FREE ESSAY ON WEB DESIGN

WEB DESIGN

WEB DESIGN
Introduction When the Internet and World Wide Web were first created, they were designed
a research tools and for the distribution of information through information systems
networks. But as the use of the Web has become increasingly more complex, the focus on
Web pages and their design has initiated a number of major changes. Initially, static Web
pages were common, but the focus in recent years has been on the development of dynamic
Web pages which are linked to databases and allow for the integration of information on a
number of different levels. Web sites have progressed to a new level of sophistication,
especially in terms of their capacity to track and store usage patterns and allow for the
utilization of this information in the development of target advertising and focusing for
both the Web page and subsequent connected databases (Tebbe N23). The development of
dynamic Web sites requires strong tools and correlated databases that can retain the
information that is gathered through this tracking process, and in order to become truly
dynamic, Web sites must also be able to provide a company with the most up-to-date
information or data that is both clear and graphically appealing (Tebbe N23). It is not
surprising that many of the major industry developers have focused on ways to develop
better and more interactive Web pages, and Microsoft and Netscape, for example, have
focused on the development of enhanced version of HTML as a means of supporting the
development of dynamic Web sites without requiring that developers have significant
expertise in composing ActiveX and Java applets (Dobson 23). These forms of dynamic HTML,
also known as DHTML, have been recognized as a means of maintaining standard uniformity
through out the development process (Dobson 23). Over the past 3 years, the World Wide
Web Consortium has been working on the preliminary specifications for critical aspects of
the Document Object Model that would provide a standard for how scripts and programs are
dynamically updated and how access to documents can be achieved (Dobson 23). These
underpinnings of the development of dynamic Web pages underscore some of the industry
issues, but do not reflect the impetus from which these Web pages came into focus. In
order to understand the foundations for their development and their current significance,
it is necessary to consider the progression from static Web pages to dynamic Web pages
and then evaluate both the program elements and the implementation in order to gain a
complete picture of the primary components of this industry directive. The Progression
from Static Web Pages Less than a decade ago, when interest in the World Wide Web began
to develop, Web sites were primarily static, and individuals had access through a direct
choice of that site in order to view the information the site contained. Some developers
recall the days when individuals would spend hours on what has been described as a mental
treasure hunt searching for the best Web sites and then trading the information with
others (Tebbe N23). Web sites, though active, were rarely interactive, and without an
external linked capacity, they failed to provide support for further searches and limited
the movement on the Web. The impetus for changing the static Web site came as a result of
pressure to pay for site management, the pursuit of a justification for advertising costs
that are Web-based, and the desire to build some profits into the nature of Web
interactions, elements that could not inherently stem from the once-passive pages (Tebbe
N23). The need for Web pages that could reach out and touch us was a fundamental
component of the changing face of the World Wide Web, and developers have recognized the
benefits of the more aggressive Web-based elements that have redefined the way that
businesses, developers and individuals perceive the Web (Tebbe N23). At the onset of the
pursuit of dynamic Web pages, developers recognized the problems in getting brochureware
up and running, but this issue was before the development of site management tools, HTML
editors and the clear differentiation between the static Web site or HTML and the
emerging dynamic site information (Tebbe N23). Early in the process, developers
recognized that sites needed to generate targeted material to remind the person accessing
he site about their use of the Web and a level of reasoning for its application, an
element necessary to inspire individuals to come back and revisit the site (Tebbe N23).
