The Cardinal Sins of Web Design

**Phil Pond** · 04-05-2002, 07:57 PM

I think pop-ups can be good thing if they are used consistently and if is appropriate to the content. Images, video etc. are good choices for pop-up windows. Some other things are good for pop-ups too:

- Help sections
- Presentations
- Definitions...

Basically, anything that performs a specific task and then no longer has value to the user(and can then be closed to return to the website).

Phil

**Ed Mack** · 04-05-2002, 07:58 PM

Popups without meaning. I recently use one to make a quick poll, click to vote, see the results, then click close (or click close at the start) The poll was tiny and I wanted it to feel quick and easy and part of the site, I'm sorry

**Black_phoenix** · 04-05-2002, 08:39 PM

Hi, just finalising my new site and i need to use 12 pop ups to show the large artwork

eg 800 x 600 (mb bigger)

and the flash site is 760 x 360

no solution that i can think of apart from popping ?

comments welcome

bp

**beeready** · 04-05-2002, 08:49 PM

whew! Thanks for all the helpful clarification on popups, I was just about positive that you were all saying that the site I'm currently working on which uses popups for images and video(FMX) was already the lamest thing in the world and broke every rule before I even got it up <g>
Course, it could still very clearly fall into that category but at least it won't be because I used popups

Now, I'm off to check the colors mentioned in the previous post...
b
_________________________________
Could you 'bee' anymore insecure?

**Black_phoenix** · 04-05-2002, 08:59 PM

i have seen design companies and many others show a site design 100 x 45 in flash

tiny blurry poxy image, i dont get it...

if i showed a client their web page half size, they would laugh at me

pop them up loud and proud

bp

**hurricaneone** · 04-08-2002, 08:24 PM

Hi,

I agree - there's a place for pop ups (in the cold recesses of hell!) No, just kidding. As long as they're used in moderation, there's no problem.

Here's a couple of things which drive me crazy:

Pages which are neither 800x600 or 1024x768, just in between. What are these guys thinking? Don't they take a look at their site during development and go, 'Hey, I can't see the right hand edge of my page'.

Button clicks - why? Perhaps the audio clue is to help those a little more challenged than the rest of us to reinforce the fact that this really is a button you're pressing.

Badly done Flash intros - need I say more? Probably not, as through the thread, I saw a couple of other entries menton this. If you don't have a good idea, don't make one.
Cheers

**kamyab** · 04-08-2002, 08:36 PM

Originally posted by RazoRmedia
I believe that all external links should open in a new window and internal links should open in the same window. My colleague disagrees and thinks all links should open in the same window. What do the rest of you think, and what do you hate with a passion in a website?

agghhhhhh i hate it when external links open in the same window 'cause then i have to hit the back button and backtrack and all that stuff when i want to go to the previous several pages i was on

**Black_phoenix** · 04-08-2002, 08:58 PM

Originally posted by hurricaneone

Pages which are neither 800x600 or 1024x768, just in between. What are these guys thinking?

i always aim to get the site within 800 x 600 as lots of computer ppl i know use that as default

the MD at one company i worked for use a poxy pc running 256 colours (640 x 480) (still does so i here) and they have well over 1 million turn over each year (pounds)

also new tech i use a g force 3 (for games) it has more screen size setting than i know what 2 do with)

i can get 1600 x 1200 max but i would never dream of doing a site that size

**Filtre** · 04-09-2002, 10:25 AM

I agree... I hate framesets... esp ones that scale with your browser window... creating tiny weird navigation sections.

I totally agree with yourself about links...

INTERNAL > In the same window
EXTERNAL > In an separate new window
POPUPS > Only if you REAALLLLY have to

Tables for me have been really useful. Especially when they are dynaically generated by ASP for say, an online catalogue with formatted appearance; or when you want the page to centre in the browser window.

You just have to look at a lot of sites these days to see that layers/framesets really are going down the pan.

As for Mr Nielsen. I hear what he says, and I agree to some extent... but must we really still adhere to horrid bright yellow/cyan text heavy websites. The technology is moving on, people are becoming more literate about using the web and besides... that purist 1994 style usability is just plain well... plain.

