WEBSTER UNIVERSITY

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INSTRUCTOR: Karl Kindt IV (webster@karlkindt.com)

COURSE: HTML Programming

HTML STYLE GUIDE

"Content without style is propaganda or adolescence. Style without content is decadence." --Rita Mae Brown

Purpose
Make sure your pages have a specific intent and that the intent is clear to the audience who will be browsing your pages.

Consistency
Your pages should have a unity and harmony in their design that makes it clear they belong together. It is fine to have variety, but make sure your page is a true site--not just a collection of Web pages that happen to be linked.

Size
Make your pages and images only as big as they need to be in order to be effective. Big is worse, not better. Most of your audience is probably using a modem, so make sure the site scales downward.

Manageability
You can create a monstrous Web site in a week, but can you spend that much time the next week to update it? You should keep your page fresh, so do not create more than you can update on a regular basis.

Contrast
Your text should be readable. Make sure it contrasts enough with your backgrounds.

Color
Use color effectively. Choose a palette that is appealing and stick with it. Using color in tables is an effective way to make a site graphically appealing without the cost of actual images.

Compatibility
Your site should work well in all major browsers. Preview it with all major browsers and edit accordingly.

Dating
Date every page on your site. You are Web-authoring for the World Wide Web, so do not use the format 8/5/2000 because Europeans will think you mean the eighth of May since they put the day before the month; instead, use the format August 5, 2000 or 5 August 2000.

Proofreading
Spell checking does not catch grammar errors or incorrect information. Reread everything with a browser to check it.

Copyright
Do not use any image or text on your site that breaks copyright laws. Create your own content or pay someone to do it.

 

Updated 15 August 2002/ KMK