THE LAYOUT OF A PORTAL
My basic principle when designing a portal is to make it simple and easy for the user. A very complex layout may deliver large quantities of information and options but can often confuse people. A very simple layout may solve this problem but may also lack the depth or detail of content required to deliver the right message. A portal layout should provide balance, contrast, variety and action, which are all important elements to deliver information.
Designing a Portal is not always about being revolutionary, it's also about understanding what has happened in the past. Page layouts in various forms have been around for 100's of years and the basic layout of portals today are the sum of 8-10 years of fine tuning layout design. Our responsibility as designers is not to try to re-invent something that users have already 'learned' and feel comfortable with, but to evolve and improve on what we know with an aim to always provide a more intuitive and enjoyable experience.
|
|
|
