Consistency in Web Design

Introduction

Keeping the user in mind means making sure that your site is a cohesive site. What do I mean by cohesive? I mean that when you go to each page of the site, it all looks like one site. For example, because the design for this site is all linked to ONE external stylesheet, every single page looks the same, making it easier for the user to navigate and read the site. Many times, this is not the case. I have visited many sites where fonts, colors, sizes, banners, etc. change on every single page. Not only does it confuse the user, it does not give a very good first impression of the company or person behind the site.

Compatability

It is also important to make your site consistent across browsers. What does that mean? Not every browser interprets HTML and CSS the same way. For example, IE is much more lenient around standards, and there are many things that will display in Internet Explorer that will not display in other browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox. It is important to test your site on every browser and platform to make sure it works. For example, in creating this site, the layout was tested for compatability on mulitple platforms and browsers to make sure the maximum number of users could use it and view it correctly.

Navigation

Of all the sections in a site, the navigation MUST be consistent. A site is based on its navigation, and a themed navigation must be consistent throughout the site. It is also a good idea to either have Next/Previous buttons on the page to direct the flow of browsing the site, OR a breadcrumb / trail of links so the user knows where they are in the directory structure of the site.