Essential to the success of the dynamic Web site is that people will not only return to
the site and access new ads and changed information, but will also visit the referenced
Web sites (Tebbe N23). It was evident that the early static Web sites provided little
support for either complex information transferal or for the use of the Web page by a
business to access customer data, including access trends. But the emerging dynamic Web
pages were developed not only for this premise, but also to correlate database
information that is separate from customer data, but still constantly changes, including
Web sites designed to promote up-to-date information about stock performance or about
weather conditions. Both of these examples demonstrates how a Web sites might be used in
a variety of active and interactive functions. Dynamic Web Pages Though the Internet's
roots are clearly based in plain text-based documents, the components of this foundation
are clearly moving out of view. Initially, the development of a Web page always required
the use of a program that created a plain text version and obscure Hypertext Markup
Language (HTML) codes, rather than the creation of a graphics and formatted text, and so
the pages could be viewed as they would appear in a Web browser like Netscape Navigator
or Microsoft Internet Explorer (Mendelson 100). Over the last few years, the development
of a number of advanced programs to support the creation of more complex Web sites has
enhanced the process of dynamic site development (Mendelson 100). Today's more advanced
programs...show your pages almost exactly as they appear in your browser. In the same
vein, the HTML editor you used a year ago created separate pages. But today's best HTML
editors build complete, interlinked Web sites and can upload them to remote Web servers
when users are ready to present their pages to the world (Mendelson 100). Over just a few
years, the development of HTML editing software, for example, evolved in much the same
way that word processing software evolved a decade ago, as code-based HTML editors have
fallen by the wayside to more complex graphics-based editors and developers recognized
that users prefer to use the more modern, visual and didactic edits, even though the
text-only product is still utilized by individuals pursuing Webmasters who have a desire
for control in every aspect of their files (Mendelson 100). At the same time, the new
graphics-based editors have also come into focus as a significant element of this
transformation, but users may have to enter obscure filenames and other strings to use
advanced features like Java applets, ActiveX controls, and scripting (Mendelson 100).
Generally speaking, most of the new HTML editors make it easy for individuals to create
pages that have complex formatting and imported graphics, though recognizable benefits
can be gained from converting graphics files from formats not supported by most browsers,
like TIFF and .BMP, into Web-standard formats like .GIF and JPEG (Mendelson 101). Any
HTML editor can create hyperlinks between a current page and other pages on the same site
or a remote server, but only some programs...will verify that your link points to a page
that actually exists (Mendelson 101). In addition, a number of these programs also create
and manage Web sites in addition to creating individual pages, and packages have been
designed by manufacturers to support the capacity to build interconnected pages that use
the same graphics and design elements on a number of different pages (Mendelson 101). The
basic blueprint structure of the dynamic Web site includes the following characteristics:
? Text and hypertext links should be readable against the background. Use proper spelling
and punctuation. ? Background colors and patterns help a page stand out, but they can be
in the way if they make it hard to load or read. Bear in mind that many readers will be
viewing your page at 256 colors, so any higher-resolution colors will be lost and may
create undesirable effects. ? Graphics and animation can brighten a page, but keep them
simple for quick downloading. Avoid busy animations and blinking text. ? Navigation links
at the bottom of each Web page provide a guide so your readers won't get lost. Provide
text-only links for users who turn off graphics loading in their browsers to improve
speed. ? Page dimensions should be no larger than the browser window size; keep in mind
that many readers have their screen resolution set to 640 by 480 pixels. ? Frames can
make navigation easier, but more than a few can make your page difficult to read. Also,
build a nonframe version to accommodate all browsers. ? Applets and plug-ins can enable
visual tricks and features beyond the capabilities of basic HTML, but we don't recommend
heavy use of proprietary extensions. (Mendelson 103) The structural components of the Web
page itself are imperative to the dynamic structure, but the database that is utilized to
either direct information regarding access and trends or to define the links between the
information in the initial site and the pool of information that can be accessed through
a search engine or another segment of the site development. Database design, then, is an
important element of the development of dynamic sites and their capacity to attract,
maintain and create revisits within the target populations. Database Design Data-base
driven interactivity is a necessary consideration when creating dynamic Web sites, and
there are currently more than 150 Web-server extensions and 30 environmental variables
that are utilized by designers who can rapidly create interactive sites for applications
like electronic commerce (Heck 58F). Inline Internet System iHTML 2.1, for example, is a
program that has numerous tags that allow HTML to support programming constructs and deal
with errors in a sophisticated manner (Heck 58F). At the same time, program developers
recognized the necessity for security and for creating an underlying database that had
effective connections, both important considerations in utilizing a Web site to maintain
a company focus on electronic commerce (Heck 58F). It is not only necessary to devise an
appropriate database foundation, but it is also necessary to establish the connections
between the Web page and the database, and create effective and usable interfaces based
in new database connection within a server database on a network (Lam 267). Most
client/server databases, such as SQL Server 6.5, are sold on the basis of the number of
concurrent connections that they allow. But there is no way to enforce licensing
restrictions in today's world of Internet data access, since there are no persistent
connections to your database server. To compensate for the potentially large number of
hits on your database server, Microsoft charges a flat fee of $2,995 to connect your SQL
Server 6.5 database to the Internet. For smaller Web sites, which do not require the full
power of this type of client/server database, you can run Microsoft Access or something
similar at considerably less expense (Lam 267). This process demonstrates the complexity
of the database management process and also underscores the fact that the database
segment of the Web site can vary significantly depending on what factors define the
database. Databases can be defined and directed by a number of different premises,
including: ? customer trends and cite access information ? changing collective
information ? a set database grouping ? database interactivity Once the foundation of the
database is defined, it is then necessary to consider the nature of the database
connection and create additional components to query and manipulate the data in the
database and program segments have been designed specifically to deal with the issue of
the simplification of the query process and devising particular components (Lam 267).
