UK Website Design - Good Design Guide - Page 3.

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Categorize
Categories help your visitor move about your website quickly and efficiently. If visitors get frustrated, chances are they will lose interest and find a site easier to navigate. Well-defined categories often require a lot of planning and quite a bit of thought, but the time is well spent. Well-defined categories may mean the difference between a buyer and someone who just surfs on in frustration.

Be A Site Visitor
Pay attention to other websites. Note navigation that works, what entices you to look further and what frustrates you to the point of irritation. Put yourself in the shoes of your website visitor. What do you want to find and how do you go about finding it? What elements of the websites design help you on your way and what elements of the design hinder you. What parts of the websites design do you like and why?

Get Other Opinions
It's hard to take criticism, but having people use your site and tell you what elements do not work or what they thought was good is very useful. When you hear "I couldn't find my way home," don't chalk it up to them being an idiot not able to find their way out of a paper bag. Instead, realize that while clicking on the banner with the logo seemed obvious to you, it wasn't to someone else. They have probably just told you what your visitor are experiencing when they visit your website.

Consistency and Predictability
Sounds pretty boring, doesn't it? There are only certain things in life we enjoy that are consistent and predictable, and website design should be one of them. We all want to make our website just a little different and try new things. But listen up! Try your creativity when writing your content, as most Internet users are looking for information (a massive 86% of them actually) so give it to them.

Loud Colours Do Not Equal Creativity
Creative website design does not mean you should make your visitors pull out their sunglasses or run off to throw up! Cutting edge design work does not mean using colours no one else would think of using. Nor does it mean showing that you can use every font colour available. Believe it or not, cutting edge designs are often so simplistic that others miss the boat with their gee-whiz effects and whirling graphics. Unless you are selling graphics, you certainly don't want your graphics and visual effects to down- play your content. Images and colours are enhancements, not the main focal point of a website design.

Use Technology as a Friend, Not a Distracter
There is a lot to be said for simplicity and subtlety when talking about website design. New technologies are developed every day, but this doesn't mean that you have to incorporate each and every one in your site to demonstrate your abilities. Everyone wants to show their ability to grasp the latest and greatest and unfortunately, their attempts usually go overboard. For example, a bit of Flash is nice in the right place at the right time for the right site.