayed)
Visited Links Visited link are a light vibrant blue: #CCFFFF
Active Links Active links are a dark blue: #6666FF

Content

Grouped together in a logical format, content is logically organized and conveniently navigated

Writing

The subject requires simple and active sentences. Complex terms and long sentences should be avoided.

Data Smog also requires the use of scannable text. All text should be written to allow the reader to easily scan every page. Bold text, spacing, lists, and bulleted items should be used to facilitate scanning.

The APA Style Guide should be referred to when questions arise.

Visual Materials

Pictures and Images
Pictures and other images will support the text. They will be located appropriately. Pictures and images should try to be placed above the fold.
Borders
Borders between the navigation bar and the textbox will provide a division making reading easier.
Captions
Picture or image captions should be left justified under all images.

Terms

Data Smog
Data Smog will be capitalized at both the beginning of sentences and within the text.
Information Overload
Information Overload will be capitalized at the beginning of sentences and within the text.
Dates
Dates will appear in this order: day, month and year. This is a more internationally accepted method of writing dates. Periods will also be used in place of slashes. An example of Valentines Day written in this manner is 14.2.05.