Images and Multimedia
Images
We talked about images and multimedia earlier; however, here we want to introduce the two most common types and how to properly use them.
To improve the time it takes to load a webpage, you should design a site with small, compressed image files. Both the GIF image and JPEG image formats are compressed, and although they both display imagery just fine, each has their own purpose.
GIF images are unique in that they can be animated and they can have transparent backgrounds. JPEG images are unique in that they compress photographs better than GIF files and they retain a photograph’s original qualities better than GIF files.
Still, no matter what you do sometimes, a large image just doesn’t seem to compress as small as you’d like it to. Optimizing images is one way to reduce large images even more and there are numerous software programs that can help.
Another way to reduce the time it takes to load a webpage is to display thumbnail images the way that catalogs display small products pictures. Thumbnail images are smaller versions of larger images which are linked to their bigger forms. To see the full form of an image, visitors can click on its small and quick-loading thumbnail version.
Multimedia
Like images, sounds can increase the time that it takes to load a webpage and playing them in the background should generally be avoided. Visitors should always have the choice to listen to audio recordings, midi music files, and streaming audio through a link that plays them, rather than being forced to download and then hear these files in the background.
Video files can present the same loading problems as large image files and sound files so again, visitors should always have the choice to view them rather than being forced to download and then watch them. Even though the technology behind video is improving in both speed and compression, they’re still a burden on those with slow Internet connections.
Frames
Frames divide the visible area of a web browser into sections and then load different pages into each area. They’re an extremely useful way to organize and present multiple sections of a website, however overkill tends to overwhelm visitors (and their browsers) by presenting too much information at once. They also don’t index well in search engines or easily archive into a visitor’s bookmark or favorites folder. As a result, they’re pretty much avoided by all.
We don’t particularly have anything against frames other than the few minor problems that they cause because when used correctly, they really can make interacting with a website easy. If you find frames an irresistible lure, seek the help of a website frame professional so that they avoid the problems described above.
Forms
Form elements are what make websites come alive with interactivity in its truest sense. Without them, visitors can do little more than read text, click on a few links or watch a video or two. When a website employs form technology, it can ask visitors for information and then react to that information.
Visitors supply information through text-input boxes, drop-down lists, option buttons, and more. Form-enabled websites in turn take that information and send it to their databases for storing, or they send it to the websites’ headquarters for processing.
There are many reasons to use forms on a website, but some of the most common reasons are to obtain feedback, register new users, or process orders.
All WYSIWYG HTML editors should provide the tools needed to build an interactive web form.
Accessibility
One part of web design that’s largely ignored is its accessibility — that is, it’s ignored until it becomes a big legal issue exploited in the media. Essentially, accessibility makes the same content available to non-handicapped persons equally available to those with a disability of some sort. Equal access is just as important online as it is offline, and disability watchdogs are adamant about enforcing their rights to appreciate the Internet just as much as anyone else.
From any webpage that’s coded properly, a disabled person can use special software to translate what’s on each page into speech, hard-printed Braille, or some other usable form of content. Although the intricacies of designing an accessible website are beyond the scope of this book, you are well advised to learn how to make your site an equal access site, because certain legalities may require it. At best, an accessible website should accommodate visitors who may be:
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blind
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partially blind
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color blind
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unable to use the hands
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deaf
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partially deaf
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prone to flash-induced seizures
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learning disabled
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uberVU - social comments on November 3rd, 2009 1:13 amSocial comments and analytics for this post… This post was mentioned on Twitter by andyloyola: Images and Multimedia http://bte.tc/tug #RTW…
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