Whether considering the nature of the database or the components of the Web page devised
to support the database, the issue of how to put the page on the Web and access
information that is held within the scope of the database is imperative to benefiting
from this process. The process of putting the dynamic Web page on-line requires an
understanding of a few very basic elements of provider structure. Putting Your Pages
Online The last, though significant, step in publishing an HTML page or a dynamic Web
site with database connections is putting it on a Web server that is connected to the
Internet. Because individual users often find it easier to obtain access to through an
on-line serve, some of the elements of the major types are provided in order to
understand this process (Mendelson 103). They include (provided by Mendelson 106): ?
America Online: Start with the keyword Personal Publisher or go to home.aol.com. You can
then choose My Home Page, for novice users, or My Place, aimed at the more experienced.
My Place lets you upload multiple pages and offers a wide selection of HTML editors for
downloading (including AOLpress), as well as a user-friendly menu of help items. AOL
provides up to 2MB of server space for each user or 10MB per account. ? Prodigy Internet:
Type the keyword Personal Web Pages to get to Prodigy's page creation area, which
contains a basic HTML tutorial and support bulletin boards, as well as downloadable
shareware HTML editors and Prodigy's text-based editor, Hippie 4.10. After you create
pages off-line, the Personal Web Pages Site Manager allows you to upload up to 1MB of
text and images to the Web. ? CompuServe: After downloading CompuServe's Home Page Wizard
(type Go hpwiz), you can use the wizard's graphical editor to create text and graphics.
You can preview the pages in any selected browser, then use the Publishing Wizard to
upload the files you choose. CompuServe allows up to 2MB of text and files. Considering
the elements of each of these servers is a positive step in improving the capacity of the
Web site and in demonstrating the link between server and the possible factors that can
impact Web site development and implementation. Conclusion The development of dynamic Web
sites appears to be the wave of the future and fewer and fewer text-only sites are
appearing on the Internet. In general, the perception that exists is that Web sites
should not only focus on the production of information that is beneficial for the person
accessing the site, but should also provide a structural element from which evaluations
can be made by companies providing these sites. Though the structural elements of the Web
site itself is imperative to attracting hits to the site, this is clearly not only
element that has changed in Web site development in recent years. The focus on databases
as a component of Web site interactivity is also a major element that has transformed the
focus of Web site developers. It is evident that the continued changes in the industry
will focus on increasing the interactivity in Web sites and improving the progression of
dynamic Web sites in general. 
Bibliography
Works Cited Dobson, Rick. Developers like DHTML, but many wait. Byte, (1997): September,
pp. 23(2). Heck, Mike. iHTML builds database-driven, dynamic Web sites effortlessly.
InfoWorld, (1998): January, pp. 58F(1). Lam, John. Visual InterDev and ASP. PC Magazine,
(1997): December, pp. 265(4). Mendelson, Edward. Grand designs. PC Magazine, (1997):
March 4, pp. 100(13). Tebbe, Mark. Surf's over: here comes the big wave. PC Week, (1996):
November 18, pp. N23(1).