J

**TheOriginalFlashDavo** · 04-09-2002, 10:55 AM

Originally posted by Filtre
I agree... I hate framesets... esp ones that scale with your browser window... creating tiny weird navigation sections.

What you hate is BADLY done framesets. I haven't used them recently, but you can do some very, very funky stuff with framesets and DHTML - very cool. I'll be hoping to get time to experiment more, but so many other things to do too....

**Ed Mack** · 04-09-2002, 05:22 PM

One thing that annoys me, users that wont change from 640x480, when there vidio card supports things way bigger, they just don't get the advantages

The browser buttons end up so big that they kill the page

Also, I hate pages made entirly in layers, usually made in some html editor/messer. They usually end up turning themselves into jigsaw puzzels

**nocrapchurch** · 04-09-2002, 05:31 PM

Originally posted by Ed_Mack
One thing that annoys me, users that wont change from 640x480, when there vidio card supports things way bigger, they just don't get the advantages

If they haven't switched, its most likely because they don't know how.

-scott
http://www.scottmanning.com/

**RazoRmedia** · 04-10-2002, 08:21 AM

Originally posted by nocrapchurch

Originally posted by Ed_Mack
One thing that annoys me, users that wont change from 640x480, when there vidio card supports things way bigger, they just don't get the advantages

If they haven't switched, its most likely because they don't know how.

windows has 800x600 as default, 70% or above of users never change this.

**gecko2** · 04-10-2002, 11:15 AM

Originally posted by RazoRmedia
Now my argument with a colleague is about opening in a new window. I believe that all external links should open in a new window and internal links should open in the same window. My colleague disagrees and thinks all links should open in the same window. Our friend Mr Neilsen agrees with him.

I agree with you Razor that all internal links should be same window and external should be new windows. Why would you want another site to open in your place especially since the link was on your site????

Other things I hate.

1. Flash sites which are huge file size wise and don't have a preloader which either tells you how the file size is or what percent is downloaded.

2. Too many colours on sites.

3. Too many fonts on sites.

4. Jakob Nielsen, for just being Jakob Nielsen.

5. Wannabe designers who charge an arm an a leg for a dog's dinner of a site.

That's about it for me, for now. Does anyone watch Room 101 on BBC 2?

**beeready** · 04-10-2002, 11:43 AM

Originally posted by gecko2
4. Jakob Nielsen, for just being Jakob Nielsen.
[/B]

Forgive my ignorance, but I'm fairly new to Flashkit...who is Jakob Nielsen? I keep seeing him mentioned.

b

**gecko2** · 04-10-2002, 11:58 AM

Originally posted by beeready

Originally posted by gecko2
4. Jakob Nielsen, for just being Jakob Nielsen.

Forgive my ignorance, but I'm fairly new to Flashkit...who is Jakob Nielsen? I keep seeing him mentioned.

b [/B]

This guy is an expert on something computer related (I think), and his most famous quote was that flash was 99% bad. I can't really tell you anymore or I'll get told off, last time I had a chat about this guy I told to shut up by a mod, no names mentioned, but the mod isn't in this thread. I love mods, most of them anyway

Here's his mugshot, nearly as ugly as his site. Shame I can't remember his URL.

**catbert303** · 04-10-2002, 12:03 PM

it's http://www.useit.com I think

he's a useability expert.

**beeready** · 04-10-2002, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by catbert303
it's http://www.useit.com I think

he's a useability expert.

Thank you catbert! Thank you to ghecko too

Before I saw catbert's reply I did a search and found this:
The Jakob Nielsen drinking game - kind of funny ;p

http://www.rc3.org/clips/nielsen_drinking_game.html

b

**FairyJanis** · 04-10-2002, 02:54 PM

or are those blue links hard to read?

Originally posted by catbert303
it's http://www.useit.com I think

he's a useability expert.

**FairyJanis** · 04-10-2002, 03:00 PM

lol

Originally posted by beeready

Thank you catbert! Thank you to ghecko too
Before I saw catbert's reply I did a search and found this:
The Jakob Nielsen drinking game - kind of funny ;p

http://www.rc3.org/clips/nielsen_drinking_game.html

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