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Visuals Online

Follow basic

design principles 

 

The Rule of Thirds, proper cropping and the balance of positive and negative space apply just as much on the Internet at they do in a darkroom. Consult with photo staff if need be — they’ll be able to offer plenty of great advice.

 

 

 

 

Open up the page

 

Too much empty space is something to be avoided, but a nice balance of white (or gray, or black) space helps readers distinguish articles, photos and section headings.

 

 

Use color! 

 

A pop of bright orange or deep green on a chart or graphic can add life to your site and attract the reader’s eye. On the Elkhart Truth’s home page, the tab linking to Flavor 574, the flavor’s food and cooking-centered publication, is a lively lime green, a contrast to the stately black and white on the rest of the page. 

Follow a hierarchy

Vary the sizes of photos. There needs to be a clearly dominant photo on the page. The next largest photo should be less than half the size of the dominant photo.

Space out the ads

 

Try not to overwhelm the reader with multiple ads in one small space on the homepage.

Don’t be afraid to play around ...

 

... with the size of the visuals on your homepage. If you think an article is more newsworthy than others, make sure to use visuals to emphasize its importance.

Finally make sure your website design is consistent. A consistent graphic plan makes the website less confusing to the reader and helps brand the site for readers.

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