Design Constraints

When designing a Web site, there are few limitations to how many files and features can be added to it. However, there is a realistic limit to how much should be included in a Web site.

Bandwidth Constraints

The main limitation is bandwidth, which means how quickly information travels between the computer where your Web site is located (your Web server), and the visitor's computer. Even though 56.6kbps modems, and even 10Mbps cable modems are becoming more common, many people on the Internet are still using 28.8kbps modems.

This means that the larger your Web pages are, the longer they take to download, and the less likely a visitor is to stick around to see them. One of the major tasks of a Web site designer is to provide maximum content at a minimum file size. Graphics and animations are the big data-hogs. A screen-sized photo in full color can easily consume 2 megabytes of space, which would take a computer with a 28.8kbps modem about a half-hour to download.

Of course there are a wide range of compression and color-flattening techniques that Web designers can utilize to squeeze files down to manageable sizes. Most designers aim for a maximum file size of about 30 to 40 kilobytes, which means 15 to 20 seconds of waiting, using a 28.8kbps modem.

Hardware Constraints

An enormous variety of computer equipment will be used to view your Web site, from older 33 MHz 386s to the most modern 600+ MHz Pentiums and PowerPCs. The complicating factor is not usually processor speed, however, it is monitor size and resolution.

Your Web site will be seen on 256 color 640x480 pixel screens up to 16.7 million color 1152x864 pixel screens (or bigger). And it has to look good on all of them. Like everything else associated with the Web, compromises between quality and universal accessibility have to be made.

Screen size: Most Web page designers currently assume a viewer screen size of at least 800x600 pixels. This is the standard size recommended for AGRAPHA's designed Web pages, unless a particular application for a proposed Web site requires and/or allows for a different screen size.

Color Palette: There are 216 colors that are considered "browser-safe", meaning that they look the same on all browsers and across all platforms, when viewed in 8-bit color depth. AGRAPHA recommends that "non-dithered" (flat-colored) GIF graphics use the browser-safe palette to ensure a consistent appearance in all browsers. "Dithered" (mixed-colors) GIF graphics will look best using an "adaptive" palette.

For professional Web site design, logo design, or custom graphics, contact AGRAPHA

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